EMAIL: Jake@DJbyJake.com or DJbyJake@gmail.com

PHONE: (888) 4DJ-JAKE (435-5253)

Client Area
  • HOME

  • ABOUT

  • SERVICES

  • ADD-ONS

  • PRICING

  • TESTIMONIALS

  • GALLERY

  • CONTACT

  • BLOG

  • More

    Music and more for your most memorable moments

    Add-Ons: Lighting

    August 16, 2017

    Help me help you: wedding dos and don'ts

    July 29, 2017

    Surprising Wedding DJ Facts

    June 25, 2017

    Be prepared for your summer weddings

    May 6, 2015

    Broadway showtunes for your wedding

    April 23, 2015

    The 10 Commandments of DJing

    March 20, 2015

    Wedding games CAN be fun!

    February 17, 2015

    New year, new wedding ideas!

    January 4, 2015

    Some tips to get your wedding guests moving

    December 2, 2014

    Some NEW questions to ask your DJ

    November 7, 2014

    Please reload

    Recent Posts

    Be prepared for your summer weddings

    May 6, 2015

    1/1
    Please reload

    Featured Posts

    Help me help you: wedding dos and don'ts

    July 29, 2017

    |

    DJ Jake

    We've been DJ'ing weddings for a long time, so here's some wisdom we've learned

    from our experience. We want to pass it along to you to help you when planning your big day!

     

    1. Keep the "spotlight" songs short: These are the "important" songs for your wedding, like your first dance, parent dances, etc. It's a very nice time to share the dance floor with your new spouse, or someone you love. Try to keep these songs to three minutes or less. If you are not the kind of person who likes to be the center of attention, this makes sense, but also think about the guests who will be looking on (and sometimes standing) and not sure what to do for the duration, which can sometimes seem long. Got a long song? Tell your DJ to find a good point to fade it out.

     

    2. Spread out the spotlight songs: My recommendation is to have the introductions into the reception, then go right into first dance. Follow this with a blessing (if you choose) and serving the first course. Before entrees, do toasts. After everyone has eaten dinner, head into the cake cutting, parent dances and then open up the dance floor. After a first set of dancing, give everyone a quick rest and do bouquet/garter. This diced-up timeline allows people time to schmooze, catch their breath, and take breaks as needed.

     

    3. Put the dance floor right in front of the DJ: Sometimes this is not possible depending upon the venue you picked, but when it is, this will prevent the DJ having to blast the music to get good sound quality to other parts of the room, meanwhile blowing away people seated at tables in front of him. (Also: NEVER seat elderly guests in front of DJ!). Added perk: have a stage for the DJ so he can see over all the action!

     

    4. Serve the DJ dinner first: Often, the venue or caterer will serve the DJ dinner last. This doesn't make sense, because by the time the DJ gets their food, most of the guests will be done eating, and the next portion of the evening should begin. If you serve the DJ first (or after the bride and groom), once everyone else is done eating, the next part of the reception can immediately begin.

     

    5. Outdoor ceremony? Always, always, always have a tent: New England weather is unpredictable. The worst thing that could happen is that it acts up for your beautiful ceremony outside. While you and your guests may be able to put up with intense heat or a little drizzle, electronic equipment is a little more fickle. Go to Walmart and buy a small pop-up tent just in case (sometimes a DJ can bring one if you ask). 

     

    6. Outdoor wedding? Make sure there's power nearby: Rustic weddings are all the rage, but don't get too quaint; DJs need power to run their equipment! Some DJs (like us) can supply a small battery to power their gear for short periods of time (such as ceremonies or cocktail hours), but for the longer dinner/dancing portion, your venue needs to have power or else it's going to be a very short night.

     

    7. When to know if you need a second setup: So your wedding has a ceremony in one place and the reception in another. Does the DJ need only one setup or two? Here's some ways to figure it out. Is there a wall or door between the two spots? Is it more than 100 feet between the two places? Is there anything that would visually obstruct the DJ from seeing something important from where he's set up? On an aesthetic level, would extension cords be able to be seen and/or unsightly? If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, then you need more than one set of equipment.

     

    8. The couple MUST dance!: Guests are usually hesitant at first to get on the dance floor, but if they see the newlyweds cutting the carpet, they're less shy. You don't have to be good dancers, either; just sway if you need to. But people will join you when you do, and after awhile you can sneak away. Dance floor getting barren? Come back out, and tell people to come with you! You're the boss on your wedding day...they have to listen to you! Have your bridesmaids and groomsmen help you out too!

     

    9. Your Must Play and Must NOT Play Lists: What's the right amount of songs to put on your playlists? Hopefully, you've hired a DJ because you trust him with feeling out the crowd and knowing what works (and what doesn't!). Similarly, music is very important to you. I have found that the sweet spot for songs to put on your playlist is approximately 20-30 songs. This manageable number allows the DJ to play most, if not all, of the songs you have listed on there, while still giving him the freedom to pull from his experience based on your musical preferences. After all, if you wanted a jukebox, you wouldn't have paid for a DJ, right?

     

    10. Subliminal messaging helps: If you want people to dance, you can also drop hints even before the party begins. Some suggestions: get sandals for people to switch into, and leave them in a basket with a sign on it that lets people know they are for dancing later on; have your Best Man or Maid of Honor say something in their speech about dancing tonight; even before your wedding, include guests in making requests of their own for songs they'd like to hear. If there's even a song or artist you can work into your vows, all the better! By inserting these small cues, people will be primed to celebrate!

    Tags:

    wedding ceremony

    wedding dj

    wedding reception

    wedding

    music

    dance

    equipment

    Please reload

    Follow Us

    accent

    anniversary

    apples

    band

    best man

    bingo

    booth

    bouquet

    bridesmaids

    broadway

    ceremony

    club

    color

    commandments

    cost

    dance

    dance floor

    dj

    dj facts

    dj fiction

    dmx

    equipment

    etiquette

    fun

    games

    garter

    gobo

    gobos

    groomsmen

    guestbook

    heat

    ideas

    interactive

    ipod

    job

    kids dance

    kissing

    lighting

    lights

    madlibs

    maid of honor

    mc

    microphone

    mixing

    music

    musicals

    party

    photo

    pinspot

    planning

    playlist

    policy

    questions

    rain

    reception

    request

    requests

    roast

    rules

    shoes

    showtunes

    song

    songs

    sound

    spy

    summer

    talking

    tent

    text

    tip

    tips

    toasts