Last week we wrote about how to pick the perfect wedding music for your ceremony and for cocktails – click here to read part one!
This week, we’re going to talk about dinner music, and of course, the dance floor. Here at Knox Vegas DJs, we truly value making your wedding your own – in fact, it’s summed up in one of our ten core values. Core value #2 – “Don’t settle for status quo.” We believe that your wedding should be uniquely your own, and we’re committed to giving you a service that is personalized and fits the type of event that you envision.
Now, lets get back into our two-post series with many more ways that you can use music to make your wedding a one-of-a-kind celebration.
Dinner Music
Often, couples don’t think too much about their dinner music selection – and who can blame them? When planning a wedding, there are plenty of things to think about and decisions to be made and it’s totally understandable that things like planning dinner music don’t take priority in a busy bride and groom’s schedule. However, as we mentioned last week – even if you can give an idea of the type of atmosphere you’d like to create, a good DJ will be able to select the perfect songs to set the mood.
If you do have the time to consider what music you’d like played during dinner, there are plenty of ways that you can make it your own. The good thing about dinner music is that unlike the dance, it doesn’t matter if your guests have ever heard it before (we’ll talk more about dance music in a minute!). This is a perfect time to play unfamiliar, lesser-known songs, so use it to inject some of your personality to your reception. If ‘your personality’ is characterized by metal or hard rap, or any other genre that might distract from conversation between guests, there are always plenty of acoustic versions available. Tell your DJ what you’d like to include, and they should definitely have some suggestions for how to work it in.
Another idea for personalizing your dinner music is to play one of your favourite albums, all the way through. Why not?! You’d do it for a dinner party at home – and it will work just as well for the giant ‘dinner party’ that is your wedding reception.
The Perfect Music for the Dance Floor
Now, although the dance is the time for your DJ’s talent to shine, don’t be afraid to let him or her know what a perfect dance looks like to you. It’s good to leave the DJ some room to work their magic and read the crowd, but you can definitely give them cues as to what you do and don’t want to hear. We like playing what you want to hear – when you’re having fun, we’re having fun, and we’re going to do everything we can to make every last guest have a good time!
One thing that is important for your dance floor is that most of the music played is familiar. It’s strange but true: people don’t usually dance to music that they don’t really know. Keep this in mind when giving your DJ your music requests, and give your DJ license to use their judgement when it comes to taking requests. Taking requests is great, but if the requested songs empty the dance floor – it’s a problem. A good DJ will be able to connect with your guests and talk to them about what they’d like to hear, finding that sweet spot between what an individual guest wants to hear, and what will bring others onto the dance floor with them.
One way that a DJ can get guests dancing to songs that are special to the bride and groom but unfamiliar to everyone else, is to give a bit of backstory. If a song you’d like to hear has been part of your story as individuals or a couple, give the DJ a bit of the story behind it. Then, they can announce it – for example: “This song is special to Cameron & Trish because it was playing in the restaurant during their first date. Won’t you join them on the dance floor to enjoy it together?” Often, once guests hear the significance, they’ll be happy to get on the dance floor with you.
Here’s to making the soundtrack to your wedding as unique and awesome as you are!
Create happiness,