The most important thing for a DJ at a wedding is to keep the music upbeat and keep the crowd interested. And, it’s really hard to do when you consider the diversity of the guests at weddings. An experienced DJ will have built up a collection of music that works for all ages and he tends to follow certain patterns, such as five fast songs, three slow songs, or perhaps using two or three songs from one genre at a time. The best practice is to have the most popular music for multiple genres.
Your DJ should be very outgoing, well spoken, and have the ability to read the crowd. How they present themselves to you is usually a good indication of how serious the DJ takes his business. Look at their web site and see if it presents quality information in selecting your special music, scheduling the night, etc. In most cases, the wedding couple will select about five to eight must have songs for the special events, perhaps provide a few songs in the do not play list, and then it is really the DJ’s job to select the remaining songs. The DJ also must be able to communicate well with the photographer, keeping him/her informed in advance of events and activities.
Most DJs tell me that a typical wedding accommodates about 60-80 songs for the dance portion of the night. Good communication between you and the DJ is the start of a great night. Some couples do like to have songs from a unique genre such as all country – perhaps to accompany the theme of the wedding, but in most cases, you are best to leave it up to the DJ as he understands the crowd’s reaction and what songs to play to get the best results.