Mixing up your wedding playlist to create an E”motional Roller Coaster” is the way to go.
HOW TO CREATE AN EFFECTIVE SONG LIST
For everything from movies to circus acts, music really sets the mood. However, mixing up the moods you want to help create can do wonders for the overall feel of your event, in the end.
One of the first questions I ask brides and grooms before planning a play list is, “what kind of atmosphere are you trying to set during this time in the reception?”
It is really important to set lots of different atmospheres and manipulate many different emotions at a wedding, if you really want it to stand out and feel special. You don’t really want to stay in one “mood” for any extended periods of time. Therefore, no segment of a wedding should be all fast, all slow, or even all serious for a long time. To make your wedding feel like one of the best ever, it’s all about mixing it up.
“If you really want to keep your wedding guests fully engaged and make a long-lasting impression, you have to appeal to all their senses, and all of their emotions.”
Before we talk about planing the best wedding playlist, let’s look at another form of entertainment that focuses on mixing up emotions; the film world.
When you go to Regal Cinema in The Crossgates Mall in Guilderland , NY and sit down with your over-priced soda & your garbage can full of butter and popcorn, isn’t the whole point of making a trip to the movie theater to be emotionally manipulated? The whole point of going to the movies is to have someone tell you a story that makes you laugh or cry, and perhaps, an experience that you will remember for years to come?
Walt Disney knew that in order to make a really good movie, you had to make people cry as well as laugh.
Walt Disney once said, ” … for every laugh, there should be a tear.” Mickey Mouse’s always wanted fans on an emotional roller coaster ride whenever they went to the movies.
Walt Disney always made sure that his films had scenes that deliberately went out their way to make the audience cry; The death of Bambi’s mother… Snow White’s funeral scene… Pinocchio appearing to have died… Cinderella having her dress destroyed and losing all hope of going to the Ball….
Even the old time southern Baptist tent meeting ministers realized that chopping up the emotions was the way to go. By offering quick “mood jumps” from fast hymns into slower tear-jerking testimonials, it was always clear that people felt they were really attending something special, after looking at the offering plates at the end of the night.
In today’s high impact, fast moving, MTV-style-edited, attention-deficit disordered world, you have to constantly change things up to keep your audience. This is even more so when your audience is a vastly-varied demographic like wedding guests tend to be.
For my weddings in the Albany, Troy, Schenectady, NY area, I try and follow this same psychology to create the same results. I want the people attending the wedding to feel like they are experiencing something special. Therefore, coming out of a coctail hour with an acoustic blend including lounge, jazz, soft rock, country and reggae, I like to bump into a high-energy introduction, then drop it right back down into a touching classy ballad first dance. Immediately after that, I recommend playing something lighter or nostalgic before the toast, then transition over to a fun party mix for dinner with one-hit wonders, throwbacks, sing-alongs and good tunes that are tougher to dance to while people eat. After dinner, I introduce the dance segment with a mix of todays hits and all your favorite classics.
When putting together your wedding music playlist, or any party for that matter, keep mood-mixing in mind. Chopping up the desired atmospheres with an emotional roller coaster playlist is a great way to really touch all of the bases. Mixing up everything in the end will really make your night feel special and memorable.
Recently, we had a wedding venue coordinator bring us into the room of a well-known wedding reception hall over in Albany, NY. The room was beautiful, as always. This particular venue has great lighting, superb decor, and has a really nice dance floor entirely surrounded by well-decorated tables. Everything on this particular day was just great, except for one common thing…
…Poor Placement of The DJ booth.
The DJ table was about 75 feet away from the dance floor. The entertainment was buried by at least four dinning tables, off in a distant corner of the room.
“Uggghhh!” I thought to myself before speaking. “Is there anywhere else I can set up?” I asked, as politely as I could.
She answered, “No. That is where we ALWAYS put the DJ.”
“If the wedding party has a band, do you put them in the same place?” I asked.
“Well, not really. We usually put them right next to the dance floor.”
This is a common problem with wedding venues.
Schenectady – At this hall, a Wedding DJ is often placed high on a balcony in the background. While this may look good, it is not a good option. It sounds like absolute $#*%! and leaves no opportunity for guests to make requests.
OUT OF SIGHT – OUT OF MIND
There is also a very popular wedding hall in the Schenectady, NY area that likes to put the DJ way up high on a balcony. This looks great to your venue hall, and may look neat in the final pictures too. However, this idea is all about visual. It doesn’t take sound quality or guest interation into consideration. Therefore, in a number of words, this option on an entertainment perspective actually totally SUCKS!
Just a tip… treat the DJ as your entertainmant for the night, as you would any other performer that interacts with your crowd. It really is best to have what ever entertainment that you choose to provide for your guests very close to the dance floor. This is important for a number of reasons.
Make sure and discuss this request with your venue provider’s event organizer. Quite often, their agenda is very food & service-driven. This means they do not always have in mind the best interests of optimal entertainment requirements.
Here is a list of things to think about when making your seating plan and placing your entertainment spotlight for the night:
1) IS THE DJ CLOSE ENOUGH TO THE DANCE FLOOR? – No matter what your hall organizer says, the entertainment should ALWAYS be right near the dance floor, period. They should also have a clean path with no seating in front of them.
A wedding venue knows food, and knows how to treat their guests, but they are not entertainers, nor do they know much about music equipment placement. Ask any good DJ and they will tell you it is not a good idea to be far away from the dance floor.
2)NEVER PUT TABLES IN FRONT OF THE DJ – First off, the sound quality will be terrible when ever you put something in front of a speaker. Obstacles will hinder the sound from reaching the dance floor properly. Secondly, the guests sitting in front of the DJ booth will be blasted by sound all night. Those will then be considered the worst seats in the house.
A DJ on a balcony will get NO requests and have little interaction with your guests.
3) CAN THE DJ BE SEEN BY ALL? – The DJ or band often makes announcements. You don’t want your guests wondering where this mystery voice is coming from like a blue light special announcement at K-mart.
4) CAN THE DJ CONNECT WITH THE CROWD? – It is very important for the DJ, much like a band, to connect with the crowd. Seeing what is working and what is not is a huge part of being a mobile disc jockey.
5) WILL THE DJ BE ABLE TO INTERACT WITH THE CROWD ? – If your wedding DJ is placed far away, requests become very difficult, or sometimes almost impossible.
A balcony set up typically doesn’t work well for a mobile DJ. (Balcony DJ booths only work in night clubs because the place is hard wired with smaller speakers everywhere in the hard to reach dead zones.)
BELOW IS AN EXAMPLE OF A BAD WEDDING HALL LAYOUT:
🙁
In the picture above, I would have just switched the table to the right of the DJ and the cake. This would leave enough space so that the DJ booth could have been strategically tilted so that the soundwaves travel to the dance floor with no hindering obstacles.
In a big hall, it is impossible to do a 75 feet away corner set up, facing the back of your guests with tables in front of you blocking the sound. In the picture above, 24 people are being blasted by the DJ. They wouldn’t be happy either.
Overall, in a wedding reception setting, your DJ/MC placement is critical. Do not let the hall put your entertainment in a closet.
When it comes to dancing, “The King of Dirty Dancing” Patrick Swayze once said, “Nobody puts baby in the corner.” The same should go for your wedding DJ.
Keep this in mind when laying out your wedding seating charts. For more on this common problem, check out our article, How To Seat Your Wedding Guests.
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With so so many components to a good wedding, it can really be overwhelming. This is why many people suggest that it takes a minimum of six months or a year to plan a good one. Is your big wedding reception to take place in or around The Capital District? Do you need top quality in music entertainment and disc jockey services for your party in Upstate New York?
Where ever your special day is set to be, we can help make it happen.
DJ STYLE – If you are in Scotia New York and want a DJ to play a great mix of all the latest music and/or all the greatest classics, then look no more! We work with you to get the feel that you are looking for.
We do not force you into any playlists. However, we offer many lists of music and a great worksheet to get you going if you would like to have a hand in creating the playlist yourself for YOUR special day.
We also offer a “DO NOT PLAYLIST” so there will be no surprises! 🙂
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Wedding Flip Flops: Help Make Your Feet Say “I DO”
Fill The DJ’s Dance Floor With A Wedding Flip Flop Basket – Another Albany NY wedding DJ idea!
At a very recent wedding in the Albany, NY area, I was the DJ for great number of guests sporting their bare feet by the end of the night on the dance floor. Adding in the lack of comfort factor with an outdoor ceremony where high heels sink into the ground, has lead me to suggest that adding a basket of flip-flops is a courteous “must” for many settings.
Here is an idea some of you may not have seen yet. Rather than have your guests dance in uncomfortable shoes, why not be a stand-up host and provide a basket of cheat-but-nice wedding flip flops?
Have you ever got all dressed up to go to a wedding and know fully well that your feet are going to kill you with the first ten minutes on the dance floor? You are not alone.
Many women struggle with their feet and have a terrible time finding the right balance between wearing comfortable shoes that also go with their dresses. Most high heel shoes cannot hold any woman up comfortably for a full four hours or more.
If you see this at Walmart, then you are in luck!
You really cannot expect the majority of your guests to make the best decisions in their footwear choices. After all, they are really putting one foot forward to look their very best for you. And getting together the perfect ensemble almost never translates into comfortable footwear.
WEAR TO BUY CHEAP WEDDING FLIP FLOPS?
It is even easier than you think! When in doubt, I am sure you can find a discount somewhere online. However, there may be savings waiting for you in your own neck of the woods allowing you to save a bundle in shipping costs.
Old Navy currently has a variety of colors for only $1.65 a piece, which is pretty reasonable. Some dollar stores even stock them. However, your favorite Walmart probably stocks what I just saw; an ultra-sweet-for-your-feet “98 cent flip flop box.”
Wedding Sandals Shoe Basket at a barn wedding at Indian Ladder Farm – Altamont, NY
Wedding Flip Flop Basket Sign
Wedding Flip Flop Shoe Basket at a barn wedding at Indian Ladder Farm – Altamont, NY
Kick Off Your Shoes and Get Down!
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT WHEN ADDING THE FLIP FLOP BASKET TO YOUR WEDDING RECEPTION:
So, did we sell the idea to you? If you are reading this far down the page then it is possible you are thinking about using this tip! If this is the case, great. Here are a few points to think about:
– Try and make them available to your guests in your wedding colors.
– You can make them look pretty with vibrant ribbons holding pairs together.
The traditional wedding photo is fine, but everyone has these. Why not jazz up your photo album with something that means something to you?
PLANNING A “KEEPER” WEDDING PHOTO THAT IS SPECIAL TO YOU
Here is something to think about, when it comes to customizing your wedding day, specifically when looking at the photos being taken.
The picture to the left is a picture of a typical wedding. This one, in particular, was shot in the new courtyard at the Terrace banquet hall at The Water’s Edge Lighthouse in Scotia, NY, which is one of my most favorite halls to DJ for.
The setting is nice with green in the back and the blue sky. However, as nice this photo is, there isn’t anything overly special about it. This is okay because there doesn’t have to be. It is a nice picture of the ceremony – a time when things are supposed to be more serious.
BUT WHAT ABOUT THE FUN PICTURES?
With a little bit of planning, you can get that fun, special picture that stands out – the one people will really talk about that means something to you.
All this bride asked all of her bridal party to wear a garter with The Pittsburgh Steelers logo on it. Though you can’t see it that well, the black and yellow is a dead give-away. She knew she would have them flash the photographer and it would really make for an interesting moment. That it did.
While your wedding photographer will do great work, there was no way this shot could have happened without a little planning. This shot is a riot and one she will cherish for years to come!
Creating that “keeper” photo can be done with a little prep work.
Here is an interesting twist on the guestbook I saw two weeks back at when I was the wedding DJ at The Franklin Terrace in Troy, NY.
Wedding Postcards
What the newlyweds did was awesome. After looking around a bit online, what they did was get some custom printing done on a nice cigar box and added some special wedding postcards.
The postcards are super nice because what they do is let you get more than just the typical name you would get form your guests in the traditional guestbook format.
The post cards asked for how the guests met the bride/groom, a favorite memory and also feedback about the special day itself.
HOW TO DISPLAY:
They presented the cigar box with some nice candles and other things to dress it up. Below you can see what the set up looked like with a the uplighting turned on. This put an interesting pink hue on everything for a great added touch!
