A dj should always do a sound check every time they do their set up. A sound check can consist of how loud they want to music during dinner and how loud they want it when it is the dance part of the night.  Wireless Microphones can be checked if they work and also if they have a full battery especially if they are going to do speeches. It would be ideal to have a wired microphone handy just in case the wireless microphone battery runs out or the signal gets lost.

The dinner music is background music. Guests should be able to talk to their neighbor without any strain.

Bride and groom can give the dj a must play list. Songs that have significant meaning for them or just songs they would love to have in the dance section of the night.

The first dance of the couple is a monumental song but at times the song can be too long and the dj plays the whole song out. How many one arm turns can the groom give the bride? The dj can fade out the song but can communicate with the couple on how long they want to song.

When the dj is stuck on one genre during the dance part of the night. The couple may have requested a solo genre but sometimes it is good to spread the love a little bit for the guests who are not dancing by putting on a different genre.

Explicit lyrics may have been cool while driving to your high school while you were in high school but in a place with your grandma and maybe children at the same place, it’s best to go clean version. 

Top Wedding Regrets: The Guest List

Weddings can be small and intimate and then some can be grand big events. One side of the bride of groom guests may be larger than the other side. The question is whom do you invite to share your precious day with you and your new spouse?

 First and foremost the immediate family and the closest friends can be invited. People who you probably never see again can be left off the list. People who you have known your whole life and that you have not spoken to in 10 years should be left off the list. It becomes difficult since at times parents help with wedding costs and they have their own list of folks that they want to invite. Some people on the list maybe people you have never met before.  A wedding is expensive as is already and the list should be made by the couple and not by guests suggesting that the couple should invite.

Everybody wants to bring his or her kids.  Bride and groom can opt to have an adult only wedding. Having little kids run the dance floor while you are doing the first dance would not look too good on video.  I do not remember any weddings I went as a kid but I did go to a few.

Small weddings are more intimate and the guests are selectively picked to enrich the wedding experience. During the wedding it is great to talk to all the guests and thank them for going. If the party is full of folks you barely know it makes it awkward when you are doing small talk.  

All and all people maybe upset that they were not invited. But a wedding is for the bride and groom and they can invite folks that mean something to them.

One of the first items on the to wedding to do list is to book a venue. Once that is established, then next on the list is to find the dj. Often times, we can select a dj that you seen perform at a wedding that you liked. It is recommended to book your dj 9 months to a year in advance to secure the dj of your choice. Most weddings happen on Saturday but if another day such as Friday or Sunday is selected then there is a better chance that your dj maybe available.  A lot more weddings happen during wedding season during the summer months. The temperature is better suited for the wedding and some weddings can be held outside without it being too cold or rainy.

For me, it would be good to have the booking 6 months ahead. In that time, there is not a rush to meet and go over logistics and gives the dj and the couple time to work on the playlist together. Then once the date is around the corner the list is already done and the plan is already established so there is less to worry about.

It is beneficial to pick your number 1 dj since he will not be booked that day and also for peace of mind. There is so much going on for the wedding that it is one less item to think about.

The dj will most likely ask for a nonrefundable deposit to secure the day. The reason for the nonrefundable deposit so the dj will not lose business in case the original customer cancels on the event and the dj turned down other events since he was booked for that prior event. 

These days everyone and their mom are a dj. With technology advances, many folks can play music and make legit transitions.

Do you truly like the dj you hired based on his or her skill level or just the price that the dj gave you.  For the sake of your wedding reception, please make sure the dj has experience to play at a wedding. The Dj makes or breaks the wedding with his music and microphone presence.

If a dj is charging 200 or 300 dollars then they are a beginner dj and its best to get a family friend to play music off their ipod since it will be the exact same experience.

You get what you pay for.

Djs that charge 400 to 600 are part time djs who have full time jobs.  They do have some experience and can have a good experience with these djs.

Djs that charge over 1000 to 2500 dollars are the real deal. They can really talk up the wedding and 9 times out of 10 a full time dj. Since djing is their full time gig, they can spend more time preparing for the wedding.

On average the wedding couple spends 700 to 1400 dollars on a dj. Especially now couples are spending more money now than in the past to ensure a good wedding experience.

Take the time to interview djs to get a feel of what kind of wedding you want.  Also take a glimpse of their reviews to get a sense of the quality work of the dj. A common question would be can we see you perform a wedding. That makes it difficult since weddings are usually made for private events.

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To have a successful reception, the bride and groom have to set up a good team for the wedding.  I have heard from different couples that sometimes setting up the perfect wedding is like working a part time job. Wedding parties are interviewing different vendors and talking to their friends about venues and trying to figure out what would be the best for them.  But once a good team is formed then it can take off the stress of a wedding. A wedding is an event that should be joyful and memorable that should be shared with loved ones.

A bride or groom should not be worried about the caterer or the dj making mistakes. Once they hired their team then they should be able to handle the wedding event. The bride should have a wedding planner or a trusted bridesmaid handle any issue.

The wedding day goes by fast. It will be done in a blink of an eye. After taking photos after the ceremony, the bride and groom would head to the grand entrance of the reception then usually jump into their first dance, then  the father daughter dance followed by mom and son dance. The food is now served and it's time to talk to the guests at their tables.

Make sure you make time to eat. You spent a lot of time selecting the food  make sure you enjoy it. Sit down and and eat. It is going to be a long night of socializing and dancing so make sure you are nourished.

In a nutshell, set up your team of professionals to handle your wedding and eat your food. These tips will make your reception magical. 

Photos are nice to have and put in a wedding album and even decorate the house.  A photographer can take many shots and they secure the memories of the important event of the couple’s life.  The ceremony itself can be filmed and also the reception.  Budget maybe an issue but there are different services rendered for filming a wedding and there can be some sort of video made of the wedding.

The wedding is one of the most monumental events in a person’s life. If worst comes to worst vows can be recorded on a mobile phone but ideally it would be great if it is done professionally.

There is some magic of the first dance and mother/son dance or father/ daughter dance.

Video can capture the beauty of older relatives sharing a joke at a table or baby cousins giving each other a hug. Video can capture the moments a picture may miss.

Toasts can live forever in video.

The couple can relive their magical day through video so the can reminisce the wedding during anniversaries.

It may take many months to plan a wedding but the wedding itself goes quickly and it best captured on video. The couple will not catch everything that happens but can see what the camera sees when the day is long over.

Photography should be done by a professional no and ifs or buts. Video should be included in the wedding. If the budget allows, but if the budget does not allow then a guest with a video camera would be option B. Given an option of no video or a video done by a non professional the non-professional wins hands down. 

I like to set up multiple microphones during a live P.A. event. I have one microphone on the stand plus one for the dj booth.  I spread out the speakers as far as I could to cover more ground.  I do not put the speaker at full volume. I typically put it at 50 percent and max out at 75 percent.

More often than not there are different people who speak at different volume levels. Every time someone speaks, you may have to adjust the volume based on how loud they talk into the microphone and how close they have it to their mouth.

Also it is a good idea to tape down the cabling and wires. I always do a sound check before I tape anything down in case I have to use different cables or a different microphone.  It is good to have more than one extension cord in case one needs more cord to reach the power.

I use microphones that are always on, but I am able to turn them on or off from the mixer I use. It is good to turn them off when people are talking to each other before the ceremony not knowing it is on, because the audience can be able to hear them talk other business.

Also it is good to be aware of how hot it is. Certain speakers may have issues since it is really hot. It is good to keep speakers in a shaded area and if not some speakers have weather proof covers. It is good to take an extra speaker, since the elements may cause the speaker to overheat or get wet.  Heat can be an enemy, but also rain can be a party pooper. 

Before I get into my new toy, let me explain the beauty of a controller. Back in the day, the dj had to use a mixer and hook it up to two turntables that were connected with multiple rca cables. Then the mixer would connect with the speakers and then the gig had music. Usually it would take about 45 minutes to set up solo.  A controller contains a mixer and turntables as one. So the use of rca cables is unnecessary and set up takes half the time.  Gotta love technology!

My controller of choice is the DDJ SX2, which is the industry standard for mobile and nightclub djs. This is a four-channel controller. I take this guy everywhere. As his backup I would take the original Pioneer controller DDJ-s1. Since I never needed a back up, I would never use my original controller. I decided to get a newer back up in the DDJ-sr2, which is a two-channel controller. This looks like the little brother of what I use now.

The ddj-sr2 is smaller and lighter than his bigger brother. With this controller, it can be powered by usb or with a powered plug, which could be a lifesaver incase one runs out of outlets. If a venue has a professional sound system, this controller can be connected to it with ease.

It can also be used for a wedding in case multiple set ups have to be ready at the same time for the ceremony and the reception. If both events happen in the same venue, the guests can leave the reception immediately and be greeted by music when they enter the next room right away.