Should you choose your wedding playlist or leave it to your DJ?

Why Your DJ Should Choose the Playlist

We tend to advise couples that, although it seems like a good idea at the time, it is best to leave the song choice and design of the wedding DJ’s playlist to the experts. I myself (with a ‘slight’ tendency to feel I have to please everyone!) used to let clients take free reign of the playlist, but sadly it rarely worked as well as if a band puts something together themselves. There are a few reasons for this…

Your Act Will Know What Works

Don’t forget that your Wedding DJ is experienced and talented at what they do, and part of their talent is their ability to judge what songs will work well. Even just this one small statement has a lot of factors involved Some songs work best at different points of the evening. Bear in mind that if you’ve booked an experienced wedding DJ, their playlist is ‘tried and tested’ at hundreds of events, and they’ll know exactly what works and what doesn’t..

Playlist Structure

In order to keep a crowd up and dancing all night, the playlist needs to be constructed in a specific way. Any good, experienced DJ will know how to structure their set list so they can work your audience in the most dynamic way possible. This involves analysing tempos and song styles so the playlist can peak in the right places.

Certain songs are natural ‘openers’ (i.e. for the start of a set) or ‘closers’ (a big high impact finish), and other songs are classic ‘winners’. It’s all a bit scientific and there’s a lot to think about!

Familiarity

We always make an effort to mix each song (go from one to the other without stopping), or start the next song as soon as the other finishes, so you don’t have any ‘awkward’ silences between songs.

Having Some Input into Song Choices

I understand you may still want some kind of input with regards to the songs played at your wedding. The last thing you want is your DJ to start playing your most hated song and ruin your evening! Or a DJ who plays something awful and clears the dance floor

Check Your Wedding DJs Playlists

Ask your DJ for their recent Wedding playlists. Most DJs use laptops now and should be able to easily email you over their last played lists. We can look back on any wedding we have played within the last 3 years and submit entire playlists at the click of a button. I would definitely not recommend putting together your own list from the repertoire, but what would work better is to look through and pick out any songs in the playlist that you absolutely hate, or anything from the rest of the repertoire that you love.

Suggest a Theme

You could always give your Wedding DJ an idea of theme. For example, perhaps you’d like your DJ to start off with music from the 50s and 60s, and then play mostly 70s with a little bit of modern music at the end. A suggestion like this is not too restrictive, and means your DJ or band can still ‘work their magic’ to ensure everything is well constructed.

The most important factor to think about is that your DJ will want to do the best job possible. Remember that they are the experts and you are paying them for their expertise. If you let them perform in the way they know works well, or compromise with one of our tips above, you can guarantee your wedding reception will go swimmingly and you have a full dance floor all evening.

We have experience DJing at hundreds of weddings, rocking unforgettable parties for music loving couples at some of the best venues in the UK. We know how to read a crowd and pack a dancefloor. Contact us now for a chat about your wedding and how we can arrange the perfect DJ, lighting and sound system to make your party amazing!

We supply Neon Wedding Signs, Uplighting Hire, Photo Booths, Magic Mirrors, Rustic Wedding DJ Set Ups, Light Up Letter Hire & Wedding DJs