Wedding Receptions

[Tom]

I have had an email from a club who i have done a few discos for and they have come to me direct (by passing the agent).

They have three bookings. an 18th birthday and 2 wedding receptions. Is this just the party after the wedding in the evening???


I know i have asked questions before but is there any difference from a Wedding reception to a normal run of the mill disco. Plus can anyone tell me what would be the running order for one of these.

I know i said i would prefer to help out at a wedding first but i know that the money for these can be good. Plus once i know what to do i can do more of these and get more money. :D

The first one is in april so if anyone need helps before that then give me a pm and we can get somthing arranged.

[Excalibur]

How long is a piece of string? :D It may be exactly the same, Tom, but it may be that they want a PA for speeches, if it's a big room, and they may want background music before the evening disco. Heaven forfend, they may even expect you to get your gear in and set up in five minutes, when the afternoon has overrun by nearly two hours, and the evening one should already have started!!:bang: :bang:

The only option is consultation beforehand, and written schedules.

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

Yep, the reception is the part of the day after the wedding ceremony. This could mean the afternoon or evening really, but generally for us, it means the evening part. The sit down meal is traditionally called the 'wedding breakfast' and that generally (though not always) is before the evening festivities begin.

Weddings can be daunting if you've never DJ'd at one before, but it is a matter of organisation and timing and liasing with the B&G and venue with regards to details, music and timings.

Generally, the evening will start with a first dance and the DJ announcing the B&G onto the dance floor to raperous applause from the guests. The first dance can be fast, but in my experience, slower.

This can be then followed with another slow dance for bride and father of bride, and groom and mother, but it depends how traditional they want to be.

Less formal weddings will have a B&G up dances for 30 seconds on their own and then everyone else invited to join in. Or they may not have a first dance at all and just want to start with the lively stuff.

It is very important to be clear and confident on the mic when you introduce the B&G, so that everyone is aware what is happening.

Normally, unless otherwise specified, be prpared to play anything from rock n roll through to the latest chart. The way you put your music together is up to you, your B&G and the dancers already on the dance floor.

I am generalising with a lot of these points, so some could be different.

If you can get here Tom, you are welcome to come with me.

If you want to chat it through if you are nervous about it, you are welcome to ring me.

[Excalibur]

Tom, read Darren's post twice carefully, and you will need to know very little else. :thumbs_up:

[Tom]

Thanks for the advice darren. Makes sence. Guess i need to use the mic more often and try to over come my stamma. If i did stamma when i was introducing the the b&g that would be the end of me. :(

Take it nice and slow the doctor says. lol


Driving up to your area darren is not a problem. i know it would cost me a bit in fuel but i would be learning a lot. I have my suit at the ready. lol

Edit.

Would you say that £300 for a wedding would be an ok price to start off with??? They want me for the 5th and 12th april, so 2 saterdays of pay if you understand me.

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

Would you say that £300 for a wedding would be an ok price to start off with??? They want me for the 5th and 12th april, so 2 saterdays of pay if you understand me.

Don't under value yourself, but don't over price yourself either.

If you charge £300 and it doesn't go well and your inexperience shows through a bit, then they might not think they got good value, but if you charge a bit less and do well, then they are going to think it's brilliant value.

Ultimately though, it's up to you.

[CRAZY K]

I have had an email from a club who i have done a few discos for and they have come to me direct (by passing the agent).

They have three bookings. an 18th birthday and 2 wedding receptions. Is this just the party after the wedding in the evening???


I know i have asked questions before but is there any difference from a Wedding reception to a normal run of the mill disco. Plus can anyone tell me what would be the running order for one of these.

I know i said i would prefer to help out at a wedding first but i know that the money for these can be good. Plus once i know what to do i can do more of these and get more money. :D

The first one is in april so if anyone need helps before that then give me a pm and we can get somthing arranged.


I would strongly suggest going out with an MDA member to see how it works before doing the gig.

Take on board all the advice and knowledge, experience etc you will get from
Daz--then discuss things with the client after that.

CRAZY K

[Tom]

I would strongly suggest going out with an MDA member to see how it works before doing the gig.

Take on board all the advice and knowledge, experience etc you will get from
Daz--then discuss things with the client after that.

CRAZY K

I will go out with a MDA member as i said quite a while ago. So far i have my eye on Rob and Daz. ;) :lol:


As i got the email today i think i will book the dates as i have a bit of time to get some experaince in time. I dont want the club (who the clients have booked through) to go somwhere else.

[Penfold42]

I will go out with a MDA member as i said quite a while ago. So far i have my eye on Rob and Daz. ;) :lol:

Why Rob and Daz....:confused: ...are you doing a quiz after......:p

No...just joking as these people have said.....try and put some time in with other people from here.....

Just try and cover all the basis.....visit the place with the client (if possible)...keep talking to them and find out what they want......do as much ground work as posible.....

I was bricking it first time i did a wedding.....but have learnt quite alot from 'Batman'......and going out doing a few gigs with him.......i try and take them in my stride and when all the stops have been covered then im happy as i've done as much or even more than is possible......i personally don't like doing wedding's but that does not mean i wont turn them down.....

Good luck...:)

[Tom]

Why Rob and Daz....:confused: ...are you doing a quiz after......:p

No...just joking as these people have said.....try and put some time in with other people from here.....

Just try and cover all the basis.....visit the place with the client (if possible)...keep talking to them and find out what they want......do as much ground work as posible.....

I was bricking it first time i did a wedding.....but have learnt quite alot from 'Batman'......and going out doing a few gigs with him.......i try and take them in my stride and when all the stops have been covered then im happy as i've done as much or even more than is possible......i personally don't like doing wedding's but that does not mean i wont turn them down.....

Good luck...:)


If i remember rob and daren were the first people to ask if i wanted to go out with them. I have said yes to both. Really im just waiting for either of them to let me know if one has come up and if they need help. That wernt a hint either. lol

When i get the contact number for the clients then i will arrange a meeting and run though stuff even though im not to sure what to ask. :o :( But thats why im asking here. :)

Plus i think if i can do weddings i can get a lot more bookings coming in. Thats 2 weddings in two weeks. not bad for somone who has never been asked before. lol.

Just hope they keep coming in.

[rob1963]

Why Rob and Daz....:confused:

Why?

Because he wants to learn from the best!

:D :D :D

[Corabar Steve]

Why Rob and Daz....:confused:


Why?

Because he wants to learn from the best!

:D :D :D

Why Rob and Daz....:confused: :sj:

[Tom]

Why Rob and Daz....


if i was able to drive up to you then i would think about but thats one hell of a drive just for one night. i do have family up there (well the other halfs family) but thats still a long drive. lol

[Jaggiebunnett]

When I moved to the US I started freelancing with a company in Omaha Nebraska and they had a "General running order" sheet (3 sheets) and it explained everything and even stuff to say at the particular times and how to say it and do it.
Was brilliant even though Yankie weddings are close but subtlety different than what I was used to in Scotland.
Anyone got one of those for the young fellow,
Maybe the seasoned folks on here can make one for him.?

[Candybeatdiscos]

Jaggiebunnet your talking about a playlist and script idea, in my experiance not a great idea as you then tend to stick to this most of the time and every wedding i have done is way different. Certainly not an idea i would promote, basically Darren has pointed out the general parts, its now a matter for KMA to speak to bride & groom, see what music they want - chances are it will be a general mix to suit the 90 year old granny and the 2 year old nephew....oh aye and everyone else in between. Generally i would work on the older ones first till after the buffet, then move into party mode, before getting ready to finish with more up tempo and latest chart sounds. I also pop in a love song evey now and again, after all its a celebration of two peoples love, i dont worry how it will affect the dance floor etc as a love song will generally fill the floor and if you have a cracking tune to follow it based on the majority of people on the flooor (ie shania twain's your still the one followed by Status Quo's Rocking all over the world - this usually keeps the majority on the floor) I will usually put about 5 slow songs scattered throughout the evening before finishing with two slowies and a final track such as runrig or frank sinatra

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

Why?

Because he wants to learn from the best!

:D :D :D

And you as well. :boxer2:

[rob1963]

And you as well. :boxer2:

:moon:

[Jaggiebunnett]

Jaggiebunnet your talking about a playlist and script idea, in my experiance not a great idea as you then tend to stick to this most of the time and every wedding i have done is way different. Certainly not an idea i would promote, basically Darren has pointed out the general parts, its now a matter for KMA to speak to bride & groom, see what music they want - chances are it will be a general mix to suit the 90 year old granny and the 2 year old nephew....oh aye and everyone else in between. Generally i would work on the older ones first till after the buffet, then move into party mode, before getting ready to finish with more up tempo and latest chart sounds. I also pop in a love song evey now and again, after all its a celebration of two peoples love, i dont worry how it will affect the dance floor etc as a love song will generally fill the floor and if you have a cracking tune to follow it based on the majority of people on the flooor (ie shania twain's your still the one followed by Status Quo's Rocking all over the world - this usually keeps the majority on the floor) I will usually put about 5 slow songs scattered throughout the evening before finishing with two slowies and a final track such as runrig or frank sinatra
but you know he is going to be printing some of what is said in this thread, so no harm in throwing something together.:) :confused:

[Penfold42]

if i was able to drive up to you then i would think about but thats one hell of a drive just for one night. i do have family up there (well the other halfs family) but thats still a long drive. lol

Ha ha ha....you could probably teach me a trick or three......

Ever up this way...I'll sup a coke or two with you.....;)

[Shakermaker Promotions]

I used to hate doing weddings because I felt a huge sense of responsibility on my shoulders. I shouldn't have worried because everything was cool and I never had a problem and now I would say that they are probably one of my favourite functions to do.

Thing is, every wedding reception is different to the next one and what may work at one wedding may not work at another. It's always best to be fully up to scratch on what the bride and groom want so if these bookings are going through the venue then ask the venue for their contact details and then contact them and arrange a meeting. That way it will make life easy for you and also give them that extra bit of customer service and the personal touch.

For example : This weekend I have a wedding where the bride and groom have said that they do NOT want any megamixes (I never play them anyway) and no songs with movements, dance routines etc and definitely NO cheese (they consider 'cheese' as Macarena, S Club, Saturday Night etc).

The wedding I have next week wants everything that this weekend's wedding doesn't!!!

Another thing, all last year and at christmas, a guaranteed floorfiller for me was Scissor Sisters 'Don't feel like dancin'. When explaining to the bride and groom's that after the first dances it's good to get everyone up as soon as possible, I used the Scissor Sisters as an example (rather than Abba) and 9 times out of 10, all the brides and grooms said "Yeh, love it!".. I only had one couple say that they didn't like the track but didn't mind me playing it if the guests requested it. When I did put it on, the dancefloor went mad and the bride and groom danced, they must have been caught up in the atmosphere.

Once you have done a few wedding receptions you'll realise that it's a piece of cake and enjoyable.

[Kernow]

Why?

Because he wants to learn from the best!

:D :D :D

And receive 'RAPEROUS' applause !!!:eek: ... I prefer mine rapturous :D

Generally, the evening will start with a first dance and the DJ announcing the B&G onto the dance floor to raperous applause from the guests. The first dance can be fast, but in my experience, slower.

[Tom]

Just want to thank the people who have gone out there way to share some infomation with me. I cant spell the word i want to use so ill just say thank you. :lol:. :approve:

Have a :beer1: or :guinness: on me. :)