Signs You Are Looking At A Bad DJ! Plus, My Latest Wedding Playlist!

For those of you planning your wedding out there, I hope you find this helpful as you decide which DJ to hire.  It is very difficult to choose a DJ because you do not have an opportunity to see the actual product, the actual product being their abilities to get your guests involved, their actions to make your wedding fun, and, of course, their skills in mixing a great wedding DJ playlist--one that will satisfy everyone, young and old, while keeping the dance floor packed.

I have an easy way for you, the happy bride and groom, from making a mistake and hiring a DJ who most likely has no talents in the above mentioned areas.  Take a look at this ad I received today via email:

Wow, right?  What a deal, huh?  Not only do you get a DJ, but you get Uplighting, and a Video Montage, all for $1170!  First problem: Why is a DJ (music and entertainment) providing Uplighting (a design aspect)? How does this help get your guests involved and get them dancing?
Second problem, why is a DJ providing video services (the Video Montage)?  To see the problems with this, all you need to do is turn it around.  "I am ABC Videography and I will shoot your wedding with two cameras, provide you with a video montage, AND on top of all of that, I will be your top-notch wedding DJ!"

The answer is obvious.  This company is lacking so much in their entertainment abilities, they have to add these extras and upgrades to make themselves have at least some kind of value for you. 

In other words, they are sooo BAD at DJing , they need to add "stuff" so they can get business!  And in some other words, their clients will probably end up saying after their wedding, "Man, our DJ was awful, but at least we got that pretty uplighting and nice video montage!" 

If you run into a company trying to either give you or sell you upgrades, run away.  Or, better yet, ask them this:  "What about your entertainment skills with my friends and family?  What do you do to get my guests involved in the celebration?"  If they have some fun and unique ideas (that are not the Macarena!), then awesome!  Not only do you get a great DJ but you get some extras, too.

Otherwise, tell that "DJ" to leave the lighting design to a lighting designer and the video montage to the videographer and stick to what they are supposed to be focusing on--your wedding entertainment!

A GREAT WEDDING PLAYLIST!

So here is the latest from moi!  On Sunday night (a Sunday night, mind you!) I had a packed dance floor all night until 11:30pm.  I know, 11:30...whoop-dee-doo.  But many people have to go to work on Mondays, so if you can keep a wedding going past 10pm, you are doing something right with your wedding music!  Like all wedding playlists I create, I want to make sure I please all the wedding guests, so you will hear wedding songs that parents will like all the way to music from a wedding playlist 2010 and beyond to a wedding playlist 2011!  Of course, wedding playlists 2010 are sooo last year, lol.  Still, when you are in the middle of wedding planning with a couple, you want to stick with music that you know will work.  These wedding reception songs will include a lot of music from my top 40 wedding playlist because this was what they mainly wanted.  There was nothing from my 80s alternative playlist ideas and only one or two love songs.  Hey, it's their wedding so I made sure they were happy with their wedding reception and me, their wedding DJ!

Stand By Me                                            Ben E. King

My Girl                                                    Temptations

Respect                                                    Aretha Franklin

Billie Jean                                                 Michael Jackson

I Gotta Feeling                                         Black Eyed Peas

I Gotta Feeling (Instrumental)                    Black Eyed Peas

Omg                                                        Usher F Will.I.Am

Disturbia                                                  Rihanna

Disturbia (Instrumental)                             Rihanna

Right Round                                             Flo Rida F Kesha

I Only Have Eyes For You                       Flamingos

Tik Tok                                                    Ke$Ha

Poker Face                                              Lady Gaga

Dynamite                                                  Taio Cruz

Dynamite (Instrumental)                            Taio Cruz

Dj Got Us Fallin' In Love                            Usher F Pitbull

In My Head                                              Jason Derulo

All I Do Is Win                                        Dj Khaled F T-Pain, Ludacris, Snoop Dogg

A Bay Bay                                              Hurricane Chris

Poison                                                        Bell Biv Devoe

Thriller                                                  Michael Jackson

Journey With Jean                                   Dj Sizzahandz

Livin' On A Prayer                                 Bon Jovi

Way I Are                                              Timbaland F Keri Hilson

Circus                                                  Britney Spears

Just Dance                                        Lady Ga Ga F Akon

Break Your Hea                                  Taio Cruz F Ludacris

Rock That Body                                Black Eyed Peas

Closer                                                Ne-Yo

I Like It                                             Enrique Iglesias F Pitbull

Beautiful                                        Akon F Colby O'donis And Kardinal Offishall

Gettin' Over You                          David Guetta And Chris Willis F Fergie And Lmfao

World Hold On                                    Bob Sinclair

Somebody To Love                            Justin Bieber F Usher

Down                                                  Jay Sean F Lil Wayne

Shake It                                                   Metro Station

Shout                                                     Animal House Soundtrack

Just The Way You Are                            Bruno Mars

Because Of You                                        Ne-Yo F Kanye West

Teenage Dream                                      Katy Perry

One More Time                                      Daft Punk

Like A G6                                           Far East Movement F Cataracs And Dev

California Gurls                                    Katy Perry F Snoop Dogg

Only Girl (In The World)                        Rihanna

Evacuate The Dancefloor                        Cascada

Club Can't Handle Me                              Flo Rida F David Guetta

Dashboard                                                 Modest Mouse

At Last                                                        Etta James

You will notice a few interesting things about this wedding dj setlist.  If you are a DJ, you will ssee how close many of these songs are in BPM. Yes, I beat mixed all night long!  Man, it was fun!  Hey, again, it is what they wanted!  If you are a professional disc jockey or even an amateur, this is a great dj playlist for you to refer to if you plan on mixing (or practicing your mixing).  This was the best wedding playlist for my clients, Daniel and Lisa.  Most couples will be specific about their special dance songs, like the father daughter wedding songs and the mother son wedding songs, but for open dancing, they are usually "open."  Not this time.  Every one of these songs were on their list they gave me.  I made it work by doing the homework and setting it up to have the best mix possible.  Hope you likey!