How to Work with Your DJ

When I do a wedding the bride is my boss. My job is to make her event a success and I will do whatever I have to do. A bride and groom always want their guests to be able to make requests, but problems usually arise when those requests are in direct conflict with what the bride and groom are looking for (ie, the Chicken Dance may be on the "DO NOT PLAY" list).

Some DJs ask that you make your requests online, before the event. At Encore Music, we want to meet with the bride and groom to discuss what they are looking for on their wedding day. I feel this is the only way I can find out what the bride and groom are looking for on their wedding day.

DJs who ask for requests online puts them in an awkward position. For example, if a song such as "Metallica" is requested online, the DJ does not have the ability to let that person know that "unfortunately, it doesn't fit the tempo of the evening right now, but could I suggest this song..." If this person requested the song at the event, I can always suggest another song, the bride stays happy and the person who requested the song is happy because his music is going to be played! It's win-win all around.

So, if a DJ asks that you only make music requests prior to an event, ask why they prefer to work that way. At Encore Music we want to make sure your event runs smoothly and are constantly adjusting the music we are playing during the actual event, not just working from a list of "pre-chosen" music.

Contributed by Grand Rapids DJ, Rich Kosty of Encore Music.