Can you tell a DJ you hired for your wedding what YOU want played?

Question

I go to A LOT of weddings. I noticed a very similar trend with all of them. Seems the music played during the dancing is not at all the bride, groom, or anyone else at the wedding's taste at all. Lets face it, everyone is beyond sick of "Celebration" by KC and the Sunshine Band.

On the contrary, the background music during mingling and dinner is always Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Louis Armstrong, etc. And the guests are already dancing and singing along before the cake has even been cut. The weddings are always extravagant. So, this classic, dance-able music is very fitting. Like stepping back into a wealthy 50's cocktail party.

But..when the lights dim and it's time for dancing out comes that stereo typical annoying disco music and hip hop music played at EVERY wedding. "We are Family," "The Chicken Dance", just to name a couple. And suddenly, it's like everyone's buzz is killed. No one over the age of 10 wants to dance.

But, on the rare occasion the DJ puts on "My Kinda Town" or "That's Amore'" the dance floor becomes so crowded you can't hardly move and it's a blast!!!

So, I asked someone why couples always choose music no one likes, and songs that are already overplayed at weddings. And their answer was "because it's the DJ that decides the music."

Lame. I'm sorry, but I'm paying him/her I want to CHOOSE my playlist based on what me, my husband, and my wedding guests like.

Are there DJ's you can hire they play, specifically, a playlist you and your spouse hand picked?

Answer 1

I asked this almost exact question before my wedding last month.



What I ended up doing was putting a request forum on my wedding website and my guests made their requests ahead of time. I took those songs, and my own picks and put them onto a list (there was more than enough music for the entire night).



I gave the DJ my list and for fear of him being offended that I chose my own music, I simply said we had a lot of requests through our website and they did play only our picks. It was a relief for us.

Answer 2

I've been DJing weddings for over 7 years. Typically the bride and groom will give me a "do not play" list that lists all the songs that you are talking about. However, I always ask them for a little bit of leeway just in case I get a couple requests for a specific song. For example, one bride did NOT want the Cupid Shuffle played at her wedding. But after about 8 requests for it, I asked her if it was ok since so many family members and friends wanted to hear it. Most of the time they'd give me the ok. I guess when in the moment, they just want everyone to have a good time. But yeah, if the DJ is playing Sinatra with everyone dancing and then switches over to a more modern sound and everyone leaves the dance floor, then he should know to focus more time and energy on the big band stuff.

Answer 3

When we got married, we told our DJ what kind of music we wanted. I told him that I love the crooners, so I wanted a mix of Frank Sinatra/Bing Crosby/Dean Martin during the cocktail hour and dinner. I also told him that during the dancing portion of our reception, I wanted a mix of music from the 1950s - present with slow dancing and fast music. The DJ said he was relieved that I said that because that's what works best, but a lot of people ask for a certain set of music that just doesn't work.



I also told him no hokey pokey, chicken dance, etc.



One of the things is that the wedding guests will be doing whatever the bride or groom are doing. To me, the best weddings are always the ones where there is a lot of dancing. So I parked my butt on that dance floor and I danced the night away. And the dance floor was filled the entire night.

Answer 4

I thought I was the only one.

Listening to great dance -- real dance music-- while eating dinner, looking forward to getting out on the floor.

Once the wedding couple do their endless dances, I'm ready to dance-- and then the DJ plays loud disco crap all night. The little kids take over and just flail and fling around, ho hum.



Choose your playlist and even give the DJ an MP3 or CD collection of your music.

Answer 5

Well, we gave the DJ we hired for our wedding a playlist of 100+ songs. We told him how important our selections were for us. It was a great mix, with "something for everyone" (different genres/decades). The DJ agreed that it was a good, eclectic mix. He assured us that we had way more than enough music for our 5-hour event. He then played several songs that were not only not on our playlist, but were way off, genre-wise. He even repeated a couple of songs - they happened to be ones from the lust, but still! How does that happen, when we had "more than enough" music? Is it just that DJs cannot resist putting their personal touch on things? I, for one, found it very annoying!



Anyone else have this experience with their wedding DJ?

Answer 6

Conflict or anger itself does not have to cause an irreparable rift between partners. With good communication skills and a shared commitment to a marriage, even these are surmountable. How to save your marriage https://tr.im/W6exv



However, at that point where one partner is at the brink of abandoning the relationship, how can the remaining partner save their marriage? If you are at the point where your spouse has asked for a divorce, what can you do?



You must realize first that, you do have a choice. Often, when confronted by a crisis, we find ourselves backed into a corner thinking we have no choice in the matter. How can we change the situation when it involves another person's feelings or decisions? While we cannot, must not and in no way manipulate, blackmail or threaten our partner into changing their mind, we can actually control how we react to the situation. If anything, you must realize that you still have control over yourself. You have the opportunity to look inward and take responsibility for your own feelings and actions and even have the chance to take personal inventory of what your partner is trying to tell you. Are there points in your marriage that must be changed? If so, respond appropriately and proactively.

Answer 7

Why anyone even bothers to hire wedding DJs anymore is beyond me. Save yourself the $500 and just rent some speakers and hook up a laptop. No annoying chatter and you just just listen to what you want.

Answer 8

Yes you absolutely can. A lot of people just give he DJ a genre to play because picking every single song can be stressful.

Answer 9

Lend the bothered formative years an ear/give them a brownie. Go legit for the marriage ceremony and hire a D.J. You do not want to go overboard trying to do any individual a favor and smash things.

Answer 10

Tell The Dj

Answer 11

absolutely -- it's your money that you are forking out. If the DJ is a good one, he or she will meet with you and find out what kind of music you and your significant other like. the DJ may well insert some of his choices, but they should always coincide with your choices.

Answer 12

Of course you can! If a DJ YOU hired isn't gonna play what YOU want, then YOU get to tell him to take a hike.