DJs – Everything You Never Needed to Know

You’re planning your wedding – yay!  And now you need to hire a Dj – or do you?  Can’t you just play a Spotify list on your phone?

Image by Stephen Judy

More than just Music

A good wedding DJ does more than just play music.  They provide a sound system fit for the venue, microphones as needed for the ceremony and act as MC to keep the events flowing smoothly.  They work closely with the coordinator to let guests know when it’s time to be seated for dinner, they announce when it’s time for cake cutting, bouquet toss and other items that guests don’t want to miss. And they can read the crowd to know when a little extra help is needed to get the guests out on the dance floor (we’ve seen our favorite DJ’s out leading the crowd in dancing!)

Music is an art

There is a BIG difference in what a qualified wedding DJ provides vs. running a Spotify list. Let’s start with the ceremony.  A DJ has the ability to start and stop songs at certain points so you have your favorite part of the song playing as you walk down the aisle.  They can also smoothly transition between songs with no downtime.  Waiting to walk down the aisle is often one of the most nerve wracking parts of wedding day and waiting for your cousin’s boyfriend to get the right song to play just adds to the nerves.

It’s not just music for ceremony and dancing, you don’t realize how important background music during dinner is until it’s absolutely silent.  Background music adds to the overall atmosphere and keeps conversation flowing.

Ok, raise your hand if you’ve ever been busting moves to your favorite music on the radio or Pandora only to have your groove interrupted by commercials? (it’s ok, no one’s looking, you can admit it) You want the music to keep flowing and blend smoothly during dancing.  It keeps guests on the dancefloor and having a good time.

Photo by Hillary Leah Photography

What will it cost?

A qualified wedding DJ (you want to make sure they have experience with weddings so they understand the flow of the day) can range from $650 to $1200+ in the Atlanta area. If you get quotes from someone who is lower, make sure you ask plenty of questions on the equipment they provide, how many weddings they have done, do they have all the music downloaded or do they require a wifi connection to download as they go.

You can find some of our favorite DJ’s listed on our Vendors page.

​- Becky