by Adam Rue of Festival Sounds.
Starting in the mid-1980s, the wedding and banquet business changed dramatically with the introduction of DJ music, replacing the bands that had been the norm. Bandleaders, like Jerry Perell and others, started DJ companies. Using their knowledge of audience participation, MC charisma, and “crowd-pleasing” repertory selection, the wedding music industry became almost all DJ while combining the class and elegance of the traditional band presentation. New DJs as well as bandleaders with years of experience and professionalism transformed the entire industry.
The ipod on the other hand was introduced in October of 2001, and has forever changed the music and recording industry, and really put Apple on the map as the company that changed the way people listen to music forever.
Most professional DJs (myself included) use computers to pay the music at events, and play the same songs that are available on your ipod, but there are some REALLY BIG DIFFERENCES in how each can benefit your wedding reception.
The most important and obvious reason to hire a DJ is the experience they bring to your event. I have performed at literally thousands of weddings all over the West Coast, and I bring that experience to each event I DJ. From the direction your reception needs to go, to the details of the toast, cake cutting and first dance, a DJ makes sure that all these important aspects of your wedding go as planned. We make sure you and your wedding party are in the right place at the right time. Is your father here for the Father/Daughter dance? Is the photographer ready for the bouquet toss? These are things that you and your family should not have to care about while you are enjoying your party. The ipod may play the music, but a DJ can play the crowd.
The second reason is that your favorite music may not be the most appropriate music for your wedding reception. Not that a DJ will play inappropriate music, but we can integrate your musical choices with the best reception music that we have learned over the years works. Getting guests to dance is somewhat of an art form, especially at wedding receptions where you have lots of generations mixed together from grandpa to your nephews and everyone in between. A DJ knows exactly what works and what doesn’t.
The next reason to hire a Dj over an ipod is as simple as who do you want in charge of the music? An ipod is great for when you or some friends are listening, but what about a wedding reception where time lines change, moods change and songs may need to be changed. Do you want some random family member to have to be in charge of this, or someone who has many years experience creating the perfect mood? Your little brother or nephew may love to hear Slipknot or Eminem, but that may not be the most appropriate song to play while grandma and grandpa are sitting in front of the speakers.
I could go on and on about other reason such as having a professional sound system, having a microphone, not forcing your family or friends to run the ipod, but you probably get the idea by now. We hope you choose the appropriate way to handle the music at your event, and hire the professional, you’ll be glad you did!
