What a DJ Really Does on Your Wedding Day

Episode 2: What a DJ Really Does on Your Wedding Day

Most couples think hiring a DJ is just about finding someone to play music. But the truth? A great wedding DJ does so much more to make your day unforgettable.

In this episode of DJs, Dancefloors, and I Do’s, I’m pulling back the curtain on what really goes into a DJ’s role on your big day. From running your timeline to acting as your MC, reading the room, handling surprises, and making sure every moment feels smooth and personal—this is the behind-the-scenes look every couple needs before booking their entertainment.

In this episode, you’ll learn: How DJs help plan your timeline Why they’re your reception MC, not just a music player How a DJ reads the crowd and keeps energy up The technical details you probably haven’t thought about The real difference between Spotify and a professional DJ

If you want a packed dancefloor and a stress-free night, this is the episode for you.

Learn more or book Shane: letshaneentertain.com 

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Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/ra/let-good-times-roll
License code: DUOMBVOBY9S1CI7A

Producer: Rob Duren Productions

Transcript

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Thank you.

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Welcome to DJs, Dance Floors, and I Do's, the podcast that helps engaged couples plan an unforgettable wedding day one beat at a time. Hello there. I'm your host, Shane Griffin, professional wedding DJ and MC with over 20 years of experience. And every week, I'm here to give you real advice, smart planning tips, and behind-the-booth insights to help you feel more confident, organized, and ready to celebrate your big day. Congratulations. Whether you're just starting out or deep into wedding planning, you are in the right place. So, let's dive in. Welcome to Episode 2, What a DJ Really Does on Your Wedding Day. What I'd like to do first is set the stage and talk about a common myth that a DJ just plays music. Most couples think a DJ just shows up and plays music and that's pretty much the end of it. Nothing could be further from the truth. does so much more. They're a timeline manager, the emcee and voice of the event. They are the vibe curator, a problem solver, the technical expert. Think of it this way. A playlist cannot read your crowd. A playlist cannot keep your uncle from hijacking the microphone during toast or seamlessly handle a last-minute schedule change. A professional DJ does all of that on a nightly basis. Your wedding DJ is your event partner that drives the entire experience. So with that in mind, today we're breaking down everything a professional DJ does on your event date. We'll cover pre-wedding prep. We'll talk about the role of the DJ in the ceremony. We'll go through reception flow control and keeping the party moving. Think of your DJ as your event's conductor. Example, you just took your seat at the Lincoln Center in New York City. The highly popular New York Philharmonic Orchestra has just come out and taken their seats and they're ready to play. You notice though that there's no conductor. They just start to play randomly, whatever comes to mind. This is what happens to your wedding We'll see you next time. We're covering what your DJ really does on your wedding day. Let's get into pre-wedding preparation. We'll start with the timeline coordination with you and or the wedding planner. We covered this in episode one last week about the importance of a professional DJ assisting you in pre-planning. Whether that's planning forms, which is an outline of the event, the timeline, which is the flow of the event, and then also to the ability to pick music both the playlist and the do not play list. A wedding DJ when prepping for a wedding also does music prep for the ceremony and the reception. A professional will have all of your music prepped and set into crates or playlists and then downloaded to their devices before event date. Giving you an example of the crates Here at Shane Griffin Entertainment, we typically break it down into pre-ceremony, ceremony, cocktail, dinner, requests, and then specialty. And I cannot stress enough the importance of downloading all of the music, all of the lists, to devices prior to the event. The last thing you want is the DJ relying on internet connectivity to access the web to get the music. So we here at Shane Griffin Entertainment, we download all of our music to our devices, prior to the event happening. Bottom line, proper preparation before the event, not during, but before the event ensures seamless transitions and easy access to your requested music. A professional DJ knows all of that and gets this done prior to the event date. Next, let's talk a little bit about venue walkthroughs and sound check planning. Walking through a venue before the event date is not always necessary for the DJ, but At times it might be, depending on the number of setups that are needed. If you have a ceremony setup somewhere on the grounds, and then a cocktail setup in a second location, and then a reception setup in a third location, this many setups might require the DJ to visit the venue just to make sure that he has an understanding of all of the different locations. At minimum, your professional DJ will have reviewed the venue online ahead of time, including that night's layout from either you and your fiancé and or the wedding planner, and then go through best practices for the venue. It's always a good idea that the DJ has an idea of the venue before he or she even gets there. Moving on to backup equipment, contracts, and weather plans, a professional DJ makes sure to bring backups of everything. We talked about this last week in Episode 1, backup speakers, mixers, microphones, additional power cords, audio cords. If a piece of equipment goes down, having a backup ensures your night will continue. Example, I had a piece of equipment about a year and a half ago go out on me in the middle of the Cupid Shuffle at an outdoor event. I thought at first I had lost power, but my mixer was still powered, and my microphone kit was still powered, but for whatever reason, the Bose speakers just died on me. Thankfully, I had a backup speaker set with me, ran to the vehicle, grabbed it, plugged back in, and was maybe down about five minutes, maybe no more than six or seven, but I was able to continue that party despite the fact that a large piece of my gear died on me in the midst of the dancing part of the night. That goes to show you how important having a backup piece of equipment is for your professional DJ. We also ensure that all final payments on the contract are received ahead of time so it's not something that we're bothering you and your fiancé with the night of your event. The last thing you want to do is be worrying about final payment on the night of your wedding reception. You're there to enjoy your family and your friends and you're probably getting ready for your honeymoon. The last thing you want is a DJ hounding you for payment near the end of that event. And a professional DJ has already discussed weather plans with you and your fiancé and or planner if the event is to take place outside. You know, summers here in Charleston are a little bit unpredictable, particularly in the afternoon. And knowing the weather plan if your event is going to take place outside ahead of time helps the professional DJ understand where to go on site if bad weather occurs. I'll give you an example. I had a wedding up in Dorchester at a barn up that way, and the ceremony was set to be outside, the reception inside. We had some thunderstorms that came through, so we made the call to move the ceremony inside and execute it there. As we were getting set for the ceremony, and mind you, pre-ceremony is already going, the bride decided, look, the rain is gone, we should be okay. I want to get married outside in this very special spot on the grounds. So I made the announcement to the crowd inside about moving back outside for the ceremony. We wiped down the chairs. I got my gear set back up, restarted the pre-ceremony music, and then eventually we did execute the ceremony outside. That's an example of a professional DJ being nimble and flexible and able to move around to different locations on site to make sure that we execute to the bride's expectations. Thanks so much for listening in wherever you are. Like and subscribe to this podcast, won't you please, as we drop new episodes every week. We built this podcast for you, the newly engaged couple. Congratulations. You're probably in the process of making entertainment decisions, and that's okay. Hopefully this content is helpful to you. Today we're covering what your DJ really does on your wedding day, Let's move into ceremony roll. We typically arrive a few hours before the start of the event. A pro arrives multiple hours before the start. Well, first of all, it starts with an early arrival. A professional arrives multiple hours before the start for equipment setup, load-in, sound check, and mic check. We here at Shane Griffin Entertainment typically arrive anywhere from two and a half to three hours ahead of the ceremony. and then about an hour and a half to two hours ahead of the reception, if we're doing just the reception. The professional DJ has microphones available for the efficient and potentially handheld wireless for any special readings. If your DJ is providing services for the ceremony, they should have a lapel for the efficient. This is a question to ask. And potentially handhelds for special readings and even vow exchanges. Most efficients are professional. And the DJ is there to simply help him or her with getting miked up beforehand and then doing a quick sound check prior to your guests sitting down just to make sure there's no hiccups. We also, of course, check the batteries and make sure that we have fresh batteries in the pack as well. A pro has a plan for who will be using the wireless handheld mics as well. And we spend some time with those folks explaining proper mic placement in relation to his or her mouth to make sure the delivery is correct. So those are just some of the things that a professional does prior to the ceremony. Let's move into cueing music with perfect timing in the ceremony. There is typically music for the parents, groomsmen, bridesmaids, and bride during the ceremony. So we want to make sure that we have that music cued up and ready to go. as well as special music for special events. Whether it's communion, unity, or a knot-tying ceremony, it's nice to have some soft instrumental music there for those special events. Bottom line, a professional plays the right music at the right time during the ceremony. Another role for the DJ during the ceremony is adjusting for real-time changes like rain or a late start. You know, things don't always go as planned due to weather or last-minute changes. We do the best that we can as DJs and or planners to make sure that we're moving along in the timeline as planned, but there are sometimes things that occur that you just can't help. One story that comes to mind is about two years ago, I was doing a wedding out at Folly Beach, and the officiant, for whatever reason, had forgotten about the date, and she showed up one hour late. So there we are, myself and my gear, and the guests awaiting the arrival of the officiant for the ceremony on the beach in July, in the middle of the afternoon. You can't plan for that. We did the very best that we could. We ended up executing the ceremony with that officiant, even though she was late. We went on to the reception at a different location and had a great day. But you just can't plan for some of those things that do happen. Two weeks ago, weather again on Folly Beach was an issue. We had a ceremony set for outside. The bride really wanted to get married outside, but the rain was going to move through over the course of about two hours, so we had a discussion about possibly having the ceremony inside the hotel. She nixed that, wanted to wait for the rain to go by, so we pushed the timeline back an hour, and she got her ceremony out on the beach like she wanted, and that's okay. But you have to have a professional DJ there that is flexible and nimble, and able to go along with any changes, last-minute changes, that may occur. Thanks so much for listening to Episode 2 of DJ's Dance Floors and I Do's. Like and subscribe as we drop new episodes every week. Are you a newly engaged couple still making entertainment decisions? Well, this podcast was built just for you. Today we're covering what your DJ really does on your wedding day. Let's move on to Reception Flow Control. To start, the DJ is acting as the MC when it comes to the grand entrance, the toasts, and the special dances. This is where the personality of your DJ really comes through. The grand entrance, the intro needs to be high energy and also tied to an up-tempo song. Whether you're introducing the bride and groom or the bridal party in addition to the bride and groom, that grand entrance, that intro sets the tone for the night. It's also proper etiquette as the emcee to introduce everyone during a toast and engage the crowd when introducing the special dances like the first dance, the father-daughter, the mother-son. So again, acting as emcee is a critical role for the DJ during the reception. A professional DJ also doesn't want to send people to the buffet line if dinner isn't ready or call out the father-daughter dance if the father of the bride is maybe outside smoking a cigar. You want to make sure that you're communicating all of these quote-unquote events with the other vendors. Communication is also key with the photographers when it comes to the intro, the bouquet and garter toss, just to make sure that they are ready to snap that picture prior to the event happening. Consistent communications with the planner as we go through the timeline is important as well. We covered a little bit of that in last week's episode. Bottom line, constant and consistent communications with the partner vendors shows good teamwork. And of course, it makes the dream work. Another role of the DJ during the reception is to control the volume, the energy, and the flow. You know, during cocktail and dinner, you want to encourage conversation. So that means scanning the crowd to ensure that the crowd is not having to yell at each other to have a conversation and just watching the volume during cocktail and dinner. You also want a genre hop during cocktail and dinner. We covered a little bit of that in last week's episode. And the DJ should also have good energy, be approachable, and personable. During the course of the night, we are engaging with a lot of different people, whether it's the bride and groom, their guests, the photographers, the caterer, the planner. You want someone there that's not only a professional, but is also approachable, personable, and has good energy. In addition to that, reading the room and adapting the playlist is another role of the DJ during the reception. ensuring there is a connection to the dance floor from the DJ booth. You know, that dance floor is a living, breathing organism that can change on a moment's notice. So the DJ is consistently watching the crowd to make sure the music choices are right. Also, genre hopping and playing music that is for everyone. And we'll talk more about that in just a moment. If today's content has been helpful, Give us a like, please, and subscribe to this podcast as we drop new episodes every Tuesday. And if you're a newly engaged couple, this podcast was made specifically for you. We've been talking today about what your DJ really does on your wedding day. In our final segment, we're going to talk about keeping the party moving, the biggest part of the night. The professional DJ will watch the crowd and rotate genres. Scanning that floor to make sure the music choices are engaging the crowd is important. And a professional DJ also does what I call genre hop. We covered some of that last week in episode one. It allows everyone to enjoy the experience. You don't want to play the same type of music all night long. I typically ask, what's the average age of the crowd? What's the youngest and the oldest? And you want to play something that's a fit for everybody in the crowd. The professional DJ will also balance the guest requests versus the vibe. You know, the bride and groom has a request list. The DJ will typically have dozens, if not hundreds, of lists that he's used over the years that work well. And it's a delicate balance of mixing both lists together to entertain people during the set. Let's be honest, sometimes there are couples that provide music And some of those songs just won't work during the dancing part of the night. We do everything possible to move those songs to parts of the night where it makes more sense. Typically, during the dancing part of the night, people want to dance to and sing to and be entertained by songs that they know and they like. Another key role is making key decisions that protect the couple's experience. We start with the Do Not Play list. I would say that the DNP list is more important than the playlist. The last thing you want to do is have a bride tell you, now, no cupid shuffle during my reception. And you kick off the reception with the cupid shuffle. It's hard to recover from that, so knowing the do not playlist is critical during an event. The professional DJ also keeps the crazy uncle off the mic during toast time. and that random guest that wants to come up and have the mic and sing Bohemian Rhapsody. Those are things the DJ has to weigh to protect the couple's experience during the reception. And finally, giving a proper send-off and engaging the crowd near the end of the night. We do have our last song of the night, and we as DJs typically make that announcement. That song will typically be up-tempo and fun as we want to send that crowd out on a high. And then I've seen a lot over the past couple of years. something called the private last dance, where after the last song of the night, we will spend some time getting the guests out of the venue, asking them to line up outside for the send-off, and then we have a private last dance, just the bride and the groom to a song inside the venue. It's a beautiful moment, and the professional DJ is certainly ready for that and helping to expedite that happening. And then once the event's over, we break it all down, Clear out any trash, take up any gaffer tape, and basically leave the space the same way we found it to avoid any fines that may be attributable to the bride and groom. So there you have it. Those are the key roles of the DJ during the reception. And today's episode has covered what a DJ really does on your wedding day. Thank you so much for listening to DJ's Dance Floors and I Do's. If today's episode helped you feel more confident about your wedding entertainment plans, I'd love for you to follow this podcast, leave us a review, or share it with someone that is newly engaged. Our goal here is to provide free, unbiased content to help you make better entertainment decisions. DJ's Dance Floors and I Do's is a presentation of Shane Griffin Entertainment, produced by Rob Durant. Check us out on social media, Facebook and Instagram at Shane Griffin Entertainment. And also check our website, LetShaneEntertain.com. That's LetShaneEntertain.com. Thanks again for listening. Tune in next week and we'll dive into how to choose the right music for your wedding. Talk to you next week. Until then, cheers.