How NOT To Be a Wedding DJ

March 22, 2018

Here at Over Air Productions, we pride ourselves on being professional, knowledgeable and skilled in our craft. Any company that expects to get your business should possess these qualities and then some! People often wonder what sets a great wedding DJ apart from a mediocre or just plain bad one. There are many things to consider such as price, experience and equipment just to name a few. We’ll go into more detail on those points specifically in a later post, but for now, let’s take a look at a few examples of how NOT to be a DJ.

You Get What You Pay For

Below we see a perfect example of the old adage. As a DJ, this is painful for me to watch. As a potential bride or groom putting yourself in this bride and groom’s shoes, it should be difficult for you, too! Your wedding is the most important day of your life, and at Over Air Productions, we respect that! Yes, although rarely, equipment failures do happen, but we always have a backup to make sure that the music continues to flow as smoothly as possible. Watch below to see how not to deal with technical difficulties.

A Time and A Place for Everything

There’s a time and a place for everything. One thing that I’m sure of, though, is that your wedding is not the time or the place for your DJ to sing karaoke! I mean, are you kidding me?! The below video shows a level of unprofessionalism that I haven’t witnessed very often. Your Over Air Productions DJ will be enthusiastic and encourage the crowds to dance, but you can be assured that your DJ will not be singing (badly) along with any of the songs played for your special day.

Worst of the Worst

In summary, there are a lot of areas in which your DJ can fail. Do you want to leave the music and emceeing – two of the most important aspects of your big day – to an amateur? No, you want to feel confident and peaceful knowing that you’re working with a professional wedding DJ who has your best interests in mind and who will make sure you and your guests have one of the best days of your entire lives!

We end with a spoof video that points out all the signs of a bad DJ. If you see one or more of these characteristics in a DJ you’re thinking of hiring, don’t do it!

If you’re interested in hiring a DJ for your wedding, and want to understand in a little more detail how to do thing the RIGHT way – check out this article on “Why You Should Hire A Wedding DJ”

Why You Should Hire A Wedding DJ

Josh Hipp / Blogs / dj, wedding, wedding dj /

March 14, 2018

The date is set for the most important day of your life. Everything begins to come together as you make plans and arrangements, but many forget one important piece of the puzzle – the wedding DJ.

As important as it is to have a nice venue, beautiful decorations and delicious food, you can’t forget about the one element that could make or break what should be the greatest night of your life! A wedding DJ is important for many reasons, some of which may be obvious, while others are things that the average person would never even think of.

Keeping the Flow

When you hear the term “DJ”, your mind likely immediately thinks “music”. Although music is a very important part of the DJ’s job at a wedding, it’s not the most important. The highest priority of a wedding DJ is to be an excellent emcee. You’ve worked hard for months planning your wedding, and the last thing you need is for something to go wrong with the order of events or to get too far off of your timeline. That’s where the emcee skills of your wedding DJ come in! A great emcee will keep your wedding moving smoothly from the moment the first person steps foot down the aisle until the last song of the evening. A DJ who is a great emcee will help your guests to feel calm and comfortable as they move through the evening, announcing clearly and concisely what’s going to happen and when. Your DJ should dismiss guests to the buffet line in an orderly fashion, let them know when it’s time to cut the cake, invite them to the dance floor, and make any other announcements requested by the bride and groom. This should be done in a fun and exciting way as to keep the atmosphere positive for everyone in attendance! Your Over Air Productions DJ will be a great fit for your wedding in the emcee department.

Mastering the Music

As your DJ is directing your wedding or event, they are simultaneously curating the music being played to ensure the right feeling and atmosphere for each moment throughout the evening. Cocktail hour/dinner music is essential because it helps get and keep your guests in what I like to call “event mode”, meaning that they have the feeling that they are a part of something different from ordinary everyday life. As the night progresses, your DJ slowly builds the music. Bit by bit, the energy and tempo of the music increases to slowly build the room up. The first big moment of the reception is the bridal party introduction. During this time, fun uptempo music is normally playing and the DJ is announcing the bridal party with tons of energy! There is then a small break while the crowd watches the first dances, usually to slower music. After the initial dances, either dinner or more dancing follows. If dinner is next, the DJ will continue the higher energy music and continue to slowly build towards dancing, while if dancing comes immediately after, then it’s time to party!

Reading the Crowd

With all of the technology available today, many think, “Can’t I just plug my phone into a speaker and play Spotify?” If you want a successful and fun event, the answer is “no”. Here’s why – Dancing has begun and you and your guests are having a blast! You may think that your DJ has simply created a playlist and is just kicked back letting the music do its thing. This is not the case, at least with an Over Air Productions DJ. Throughout the entire night, your DJ is paying close attention to the crowd and handpicking each and every song to fit your specific crowd at that specific moment. If you and your guests have just done three or four upbeat line dances in a row, then your DJ may see that some are starting to get tired and need a break. The next song may be a slow one or a throwback with lighter dancing required. Or maybe the crowd is pumped and your DJ will decide to keep the line dances going! Each event and each crowd is different, and your DJ will ride the roller coaster throughout the night, creating peaks and valleys with the music to ensure that you and your guests are having the best night possible all the way through to the final song!

So, Should you Hire a DJ for your Wedding?

Absolutely. There is no doubt that hiring a DJ is the way to go if you want a fun, unforgettable and carefree wedding. Your DJ will keep your event flowing, make great song choices on the fly and make sure you and your guests have the greatest night of your lives.

Book your DJ now!