Do I Need A DJ For My Wedding?

In this modern world when most music fans carry a thousand plus songs on their mobile phones many Brides and Grooms to be are asking , "do I need a DJ for my wedding? Can I just supply the music myself?"

Obviously in order to DJ the evening you need to ensure that the venue has adequate sound and lighting equipment. Most wedding venues and hotels rely on a DJ to bring a PA system and extra lighting with them. To hire this separately will often cost almost as much as hiring a DJ.

A good DJ will do more than just put on a play list. They will read the crowd ensuring that the music is appropriate for all the guests and play songs that create the best atmosphere. They will take requests on the night . They will make announcements when appropriate. They will be a central focus for the evenings entertainment and a friendly host.

It is possible to put together a play list of requests and not to book a DJ but it is risky. City centre bars and night clubs have the technology to play all music internally and yet they book DJs. They do this because the atmosphere is generally flat without a quality DJ.

Note that we have mentioned quality DJs several times. Not all DJs are alike and in our view it is worse to book a poor DJ than to book no DJ at all. If you are booking a DJ use a quality agency like Live Music Management who have decades of experience booking DJs into night clubs and bars as well as weddings , parties and events.

I've Booked A Band For My Wedding . Do I Also Need A DJ?

Anyone considering booking a live band for a wedding would be well advised that in most cases the band will offer a DJ service which will be adequate to keep the atmosphere pumping in the bands breaks. A quality , professional band will have played at many weddings and found which songs work and which don't. They will have the correct equipment to make sure the music sounds great . Many bands will be able to take requests on the night and to make announcements if needed.

When the band are booked to play 2 x 60 mins (or 3 x 40 mins) of live music at a typical wedding with a start time of around 7.30 and finish time of midnight a DJ would only be playing for two and half hours. Taking into consideration that the early part of the evening will probably just require some background music whilst people catch up with old friends and family and that there may be some food served in the middle of the DJ's set then the economics of booking a DJ along with a live band don't stack up.

The big advantages with booking a DJ separately is that the DJ will usually carry extra dance floor lighting and they can MC the evening and offer a dedicated request service. A trusted DJ can also act as event co-ordinator to make sure the evening runs to schedule.