Choose the right musical experts to work with

Choose a DJ and/or Band that is renowned for exceptionally high standards and quality of service. Keep their artistry, organisation, trust worthiness and preparation skills in mind. The last thing you want is an unorganised soloist or group that isn’t punctual, and doesn’t properly take your needs into account. The best artists will always do their best to help you have a memorable experience.

Identify the most important songs first

This applies to: Bridal Party; Bridal Processional; Signing The Register; Couple Recessional; Confetti; Walk In, Cutting The Cake; First Dance etc.

In addition to this, think about the timing of each song and whether or not they need to be edited to fit the length for each part of your wedding. The best artists will always make the necessary adjustments beforehand and ensure that everything is perfectly clued up.

Playlist, playlist, playlist

Having a wedding playlist makes the whole night less stressful and much smoother. This ensures that all parties are less worried about what will be played and helps you stay focused on having a memorable night. This can be a list of genres, or specific songs. This doesn’t mean micromanaging the music, and choosing a list of 200 songs. 20 specific requests can really shape the evening and give the DJ an easier means of shaping the perfect musical journey.

BONUS TIP
Ask your guests to each submit a track they want to hear.
This will ensure that the DJ has even more to work with, and can please everyone present to the best of their ability.

Don’t play that!

Identify beforehand what you would not like to hear, or what you’d deem inappropriate for the proceedings. This will avoid awkward moments between you and the DJ on the day. The last thing a DJ wants to hear from you during a set is ‘could you please change the song’ if other guests are enjoying themselves.
This is a very important consideration.

Choose genres that compliment the theme and environment of the wedding

Have the theme of the wedding and the environment of the venue in mind when choosing your genres and styles. This will allow for a more cohesive celebration. For example, if your theme is Grand Budapest Hotel, then consider having the film soundtrack as background music for a segment of the event. If you’re on the beachfront, you’re probably better off with some cocktail style deep house than a string quartet.

Be honest with your provider

If the music being played isn’t meeting your expectations, even after a don’t play list has been provided, then you need to be immediately honest with your provider. No DJ or band wants to receive an angry email about the music not being up to scratch when no effort was made to guide them on the day,
and the guests were enjoying themselves.

For example, if you’d like more of the songs from your playlist played, be as specific as possible about it. Don’t say; ‘could you try to fit in more from our playlist’. Say something along the lines of: ‘please only play music from our playlist and nothing else until you finish it’. If you don’t like a certain song or artist, but forgot to include it in your don’t play list, then immediately specify with the DJ or musician that you would not like to hear anything else by this artist. Further, saying things like ‘please don’t play songs like this’ doesn’t help either. With over 40000 songs in a good DJ’s arsenal at any given moment, being specific can really help them make the best choices to please you.

BONUS TIP
Preferably specify things like these upfront if possible in order to avoid blunders and awkward encounters.

Think outside the box and don’t be afraid to take risks

Try things you’ve always dreamt of having at your wedding, even if you’re a little hesitant. Make the reception a full-on rave rather than a standard DJ Reception, or have the DJ spin that deep dubstep and UK garage playlist you’ve been working on for years. It might look risky on paper, but if it’s what you want, nothing is more important, especially to your service provider.

Communication is key

Communication saves the day every time. In fact, all of the other points we’ve listed ultimately boil down to good communication. If you communicate your needs effectively, nothing can go wrong, and this doesn’t just apply to the music and entertainment.

Take your guest demographics into consideration when choosing music

If you have children attending your event, you may want to give the DJ guidelines on profanity. Any sensible DJ will try to avoid music which contains profanity when there is a younger audience, but rather don’t leave it up to their sensibility. If you want a lot of popular hip-hop and heavy metal played, chances are they will include cursing, sexism, hate speech and the works.

Additionally, if there are a lot of older guests, you should have the DJ include suitable genres such as early popular music from the 50s to the 90s.

Ask and you will receive

Don’t be shy to request music from your music provider.
Any good music provider will prioritise couple requests, and always slot in guest requests as soon as it is appropriate.

So there you have it! We hope that you found this list helpful! Let us know if you apply these to your own special day, and don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you have any questions, or additional tips of your own.