DJ or ipod?

Dr Robert

Getting married soon and we have a band sorted. However we are torn on whether to hire a DJ or just stick on an ipod with a long playlist.

Been at a few weddings where an Ipod was used and it was spot on.

Any advice from anyone on here?

paulbok

Ipod or laptop is gresat, but you'll also need to sort out a decent pa system.

I wouldn'd depend on the hotels one.

clint_silver

Dr Robert wrote: »

Getting married soon and we have a band sorted. However we are torn on whether to hire a DJ or just stick on an ipod with a long playlist.

Been at a few weddings where an Ipod was used and it was spot on.

Any advice from anyone on here?

I DJ weddings.

what do you want from the music? background sounds or music to get people dancing?
If its background music, go for it. What sound system are you going to use? Most hotel systems are just vocal rigs but youll just get away with background music being played through them, any louder and it distorts and a distorted speaker is genuinely uncomfortable to listen to after even a few minutes.

However, if its to get people dancing, now you need a decent system. If youre lucky the hotel will have one, but you will have to get lucky. Otherwise youre hiring. Looking at rental of at least 100e for even small rig for the night. Theres usually a rental agency nearby. Someone has to be responsible for pick up and drop off.

Is it your own taste in music? how many are you having at the wedding? small venue, 40-50 people for friends and family with same taste in mucic then no problem. Any more and youre trying to crowd control with what you think will work with no way to change it during the night.

If youre adamant the choice of music will be fine, and if its not you wont care too much, then go for it. But youll have to be prepared to look at empty dancefloor

If you do decide to go it your own, post back and will advise if possible. All night DJs cost anything from 400-600. After band DJs anything from 250-400.

Shyboy

Dont forget as well as a decent sound system, you will have to hire lighting. It will make a massive difference to the atmosphere in the room.

sweetie

Put it this way - restaurant or takeaway? Limo or bus?

Rew

A good DJ will react to the crowd a iPod wont. DJ lost the crowd at my wedding changed the music and had everyone back on the floor straight away. He also was able to take requests.

clint_silver

Rew wrote: »

A good DJ will react to the crowd a iPod wont. DJ lost the crowd at my wedding changed the music and had everyone back on the floor straight away. He also was able to take requests.

- last saturday ..... castleknock golf club

"hi, do you take requests"
"yes"
"wont you play something for the older people"
"I did earlier, but the bride asked me to play some more modern music as not many people had got up"
"could you play some more old music"
"I could but it will empty the packed dancefloor just like it did the first time except for 2 waltzing couples hence the bride asked me to change it" I was just about to change it at the time anyway)
"youre useless as a DJ, they should have just stuck a CD on"
"well what cd would you like to hear"
"I dont know, youre the DJ you pick something"

I sighed as I looked out at the packed dance floor wondering what could I pick that would make every single last person in the room get up...

so for sheer pig iron, I put it on, never fails, everyone in the room got up to it.

Djs will know what it is. :P

hoodwinked

clint_silver wrote: »

- last saturday ..... castleknock golf club

"hi, do you take requests"
"yes"
"wont you play something for the older people"
"I did earlier, but the bride asked me to play some more modern music as not many people had got up"
"could you play some more old music"
"I could but it will empty the packed dancefloor just like it did the first time except for 2 waltzing couples hence the bride asked me to change it" I was just about to change it at the time anyway)
"youre useless as a DJ, they should have just stuck a CD on"
"well what cd would you like to hear"
"I dont know, youre the DJ you pick something"

I sighed as I looked out at the packed dance floor wondering what could I pick that would make every single last person in the room get up...

so for sheer pig iron, I put it on, never fails, everyone in the room got up to it.

Djs will know what it is. :P

Abba! Abba makes everyone dance!

clint_silver

No. not abba. depending on what abba tune it is youd get at max 70% of a crowd onto the floor. Ten years ago it was a bit more but thats starting to drop off as the popularity starts to wane with the masses.

sort of like I gotta feeling by black eyed peas (shudder). First 18 months that was out, youd have 90% of a floor full with it automatically, now, 60%. very unusual a dance song would have that much longevity. Not many like it. But even thats gone. theres loads to replace it. Good few really good floorfillers out at the moment.

kopfan77

clint_silver wrote: »

- last saturday ..... castleknock golf club

"hi, do you take requests"
"yes"
"wont you play something for the older people"
"I did earlier, but the bride asked me to play some more modern music as not many people had got up"
"could you play some more old music"
"I could but it will empty the packed dancefloor just like it did the first time except for 2 waltzing couples hence the bride asked me to change it" I was just about to change it at the time anyway)
"youre useless as a DJ, they should have just stuck a CD on"
"well what cd would you like to hear"
"I dont know, youre the DJ you pick something"

I sighed as I looked out at the packed dance floor wondering what could I pick that would make every single last person in the room get up...

so for sheer pig iron, I put it on, never fails, everyone in the room got up to it.

Djs will know what it is. :P

Please dont say "Rock the Boat" or something. I'd hope "Come on Eileen"....Dexies Midnight Runners.....CLASSIC lol

Cathmandooo

Aw I love Rock the Boat :D

Personally I'd never consider just using an ipod, there's a possibility of drunk people messing with it, even if it's in a room off the venue. It'll never read the crowd, it won't take requests. If it goes wrong who's going to deal with it?

GastroBoy

clint_silver wrote: »

No. not abba. depending on what abba tune it is youd get at max 70% of a crowd onto the floor. Ten years ago it was a bit more but thats starting to drop off as the popularity starts to wane with the masses.

sort of like I gotta feeling by black eyed peas (shudder). First 18 months that was out, youd have 90% of a floor full with it automatically, now, 60%. very unusual a dance song would have that much longevity. Not many like it. But even thats gone. theres loads to replace it. Good few really good floorfillers out at the moment.

Its "Sweet Caroline" insnt it...........

Moonbeam

I woulld say a dj too.
You woulld need to hire a decent pa system and set it up,which is effort

tinkerbell

DJ definitely. An iPod I think is just a bad idea. The most important things at your wedding are the meal and the entertainment. Those are the things people remember. If it's the budget you are worried about, cut back on other things which are less important.

elvis jones

Dr Robert wrote: »

Getting married soon and we have a band sorted. However we are torn on whether to hire a DJ or just stick on an ipod with a long playlist.

Been at a few weddings where an Ipod was used and it was spot on.

Any advice from anyone on here?

hmmm,

real doctor or just use the internet ?????

Gatica

Can't stand that typical wedding list with Sweet Caroline (ok song but waaaay overplayed at every single wedding I've been to), I Got a Feeling (love Black Eyed Peas, hate that song), or Sweet Home Alabama, Siege of Ennis and the load of waltzes the oldies love. They'd hate my wedding! :P

Would love a mix of good dance tunes from 50/60's-now! Too much to ask?? :rolleyes:
I love fun "oldies" (not waltzes) by Elvis, Etta James, Beach Boys, the Kinks, the Beatles and the like to "newbies" of the 80/90's like Nirvana, Vanilla Ice, Prodigy, and then songs the likes of Scatman, Pump Up the Jam, Be my Lover, Rhythm is a Dancer... there were so many good dance tunes in the 90's!!
Out of the more recent ensemble maybe Destiny's Child/Beyonce, Britney, Kesha (though she's annoying as heck), Fight Like Apes, Black Eyed Peas, Fratellis, Justin/Dre...

DJ Clint, any suggestions for how to explain this to our DJ? Would this sound demanding? I've no problem alternating types of music to keep people dancing but I'd hate to listen to a bunch of songs I'd never listen to or dance to except at weddings.

clint_silver

"DJ clint"


If you ask your DJ the exact same way you asked here, he should look after you. Id either get a list like that or a request to just keep the floor full.

the waltzes are dreadful. I never play them unless specifically asked. siege of ennis? lordy. If this is played by a band its dreadful outside of the pale, if a DJ plays it its even worse as any copy of it Ive ever seen has done nothing for a floor.

Would love a mix of good dance tunes from 50/60's-now! Too much to ask??
I love fun "oldies" (not waltzes) by Elvis, Etta James, Beach Boys, the Kinks, the Beatles and the like to "newbies" of the 80/90's like Nirvana, Vanilla Ice, Prodigy

A good DJ will put a mix of all these in at the right time at the right place judging on the dance floor.

Scatman, Pump Up the Jam, Be my Lover, Rhythm is a Dancer... there were so many good dance tunes in the 90's!!

Ask DJ for a 90s dance tunes set. theres scope for a good 20-25 minutes there at each night. Loads more great tunes from that era.

Out of the more recent ensemble maybe Destiny's Child/Beyonce, Britney, Kesha (though she's annoying as heck), Fight Like Apes, Black Eyed Peas, Fratellis, Justin/Dre...

...must admit most of those you mention wouldnt actually do much for the floor unless it was you specifically on it. (bride or groom dancing? job done).
Ask DJ to play a good mix of new stuff, Chris Brown, avicii, neyo, rihanna, pitbull. Some real floor fillers out this year. if theres specific stuff you like say, Fight like apes, get it to the DJ beforehand so he can make sure he has it. DJ has to have a golden rule in order of
1. Play songs the B&G wanted.
2. keep the floor full
3. Try and get requests in.

3 might not do 2, 1 might not do 2. But 1 ALWAYS gets done.

Gatica

Thanks for the suggestions! Will defo try to contact him soon with special requests or bands or dance songs...

my view of "recent" performers may not be so recent , I'm not a clubber and anything dance/up-beat I hear is really more from the radio, and then I don't tend to remember names of those songs nor artists.
Prefer going to gigs of bands I like, just don't get to do it as often as would like to.

gazzer

Im doing the music at my civil partnership. Hooking my netbook up to a soundsystem that I going to hire for €100. I have done the music at various friends 40th birthday parties over the last couple of years and have accumalated a load of song mixes over that time.

On the night I am going to do a few mixes of 50's and 60's songs and play that for the first half hour. Then a load of songs from Saturday Night Fever as well as some Donna Summer, ELO and Abba. After that I will have a 2 hour pre mixed 80's set. I also have a half hour 90's 'rave set' Then for the last hour or so will take requests from people. We are also having Karaoke instead of a wedding band.

clint_silver

gazzer wrote: »

Im doing the music at my civil partnership. Hooking my netbook up to a soundsystem that I going to hire for €100. I have done the music at various friends 40th birthday parties over the last couple of years and have accumalated a load of song mixes over that time.

On the night I am going to do a few mixes of 50's and 60's songs and play that for the first half hour. Then a load of songs from Saturday Night Fever as well as some Donna Summer, ELO and Abba. After that I will have a 2 hour pre mixed 80's set. I also have a half hour 90's 'rave set' Then for the last hour or so will take requests from people. We are also having Karaoke instead of a wedding band.

Define "rave"?

Stick technoheads "I wanna be a hippy" on. Seriously. Finished a wedding on that a few weeks ago. best ending to a wedding ever. Video'd it. class.

Any music from the last 12-15 years? Cheese grates on the ears after a while.

Bru79

elvis jones wrote: »

hmmm,

real doctor or just use the internet ?????

Durex or and empty tayto pack???

Irish Wedding D

As the owner of a dj company and a full time dj, I have discussed this at lenght and my opinion is - if its for you then go for it, but be aware from the outset that it takes a hell of a lot to make this work for your big day.

To make this work you will need:

Foresight - research into your guests, taking into account time of year, music they like, ages, and trying to look 6 months or whenever the big day is ahead and planning around that.

A good editing programme - a lot, and I mean a LOT of songs require changes to the song to actaully make it sound good, taking out intro's, endings, balancing the audio so all the sounds levels are the same and then BPM = beats per minute, this is what makes music blend. Take ABBA Dancing Queen - that song is ridiculously slow at source and takes a considerable increase in BPM to make it sound faster and better like a lot of others.

P.A: As Clint said, you'll need a minimum of 800w p.a for small -medium and add bassbins for more than 150 people for added audio, and lighting is a must otherwise all the above is irrelevant.

Access to music: if you are thinking that youtube downloads are for you, bear in mind that the amplification when playing a youtube file on p.a over p.c is about 150 more and you will experience greater loss in audio quality matched with the fact that most of the time, youtube is user uploaded so you rely on the people uploading a 320kb/s file quality - never really happens.

Plan B; If you insist and think you have a handle on things, bring a plan b wether its a laptop, iphone, spare cable, charger etc.... because thats what we do any we're the professionals....

Hope this helps,

Ruairi Finnegan
www.irishweddingdj.com

cailinoBAC

Ok, i'm not sure if this is entirely relevant...we have a band and dj booked (well same people) but I'm wondering about background music during meal. We're getting married in Spain btw. The hotel say that they recommend it but they don't have a PA system. As it's very much background music do I need one? Or should I be asking the band/dj if they'll come a little earlier and we can use theirs? Fairly clueless in these matters, but don't really feel like spending any more money on music than we already are. I mean the simple answer is to have nothing I suppose...

clint_silver

cailinoBAC wrote: »

Ok, i'm not sure if this is entirely relevant...we have a band and dj booked (well same people) but I'm wondering about background music during meal. We're getting married in Spain btw. The hotel say that they recommend it but they don't have a PA system. As it's very much background music do I need one? Or should I be asking the band/dj if they'll come a little earlier and we can use theirs? Fairly clueless in these matters, but don't really feel like spending any more money on music than we already are. I mean the simple answer is to have nothing I suppose...

Don't worry about it. It would cost you a couple hundred and no one will notice any different. You really Really do not need it.

If you had a massive budget then maybe but the conversation levels will be high so any lowered background music would be not noticed anyway so really not necessary.

And the hotel recommend it? Hmmm if they recommend it so much why don't they have a sound system for it?

clint_silver

magneticimpulse wrote: »

clint_silver wrote: »

"DJ clint"


If you ask your DJ the exact same way you asked here, he should look after you. Id either get a list like that or a request to just keep the floor full.

the waltzes are dreadful. I never play them unless specifically asked. siege of ennis? lordy. If this is played by a band its dreadful outside of the pale, if a DJ plays it its even worse as any copy of it Ive ever seen has done nothing for a floor.


A good DJ will put a mix of all these in at the right time at the right place judging on the dance floor.


Ask DJ for a 90s dance tunes set. theres scope for a good 20-25 minutes there at each night. Loads more great tunes from that era.


...must admit most of those you mention wouldnt actually do much for the floor unless it was you specifically on it. (bride or groom dancing? job done).
Ask DJ to play a good mix of new stuff, Chris Brown, avicii, neyo, rihanna, pitbull. Some real floor fillers out this year. if theres specific stuff you like say, Fight like apes, get it to the DJ beforehand so he can make sure he has it. DJ has to have a golden rule in order of
1. Play songs the B&G wanted.
2. keep the floor full
3. Try and get requests in.

3 might not do 2, 1 might not do 2. But 1 ALWAYS gets done.

Can't stand any of these and they get played at the end of every wedding and I'm young and go out clubbing every weekend...besides only 15-21 year olds are into that sort of music...which are not the age group at weddings....That's why I have no idea why the last 30 minutes of a wedding has to end with that s*hite...

makes me want to use an ipod just to avoid listening to "I wanna lick your...xyz....and take you out back, make it slow wow wow boom boom" type of lyrics I would have to listen to in front of my granny. I always think these sorts of songs make a classy day end on a tacky note.

This is called musical taste and why your Dj will have asked the b&g how they want the night to go.
I stay in contact with b&g by mail, just checked and Last 10 weddings I played.
1 requested I finish the night on "comfortably numb by pink floyd"

1 requested "no old cheese music after the first 20 minutes"

3 requested "last hour to be old school ibiza anthems"

4 requested " just keep the floor full, loads of cheese"

And 1 bride requested "have to finish the night with Nikki Minaj, dont want any of that Sinatra sh**e"

....every crowd is different. If not told beforehand a Dj should know very quickly what genre will work best and play more of that type.

clint_silver

It always seems the last 30 minutes are filled with these sorts of songs, no matter what wedding I go to. Since that is the usually the end of a great day, it is a terrible way to end the night (epecially as a guest).

I would agree that its usually not strong ending music, but I disagree theyre all like that. In fact, it would be a rare night to end on chart music like that. 1 in 10 maybe, and usually only by request by the bride. (I play a lot of weddings!!). Certainly theres a place for chart music during the night and if Dj hasnt played any 15 minutes into the night, guests start wondering up asking for it.

Weddings crowds are a strange bunch, just when you think you have them figured out and know what and when to play you get a crowd who wont budge to anything you put on (60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, chart, slow, rock, indie) and then the reserve bag gets dipped into and dusted off.

I had 1 wedding in particular where the bride was dancing near me and kep shouting up the strangest selection, "carly simon coming around again" followed by "the birdy song" (shudder) then maybe a lady gaga tune followed by oasis.... wierdest thing.... yet the floor was full for it all. But thats what she wanted.

All the big traditional ending songs need to be built up to, cant do that with chart music. Having said that, theres 1 song in particular just out this year gets the biggest reaction of all time from any ending song Ive ever played.

sweetie

clint_silver wrote: »

All the big traditional ending songs need to be built up to, cant do that with chart music. Having said that, theres 1 song in particular just out this year gets the biggest reaction of all time from any ending song Ive ever played.

we are young?

totallegend

clint_silver wrote: »

All the big traditional ending songs need to be built up to, cant do that with chart music. Having said that, theres 1 song in particular just out this year gets the biggest reaction of all time from any ending song Ive ever played.

I'm fascinated by that, what is it? The only one I can think of is that Bruno Mars one, 'Marry You'.

God I hate Bruno Mars.

clint_silver

sweetie got it. (as I knew he would). I didnt hear the potential in it when I first heard it, but slowly as the year has gone on its got even more popular. floor gets rammed more then Ive ever seen. everyone, young and old, singing nearly every word of it. Been a while since Ive seen a new song do that.


bruno mars "marry you" would be a weak enough song. Has all the potential to be good but just doesnt do anything.

cailinoBAC

Well anyway, I contacted the band and I'm able to use their PA system, so all sorted! I know probably nobody will even notice it, but I was at a wedding recently and I did and quite liked it, so I'm happy now!

Shyboy

clint_silver wrote: »

sweetie got it. (as I knew he would). I didnt hear the potential in it when I first heard it, but slowly as the year has gone on its got even more popular. floor gets rammed more then Ive ever seen. everyone, young and old, singing nearly every word of it. Been a while since Ive seen a new song do that.

Totally agree, as the months have been passing the song has been getting more and more popular. Now the ultimate anthem at the end of the night!!

Gatica

clint_silver wrote: »

"DJ clint"


If you ask your DJ the exact same way you asked here, he should look after you. Id either get a list like that or a request to just keep the floor full.

the waltzes are dreadful. I never play them unless specifically asked. siege of ennis? lordy. If this is played by a band its dreadful outside of the pale, if a DJ plays it its even worse as any copy of it Ive ever seen has done nothing for a floor.


A good DJ will put a mix of all these in at the right time at the right place judging on the dance floor.


Ask DJ for a 90s dance tunes set. theres scope for a good 20-25 minutes there at each night. Loads more great tunes from that era.


...must admit most of those you mention wouldnt actually do much for the floor unless it was you specifically on it. (bride or groom dancing? job done).
Ask DJ to play a good mix of new stuff, Chris Brown, avicii, neyo, rihanna, pitbull. Some real floor fillers out this year. if theres specific stuff you like say, Fight like apes, get it to the DJ beforehand so he can make sure he has it. DJ has to have a golden rule in order of
1. Play songs the B&G wanted.
2. keep the floor full
3. Try and get requests in.

3 might not do 2, 1 might not do 2. But 1 ALWAYS gets done.

Well we've had our wedding now and must say that the dancing was a resounding success!
The DJ stuck to the plan, the floor was full and the night ended on a high. The lads managed to get a number of minutes of moshing time, after which my OH had to put his foot down so the girls could dance again. Had all that 90's dance stuff I wanted and more... Got told by a couple of girls in their mid 20's he was the best DJ they'd ever heard! props to him and props to us
Must admit didn't even miss the "new" music...

sweetie

Tell us who he was so he can get his due!

Gatica

The band was the Good Guys, so the DJ was one of them, I think it was either Nevill Lloyd or Scott Newman from the names I got off their agent. I should actually check with her...

Honey-ec

The last song played at my wedding was "Put 'Em Under Pressure", the 1990 world cup song. It was absolute mayhem on the dancefloor...

Ah, the memories!

clint_silver

Honey-ec wrote: »

The last song played at my wedding was "Put 'Em Under Pressure", the 1990 world cup song. It was absolute mayhem on the dancefloor...

Ah, the memories!

it wasnt in riverside wexford or mullingar park hotel from earlier this year was it?

I finished 2 particular mayhem filled weddings finished with that... have videos i think...

Honey-ec

clint_silver wrote: »

it wasnt in riverside wexford or mullingar park hotel from earlier this year was it?

I finished 2 particular mayhem filled weddings finished with that... have videos i think...

Nope, 4 years ago in Mt. Wolseley. We've split since, but it was still the best day ever.