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With
“Pomp and Circumstance” still ringing in my ears, I spent
every penny of my high school graduation gift money to start
a mobile DJ business. The idea, of course, was to earn money
to pay for college while also introducing me to busloads
of beautiful sorority girls. Six years after my first gig
– a party at my best friend’s frat house – and countless
pitchers of cheap beer spilled on my equipment later, Moss
Mobile Music is one of the top wedding reception DJ services
in Iowa. How did it happen? Actually, I have no clue. But
when I began asking customers why they hired me, I kept
hearing the same answer: “We’ve been to so many receptions
where the DJ is super cheesy and we didn’t want that. Your
reputation is the opposite.”
What
is cheesy?
Apparently, I’m the hip DJ in town. Given that declaration,
here are 10 of my secrets to help prevent your inclusion
on the “cheesy DJ” list.
Suggest
a Creative Dance Format
When a couple meets with the DJ to plan their reception,
they usually have no idea what to ask. They think about
the last reception they attended and use that as a blueprint.
But, chances are, they don’t want their dance to be everyone
else’s. So you have to give them options. For instance,
I recommend that guests dance before dinner is served and
between courses, rather than just afterwards. With this
format, you can break up the typically monotonous toasts
and formal dances (bride and groom, bride and father, etc.)
by using them to start each 20-minute dance. You may also
find more people dancing, as no one has left yet and there
is nothing better to do while waiting for your chicken breast.
Show
(or Fake) Your Youth
Honestly, I’m not the coolest mobile DJ in town. I just
happen to be one of the younger ones. Most engaged couples
– at least in the Midwest – are in their twenties and looking
to hire a wedding coordinator or photographer who is close
to their own age. For the same reason brides often refuse
to wear their mother’s dress, couples don’t want fogies
who were around back when throwing rice was politically
correct. After all, this is a new century.
However,
if you’re a graying mobile DJ who is contemplating retirement,
don’t pass the business down to your kids just yet. Simply
make yourself appear a little younger. Lose the tux and
sequin vest. Sneak some ambient grooves from Portishead
or Beth Orton into the dinner music. And when the best man
offers to buy you a drink, order an Irish Car Bomb.
Advise
on Formal-Dance Song Choices
This can be a little tricky because you certainly don’t
want to insult your customer’s musical tastes. A lot of
times the couple will come to you with most of their choices,
but they’ll also ask if there’s a good song for the wedding
party dance or the groom and mother dance. That’s when you
say, “Of course. I have some good suggestions for each of
the formal dances.” And then you throw them some truly fine
selections. These will vary with your musical tastes, but
as long as you’re beyond “Unforgettable” and “Butterfly
Kisses,” they’ll be impressed. My top choices are U2’s “All
I Want Is You” for the newlywed dance (you can’t beat the
“diamonds in a ring of gold” line), Frank Sinatra’s “The
Way You Look Tonight” for the bride-and-father dance, Moby’s
“Porcelain” for the groom-and-mother dance and Joe Cocker’s
“With A Little Help From My Friends” for the wedding-party
dance.
Swap
Traditional Wedding Classics with New Ones
There are 10 songs you can bet on hearing at every wedding
reception, from classic rockers “Old Time Rock & Roll” and
“Taking Care Of Business” to disco-era ditties “Celebration”
and “Y.M.C.A.” Substitute five of these songs with potential
classics. Back to the age thing again, you need to realize
most of the guests who are dancing at a reception were three-years
old when Bob Seger first took those old records off the
shelf. To them, “Jessie’s Girl” is a landmark. If you think
all of the best songs in the ’80s were by Madonna and Michael
Jackson, watch some VH1. Or better yet, check out ’80s night
at your local dance club. One of the best songs I play at
every reception is Toni Basil’s “Mickey.” And as funny as
you might feel playing it, “Ice Ice Baby” is a surefire
hit.
Avoid
Novelty Songs
Believe it or not, you won’t lose your job if you refuse
to play “The Chicken Dance,” “The Macarena” and “The Train.”
You may even gain some work. My policy is, unless the bride
and groom specifically request one of these cheeseball songs,
I stay far away from them. If a 10-year-old or a parent
in a pinstriped suit requests “Hokey Pokey,” I tell them
to have the bride or groom request it. Some may call me
a party-pooper, but they’ll feel differently when I serve
up some “Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It,” “Mambo #5” or “Little Willy”
– dance and sing-along songs with some spark.
Shut
Up
Adam Sandler’s “I-have-a-microphone-and-you-don’t” line
in “The Wedding Singer” is the perfect parody of the DJ
who talks too much. Sure, you may have the mic, but the
bride and groom have spent a year planning this night, not
you. They are the center of attention. DJs who announce
every song or meander around the party with a cordless are
merely taking the focus off the newlyweds. Think of the
cool, detached approach of James Dean or Clint Eastwood.
I tend to speak twice an hour during receptions, and usually
only to announce the upcoming events, like the dollar dance
or bouquet toss.
Dictate
the Dollar Dance
Nothing kills a good reception like the dollar dance. It
usually starts just when things are really getting fun and
lasts way too long. Well, don’t let it. When I meet with
the bride and groom, I always ask them if they want the
dollar dance and explain how some couples don’t like to
break up the flow of the evening. If they still decide to
have one, I tell them to make sure they each have someone
(usually the maid of honor and best man) to collect the
money and keep the dances moving. Before it begins, while
the lines are forming, I tell the cash collectors to keep
dances at 30 seconds. You may still get a few 20-minute
dollar dances, depending on the size of the reception, but
that’s better than an hour.
Play
Good Bouquet and Garter Toss Music
Some DJs stop the music during these two exciting events
(OK, not really). I prefer to play songs to enhance the
mood or accompany the activity. Always have the garter toss
first. When the groom dives in for the garter, play something
funny, like “Mission Impossible,” Bloodhound Gang’s “The
Bad Touch,” Yello’s “Oh Yeah” or some good stripper music
also works well. Then cue up a drum roll and count down
to the toss. When the lucky bachelor catches the garter,
play 10 seconds of mosh music. “Smells Like Teen Spirit”
is a good one. For the bouquet, re-cue the drum roll and
count down again. When the catch is made, play Cyndi Lauper’s
“Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.” All of the women at the reception,
married or not, will enjoy the feminine bonding time. Remember,
women enjoy weddings way more than men.
Cut
Back the Promotions
Nothing is cheesier than a DJ who thinks his company is
the next Microsoft. Sure, you need to promote yourself,
but don’t hang up big banners or refer to yourself as “Bob
from Music In Motion” every time you speak. Let your music
do your advertising. In the past, I’d put business cards
on my table, but more people picked them up and set them
back down than actually kept them. You don’t want those
things interrupting you or the dance. If someone at the
reception is in the market for a DJ – relax, they’ll approach
you.
Stay
Cool, Calm and Collected
Do you know why parents are the traditional hosts of a wedding
reception, and not the actual bride and groom? Because there
is always a minor catastrophe that only a tense mom or tipsy
dad has the time and patience to deal with. Don’t add to
these uncomfortable incidents by getting freaked out, especially
on the microphone. I recently DJed a reception where the
caterer showed up an hour after the guests arrived. Thirty
minutes into the wait, tornado-warning sirens went off outside
the hall. As the bride’s father paced around the room, I
continued to smile and play tunes from the Dave Matthews
Band and requests for Sarah McLachlan.
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