Picture this – Your wedding guests show up for the Reception. You’ve planned and prepared for months. You’re finally married and now it’s time to party! But instead, your guests endured a 2-hour long “cocktail hour.” They couldn’t even hear your Grand entrance announcement. Their food got cold while they waited. They aren’t dancing because the DJ is annoying and, even worse, now they’re leaving!!
This won’t happen at your wedding… Right?
What I just described is all too common. Maybe you’ve even been to a wedding like this! However, all of these wedding fails can easily be avoided by hiring a wedding planner and DJ who understand and can implement the following:
- SYNERGY
A recent buzzword in business, synergy is crucial to a wedding. Synergy is when two people work together to increase the results they would get individually. Sarah Hebein-Warner, owner of Whole Heart Events, puts it perfectly saying: “We are a team. They (DJs) guide the masses, we (wedding planners) guide the core, as the family and wedding party have slightly different timelines than the guests. We work together to make sure the whole team is there before the big events so photographers, videographers and family don’t miss those big moments.” Synergy between your DJ and planner can only be achieved when both parties are team players, fostering effective communication all the way until the celebration ends.
- ENERGY
As a guest, you may not be able to put your finger on exactly why a wedding reception was great but you still talk about that one wedding years later. I believe the defining factor of a memorable reception is its energy. A wedding planner and DJ working together will be able to “sense” the energy in the room and work in tandem to build it. They’re trained to look for signs of emotion, boredom, family dynamics and more to determine how the reception should flow. I once planned a corporate party for a group of engineers who were self-proclaimed “nerds that didn’t know how to socialize.” The DJ and I communicated about this prior to the event and monitored the energy of the room all night. The DJ chose the right songs and I changed up the timeline to keep those engineers engaged and on their feet. Instead of a dull party, they had the time of their lives and actually wanted to stay and party well after the event’s scheduled end!
- TIMING
Typically, a wedding planner creates detailed timelines (sometimes down to the minute!) to make sure your wedding day goes off without a hitch. However, from the time your first guest arrives the DJ is the person implementing that timeline. Only a few seconds at a wedding reception stand between making the flow flawless and making it very awkward.
A good way to tell if your Wedding Planner & DJ are going to be a “power couple” during your reception is to ask these questions prior to booking. Any experienced Planner or DJ will be able to respond to the following with ease:
- How do you typically communicate with the DJ / Planner during the wedding & reception?
- Have you ever worked with my DJ / Planner?
- Name some qualities you appreciate in your favorite DJ / Planner?
- What methods or techniques will you employ if you sense the energy of the room is waning or if my guests seem disengaged?
A great DJ and wedding planner will guarantee you and your guests have a blast and that your desires and expectations for your unique reception are met and exceeded!
~ Tasha H.
