What Do I Do With My DJ?

One of the items that came up with one of our brides over the past couple of weeks was Disc Jockey placement.

When given the choice, where should I have my DJ set up? Here's one scenario:

The venue we were at this particular evening usually has their entertainers set up their gear on a balcony overlooking the dance floor. We first heard of the facility's intention to set the DJ up on the balcony during our initial consultation, before we were hired. While I normally have no problem doing stairs, I was reminded of a situation at another venue where we were instructed to set up on the balcony. Of course, we complied with the request and moved our gear up stairs and set up shop.

The reception started normally enough and we didn't think twice about our location and how it would affect our ability to interact with the audience. But when dinner had ended and dancing started, it was a whole new ball game. The guests would not make the climb up the stairs to make requests and each time I spoke on the mic, everyone had to creek their necks to look up and it felt very much like I was annoying them by the end of the evening. I can assure you that when we do an event, there is minimal banter on the microphone unless I am running a raffle, making introductions of honored guests or have been requested to play games with the audience by the bride and groom. Needless to say I had very little influence over the crowd which resulted in my not being able to motivate or relate to them as well and hence there was little dancing and more importantly, there was very little electricity in the air that evening.

Every wedding where we are asked or forced to be a great distance away from the guests has resulted in a less than stellar reception. Why? It's simple. As an entertainer, I need to develop a relationship with your guests, even if it's only one where they feel that I am friendly enough to approach with requests. I only have a few hours to do this and the sooner it happens the better. It does not need to be done with a lot of talking or banter on the mic, but it is crucial to the success of your reception just the same. More often than not, being near the dance floor and being able to talk with your guests as they come up to me makes all the difference in the world. It's eye contact, a smile, a joke or a laugh shared - all the little things that make a difference and you just can't have that level of interaction if you're a mile away from the dance floor. The dance floor is where the action is.

On a side note - also remember to keep the older folks who may be annoyed at loud music at a farther distance from the DJ's speakers when planning your seating arrangement.

In short, when your doing your floor plan, keep in mind the position of your DJ or band and ask yourself how it will affect your atmosphere. While a facility may suggest that you put your DJ in some out-of-the-way corner, remember, it's your wedding and your hard-earned cash so stand your ground - as our bride this past weekend did. We were next to the dance floor, with her guests. We were able to talk and joke with them, developed an instant rapport and we kept them dancing right until the last minute of the reception. It was a total success and it was apparant to the facility manager (who took a huge stack of our business cards), after witnessing the hugs, kisses and glowing reviews we received from our clients before they left for their honeymoon.

Hope this adds a little boost to your planning and best wishes for your most special day!