A Good DJ Makes All The Difference

I just returned last evening from a weekend in Pennsylvania where I attended the wedding of my cousin. My wife and I were very much looking forward to it not only because we wanted to help my cousin and his bride celebrate their big day, but also because it was held at the same venue where we got married 7 years earlier, HollyHedge Estates in New Hope, PA. It was just as we had remembered it – a charming picturesque place. I will admit that I was much more relaxed on this visit. We both truly had a blast.

It was at the reception where the highlight of the evening occurred for me. The DJ called all married couples to the dance floor. You’ve probably seen this before at weddings – little by little they ask couples to sit down based on how long they’ve been married. "Everyone married less than 1 year sit down" A few minutes later "Everyone married less than 5 years sit down" etc. The longer you’ve been married, the longer you get to stay on the dance floor. So there is was at the end of the whole thing - all the other couples had taken their seats and there was one couple still dancing– my parents. 47 years. Wow. It was a pretty powerful moment for my sisters and me who were cheering them on. Afterwards we all laughed at my mom's outrage after she learned there wasn't an actual prize. "ALL that and I don’t win anything ???"

All in all, it was a very fun reception and the DJs that my cousin used did a really nice job. They knew how to get (and keep) the crowd dancing, but also knew when it was time to tone it down to let people eat. They seemed to find the right balance between talking (not too much, not too little) and playing music. And the song choice was right on – they started out more mellow and then things got progressively wilder as the night went on. The dance floor was packed the whole time. And they sprinkled in a few extras along the way – for example, a nice slideshow interlude during dinner showing photos of the bride and groom as babies, as kids, as teenagers, as college students, and then eventually together as a couple. It was a nice touch.

If there was one thing that I would want to communicate to people booking a DJ is this – you get what you pay for. Sure you’ll get some lowball price quotes but be leery of this. Spend a little more on an experienced DJ and you’ll be thankful you did. You’ll see a major difference in quality. True, a more experienced, skilled DJ will cost more, but its worth it. They have a better feel for the crowd, for what songs to play when, what the right amount of talking is, etc. If you pay for the quality, you’ll have a packed dance floor and happy guests. If you skimp just to save a few bucks, you will run the risk of a DJ who is too loud, plays the wrong songs at the wrong times, and you’ll have an empty dance floor and bored guests.

Thankfully my cousin did NOT skimp as his DJs were excellent and the crowd loved it.
So did I.