Your dance party through the eyes of your DJ

Photo (above): DJ: DJ Tom

1. Check the venue’s setup

“First and foremost, check whether the venue for your wedding party provides its own equipment and whether everything is in working order,” says DJ Tom. “Think speakers, microphones, but also things like lighting rigs or a smoke machine. By checking this in advance, both you and your DJ will know exactly what the venue provides and what still needs to be arranged. Also be sure to check whether there’s a sound limiter. Of course it doesn’t need to be deafening, but 85 dB, for example, is quite low if you want a real blowout party.”

2. Share your run sheet

It’s extremely useful for your DJ to be able to take a look at your run sheet . “A run sheet contains a lot of helpful information—for example, what time guests arrive, what the first dance is, and what time it’s scheduled,” Tom explains. “It may also include the end time set by the venue. As a DJ, a run sheet gives you a clear view of the entire wedding celebration.”

3. Avoid too much moving around

It’s much harder to get a party going when the dinner and the dance party take place in different rooms. “If people have to move around too much, it affects the atmosphere of the dance party,” Tom says. So if you want a high-energy party, it’s best to keep this in mind when searching for the perfect wedding venue.

4. Say what you don’t want

“The best input a couple can give me is what they definitely do not want at their wedding party,” says Tom. “If guests tell me they don’t want schlager music, or they’re not in the mood for songs like Les Lacs du Connemara_, I’m very happy to take that into account.”_

5. Take your seating plan into account

• DJ Tom recommends thinking carefully about your seating plan if your dinner and dance party will take place in the same room: “For instance, avoid seating older guests directly in front of the speakers. The music may be too loud for them, and of course you want everyone to have a good time.”

  

  6. Align on whether you’ll provide food

  “I usually eat beforehand myself, but that’s not the case for every DJ,” Tom explains. “For many DJs it’s not crucial to receive the same catering as the guests, but it’s obviously nice to get something to eat when you’re playing for a long time,” he adds. So agree in advance with your DJ on what he or she expects, so you’re both on the same wavelength.

  

  7. Avoid lists

  Some couples let their guests choose a number of songs to be played during the dance party. From experience, however, Tom knows this isn’t such a good idea: “You’ll always disappoint someone, because while certain songs are really lovely, they don’t always manage to keep the party going. So I can’t play those songs.”

  

  8. Schedule your dance party as the final activity

  As a final tip, Tom recommends making sure all activities are finished by the time the dance party starts. “That way, a great atmosphere can build up and won’t need to be interrupted again for, for example, the dessert buffet,” he explains.

  

  Would you like to learn more about this? Then read:

  Playlist do’s and don’ts – how to brief your DJ

• Your ceremony in music
• The perfect music for your wedding ceremony
• ​​​​​​​Top 10 most romantic songs of all time