Eeerrrrrgh....wedding DJ'ing...

So my brother's fiancee and I had a talk a few days ago (yeah...you already know what's coming)...since they're doing a wedding-on-a-budget, and since she knows I've DJ'ed for more than a decade now, she asked me to play for their shindig in October.

Now here's the major issues as they currently stand:

1) I can't say no. Vast majority of the family will disown me if I don't go through with this. If I was in a hospital getting quadruple bypass surgery and 2 angioplasties? No excuse.

2) I absolutely, unequivocally, rhetorically and metaphysically hate playing anything but stuff that works a crowd. I play soul-crushing deep/tech-house & prog...stuff so deep & heavy that it shakes and moves people like those motorized foot massagers at state fairs. The Bride wants Jack Johnson with a splash of Fleetwood Mac & some Barenaked Ladies thrown in for good measure. You can see the conundrum here.

3) No mixing. No "loud" music. Whatsoever. *suicide*

4) I transport all of my equipment to/from the venue. In my car, on my dollar, 35 miles each way.

5) Bridzilla doesn't want to rent speaker cabinets or an amp since my tiny Alesis M1 Active MKII's are apparently good enough for the 500+ expected guests at an outside venue. *facepalm*

6) There will be absolutely no alcohol served at said venue. *suicide again since it apparently didn't work the first time*



GAAAAAAAAAH. :angry:

 

"Hey I heard you're a dj can you mix at this event? it's all the same anyway"

"Hey I heard you like to ptotograpph, can you take pictures of all of the graduating students? You have a good camera so it's not a problem at all don't tell me anything else"

I know how you feel.

 

HA-HA!

*nelson voice*

 

Uggh, that's nasty.

I play with computers a lot, so I get all the stupid IT questions. It's sorta the same thing: people with no idea about what you actually do, so they assume you can do EVERYTHING related to it.

Also, doesn't rule 3 mean you could just plug a CD player in?

 

bin dere dun dat LOL

Let it be your contribution or wedding present, and take your own alcohol in juice or pop bottles, after a few drinks you'll enjoy fleetwood mac:lol:

 

Well... I would reject this.... Especially if they expect to do all this stuff for free...

I have been asked these kind of things too. Most of the time I play for the youngsters out there, but here and there some of these youngsters has grew up, and is going to mary. These people then ask me to DJ at there wedding, but as they know what I play, and like it, I kindly say yes to these bookings.

But, then, out of the blue, there is some family-in-law invited to that wedding, and they see I'm rocking the place (because there is a bunch of 30-year old people going hard on some retro tracks like bonzai channel nr one), and suddenly think I can play their 50+ party.

That was hard, but I said no. I had a lot of whining of my family-in-law because I didn't accept the booking, but I would have had a lot more if I didn't play the music they liked. And the thruth is I can't.

 

Oh Man. I feel your pain. I hate weddings. This despite the fact that 80% of the gigs I do are weddings. One of the hardest things to do is to keep 3 generations happy at these things since they are all into different stuff. At least you know some of the crowd. I mostly walk in to a room full of people that I have never seen before and have to figure them out.

Just to add to the complication the gig I just did on sunday was an Israeli guy marrying an Aussie girl. So now I had 3 generations of English and 3 Generations of Israeli to juggle. They dropped 3 CD's of Israeli music on me too and expected me to work that in as well. (Never heard the tracks before and couldn't understand a word of the lyrics) but I finished up getting a round of applause at the end of the night so I must of done something right.

BTW I still mix most of it. (Unless I need to switch genres and there is a massive tempo difference as well.)

If you want any tips let me know but I'm not sure how much help I can be given point 3,5 & 6. :|

 

i played at my brothers' wedding (of course for free) and we had lots of fun.
but indeed the party was in the evening, so no oldie relatives there (besides me, hehe) - my brother desperately wanted a rock-set (RATM, dog eat dog and the like) and i did it.

we have very funny pictures of me headbanging in my evening dress behind the decks

the rest of the crowd (hiphop-ish) was a bit concerned, but seeing my brother poging around to what i played i will never forget

but, yeah, whole different story, and, uhm, alcohol was also a matter. ^^

 

no alcohol, no payment ? Alesis speakers for 500 peeps? you're screwed! ...

you're speakers won't hold... can't you get some biggies from a friend?

also... with that much hassle, i'd decide between 2 options.
1st. it might be worth it doing something right, cause possible wedding clients can be in it.
2nd. screw it, don't wanna do it. Let me record some mixmeister CDs with 5 or 6 hours and just play them there.

I'd probably end up doing option 1... cause of the clients and cause it always feels right being behind the mixer for me! just can't stay away from it, even if it means low money.

But seriously, try to get some decent speakers! you'll ruin yours if you use them!

 

Sorry bro Can you borrow some Mackie SRM450 or EV's or JBL Eon's at least?

Look at the bright side...you're helping your family out. Just as long as they don't start bitching up a storm that you don't have EVERY SINGLE SONG that they expect you to have, then it should be ok.

oh...and bring a flask.

 

We're scoping out the place today...hoping I can get them to realize that short range monitors like mine are for...short range. Only. Not gonna put my $500 investment at risk of blowing out just to save a few bucks when 2 simple cabinet speakers would do the job properly.

As for flasking it, I gave up "hard" booze a few years ago (small incident with Patron that I won't delve into...that sh!t sneaks up on you like a ninja in the dark). Currently working on how to properly store/cool/dispense a brutal porter from Deschutes Brewery all incognito-like.

 

Just tell them straight up that those speakers can't do it.

 

I've got one of these coming up. But instead I'm preparing a mix for the final two hours. That way I can be on the dancefloor and provide the music. Just say no!

 

playing deep / tech house at wedding party.... wow )
I wish I was invited to...

 

I actually played a buddy's wedding a few years back where he said "I want NOTHING during the cocktail hour but Naked Music and similar groovy and deep house".

I just stopped going weddings. I got roped into one more this July but hopefully that clinches it. I'm just tired of the stupid requests, the last-minute changes, the obnoxious drunken guests, and the bridesmaids that I can no longer pick up because I myself got hitched.

Still, don't ever let anyone knock a wedding DJ. It's often harder work than a club gig because you play what THEY want, and not what YOU want. AND you're expected to stay sober AND dress up.

 

+1000

 

but I think THAT is the challenge, I was a light-jockey at a gothic club and the DJ there played the samo ole **** every 4 weeks, just changed 10 songs a night. how boring should that be for him? I#m doing wedding and birthday parties today and for more that 10 years and it's always hard to play the first hour and let the people become "warm"

no question about that! who can drink at his work? and how do you come home when you're buzzed?
everyone has to stay sober, why do so many DJs think it's okay to drink (alot) alc when you get payed to play music.
I've seen so many DJs pissed like a rat at 4 o'clock without control of their cds mixers or other gear, so the last hour of the party was a nightmare ..
what a shame!

 

2) I absolutely, unequivocally, rhetorically and metaphysically hate playing anything but stuff that works a crowd.

Perhaps her crowd likes Fleetwood Mac?

 

The NEXT time someone asks me why I refuse to do weddings, I'm just going to show them this post.

 

Seems like I was able to slap some sense into Bridezilla. After explaining some of the very basics of sound dynamics, I was able to convince her to rent some JBL cabinets and use my own PA amp that will, for now, do the job proper.

Dave Matthews Band at 600 watts in a cone-shaped open air public arena? Here we f***ing go....when October rolls around.