Music During Dinner

The music to be played during the cocktail hour and dinner should be discussed ahead of time. The focus should be on the food and pleasant conversation. Music should be a background feature that enhances but doesn’t overwhelm, which is why most couples select a variety of easy listening or jazz pieces for the dinner interlude though this is not written in stone and other musical styles can be used.

A good blend is to play three selections from one generation grouped together, then move on to three from another era and so on; it makes the transition less jarring and gives everyone a chance to really enjoy “their” music. In most cases, vocal music is played, but if you are having an extremely formal black tie affair you may want to opt for instrumental music only and steer toward classical or instrumental jazz music.

The key to successful background music during dinner is volume control. The DJ should have a clear understanding of what you expect. The music should be loud enough to provide some atmosphere, but should not make conversation at each table difficult. If people at each table need to shout at each other to be heard, the music is too loud.

Outdoor Wedding Receptions and Events

With the nicer weather approaching (I know it is February but let me dream) a topic that has come to the forefront is the (cue drumroll please) Outdoor Wedding Reception (or event). An outdoor ceremony in and of itself can be quite trying but and entire outdoor reception, well that can be positively daunting. All the variables of an indoor reception are multiplied by quite a bit with an outdoor event so basically I am saying it is not for the faint of heart. For a certain cross section of people I would say it is a downright bad idea (This would be the person who absolutely, positively must have everything PERFECT with a loud capital period at the end). I am not saying it is impossible with proper planning to ensure a great outdoor wedding but it most certainly is not for the faint of heart!
1) Always check what the weather is generally like at that time of year. This may seem like common sense but people sometimes do not take this natural step.
2)Know the area you are planning to have your reception. Make sure it has proper drainage, grooming and maintenance. Even if it doesn't rain on the day of your reception damp weather can make a mess if the water does not drain quickly. Divots and holes in the turf can be unsightly or, if hidden, pose a risk for guests.
3)ALWAYS have a backup plan for the event. The weather does not play fair and though you have checked the previous 20 years and it has never rained or snowed on the day you have chosen it is better safe than sorry. Have a secondary site rented or, at the very least, have a tent rented for your guests to eat and dance under.
4)Make sure your guests are aware it is an outdoor reception/event. This will enablew them to choose clothing appropriate to the situation. Trust me from someone who knows. Wearing a tux/suit in the hot sun is not that fun. Really.
5)If it is your own backyard or a family member/friends rememeber to talk to the neighbors about the possible noise and parking issues. The last thing you want is to have the police show up on your special day.
6)Check to see about legality of alcohol in an outside area.
7)Remember the event will need power for lighting and the disc jockey just to name a few things. Have the power figured out ahead of time. Extension cords and lighting should be thought out well beforehand.
8)Finally remember the placement of the disc jockey is somewhat important too. Most, if not all, DJ's will have a clause in their contract stating you must provide shelter for him/her and his/her's equipment. Also you want to have a spot set aside for people to dance and it is generally a good idea to situate it right near your disc jockey.

Well those are my thoughts for the moment! My best of wishes to all people getting married and I sincerely hope to talk to you soon!

DJ Greg Anderson, Professional Mobile Disc Jockey and Wedding Specialist

A Wonderful New Year!

Hello one and all. Congratulations to all the newly engaged couples out there. The turning of the holidays and the new year are a very exciting time in our lives. December 31st is the final day on the Gregorian Calender, New Years Eve, and is in many ways a totally different holiday from the 1st of January, New Years Day. I hope that everyone that is reading this and beyond got to enjoy themselves on both the eve and day of the new year. You have all my best wishes in the following year and I sincerely hope that I can make your wedding or special event as special as you deserve it to be.

The best of wishes,
DJ Greg Anderson, Professional Mobile Disc Jockey.

A quick bit of trivia for those so inclined.
The song, "Auld Lang Syne" is sung at the stroke of midnight in almost every English-speaking country in the world to bring in the new year. It was at least partially written by Robert Burns in the 1700's and was first published in 1796 after Burns's death. Early variations of the song were sung prior to 1700 and inspired Burns to produce the modern rendition. An old Scottish tune, "Auld Lang Syne" literally means "old long ago," or simply, "the good old days."

Just a thought on the placement of your disc jockey

It is common at wedding receptions for the placement of the disc jockey to be an afterthought. After all, you have so many other things to think about that it almost can seem unimportant. Often the reception facility has a preset areas set aside for us. There is nothing wrong with this in general practice especially if the disc jockey has a good working relationship and familiarity with the venue. Sometimes though the disc jockey is placed with no real thought put into how it can affect the reception. This is a topic that is rarely discussed or even thought of and really should be more often.
The placement of the DJ can affect many things at a wedding. For instance oftentimes people place the DJ right in the midst of many of the oldest people at the reception or place them right in front of where the DJ will be set up This affects these people in that the DJ may be causing them discomfort. On the reverse of this if the DJ attempts to keep the music significantly lowered if may affect the people farther away across the room because they cannot hear the music. This can be more of an issue once past dinner and into the more dance oriented part of the evening due to an even farther increasing in volume.
Similiarly to the above issue can be the dance lighting used by the DJ. Some dance lighting can be directed and some can't. If the DJ is placed with multiple tables between him and the dance floor the lights, once engaged, can be very annoying for those people placed in front of the disc jockey. In combination with the speakers also being directly behind them you can see how this can be an issue at a reception or party. A related issue to this, which I have had happen once in Erie, is if anyone has epilepsy they should not be situated near the lights at all. Flashing and strobing lights can bring on an epileptic fit. At the above mentioned reception the lights could not be used until the child had left later in the night.
I will mention one more issue on the placement of the DJ at your wedding reception of party. Our equipment takes up space. Every DJ has different requirements and if the DJ is worth his or her salt they will give you an idea of what they take up. Some venues, especially if they have pre-assigned locations for the DJ, do not take this into account. Sometimes the facility setup is based on making everything they control work perfectly with no thought about how the setup will affect the DJ. This can cause many problems for the DJ. Awkward setups with equipment possibly being setup in a not perfectly safe manner. Not being to bring in certain equipment, you get the idea. Many reception facilities work with the DJ and this is not an issue but it is still something to be thought of.
That is it for this 2nd ever blog posting. I hope it is somewhat helpful to you as I am not one to put his thoughts down like this and I hope to get better at it as time passes.

Happy Holidays and a Merry Christmas
DJ Greg Anderson

DJ Importance

The Disc Jockey you choose can make or break your special event, so go with experience and high quality service to ensure the presentation that you deserve.