Music for the reception

Any honest DJ will admit that wedding discos are amongst the hardest to do. The age range of the guests will be from 0 to 100+ and requests will range across every style and era of music imaginable.

The first thing to establish from your prospective DJ is that he (or she) has done plenty of weddings before and that they have a good range of music.

If you have a special song that you want to start the dancing with then make sure the DJ has that song and ask for it to be a condition of the contract when you make the booking.

If you find a DJ by recommendation, which is always advisable, insist that the person you make the booking with will actually do the disco. Some DJ’s find it hard to turn work away and will take the booking but then sub-contract out when a better offer comes along.

It is a good idea to ask how many people will be in the disco team. Most DJ’s take a friend along to help with carrying equipment etc. but you may not want a small team of hangers-on with them.

Let the DJ know what the dress code is for the function. If your reception is quite formal you might not feel comfortable with a DJ in jeans and a t-shirt.

Think about refreshments for your DJ. You won’t want them to take advantage of your hospitality by being greedy if you have a free bar, but equally asking the bar staff to provide a couple of soft drinks is always appreciated.

Finally, don’t be blinded by technical specifications but do make sure that there is sufficient sound and light to fill the venue. A disco in the front room of a house will require very little in the way of powerful speakers but if you are in a big hall or function room the minimum requirement will be 2 x 100 Watts speakers and a blend of 4 light units (projectors and spots).

Tim Manns Programme Controller, Bath FM

www.bath.fm