| Disc
Jockeys
A listing of the finest Disc Jockeys available in the area is presented
in the table below. To learn more about each company, click on the
Company Name to see their Ad, click on their Web Site hyperlink
to access their web site, or contact them through the Email hyperlink
in the table below.
To learn more about selecting your wedding music, the Heart of
the Wedding Celebration, please read the article presented following
the table.
All phone numbers are in the 805 area code unless
otherwise noted.
Wedding Music…Heart
of the Celebration
Your wedding and reception music truly is the heart of your celebration.
How odd and empty many moments of your wedding celebrations would
seem without music. Music creates atmosphere, heightens emotions,
fills awkward silences, and lifts our heels in dance. What better
place for music than at a wedding!
There are opportunities for various types of music at your wedding
ceremony and reception. Additionally, remember to think about some
type of music at every event held on behalf of your wedding celebration:
engagement party, bridal shower, bridesmaid's party, bachelor and
bachelorette parties, rehearsal dinner, and the day-after party.
You'll know how to handle music at all of these parties, so in this
section we will stick to discussing Wedding Ceremony and Reception
music in this section. We will then discuss how to select your Disc
Jockey or Musicians and end with some miscellaneous details to consider.
Music for your ceremony and reception may be provided by one or
several live musicians, a soloist or a choir, or a DJ. But it is
not necessary to choose strictly live or recorded music. Rather,
you can decide to have a mix of music at your wedding…both
a live band and a DJ. There are lots of possibilities, with one
being live music at the ceremony and through the banquet at the
reception, followed by rocking DJ dance music at the remainder of
the reception. Think about what might work best for the style of
wedding and reception that you have planned.
Ceremony Music
Elements planned for your ceremony will help you to choose the source
and style of your music. If you are having a very traditional ceremony
with a mass at the cathedral, you would likely opt for the church
organ and one or more singers since it is not very appropriate to
have a DJ or a rock band in a cathedral. If you are having a ceremony
in a garden setting, your musical options are pretty much wide open
- DJ, full band, harp, bagpipes, etc.
Just take a few minutes to think about ceremony music given your
personality and preferences, your wedding style (formal, contemporary,
casual, etc.), and your ceremony location. Your perfect musical
options will then come to you! Work closely with your musicians
or DJ to choose those songs that are most meaningful to you to be
played at the appropriate time.
Prelude Music. Prelude music is the soft background music
that is typically played prior to the ceremony as guests arrive
and mingle, and as they are being seated. If you choose to have
formal seating of the bride and groom's mothers and grandmothers,
then you will want to choose a special song for this portion of
the wedding too.
Processional Music. Processional music is played as the wedding
party enters the ceremony area. Brides generally choose beautiful
traditional musical pieces to be played for the Bridesmaid's and
the Bride's entrances. Or the processional music you choose may
have special meaning to you and your Groom. Maybe music that was
playing while you two shared special moments or maybe music that
has some sort of cultural significance for you - we have witnessed
Hawaiian songs and Scottish bagpipes, and even ZZ Top songs for
these pieces. But generally, it is a gentle classical song for the
Bridesmaids and the traditional Wedding March for the Bride.
Ceremony Music. Although most of the wedding ceremony consists
of the spoken word, there are several perfect moments in most ceremonies
where a musical interlude is appropriate - lighting of the Unity
Candle, bestowing of roses to the bride and groom's mothers, and
in-between special readings. Wedding ceremonies can be quite brief.
Why not extend your ceremony with the inclusion of some meaningful,
memorable musical interludes?
Recessional Music. Recessional music, which is played as
the wedding party exits the ceremony, can be similar in style to
your Processional music. However, many couples choose to make this
music upbeat and celebratory in tone, and often more contemporary
than traditional. The choice is totally yours. Once the wedding
party has exited, the musicians or DJ will switch from the chosen
Recessional song to your background music until your guests have
exited the ceremony site.
Reception Music
Your reception music should be enjoyable to everyone at your reception,
both your older guests as well as your younger guests. This doesn't
mean that you need to play Perry Como throughout the entire event.
In fact, it is best to play varied music that is appropriate for
each of the varying elements of your reception. sure to discuss
the genre of music that you want played during each of these time
periods. Many bands and DJs will provide you with a play list from
which you can also select specific songs that you want to hear.
If you do not have a professional wedding coordinator, assign a
friend as the amateur coordinator and bring her to your DJ/band
meetings with you. In addition to playing music, your band or DJ
can also act as master of ceremonies (MC) in announcing the various
highlights of the reception. If you use their MC service, be sure
to work closely with them in planning and then they will keep your
reception on track. Most receptions consist of some combination
of the following elements. Think about the music or announcements
associated with these reception highlights and how you want your
band leader or DJ to handle them.
Guest Mingling. After the wedding ceremony, the wedding party and
families are generally separated from the party for 30 to 45 minutes
for a formal photography session. During this time, guests mingle
and enjoy refreshments. The standard music for this time period
is soft background music that facilitates conversation.
Grand Entrance. Once the photography session is completed, the
family discretely enters the reception. Afterwards, the wedding
party makes their grand entrance. The DJ or band leader will take
a break in the music, alert the guests to the place where the wedding
party is entering the room, and will introduce each member of the
wedding party in turn as they make their way to the head table.
You will need to provide your Master of Ceremonies with a listing
of the names of each couple in the order in which they are to enter
the reception, along with phonetic spelling of the difficult names.
Banquet. The MC will announce the start of the meal, letting guests
know to proceed to the buffet table or to take their places at their
tables if food is being served to the tables. Background music is
played during the meal. Then the DJ will announce when the best
man is ready to make the first toast.
First Dances. The MC will announce the first dance between the
Bride and Groom. This will alert the guests to gather at the dance
floor area to watch this first dance. You will want to choose a
song that is special in some way to you and the Groom for your first
dance. If you plan to have additional special first dances, Bride
and her father, Groom and his mother, etc., be sure to select the
songs you want to be played for these dances in advance too. These
songs are generally slow dance numbers; however, feel free to perk
them up a little if you choose. Provide a listing of each of the
dances you would like to have so that he can announce them smoothly
and properly.
Party Time. Once the official first dances are completed, more
upbeat dance music generally begins and the MC invites all of the
guests to join you on the dance floor. Again, pick a genre of music
that you like as well as some specific songs or medleys that you
want to be sure to hear at your reception. Take into account that
the reception is for all of your guests, whether they be old or
young, rock and roll lovers or hip hop devotees. Include some music
for everyone so that all of your guests can truly enjoy the reception.
Additional Announcements. Your MC will make any other additional
announcements for special highlights planned for your reception.
These include cake cutting, bouquet tossing, garter throwing, and
the exit of the Bride and Groom. Be sure to discuss and schedule
each of these events with your MC so that she will be prepared and
on time.
Wrapping It Up. In the last 15 minutes or so of your reception,
you may want to start winding down the full tilt party music and
play some slower songs to prepare your guests for the end of the
reception. You will likely want to pick a special final song of
the night, so think
about this song and inform your MC in advance. You should also have
your MC announce last call about 30 minutes before the end time
of your reception. You do not want your guests to have their final
drink just moments before leaving your reception to drive home.
For the safety of your friends and family, encourage car pooling,
responsible drinking and designated drivers!
In planning meetings with your DJ or band, discuss the style of
background music and dancing music you would like. Then work with
them to establish the sequence and timing of your reception highlights
(approximate times for the elements discussed above). Once times
are set, determine which specific songs will be played during these
highlights of the reception. Some DJs or bands will give you a copy
of their play list to highlight the songs you would like played
during the reception. This is a great way to select specific dance
music, rather than relying on the DJ or band to select songs from
your given style of music.
Selecting Your DJ or Musicians
A great place to identify potential DJs or musicians experienced
in wedding ceremonies and receptions is in the index of this book
(page 10). Review their ads and check out their web sites to get
a feel for their style. Select a few that seem to be a good fit
and call them. In your phone interview, you might first determine
if they are available on your selected date. Then ask about their
experience level, the quality of their equipment, if they have a
back up system, and the type of music they play. Determine the variety
and versatility of their music. Ask DJs for a play list and ask
musicians for a demo tape or CD.
So far so good? Then determine cost for their services, amount
of the deposit and the due date for the final payment. Can they
also provide any special effects? What about a wireless microphone
for the ceremony or for reception toasts? Ask for references. You
might also want to run the names of your finalists by your already
contracted service providers (ceremony and reception sites, caterer,
photographer) to get a better picture of their local reputation.
Once you have all of this information in hand, select the DJ and/or
musicians that best meets your needs. Ensure that the following
are stated in your contract with your DJ or band: date and location,
music start and end times, number and duration of breaks, and total
cost. Also ask if they would be willing to include an option to
play beyond the agreed upon end time - just in case the reception
runs long.
Most professional bands and DJs make a point of dressing appropriately
for weddings and receptions. However it doesn't hurt to briefly
discuss this during your interview process. You will want their
dress style, to some degree, to fit in with your wedding and reception
style.
Miscellaneous Details to Consider
If you ask your band leader or DJ to act as MC, be sure to discuss
the level of involvement you want. We have all been to weddings
where rather than highlighting and enhancing the reception, the
band or DJ 'stole the show' - talking constantly on the microphone,
focusing too much attention on themselves and away from you and
your party. This is your day and you likely want appropriate professional
behavior from them. So be frank with them about the level of interaction
that you want early in the selection and planning process.
Discuss volume levels. You will have different age groups at the
reception - some will want to dance and others will want to converse.
Be sure that your DJ or band is capable of playing up tempo music
at a comfortable volume to allow conversation while facilitating
a fun dancing environment. Your reception site may also have volume
limitations, so it's a good idea to have your band or DJ contact
the reception site to discuss any specifics.
How would you like for your band or DJ to dress? If your wedding
is formal, you will want their dress to also be formal so that they
fit in with your reception style. If your wedding is casual, you
will likely still have certain types of dress you would like to
see in this high profile position at your party. If you wedding
is themed, you may ask your band or DJ to dress in accordance with
your theme.
Be very cautious in hiring friends to provide your music. We have
been at a number of receptions where equipment failed when a friend
was providing DJ service (we have never seen this when a professional
was used). Professional DJs and musicians are exactly that …professionals.
They have professional level equipment with built-in redundant elements
or with a back up system available so that there is no chance that
your reception will be without music!
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