Do we need to educate the bride and grooms'?

[Big Mix Mobile Disco]

Many of my wedding clients are specifying very detailed music requirements which is absolutely fine because they are paying, but I do feel they are very much forgetting there guests.

For example I was asked not to play any 70s music by a bride to be recently, which I'm happy to go along with, although I do feel that some of the guests might like it. We are responsible for a filled dance floor, can we let our clients be too strict on music selections???

I wanted to know what you all thought ...

[DAVESOUNDS SERVICES]

I agree that as DJs we are responsible for a filled dance floor but
THE CUSTOMER IS ALLWAYS RIGHT
Its their day! I might not like or enjoy what they want
but theyre paying....just my own opinions

Dave

[Vectis]

He who pays the piper calls the tune ;)

[StarZSoundS]

For example I was asked not to play any 70s music by a bride to be recently,


Its not in the name of Pridders....is it?????:devil: :devil: :devil: :devil: :devil: :devil:

[Daryll]

It takes all types , so if the B&G want something , shall we say , not off the shelf , then it is their choice , however with a large play list , I feel that we are treated like a human jukebox.
But as Martin says , he who pays the piper etc etc.

Daryll

[soundmaster mobile disco]

I have occasionaly come across this situation where i have been given a large playlist of songs from the B&G.most of them are playable but sometimes you get album tracks that were never in the charts.

I do feel that when doing weddings its important to start of with what they have asked for as this is the most important part of the night for them.Then after that play a few good floorfillers to mix in with there playlist.

If they just want "all of there songs played",you are better to make an announcement and tell everyone that the music has been selected by the bride and groom.

[DJ Davy]

I did a wedding a few years ago with the clients making up a playlist for the whole night. They assured me their guests would be well up for it. The tracks went from led zeppelin to Allanah Myles. Most had a rocky theme and to be honest there were only about ten I would have played. if I played them all I would have been there about fifteen hours! I tried to suggest a few core tracks, but.... what the customer wants.
Anyway, on the night we did the first dances and an upbeat one to follow, then tried drop in a few of the 'not so good' tracks to keep the clients happy. After an hour of hell.. and no dancers I dropped in one of my own choices. The floor filled instantly! .... the groom came up and complained, after trying to reason I went back to his list. The night was a flop.
I now only accept up to twenty tracks, unless it is a themed night. From the outset the clients are made aware of the perils of a rigid playlist and so far I have had no complaints.

[Steve Cheese]

I say this in my pre gig contact with the client at the time of taking the booking. Either on the phone or via e-mail.

We play the music that you and your guests want to dance to. We invite our clients to let us know what music they would like at their function. Some like to leave it entirely up to us. Some like to put together a list of 'must play favorites'. We would then use that list on the night, expanding around it where necessary with tunes that we know will fill the dance floor while fitting in requests as we go.

I find that covers most bases. - feel free to use it if you like.

[Excalibur]

" It's our special day, and we know our guests will appreciate the music which means a lot to us! "
Yeah right. :sarc:

Play the songs, take the money, and regularly make it clear that the music has been specially chosen by the happy couple, and that deviation from their playlist will result in your untimely death. ;)

[rob1963]

Many of my wedding clients are specifying very detailed music requirements which is absolutely fine because they are paying, but I do feel they are very much forgetting there guests.

For example I was asked not to play any 70s music by a bride to be recently, which I'm happy to go along with, although I do feel that some of the guests might like it. We are responsible for a filled dance floor, can we let our clients be too strict on music selections???

I wanted to know what you all thought ...

It is our job to offer advice, give our opinions & make suggestions when confronted by a client who has some rather strange ideas about the music for their function.

If they don't take our advice, there are two real options, either take the money & do what they want, or turn down the gig.

I haven't had many problems with people making dubious requests concerning the music policy, although a couple of months ago a bride wanted all 60s music for the first hour, all 70s for the second hour, all 80s for the third hour etc. Fortunately she accepted my pearls of wisdom & quickly dropped the idea.

[Corabar Steve]

...........although a couple of months ago a bride wanted all 60s music for the first hour, all 70s for the second hour, all 80s for the third hour etc. Fortunately she accepted my pearls of wisdom & quickly dropped the idea.
Why? If done right, that could work very well.

[DB Entertainments]

Why? If done right, that could work very well.

I Agree :approve:

[yourdj]

If they don't take our advice, there are two real options, either take the money & do what they want, or turn down the gig.

Take the gig after offering your suggestion and:

play the set playlist but make sure you tell everyone that it is a set playlist from them before starting so then you do not look like a fool all night banging out house music while everyone is sitting down staring at you ;)

I have one next year. One half slasa music and one half house.
i have said to them i will supply a selection of 30-40 killer party tracks that are not so cheesy and they can pick what they like. If it bombs then i will use them. They have agreed as long as i give it a go.

I have booked a spanish salsa teacher (half wedding south american) to do 15 min salsa lessons twice an hour and house the rest. Should work but at least i have permission to play other stuff too only if required. :)

[yourdj]

Why? If done right, that could work very well.

I agree on that. i think if the crowd are told as well they accept it and find it fun :confused:

[Steve Cheese]

Why? If done right, that could work very well.

Yes I also agree. I have done it myself several times. Use the mic so everyone knows what you are doing and it works a treat!

[CRAZY K]

He who pays the piper calls the tune ;)

Not when you get the playlist I have here for a Wedding in early September.

Its made up of requests from the guests--which I told the B and G wasnt a great idea as its THEIR night-- I will running it past the resident expert on these matters when I share a gig with him on Wednesday--:) :beer1:

There are tracks I dont know so need to tread carefully--i think some of them may be completely obscure to the majority of Wedding guests so what is the point of playing them for 1 or 2 people who may not even dance?

Its the clients call finally but I will certainly give the B and G my advice to answer the OP.

Its not so bad if you have a group at the event of say 10 people who are into the particular genre--did one for a Wedding where they requested Red Hot Chillis music and a session of 15 minutes was perfect and they all joined in.

After that back to Kylie to fill the floor!

Wedding tonight has a list of my most favourite music R n B style--:eek:

However its very noticeable that most of the MUST plays are Michael Jackson, Grease, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Cher, Jai Ho and Mr Brightside;)

Interestingly they have asked without prompting for second last dance New York New York and last dance Mr Brightside--nice beat mix there;)

Yes I believe you need to advise people sometimes, I have another Wedding list where EVERY track is a guaranteed floorfiller and they are dedicated to certain guests which is perfect.

[rob1963]

although a couple of months ago a bride wanted all 60s music for the first hour, all 70s for the second hour, all 80s for the third hour etc. Fortunately she accepted my pearls of wisdom & quickly dropped the idea.


Why? If done right, that could work very well.

Are you serious, Steve?

If so, how many times have you done that at weddings?

Presumably it's something you do a lot if it works very well?

:confused:

[notroubleclubber]

Im awaiting a playlist that im dreading.
I have recommended to the customer that there is normally a wide age range at this should be taken into account for a good night.
The problem we have is if we stick to what the customer wants, dont we then risk damaging our own image and name by not having full dance floors?
If i tend to have a bad playlist and have people coming up asking for stuff the B&G dont want then i tell them that it is at the B&G request that so and so shouldnt be played. Also if its ONLY the playlist they want played and nothing else then i would announce that the music is to the B&G choice.

[MBK]

I always ask if the Clients are to supply a playlist with their choices would they dance to the songs they have chosen.

I do accept play lists but if I have to play a song that I know that doesn’t fit or work announce that it is request from the Bride and Grooms request list.

At the end of the day its you clients day / evening and they call the shots musically IMO, I play what they want I do offer my advice at the music planning consultation before the event.

[gaza]

Take the gig after offering your suggestion and:

play the set playlist but make sure you tell everyone that it is a set playlist from them before starting so then you do not look like a fool all night banging out house music while everyone is sitting down staring at you ;)
I have one next year. One half slasa music and one half house.
i have said to them i will supply a selection of 30-40 killer party tracks that are not so cheesy and they can pick what they like. If it bombs then i will use them. They have agreed as long as i give it a go.

I have booked a spanish salsa teacher (half wedding south american) to do 15 min salsa lessons twice an hour and house the rest. Should work but at least i have permission to play other stuff too only if required. :)



in this situation i also let people see me keep looking at a sheet of paper so that people can see that i am following a playlist.

[Vectis]

in this situation i also let people see me keep looking at a sheet of paper so that people can see that i am following a playlist.

If anyone hassles you about the music when you're on a strict rubbish playlist, give them the piece of paper and a pen and ask them to tick the ones they want played.

9 times out of 10 this results in the host being hassled by the perturbed guest and the nod to play something else :beer1:


I think some of the comments on this thread are bordering on arrogant. The customer is king. You are there to service their requirements. You can advise all you like, but if they tell you to play Bo Rap on a loop all night then that's what you do. Don't go bitching about it over the mic all night either. Agreeing to a playlist then deviating from it is going to do your reputation much more harm than refusing a few requests.

When I'm in this situation, I give a quick intro speech over a loop or a long lead-in and wave a clutch of paper around as I tell the assembled, half jokingly, that tonight we're playing the B+Gs request list. Once is enough unless you get a sudden influx of new guests later on.

[Shakermaker Promotions]

I always make it clear over the microphone either right at the beginning when I say hello and introduce myself or just after the first dance that I will be playing a lot of the Bride & Groom's favourite music. Something like this....

"Good evening ladies and gents. I hope you've had a great day today celebrating (for example) James & Lauras special day. I'll be playing a lot of their favourite music this evening as well as yours so please let me know if there is anything that you would like to listen to. Have a great night".

I find that saying this early on gets the message across clearly when everyone is listening and it encourages people to come up. If there are any dubious requests then I let the person know there and then that I am using a songlist from the Bride and Groom and will try to get their song in where possible. Most of the time, If I am playing (example) a couple of Motown songs from the B&G's list and someone comes up and asks for something that would work with it, I will play it almost immediately which gives the impression that I will actually listen and play what people want and it is appreciated by who requested it.

What I do find funny is that if you start off with the older stuff, sometimes you will get some of the twenty-something's come up and say "Haven't you got anything new?"....I'll explain then that I am working through the list and will play some more up to date stuff shortly.

I always tell my customers that I am not a mind reader. I actually make a joke and say that I am not Derren Brown so that's why I encourage requests. I also tell them that we can't MAKE people dance. If they don't want to, they won't. Simple as that. Some B&G's (in my experience) think that we are wizards and can actually magic everyone into dancing. They expect a packed dancefloor all night and more often than not, it doesn't happen. The biggest thing I put across is that a successful night is down to the guests. If they are up for it then it will be a good night. If you play what people want and they still don't get up then what can you do except stand there, try to egg them on and secretly, under your breath...think, what is going on?

Educating the B&G's is a good idea although it could be put better. Obviously, most B&G's have been to parties before and experienced Mobile Discos. Some of them have seen (what they report as) really bad ones so I ask what was bad about it or why did they think it was bad and the comments back are interesting. Most of them will say, we just want everyone to have a good time and that's the way to be. Why (example) ask for Rock music all night because it's the B&G's favourite genre of music when the majority at the function will not be into it and therefore sit there all night looking bored and wondering if the DJ actually has a clue about what he is doing. This goes back to advertising yourself again at every function.

If a B&G want "everyone to enjoy themselves" then they will understand that their favourite music tastes may not be everyone elses and that they will want everyone at the end of the night to say they had a good night and not that they had to sit there all night and listen to stuff they didn't like. That's a bit like me being invited to a wedding or birthday party where the music played all night is R&B and no variety.

Lastly, there has to be a bit of leniency (sp?)... I can count on one finger the amount of times I have had a B&G not be lenient and I have had to stick to what they want. Yes, it is them paying for me but it goes back to thinking of the guests too. On this occasion the comment was "It's our night and we want what we like" which again, is fair comment but in reality, their function could have been a lot better. They specifically told me "Please, NO Cheese (Cha Cha Slide etc) and definitely NO Abba under no circumstances. At this function there were a lot of middle-aged women requesting Abba and they were pretty miffed when I didn't play any because I was under strict instructions not to. If the B&G had been a bit lenient and said "Well if someone asks for it then play it but don't go out of your way" then it would have been easier but it wasn't the case. It is now one of the questions I always ask at meetings...."How lenient are you on the music you don't like if someone requests it?"...I try to get across the fact that they should want all of their guests to enjoy themselves.

Phew! Sorry, that was a bit longer than I expected.

[Excalibur]

If anyone hassles you about the music when you're on a strict rubbish playlist, give them the piece of paper and a pen and ask them to tick the ones they want played.

9 times out of 10 this results in the host being hassled by the perturbed guest and the nod to play something else :beer1:


I think some of the comments on this thread are bordering on arrogant. The customer is king. You are there to service their requirements. You can advise all you like, but if they tell you to play Bo Rap on a loop all night then that's what you do. Don't go bitching about it over the mic all night either. Agreeing to a playlist then deviating from it is going to do your reputation much more harm than refusing a few requests.

When I'm in this situation, I give a quick intro speech over a loop or a long lead-in and wave a clutch of paper around as I tell the assembled, half jokingly, that tonight we're playing the B+Gs request list. Once is enough unless you get a sudden influx of new guests later on.
Bitching, no. Informing, yes. ;) And sound enthusiastic about it, too.

"Once you can fake sincerity, you've got it cracked"



Phew! Sorry, that was a bit longer than I expected.
But not longer than we expected. ;) :D :D :D
Gary, I'm very broadly in agreement with your views and practices on this matter.

[Shakermaker Promotions]

[QUOTE=Excalibur;467126]
But not longer than we expected. ;) :D :D :D
QUOTE]

Well, I just thought I would get all of my points across in one go and then I may not have to reply again....but no doubt I will ;)

[rob1963]

I like to point the bride & groom in the right general direction with their music choices by enclosing a list of my top 120 requested songs ("to give them some ideas") with my request form.

This works well, as most of them write lots of these top songs on the request form. As well as completing the request form, quite a few of them also return my top 120 requested songs list itself...with loads of the songs on there circled, starred or highlighted, so I rarely have problems with clients requesting songs which don't seem appropriate.

[Shaun]

Moving to Weddings forum.

[Corabar Steve]

Are you serious, Steve?

If so, how many times have you done that at weddings?

Presumably it's something you do a lot if it works very well?

:confused:
I see you're trying to twist my words again Robbo, but I'll ignore that this once & address the point I was making.

If any client of ours wanted a "decades" format, I wouldn't have a problem with it purely because there are enough different genres in a 10 year period (as well as the mainstream pop from that era) to be able to give a varied & danceable set for each decade.

For example, in the 60s set you could play mini sets of Rock 'n' Roll, Soul (of the Stax/Motown variety), Ska, Beat groups/British Invasion, & more upbeat Hippie era tracks, to name just a few different types.

I could go on for the other decades, but I won't, as any good DJ shouldn't need telling what genres go with what eras.

As long as you make it clear to the other guests that it's what the client wants, there should be no problem. Nobody should be able to get too bored with what's being played, because no one genre would be being played for much longer than 10 - 12 minutes at a time. The only people that it might upset are the "Have you got anything new? / Got any R&B/Garage mate?" brigade & even they should be able to understand that if it's what the B&G want on their big day then it's their prerogative to do so.

Work in the big &/or cheesey tracks from each era / genre & you'll have a great night.

I know I'm good enough to pull it off, & a DJ with your amount of experience should be able to also (any good DJ with a varied collection could).

Yes there are occasions that the B&G's choices won't work & if (after discussion with the DJ) they are adamant that it's what they want, they should be made aware that it may not work & that it may be necessary to abandon their plan at some point should it flop. If they still want to go ahead regardless, you have 2 options, either don't take the booking, or grit your teeth, get on with it & (if you're worried about your reputation) don't advertise/self publicise yourself during the event.

I've done a number of gigs that had even tighter restrictions than sticking to a particular era for an hour. For example 2 weddings that all that was required was Rock & Disco & another that wanted Rock & Cheesey Pop. Even within those genre constraints here was enough variety to make an enjoyable evening from it. (for example, Bon Jovi, Status Quo, RHCP, & the Darkness, vs the Nolans, Abba, Chic & Sister Sledge & those are just a few off the top of my head without really thinking about it). All 3 functions resulted in busy dancefloors all night.

In short DJ knows best, but it's the customer's function.


I like to point the bride & groom in the right general direction with their music choices by enclosing a list of my top 120 requested songs ("to give them some ideas") with my request form.

This works well, as most of them write lots of these top songs on the request form. As well as completing the request form, quite a few of them also return my top 120 requested songs list itself...with loads of the songs on there circled, starred or highlighted, so I rarely have problems with clients requesting songs which don't seem appropriate.
This just looks to me like you're trying to make life easier for yourself regardless of what the client wants. By pushing them (however subtly *see below) in the direction of your top requested songs (I'll assume you're smart enough to not include anything that doesn't work in that list), you are to a degree influencing their choice.

*"to give them some ideas", subtle, very subtle. It's easier to come up with a choice of song when you have a list in front of you than it is to come up with them off the top of your head. It's bordering on subliminal marketing. Or are you saying that your clients are incapable of choosing their own music preferences?

[yourdj]

in this situation i also let people see me keep looking at a sheet of paper so that people can see that i am following a playlist.

I will remember that and get a blank piece of paper so it looks like i am looking at a list :) (digital playlists).

[Shakermaker Promotions]

Good post Steve and along the same lines as what I was getting at.
Rob, I must admit that I don't like the idea of sending a list of top tunes to customers. I think that it's almost as if they are being told what you would recommend they request. Yes, it may work with some customers and a lot of what may be on your list may be on their minds already but if I were sent that list I would be thinking "Hold on, is this a list of songs we have to choose from?"... I know that's wrong and it's not the point of sending them the list but some may see it that way?

When I contacted a number of local companies to suss out the way they did things, I was surprised to see that 2 of them for example stated that the customer could choose 10 specific tracks and then the DJ would work off those. I found that pretty out of order myself. Imagine the B&G for example sat there going over their 10 tracks and either arguing about what is picked or having to miss out a few favourites because all they get is a choice of 10.

I send out a request sheet which is an A4 sheet. It has room at the top for their first dance(s) etc and then plenty of room for at least 30 requests. It also states on the sheet that they DON'T have to feel obliged to fill it up or if they don't have enough room to use the back of the form too. I also state on there that I will endeavour to play as many requests as I can from them and their guests. Of course, on the night, if someone isn't working then I will go in a different direction to get the dancefloor back on track.

It happened on saturday - I was doing a short commercial dance set. The floor was busy for various tracks and then I put on 'We speak no Americano' and it stayed busy until about half way through it and then it looked like people were getting bored so I got on the mic and said "Yes, it does go on a bit doesn't it!" and switched to something else.

[rob1963]

I see you're trying to twist my words again Robbo, but I'll ignore that this once & address the point I was making.

If any client of ours wanted a "decades" format, I wouldn't have a problem with it purely because there are enough different genres in a 10 year period (as well as the mainstream pop from that era) to be able to give a varied & danceable set for each decade.

For example, in the 60s set you could play mini sets of Rock 'n' Roll, Soul (of the Stax/Motown variety), Ska, Beat groups/British Invasion, & more upbeat Hippie era tracks, to name just a few different types.

I could go on for the other decades, but I won't, as any good DJ shouldn't need telling what genres go with what eras.

As long as you make it clear to the other guests that it's what the client wants, there should be no problem. Nobody should be able to get too bored with what's being played, because no one genre would be being played for much longer than 10 - 12 minutes at a time. The only people that it might upset are the "Have you got anything new? / Got any R&B/Garage mate?" brigade & even they should be able to understand that if it's what the B&G want on their big day then it's their prerogative to do so.

Work in the big &/or cheesey tracks from each era / genre & you'll have a great night.

I know I'm good enough to pull it off, & a DJ with your amount of experience should be able to also (any good DJ with a varied collection could).

Yes there are occasions that the B&G's choices won't work & if (after discussion with the DJ) they are adamant that it's what they want, they should be made aware that it may not work & that it may be necessary to abandon their plan at some point should it flop. If they still want to go ahead regardless, you have 2 options, either don't take the booking, or grit your teeth, get on with it & (if you're worried about your reputation) don't advertise/self publicise yourself during the event.

I've done a number of gigs that had even tighter restrictions than sticking to a particular era for an hour. For example 2 weddings that all that was required was Rock & Disco & another that wanted Rock & Cheesey Pop. Even within those genre constraints here was enough variety to make an enjoyable evening from it. (for example, Bon Jovi, Status Quo, RHCP, & the Darkness, vs the Nolans, Abba, Chic & Sister Sledge & those are just a few off the top of my head without really thinking about it). All 3 functions resulted in busy dancefloors all night.

In short DJ knows best, but it's the customer's function.

I hear what you're saying, Steve.

I'm not suggesting that I couldn't pull it off, and I'm not saying that working through the decades an hour at a time would never work, just that in the vast majority of cases things will work better if you DON'T work strictly through the decades like this.

I'm speaking from experience, as I sometimes do small sets of various eras of music, and it's not unusual for someone to come up & ask for something from a different era. If they do that when you're only playing a few songs from a particular decade they don't like, think how they'd feel if there was a whole hour's worth.

Imagine the situation. It's the beginning of the evening, and you start with the 60's songs. Someone comes up & asks for some chart stuff or something from a current group, and you reply "There's nearly an hour of 60's stuff to go, then I'm playing an hour of 70's stuff, then an hour of 80's, then 90's...so I'll be able to play some 00's stuff including your request in about 5 hours" I'm sure that would go down well...not!


This just looks to me like you're trying to make life easier for yourself regardless of what the client wants. By pushing them (however subtly *see below) in the direction of your top requested songs (I'll assume you're smart enough to not include anything that doesn't work in that list), you are to a degree influencing their choice.

*"to give them some ideas", subtle, very subtle. It's easier to come up with a choice of song when you have a list in front of you than it is to come up with them off the top of your head. It's bordering on subliminal marketing. Or are you saying that your clients are incapable of choosing their own music preferences?

I'm not trying to make life easier for myself regardless of what the customer wants at all, as I let them request as much music as they like. The top requests list is sent out with my request form, and the accompanying letter includes this: "I enclose a list of our top requested songs which may assist with your music selection, although you're obviously under no obligation to choose any of these songs if you don't want to!" I don't think it could be much clearer.

I'm very flexible with customers requests, as they can request as few or as many as they like, and time permitting I'll play everything they ask for, which is usually around 40-50 songs.

In my opinion the people who are REALLY "trying to make life easier for themselves" are the ones who only allow their client to choose a certain number of requests, which often seems to be around the 30 mark. That way, they won't have to spend so much money on any requests they don't have, the client's requests will be quicker to sort out (as there are less of them), and they know that they'll be able to spend a large part of the evening playing what THEY want to play rather than letting the customer choose if they want to. It's a bit like going into a restaurant & being told you can choose your starter & main course...but that the restaurant staff will choose your dessert!


Rob, I must admit that I don't like the idea of sending a list of top tunes to customers. I think that it's almost as if they are being told what you would recommend they request. Yes, it may work with some customers and a lot of what may be on your list may be on their minds already but if I were sent that list I would be thinking "Hold on, is this a list of songs we have to choose from?"... I know that's wrong and it's not the point of sending them the list but some may see it that way?

Gary,

I don't think they'll see it that way when my accompanying letter says "I enclose a list of our top requested songs which may assist with your music selection, although you're obviously under no obligation to choose any of these songs if you don't want to!"

[gaza]

I always make it clear over the microphone either right at the beginning when I say hello and introduce myself or just after the first dance that I will be playing a lot of the Bride & Groom's favourite music. Something like this....

"Good evening ladies and gents. I hope you've hatheir favourite music this evening as well as yours so please let me know if there is anything that you would like to listen tod a great day today celebrating (for example) James & Lauras special day. I'll be playing a lot of . Have a great night".

I find that saying this early on gets the message across clearly when everyone is listening and it encourages people to come up. If there are any dubious requests then I let the person know there and then that I am using a songlist from the Bride and Groom and will try to get their song in where possible. Most of the time, If I am playing (example) a couple of Motown songs from the B&G's list and someone comes up and asks for something that would work with it, I will play it almost immediately which gives the impression that I will actually listen and play what people want and it is appreciated by who requested it.

What I do find funny is that if you start off with the older stuff, sometimes you will get some of the twenty-something's come up and say "Haven't you got anything new?"....I'll explain then that I am working through the list and will play some more up to date stuff shortly.

I always tell my customers that I am not a mind reader. I actually make a joke and say that I am not Derren Brown so that's why I encourage requests. I also tell them that we can't MAKE people dance. If they don't want to, they won't. Simple as that. Some B&G's (in my experience) think that we are wizards and can actually magic everyone into dancing. They expect a packed dancefloor all night and more often than not, it doesn't happen. The biggest thing I put across is that a successful night is down to the guests. If they are up for it then it will be a good night. If you play what people want and they still don't get up then what can you do except stand there, try to egg them on and secretly, under your breath...think, what is going on?

Educating the B&G's is a good idea although it could be put better. Obviously, most B&G's have been to parties before and experienced Mobile Discos. Some of them have seen (what they report as) really bad ones so I ask what was bad about it or why did they think it was bad and the comments back are interesting. Most of them will say, we just want everyone to have a good time and that's the way to be. Why (example) ask for Rock music all night because it's the B&G's favourite genre of music when the majority at the function will not be into it and therefore sit there all night looking bored and wondering if the DJ actually has a clue about what he is doing. This goes back to advertising yourself again at every function.

If a B&G want "everyone to enjoy themselves" then they will understand that their favourite music tastes may not be everyone elses and that they will want everyone at the end of the night to say they had a good night and not that they had to sit there all night and listen to stuff they didn't like. That's a bit like me being invited to a wedding or birthday party where the music played all night is R&B and no variety.

Lastly, there has to be a bit of leniency (sp?)... I can count on one finger the amount of times I have had a B&G not be lenient and I have had to stick to what they want. Yes, it is them paying for me but it goes back to thinking of the guests too. On this occasion the comment was "It's our night and we want what we like" which again, is fair comment but in reality, their function could have been a lot better. They specifically told me "Please, NO Cheese (Cha Cha Slide etc) and definitely NO Abba under no circumstances. At this function there were a lot of middle-aged women requesting Abba and they were pretty miffed when I didn't play any because I was under strict instructions not to. If the B&G had been a bit lenient and said "Well if someone asks for it then play it but don't go out of your way" then it would have been easier but it wasn't the case. It is now one of the questions I always ask at meetings...."How lenient are you on the music you don't like if someone requests it?"...I try to get across the fact that they should want all of their guests to enjoy themselves.

Phew! Sorry, that was a bit longer than I expected.



The last time i had a strict play list, the bride told me, that if anyone does ask for requests, tell them to " bog off " :eek: her words.
So i played the music that was on the list ( including the last 9 songs in the exact order) job done, got paid, went home.

[Shakermaker Promotions]

I don't mind being quoted (the lines in red) but if you're going to edit it, please make it readable.

Thanks

[Corabar Steve]

Imagine the situation. It's the beginning of the evening, and you start with the 60's songs. Someone comes up & asks for some chart stuff or something from a current group, and you reply "There's nearly an hour of 60's stuff to go, then I'm playing an hour of 70's stuff, then an hour of 80's, then 90's...so I'll be able to play some 00's stuff including your request in about 5 hours" I'm sure that would go down well...not!
You missed a key part of my post.

The only people that it might upset are the "Have you got anything new? / Got any R&B/Garage mate?" brigade & even they should be able to understand that if it's what the B&G want on their big day then it's their prerogative to do so.
You are there to entertain people & give your client what they want. If the two conflict then surely the person who is paying you is the one that you listen to.

I'm not saying you shouldn't use your experience & try talk the client round to a workable solution, BUT if they are adamant, you should be able to explain to any guest who requests something that doesn't fit the format, that you are following the B&G's wishes / instructions. If they can't cope with that for a few hours of their lives then their hosts obviously don't mean that much to them.

[rob1963]

I'm not saying you shouldn't use your experience & try talk the client round to a workable solution, BUT if they are adamant, you should be able to explain to any guest who requests something that doesn't fit the format, that you are following the B&G's wishes / instructions. If they can't cope with that for a few hours of their lives then their hosts obviously don't mean that much to them.

That's exactly how I WOULD handle it, and apologies for missing the part of your post which you quoted.

[Corabar Steve]

Sorry, I misenterpreted post #10 as you would refuse to do it point blank. Post #17 seemed to reitterate this, I can see now that this is not the case.

[CRAZY K]

The last time i had a strict play list, the bride told me, that if anyone does ask for requests, tell them to " bog off " :eek: her words.
So i played the music that was on the list ( including the last 9 songs in the exact order) job done, got paid, went home.

You dont mention how successful the Brides play list was though:confused:

Last one I did like that was a great night-- ;)

[gaza]

I don't mind being quoted (the lines in red) but if you're going to edit it, please make it readable.

Thanks


Sorry about that Gary, i am not sure what happened there:confused:





You dont mention how successful the Brides play list was though:confused:

Last one I did like that was a great night-- ;)


The only people that were dancing was the bride and her sister and a couple of other guests.
So i sneaked in 2 tunes that i thought would work and about 9 or 10 people came onto the dance floor straight away, but then the bride came over and asked me if i had had some requests because the 2 tunes i played were not on the play list, so i said " oh yes they were requested songs ":;)
and that is when she said " next time just tell them to bog off.

[Corabar Entertainment]

Rob: surely your 'most requested' list is self-perpetuating? - ie because you send it out to clients, they are more likely to chose songs from it (ones they may not have remembered if left to their own devices) - therefore, the more you send it out, the more those songs are requested!

[MagicMusic]

I had a strict playlist for a wedding I did recently which contained several songs I'd never even heard of.

I played all of the ones I thought would work and even afew of the obscure ones as you never know, these could be the ones that mean the most.

Trouble was that these tracks, good as they may be, were not songs for dancing to so the result was an empty dancefloor.

In the end I got quite a lot of requests from guests on the night and just went along with that - full dancefloor :)

Rob, i'm liking your idea of sending out a list so consider it stolen ;)

[rob1963]

Rob: surely your 'most requested' list is self-perpetuating? - ie because you send it out to clients, they are more likely to chose songs from it (ones they may not have remembered if left to their own devices) - therefore, the more you send it out, the more those songs are requested!

I guess you're right, Angela...and that's just the way I like it!

:D

[TONYTIGER]

Playlists what a emotive subject although i have probably been a mobile jock longer than most on this forum i can not recall when this horrible trend started you will gather i am not in approval of play lists but i realise there here to stay so have to go with the flow and to be honest i do not get that many thank God.
I have but a little rider in my contract reads as follows" Play lists 7 days in advance we can not guarantee all requests but will endeavour to include all"
this gives me a get out as i will not download songs on the night and will not play tunes that in my opinion are not suitable at that present time.The hirer has signed and understood my terms when they made there booking to date this seems to work for me.
I know a lot of mobiles rely on weddings as there main source for bookings and i would suspect this is were the play list habit started,i find when i have not got a play list i tend to have a better night surely the art of a good jock is to read the crowd or is that now old school works for me and if it aint bust don,t fix it is my motto.

[MagicMusic]

Playlists what a emotive subject although i have probably been a mobile jock longer than most on this forum i can not recall when this horrible trend started you will gather i am not in approval of play lists but i realise there here to stay so have to go with the flow and to be honest i do not get that many thank God.
I have but a little rider in my contract reads as follows" Play lists 7 days in advance we can not guarantee all requests but will endeavour to include all"
this gives me a get out as i will not download songs on the night and will not play tunes that in my opinion are not suitable at that present time.The hirer has signed and understood my terms when they made there booking to date this seems to work for me.
I know a lot of mobiles rely on weddings as there main source for bookings and i would suspect this is were the play list habit started,i find when i have not got a play list i tend to have a better night surely the art of a good jock is to read the crowd or is that now old school works for me and if it aint bust don,t fix it is my motto.

I'm pretty much with you but I believe that request lists are now a necessary evil. The image of the mobile jock must have been quite badly damaged to the point where people simply don't trust us to be good. They'd rather tell us what to play. At the very least in means we can be prepared if the customer is a fan of a specific genre or some obscure tracks.

[rob1963]

Playlists what an emotive subject although i have probably been a mobile jock longer than most on this forum i can not recall when this horrible trend started you will gather i am not in approval of play lists but i realise there here to stay so have to go with the flow and to be honest i do not get that many

When you moan about playlists, if you are referring to rigid lists of all the songs to be played at the function AND the order to play them in, I agree they are a bad thing & often lead to all sorts of problems.

However, if you are referring to request lists as in lists of songs the client would like you to play if possible, I don't see the problem. After all, people book discos for the music, so why shouldn't they be able to request as little or as much of the music as they like? I've had clients that gave me no requests, a number of clients that gave me more than enough requests to last all night and everything in between, and I don't have a problem with any of it.

As for limiting the client to a certain number of requests, I think DJs who do this must be incredibly arrogant. Do they REALLY have such a high opinion of themselves that they think they are better placed than the client to know what the client & their friends would like to hear? Maybe they should think a bit less about what THEY want to play & a bit more about what their CLIENT wants them to play.

[Excalibur]

As for limiting the client to a certain number of requests, I think DJs who do this must be incredibly arrogant. Do they REALLY have such a high opinion of themselves that they think they are better placed than the client to know what the client & their friends would like to hear? Maybe they should think a bit less about what THEY want to play & a bit more about what their CLIENT wants them to play.

Perchance, it's the DJ's who need educating? :whistle:

[Mark Wild]

Do they REALLY have such a high opinion of themselves that they think they are better placed than the client to know what the client & their friends would like to hear?

With regards to what the client wants to hear, I give them 30 requests, with regards to the other lets say 148 people, I think I fall into the "DJ who has a high opinion of himself" category, as I think I'd choose better tracks to keep the dancefloor busier for ALL these people than the bride and groom could and of course I'll happily take requests on the night :)

[rob1963]

With regards to what the client wants to hear, I give them 30 requests, with regards to the other lets say 148 people, I think I fall into the "DJ who has a high opinion of himself" category, as I think I'd choose better tracks to keep the dancefloor busier for ALL these people than the bride and groom could and of course I'll happily take requests on the night :)

Out of interest, what would you do if a client emailed you a list of 32 requests?

[Mark Wild]

Out of interest, what would you do if a client emailed you a list of 32 requests?

I'd phone them straight away and make it very clear in a stern tone, that under no circumstances are they to go over the extremely strict limit of 30 !!!

[CRAZY K]

I think I'd choose better tracks to keep the dancefloor busier for ALL these people than the bride and groom could and of course I'll happily take requests on the night :)

Having just got back from a total playlist gig tonight where the bride danced to every single track she had chosen and there was generally a good turnout on the dance floor--only one track I think there was no one dancing--I would have to totally disagree.

I will admit though not all playlists are realistic.:eek:

[rob1963]

Out of interest, what would you do if a client emailed you a list of 32 requests?


I'd phone them straight away and make it very clear in a stern tone, that under no circumstances are they to go over the extremely strict limit of 30 !!!

:shrug:

[Corabar Entertainment]

I'd phone them straight away and make it very clear in a stern tone, that under no circumstances are they to go over the extremely strict limit of 30 !!!:rofl:

[I swear that some members think that all members other than themselves have no common sense whatsoever!!!]

[Mark Wild]

:rofl:

[I swear that some members think that all members other than themselves have no common sense whatsoever!!!]

:D

[Excalibur]

:rofl:

[I swear that some members think that all members other than themselves have no common sense whatsoever!!!]

They blatantly haven't. Mark should have slapped a surcharge on, instead of wasting time ringing up. ;)

[notroubleclubber]

I never send a request sheet, but do ask if the booker has a playlist in mind. If it comes back with millions of songs then i will have a word with the booker and discuss what they would like (ie, just playlist,around the playlist etc). When i ask for a playlist i always ask the booker to bear in mind that most weddings have a wide age range.

[TONYTIGER]

You will not believe this :eek: just had a enquiry for a wedding May 2011 and the subject of a play list came up in the conversation Quote from the prospective client, " we would like to provide all of our favourite music for the evening on a i pod can you just plug it in to your disco system as it will be in the right order we want it played" i declined the booking.
Thin end of the wedge me thinks.

[Shakermaker Promotions]

I had a meeting last night with a couple that I am doing a wedding for in October. I asked if they could mail me their requests at least 7 days in advance of the function (like I always do) and they said that they didn't really have a songlist. What they had was a list of genres and specific tracks that they DON'T want.

The 'Educating the Bride & Groom' thing came into full effect last night. Here's why - When I started talking about the music that they wanted, the Bride was pretty adamant that she wanted a mix of Motown, Soul, Old School R&B and Funk etc all evening. I asked if the guests attending were into the same thing and asked what the age range would be. Once I found this out I started to advise them and gave them some indicators. They totally understood the score and wanted to make sure that their guests had a good time too. At first they said "We definitely do not want any cheesey stuff or any of the current charty stuff either" but once we got talking and I mentioned stuff like The Killers, Kings of Leon etc they started to say "Oh, yes we like that, that's ok"... Once we got into the music a bit more it appeared that they were actually up for other stuff too (Whitney, Wham, Madonna, Madness, Two Tone stuff etc) and it was agreed that this would be done in the last 60 - 90 minutes.

Further on in the meeting and I asked them how lenient they would be regarding requests for (example) Abba etc... I actually said to them "I can already tell you aren't into the likes of Abba etc but how would you feel if some of your guests requested Abba?"...The reply was "Well, if someone asks then yes, it's fine"...then the groom asked "I'd like to hear Vanilla Ice, MC Hammer and some of that stuff too" so I got the impression that before I went to meet them, they had it in their heads that they wanted a whole night of the genres they had picked in advance but once we got talking, they realised that there was a lot of stuff they liked that they and their guests would be missing out on.

I wasn't pushy with them, I kept saying "It's your night so you have what you want" and it was them that finally realised that they had to take their guests into account too. At the end of the meeting they thanked me for going to see them and said that they were so glad that I went through the music in detail.

[soundtracker]

You will not believe this :eek: just had a enquiry for a wedding May 2011 and the subject of a play list came up in the conversation Quote from the prospective client, " we would like to provide all of our favourite music for the evening on a i pod can you just plug it in to your disco system as it will be in the right order we want it played" i declined the booking.
Thin end of the wedge me thinks.

I had one of these, sent my boy(who isn't really into disco!) along with some back up kit, he picked up a nice cheque, client got what they wanted, I went somewhere else - result!:)

[CRAZY K]

I had one of these, sent my boy(who isn't really into disco!) along with some back up kit, he picked up a nice cheque, client got what they wanted, I went somewhere else - result!:)

This is the reality.

I have mentioned before I believe ipods are a threat.

What about that horrible gap between tracks on an ipod which I get on mine?

Talk amongst yourselves whilst the next track comes on---aaaaaaaargh!!!

Loss of momentum, atmosphere and continuity---or can you program the ipod to have no gaps?:confused:

[rob1963]

[I swear that some members think that all members other than themselves have no common sense whatsoever!!!]

Many of them DON'T...or they wouldn't impose a request limit in the first place...let alone not stick to it!

;)

[Ecstatic Events]

surely the art of a good jock is to read the crowd or is that now old school

Thats what the CLIENT is paying thier money for, A DJ, not a jukebox!

I personally want to steer away from "playlists" (especially after the 190 odd tracks I had pre-requested the other week!) and just get a feel for the CLIENTS personal tastes and work a playlist to suit both them and thier guests...

[rob1963]

surely the art of a good jock is to read the crowd or is that now old school


Thats what the CLIENT is paying thier money for, A DJ, not a jukebox!

With all due respect, you can't generalise like that, because in reality all clients are different.

Some DO want you to play your own choices based on reading the crowd all night, but most will want to have a fair bit of input into what you play, and some will want to have loads of input.

[DeckstarDeluxe]

With all due respect, you can't generalise like that, because in reality all clients are different.

Some DO want you to play your own choices based on reading the crowd all night, but most will want to have a fair bit of input into what you play, and some will want to have loads of input.

Touching the floor as we speak but thats a spot on post.

[Ecstatic Events]

With all due respect, you can't generalise like that, because in reality all clients are different.

Some DO want you to play your own choices based on reading the crowd all night, but most will want to have a fair bit of input into what you play, and some will want to have loads of input.

OK, but I am a DJ - I dont have a coin slot - So I am definitely no Jukebox.

I personally feel as DJ's we should ALL steer away from pre-requested lists the length of your arm. If Im working to a list, I spend more time selecting from that, than playing to the crowd. Which is sometimes very wrong - Because most of the time 80% of the pre-requests are :Censored: and EXTREMELY PREDICTABLE.

Now someone tell me Im in the wrong game :)

To add to this, Any DJ worth his salt should be able to entertain successfully without any pre-requests. Refering back to the OP - I have always had the following motto since DJ'ing

"I am here to ENTERTAIN and not EDUCATE!"

[DeckstarDeluxe]

OK, but I am a DJ - I dont have a coin slot - So I am definitely no Jukebox.

I personally feel as DJ's we should ALL steer away from pre-requested lists the length of your arm. If Im working to a list, I spend more time selecting from that, than playing to the crowd. Which is sometimes very wrong - Because most of the time 80% of the pre-requests are :Censored: and EXTREMELY PREDICTABLE.

Now someone tell me Im in the wrong game :)

Yes.

That sort of attiude comes across that the customers own musical tastes shouldnt be taken into account.

I offer advice to clients on musical policy but also make it clear that certain styles of music generally get people up dancing. I've also had loads of events where I played stuff I wouldnt of normally played but it was on the playlist and it got people dancing.

[Jonathan Ford]

I'd phone them straight away and make it very clear in a stern tone, that under no circumstances are they to go over the extremely strict limit of 30 !!!


:shrug:

Whooooooosh!!!

I'd say that there's room for compromise here. I think that there's nothing wrong with counselling clients on the appropriateness of their music selections...but when they've made the decision, whether we agree with it or not, it's up to us to play it.

If anyone ever asks if I'd accept a playlist for the whole night, I've strongly advised against it, and the client has seen my point. However, if the conversation had resulted in the client sticking to their guns, I'd turn up and take the money. Hell, I'd probably even do the iPod gig that Tony mentioned!

[Ecstatic Events]

Yes.

That sort of attiude comes across that the customers own musical tastes shouldnt be taken into account.

I offer advice to clients on musical policy but also make it clear that certain styles of music generally get people up dancing. I've also had loads of events where I played stuff I wouldnt of normally played but it was on the playlist and it got people dancing.

Not at all, every single person at the function/events musical tastes are taken into account, I am very vocal when it comes to encouraging requests.

We should all be offering advice regarding what works and what doesnt...

Playlists are essential to me programming a successful night, but I think we AS DJ's should go back to reading the dancefloor, instead of playlists and being a bit spontaneous once in a while :cool:

[rob1963]

Refering back to the OP - I have always had the following motto since DJ'ing

"I am here to ENTERTAIN and not EDUCATE!"

As you referred to the OP, I'll do the same.

The question in the thread title is "Do we need to educate the Brides & Grooms?"

In my opinion, there are many cases where it should be the other way around!

[CRAZY K]

OK, but I am a DJ - I dont have a coin slot - So I am definitely no Jukebox.

I personally feel as DJ's we should ALL steer away from pre-requested lists the length of your arm. If Im working to a list, I spend more time selecting from that, than playing to the crowd. Which is sometimes very wrong - Because most of the time 80% of the pre-requests are :Censored: and EXTREMELY PREDICTABLE.

Now someone tell me Im in the wrong game :)

To add to this, Any DJ worth his salt should be able to entertain successfully without any pre-requests. Refering back to the OP - I have always had the following motto since DJ'ing

"I am here to ENTERTAIN and not EDUCATE!"

Quite agree re your motto--unfortunately the times they are a changin--and thats not what everyone wants nowadays--I say that as an Entertainer.

Yes I get stupid request lists of ridiculous length BUT if you want to be in the frame for a a lot of potential work I think you may have to EDUCATE people to your way of thinking.

Then you can ENTERTAIN--if you dont get considered you wont be there to do it.

You might be excluding yourself from potentially well paid work--all my Wedding clients are well paid intelligent Professionals not a bunch of :muppet: and I LISTEN to what they say--i dont necessarily DO what they say.

Subtle difference.;)

[Ecstatic Events]

The question in the thread title is "Do we need to educate the Brides & Grooms?"

Through prior consultation, maybe

But not through the dancefloor :whistle:

[Excalibur]

Perchance, it's the DJ's who need educating? :whistle:


As you referred to the OP, I'll do the same.

The question in the thread title is "Do we need to educate the Brides & Grooms?"

In my opinion, there are many cases where it should be the other way around!
Thank you Little Sir Echo. Better late than never. :D :D

Through prior consultation, maybe

But not through the dancefloor :whistle:

We may advise, but they should get what they pay for and request. Even if it's silly and counter productive.

[paulg]

This thread has gone on a bit but, for what it's worth, if a customer asks us for a rigid set playlist, clearly, the don't want or need a DJ so we just hire out kit. More often than not it's people who don't dance and just want to listen that go for it.

They put tracks on ipod or whatever (theirs not ours), we set up something that looks like a disco, turn up at 7, plug in, switch on and leave it playing. I put the ipod at the front where people can skip tracks, adjust volume etc. I can then employ a DJ gainfully somewhere else.

I pay £35 to someone we trust in the venue to keep an eye on the kit and to keep things sensible. I also take a sizeable deposit from the customer. If all is well at the end of the night (which it usually is), the deposit is returned and our 'watcher' gets £35.00.

A lot of people like the freedom of doing this. Personally, I think it is dreadful and it usually kills a party but the customer has to be respected. It's quite funny to read that us DJ's feel empowered to inflict our idea of good music on the populus at large but as soon as someone else wants to do the same, it's an attack on DJ pride. What's worse? a night of cheese or a night of leonard cohen........it's a close call for me!

In terms of income, talk about killing two birds with one stone! I wish more people asked for it.

[Corabar Entertainment]

What's worse? a night of cheese or a night of leonard cohen........it's a close call for me!Who's suggested either? :confused:

[Ecstatic Events]

Who's suggested either? :confused:

:lol:

[CRAZY K]

This thread has gone on a bit but, for what it's worth, if a customer asks us for a rigid set playlist, clearly, the don't want or need a DJ so we just hire out kit. More often than not it's people who don't dance and just want to listen that go for it.

In terms of income, talk about killing two birds with one stone! I wish more people asked for it.

I must learn multi answers--im afraid this is wrong.

One of my most successful Weddings was where the B and G knew EXACTLY the music their guests would dance to---why--because they all went to Uni together, went to the same functions and enjoyed the same music.

It happened again last night to me--look away now--most popular tracks were
Macarena, Oops Gap Band and errrr unbelievably Tiger feet;)

[soundtracker]

I must learn multi answers--im afraid this is wrong.

One of my most successful Weddings was where the B and G knew EXACTLY the music their guests would dance to---why--because they all went to Uni together, went to the same functions and enjoyed the same music.

It happened again last night to me--look away now--most popular tracks were
Macarena, Oops Gap Band and errrr unbelievably Tiger feet;)

Agreed, often happens, however last week as I posted, I had a cracking night playing songs from a playlist that I hadn't received! So you never can tell!

[StarZSoundS]

What about the Double-Edged Sword???

Some of the best tracks I use have been as a result of requests from the clients......I probably would never have dreamed of playing them otherwise!!!


If they are poor and bomb and someone complains...you can point to the geezer who requested it and say......"It was him....."

If they're great (i.e Mr Brightside) pocket them and use them at another date:):) :) :) :) :)

[paulg]

Who's suggested either? :confused:

well i've seen a few playlists on here to quantify the cheese

[SPDJ]

I think that after all is said and done, YOU, THE DJ, is there to provide a service. That service is to play the music that cater to the guests of honour (B+G) first and foremost, and that it is the B+G responsibility to market their wedding accordingly if they have any specific or niche musical preferences.

I did a gig last April where the B+G wanted mostly heavy metal, industrial techno and Indie. obviosly a break from the norm. BUT they marketed it perfectly by making it clear to thier guests that is is a heavy metal wedding reception (by way of stating this on thier invites so thier guests knew what the music would be like). The night was one of the best I had this year partly due to the fact that thier guests were expecting that sort of music and it was of no suprise to them in any way.

On the flip side I did a gig a fortnight ago to a couple who wanted "only 2000's pop music and no cheese, no 70' 80's 90s etc etc JUST 2000's. Only this time the B+G did nothing to make their gusts aware of their niche requirements and for the first hour and a half I got stick from the guests not playing the obvious "footloose", "abba" etc etc untill I consulted the B+G about this and in thier drunken gloy just said "yeah whatever mate play whatever they want". This did annoy me because the general consensus for the first hour and a half was that the wedding DJ (me) was rubbish when I was doing my job in catering to the customers.

Form that point I always encourage potential customers to MARKET thier wedding if its anything specific otherwise thier guests will assume the lowest common denominator cheesy pop stuff and then wonder why the DJ is playing "wierd" or "rubbish" stuff.

[Trigger]

I must admit i have never come across this situation, so am not sure how I would react.

I would certainly slip in a couple of songs stating that "this song has been requested", naughty but if you get it right and the atmosphere rises, i would expect the B&G to be happy!

Whilst it may be the b&G night, they are probably not DJ's, I think we should also remember that it is our reputation at stake, if you have a bad night because you backed down to their demands, then word will spread about YOU!

I suggest you start by giving them what they want at the start if it works so be it, if not either have a word and say just give me 20 mins to do my stuff and then make sure you have sussed out the crowd or go ahead and do it if you think they won't accomodate your wishes.

[CRAZY K]

I must admit i have never come across this situation, so am not sure how I would react.

I would certainly slip in a couple of songs stating that "this song has been requested", naughty but if you get it right and the atmosphere rises, i would expect the B&G to be happy!

Whilst it may be the b&G night, they are probably not DJ's, I think we should also remember that it is our reputation at stake, if you have a bad night because you backed down to their demands, then word will spread about YOU!

I suggest you start by giving them what they want at the start if it works so be it, if not either have a word and say just give me 20 mins to do my stuff and then make sure you have sussed out the crowd or go ahead and do it if you think they won't accomodate your wishes.

The Bride is not a DJ BUT knows what she likes--so as the Bride on Wednesday said--its MY :Censored: Wedding so im having some of what I like--completely agree even if the Bride is the ONLY person dancing I dont care--she who pays the piper etc.

That would be the first rule of how to alienate a Bride==dont play her requests to start with:eek:

I dont understand your comment about reputation--your suggesting you put your reputation of having a full dance floor AHEAD of the paying B+Gs requested music--what happened to customer care?

When the bride realises no one likes her music common sense will kick in and the Macarena will be played:D :D :D

[Big Mix Mobile Disco]

Well, as per my first thread ....

Finally got the wedding done .... I was dredding it due to the strict restrictions on music. What can I say ... after 3 hours they finally agreed I could play some 70s music etc ...

The dance-floor filled instantly!

All I can say is ... leave it to the pro's!