Why Your Wedding DJ Needs To Be Next To The Dance Floor
The most important celebration of your life: Your wedding day – a day where every choice must be more flawless than a symphony of perfectly aligned planets. While some couples might think selecting a DJ is as important as choosing a napkin color, you know it's a decision worthy of significant scientific research. Once you find the perfect one, let's talk about the placement of your DJ and how it affects your dance party.
Why Your Wedding DJ Needs To Be Next To The Dance Floor
Your wedding planner, the artistic virtuoso, meticulously curated the site map, fixated on your wedding's aesthetics and visual "room balance." After all, they want to flaunt their creativity, and I get it. But you value dancing over cake-cutting. I mean, cutting a cake takes two minutes, while dancing stretches into the realm of 2.5 hours. Should the cake take center stage next to the dance floor? I’m not sure. BTW, I’m not bashing most wedding planners. The ones I love are professional and will ask you how much you value your dance party. If cake cutting takes the cake over dancing, your planner will share that with me, and I’ll design a musical experience more focused on formal moments and less on dancing. I'm specifically talking about the disconnect when a client tells me they want a dance party and the room layout doesn’t match. Read on.
Why would anyone argue for the DJ next to the dance floor? Here are four reasons for you to consider:
Fostering an Interactive Atmosphere
Of course, as a DJ, I yearn to connect with the dance floor crowd. I live to witness those entrancing moments when someone passionately raps their mating call of “Girls is players too” while bouncing to the beat. It's not about me; it's about the atmosphere, and I need to catch those subtle dance-floor whispers. How do I respond? Maybe with Lizzo's latest masterpiece or the Lauryn Hill '90s classic Doo Wop (That Thing). I have a Doo Wop acapella intro for a sing-along vibe. It's all about having the best view for these observations. At a distance, I can’t pick up on these clues. Special note: I have no idea what I’d play until I’m in the situation. My personal and organic algorithm analyzes a million factors when I decide what song to play next. It’s impossible to describe accurately.
Illuminating the Dance Floor
Lights: They make a difference, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. I've invested a small fortune into an “intelligent" light show. I just purchased a pair of lasers so powerful I had to apply for a license to operate them safely. Are they a popular wedding item? Not really, but a few clients are like, “We want them lasers” and I'm here for you. What do I mean by "intelligent" lighting? My lights are programmed to match the style of the song I’m playing. A mellow song will have a chill light show. Back to your wedding: I think you’d agree my lights are better focused on the dance floor in front of me than on the tables between my setup and the dance floor. What? Your venue has cafe style strip lighting? Some DJs might argue cafe string lights look fantastic, but let's face it: no one's ever seen string lights in a nightclub: They're best for your first dance. Let's convert your elegant wedding venue into a nightclub once the dance party starts.
Enhancing the Immersive Experience
Recently, I DJ'd a wedding where an in-house planner strategically ignored my request to move the DJ location. The result? A dance floor approximately a mile away from my booth. 20 minutes into the reception, a guest leaves the dance floor, walks over, and asks, "Could you turn it up?” (I caught this on video, too) Sadly, I couldn't. I'm not capable of throwing sound that far. (It wasn’t a mile, but maybe 50 feet plus a few tables in the way.) But then, magic happened. The entire dance party organically migrated from the designated dance floor zone to the area in front of my booth (in the corner of the venue). The celebration got ridiculously fun, and everyone felt the vibes. One of my favorite weddings of the summer.
Balancing Sound Levels
Placing the DJ in the corner ensures some guests get an ear-blasting experience while others can enjoy their meals in a serene, tranquil environment. I might be exaggerating, but you get what I’m saying. Some planners will tell you, “Ask your DJ to place some speakers there, and over there, and over there, too. The venue I mentioned earlier allows only a minuscule 1.5-hour DJ setup window. It's a stunning place but painfully restrictive for those striving to create the best possible experience. Need more speakers? I have them, but I need the time to set them up.
Here's My Conclusion - Placing the DJ in a hidden corner, far from the dance floor, might be the best style decision, but it equals, at best, a pretty good dance experience. But let's face it, you didn't set out to have a “pretty good" wedding, did you? Most of my clients want a wedding that's a cocktail of emotional, elegant experiences followed by an all-out, unforgettable dance party once the sun dips below the horizon. It's time to find a way to make that happen together.
Thanks for reading my sarcastic but serious breakdown on DJ placement and how it affects the dance floor adventure.
Curious about this pic?
Photo - Wander Love Captures
Wedding Planning - Morgan with MBK Events
Venue - The Miner's Foundry in Nevada City, CA