Wedding DJ - the perfect playlist

Congratulations for being selected or hired as wedding Djs for next year. In terms of your list of songs and music-- make it more on the love songs side and mixed it wiht modern jazz or you can ask the couple (to get wed) about their repertoire or types of music to aid you in coming up with a list. good luck!

Accepting bookings for weddings (and other family gatherings) and children's parties means that you have 'come of age' as a DJ ... you have arrived. You are prepared to be a servant rather than an 'entertainer' (or, more properly, both!). You will have on hand everything that anyone is likely to request and you will be able to introduce it in a way that makes the requester feel great and others to feel that they're included and invited to dance ... even if it's the conga, the chicken dance or whatever!

Weddings (baptisms, bar mitzvahs, funerals ... oyvey!) are times when (especially if there are kids present) people are not ashamed to be kids (though they may need encouragement).

For a wedding you should have on hand:

1) Things that the Bride and Groom have requested (especially ask them what is their favourite or special tune for the first dance)

2) Anything that was popular thirty or forty years ago ... especially romantic, sloppy stuff

3) Anything that kids are into ... if kids want to dance, they will pull adults on the floor to dance with them

4) One or two stupid things ... the conga, the chicken dance, the twist ... you name it - the more hackneyed and well known, the better.

Remember that you are there so that everyone has a great time. The more you can involve yourself with the party, the better. Get some names. Laugh at people who need to be laughed at (but kindly and sensitively, of course). Give people scope to be sentimental. Make sure the kids have a good time ... OK, it isn't a 7 year old's birthday party but most people are kids at heart (and if they aren't, they darned well should be!).

Try to get as much background as you can from the family/families beforehand. Names; likes/dislikes; snippets; naughty secrets; stories ... and use them in your links. As a DJ you don't just make the music happen, you make it happen to a theme and for a purpose. You are an 'uncle' who plays stuff, makes jokes and actually GUIDES the session so that people get to know each other better and have a far better time than they ever imagined they would!