Tips & Techniques: Be Your Own DJ

One of the most important things about DIY'ing your own wedding is to realize what is and isn't important to you, thereby enabling you to cut back on things you don't care about in order to afford the things you really want. For my fiancé and I, although we are musicians and music lovers, having a live band or DJ just wasn't all that important. My relatives and friends wouldn't really appreciate (or dance to) a great live band, as appealing as it sounds, and I've never really liked DJ services all that much. They seem a little cheesy and I knew that all it would do would make my guests feel a little uncomfortable. Many brides have friends just dying to fill the role. But if you don't have a friend willing to stand in, don't despair! There are plenty of low-cost and do-it-yourself options out there waiting to be explored.

Enlist a funny, outgoing relative or friend as the Master of Ceremonies. They don't have to be "full-time" DJ, but they can help by announcing the various parts of your reception. This is important because it keeps your guests from getting confused, frustrated, or irritated that they don't know what's happening. A good MC can really bring a party to life. Even an "okay" one can keep things rolling smoothly along.

But what about the music? There are two approaches to the problem of playing music in today's high-tech world. (Used to be my dad would make reel-to-reel tapes... those babies last a couple hours at least! But no more... digital music has replaced all that analog. Use it to your advantage!)

The Micro-Manager, Type A Person
Yeah... you know you want all the correct songs in an exact order, don't you? If you have an iPod or mp3 player and a program like iTunes, you're lucky! This is my favored option, mostly because I'm really picky about the songs I want to play and in what order I think they "should" be playing. First, go through your library of songs and determine which of those you want to play. Buy any that you don't have but want, whatever your favorite way of buying new music is. Then compose your playlist(s). There are two distinct ways to do this:

1) Make one Master Playlist of all the songs you'll want, and if you have a favored order, also organize them accordingly. You'll have to appoint someone to keep an eye/ear on the proceedings (a good idea anyway to make sure your mp3 player or laptop doesn't, ahem, walk away). You can choose to shuffle the playlist if you're not particular about the order.

2) Make several different playlists according to the time or kind of song... for example, a playlist composed of your "special dance" songs (first dance, father/daughter dance, wedding party dance, etc.). You can also choose to have a playlist for background dinner music, "get up and party" music, music to play after the older folks have gone to bed... anything you want! Again you can choose to either pick a specific order or to shuffle them. Appoint someone to switch playlists at the appropriate moment.

The Laid-Back, Type B Person
Yeah... you know you're not really sure about what you want played anyway. You want a certain kind of music, maybe, but who even has that much music on their computer/in their album collection anyway? I know there are plenty of people (not me, heehee) who don't have an extensive collection of random music at their disposal. That's why choose-your-music Internet radio is so awesome. Basically, you input the kind of music you like -- a band or singer, or several -- and it comes up with similar music that the program has analyzed and "thinks" you might like. It never runs out of songs and most of the time will not play the same song twice in one session. Just chill... input the kind of thing you want, rate it accordingly until it plays what you want it to, and simply log in for a no-hassle DJ-less option. The only requirement is an Internet access point... be sure to ask your venue well ahead of time if this is possible.

A couple great personalized Internet radio sites:
Pandora
last.fm

Both of these require you to bring your relatively expensive technological equipment to your reception. To minimize scares, appoint someone to be in charge of them and to take them back safely once the reception is over. If you're still unsure but you have an old laptop you hardly use, take that one along... at least if it gets lost you won't feel as much pain.

This also usually requires the rental of appropriate equipment, like speakers and a microphone and such. Make sure that this is at least okay with your venue... you don't want to do things not with code or against your contract. Often these rentals can be done through the venue as well, which probably would make them happier too. If you can, test their equipment with yours to make sure there are no compatibility "surprises" the day of. The great thing about DJs is that they have their own professional-level equipment and know what to do if something fails. Have your own contingency plans just in case, and don't freak out.

Just remember to have fun. Choosing your own music can make the reception really personal... choose songs you both love and it will shine through!