How the world has changed the past month? It was once easy to just go to a restaurant to eat but now they are closed for seating. We used to have face to face meetings but that not is that case. Everyone has been forced to use zoom. I have never used it before and I learned how to use it while I virtually attended a dj conference. A few days later, I was able to catch a comedy show via zoom. They are still working out the kinks, and eventually it will be flawless. During the comedy show you can hear this guy unwrapping his snack and you can hear him munching. 

  Restaurants had to adapt to the situation. They are only allowed carry out so they have been issuing a lot of discounts. I have seen one restaurant advertise that the food will be semi prepared and all it needs is to be put in the oven at a low price.

  How is COVID 19 change the dj industry? Currently a lot of full timers are hurting since they cannot perform. It seems a lot of them are streaming their dj sets online to be on top of mind and also to keep their skills sharp. Are Venues going to have their own systems and have djs stream music from their home if social distancing is still enforced. Let’s hope their internet connection is strong! That may be an option. With this new normal, all companies need to adapt till things get back to the old normal. We are all in this together and we will strive. #coronavirus #dj #wedding #venue #streaming #livesets

Do it Yourself Music versus a DJ

Weddings are not cheap. It is one of the most special days of a bride and grooms life and they want to share it with the special folks around them. Weddings can be very intimate and have under 50 guests or they can be extravagant and have over 200 guests. The hosts have to provide the food, the venue and the entertainment. Location is something people can not skip on since it’s a must to have the physical reception. All these guests got to eat so food has to be in the wedding budget.

After everything has been paid for its time to see if there is budget for the entertainment. Oh brother Steve has an awesome cd collection and he likes the same kind music that we have. Or maybe someone can stream music off their phone.

A dj is more than just a dj and a button pusher. They follow a timeline and make announcements to keep the guests in the know.  They see the crowd and keep feeding them what they want to hear to keep the dancefloor filled.

 Maybe you don’t want to have a dance party then having a friend play off their system. If one goes that route then make sure you have a timeline. A wedding planner can get you one or if you reach out to a dj then they can give you a sample template.

Which is better to have a friend doing music or having a professional dj?

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 The Year of 2020 is supposed to be the year of the Bride and Groom. I had the most inquiries this year but next thing you know there have been motions to have less than 100 people can meet up, then it dropped to 50 and finally has been limited to 10.

Postpone and do not cancel the event! Setting up a wedding is like a second job and required hours of work to find the right vendors. Do not let all your hard work go down the drain.

Please let your guests know about the situation. Of course they know what is happening in the world but let them know about the date they are the first to know once the close to clear. You want to make sure it is safe to have a big event.  The year 2020 was a really popular year so be prepared to set the date on Friday or Sunday to secure the venue that you already had booked and to get all the vendors that were originally booked. Since everyone is supposed to be staying home, why not work on the playlist and the order of the timeline.

So in a nutshell, communicate with your vendors and your guests. Having a wedding gives everyone one something to looking forward. Celebrate it the way it should be celebrated. Also work on your playlist and timeline. It is usually difficult to get on that but now we have a little more time since we have the social distancing going on. But once that social distancing stops we can be social and party the right way.

Everyone seems to have the same set up in my area. They have a 6-foot table with a linen and on top of that they have a controller with two speakers on tripods. I looked at other dj set ups across the nation and started noticing the all-white dj set ups. The speakers are white, the lights are white, and the poles the lights are on are white. I do have to admit it is very pleasing to the eye. Often they would include some uplighting to add some flare to the set up.

 I went and asked other djs the importance of having an all-white set up. Some folks said people specially asked for their set up. Some planners were impressed and wanted to make sure their bride and groom had that set up. Some djs would talk about using it as an upgrade in their packages.  Many said as along as their set up looks clean that it does not need to be white. Of course, you do not want to have cables exposed. Other djs said it does not matter what color your set up is as long as you can rock the party. I also heard if one gets a steak at a steakhouse and they don’t ask what kind of grill did they use to cook the steak. The only folks who care about the equipment are other djs. After all my findings, my quest for the all-white set up was concluded. As in my prior belief, my mission is to give the best experience with the music.

A typical wedding reception is 5 hours long. One hour will go to the cocktail hour. That is when the bride and groom are taking pictures with their bridal party. The remaining four hours will be the grand entrance, the important dances, dinner and the open dancing.

A properly set up dinner will run from 45 minutes to an 1 hour 15 minute event. During that time the bride and groom will normally go table to table to thank the guests individually and be able to chit chat with their guests. Usually at this time, the photographer will be taking photos of the guests and the bride and groom at the tables. I have seen the bride and groom eat at the center table and the guests were going up to them and taking photos. Most of the bride and grooms opt to go to the tables. What usually happens is the bride and groom do not get a chance to eat their whole meal since they are visiting all the tables. Please make sure you get to eat since there is plenty of dancing and wedding to enjoy.

Keep in mind that if the wedding has a buffet it will take a little longer since folks are serving themselves and being excused table by table than if the waiters are distributing the food. Have the dj or the wedding planner excuse the tables if not people will help themselves thus slowing the process.

Menlo Park- Holbrook Palmer Park Wedding Set Up

I did a ceremony and cocktail hour plus dance for a wedding. For this venue, it would be beneficial to have an assistant to help set up the equipment. For the ceremony there is a power source to set up on the corner and the bride and groom walk down the stairs. Most djs could use one speaker for the ceremony but I opt to use two.

While the wedding party takes photos after the ceremony then everyone walks over to the dinner area for cocktails. The question that arises is how many set ups would one need for the reception area. People dance inside but the cocktails and dinner is outside. There are a few choices. If you wanted to make it perfect, then a set up can be done outside. One can have one speaker but I have to have balance and had two out. I had a microphone set up for the toasts and announcements. Another option would be to set up in the dance area and have the speakers go out to the cocktail area. It would save time in setting up but the dj has to be inside or he can have an assistant manning the music while the dj can mc in the cocktail area. And of course the dance area inside would have two speakers. Venue does offer in-house speaker system.

The Park is a huge park with plenty of parking. I would recommend going to the venue before hand so you are prepared for the set up. If you organize it well then all one needs are two set ups.

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Is it uplighting necessary? Uplighting is a nice touch to any party. It does add a sense of classiness. It can also provide a club vibe to the venue.

Some djs offer it as an upgrade but also some venues are stepping it up and including it in their package. Typically, they are wireless so there is less wires so it looks classy and one does not need to worry about being close to a power source.

Uplights can be on the whole night and the remote can make the uplights flash different colors if they are synced. These lights have a 6 to 10-hour battery life. A color that is typical if the client does not ask for a certain color is amber. Amber is a very neutral color.   As opposed to the dj lights that turn on during the dance portion of the night. Ideally the dj does not want to turn those on during the first dance since it will make it difficult for the photographer to take good pictures. These lights can be sound activated and can flash different colors and the hopes of these lights are to draw people to the dance floor to shake a little leg. It would be beneficial to place them evenly around the room.

So are uplights necessary? No they are not. Do they add anything to the venue? It does add some charm to the room. Some venues are already beautiful none will be needed but it does create a vibe and can really look beautiful in some pictures.

I am a proud SJSU alumni and I like to keep tabs on my school. I had an opportunity to play at a fundraiser. They were at first going to have a band and have me be the start of the night but that did not pan out. I did not get a special playlist but I was told to play appropriate music for the night. A lot of the time one would play background music during dinner time so the guests can be able to talk. Then the end, the dj would play the festive music at a louder volume to get everyone to the dance floor and keep them on the dance floor.

The venue was an Elks Lodge in San Jose. It was right off the 87 so it was really easy to go to. They do have a stage area for the dj and a huge dance floor.  I unloaded my gear and took it to the stage. They had the baseball and softball players there to help with the service of the food.

I knew the most of the crowd was going to be 30 and up. Also I knew the players were more about 20 years old.  So for the dinner portion of the night I was playing mellow familiar background music. All the players for both sports were introduced. Once they did all the auctions and the raffles it was time to pump up the volume. I went with the classic dance jams that all ages would enjoy.