Weddings and Wedding Planning | DJ Carl

New Years Eve Ritz-Carlton wedding

Wedding planning is a lot of work. There are many DJs out there. They buy DJ equipment, have a website and some even advertise. In our society, there is no formal education needed. There are no licenses to attain unless they are running a legitimate and legal business. If you want to make your life easier when it comes to selecting your DJ & MC entertainment, then please do your research, talk to other professionals and go with the gut feeling that makes your heart and your head say “yes”. NOTE: Check out the DJ Carl voiceover at the bottom of this page. Thank you.

6 things when considering a DJ and MC for weddings

PERSONALITY – One of the most important requirements that you will need from a “professional DJ/MC” or band is someone who can make crisp, clear announcements that do not offend guests at your once-in-a-lifetime wedding. DO NOT let company owners sell you on the idea that they have two person DJ teams. In all likelihood, you are probably getting two people who do not have enough experience and good judgement to individually run a wedding reception. Meet the prospective DJ/MC in person. A simple meeting will help in determining if s/he has the personality, professionalism and style to manage your reception.

ANNOUNCEMENTS – Additionally, when you meet or speak on the phone with a potential DJ/MC, ask them to vocalize how they would announce your wedding party introductions. Ask them how they prepare to make those important and fundamental announcements. DJ Carl always goes over name pronunciations before the wedding day and confirms those pronunciations on the day of the wedding with the bridal party.

INTERACTION – There may be weddings when the extended family is meeting each other for the very first time. The families may come from different cultures or speak different languages. Ensure that your DJ/MC can interact with the guests. Interaction does not mean getting out and showing guests line dances. A talented entertainer can find energetic individuals in the crowd who love to dance and motivate them to lead the group. Another technique is to communicate to the guests to show their love for the bride and groom to have a good time by getting up to dance with them. Your DJ/MC needs to have real-time experience and good judgement to read a crowd and strategize on the spot the best possible music to excite diverse audiences.

MUSIC KNOWLEDGE – This leads into my next point. Every DJ or band member must have complete music knowledge. As families are becoming more diverse, it is important that your DJ knows the most popular songs from multiple genres to play at an event. If you hear a company telling you that they have DJs that specialize in specific music genres, then what will s/he do when your boss, grandmother, neighbor, baby sister, uncle from Canada asks for a song that is not within their music speciality. You must get a DJ or band who can play a variety of music genres that are upbeat, positive and appropriate. This will ensure that most of your guests will have a positive experience at the event.

FLEXIBILITY – People are complex. Sometimes they will not dance at an event because there may be no designated dance floor area. The event may be in the afternoon at 12pm in a bright lite room or half of your guests you intended to show up got stranded due to foreseen weather circumstances in another part of the country. If guests do not dance, then what will your DJ do? S/he can ask for requests (if given permission) and even if your event is extremely successful, taking requests can really provide insight to providing the pulse of the party. Make sure your DJ/MC is flexible and can adapt to change

MANAGEMENT – One of the biggest aspects of a successful wedding is not the gobo, LED uplighting or audio speakers. Yes, these tools can make your wedding more visually stunning, but if your DJ/MC does not have the experience, good judgement and professionalism then your event will be unorganized and embarrassing. Ask your DJ/MC how they manage a reception step-by-step from introductions to last dance. Ask them how they communicate with the other vendors so that they can get their jobs done well too.

DJ Carl will be a professional DJ mixing all types of music to ensure that all your guests hears something that they appreciate and other guests can dance to. He will provide professional announcements and ensure the ceremony or reception runs smoothly. Though DJ Carl has many celebrity clients, he believes that every client is a celebrity so he GUARANTEES that the ceremony and reception are elegant, positive and upbeat.

Things DJ Carl will do at your reception:

Organize and introduce the wedding party for a grand entrance with upbeat, specific music playing in the background
Play the first dance song -and- announce the song artist and title to your guests
Announce your special individuals to provide toasts to you and your guests
Announce the special individual who will provide a blessing (optional)
Announce the marriage countdown or anniversary dance (optional)
Announce the parent’s dance (s). Your parent’s dances can be faded, combined, etc.
Announce that it is time for the cake cutting. *DJ Carl will ensure that the caterer and photographer are in place before that communication is made to your guests
Dollar dance execution (optional)
Bouquet toss execution
Garter removal execution
Garter toss execution
Garter on woman execution. This is when the man who catches the garter places it on the leg of the woman who caught the bouquet
Announce any special requests, activities, dedications, birthdays, etc.

theknot.com recommends that 8-10% of your budget go for DJ entertainment/music

If you would like to hire DJ Carl for your wedding ceremony, reception or special event, then please email him or call at #646-450-8470 to get an affordable rate. Also, before you fill out his contact form then listen to his voiceover at the bottom of this page. Thank you.