The Importance of an Event DJ & Emcee

Have you ever thought, maybe during a long car ride or at a family dinner/party, “Man, I made a good playlist! I would make a great DJ!”? I know my brother has said this out loud on more than one occasion. But do you actually know what goes into being a good DJ and emcee? Do you believe that for those very special occasions, like a wedding day, that you need a professional DJ & emcee there to not only play great tunes, but also help with the flow of the event itself? Well, you should! Because it is a very important job. If you don’t have a good DJ behind the table (with a microphone) to help direct guests towards what is happening next in the program, create a party atmosphere, provide quality equipment, and even accommodate additional microphones so everyone can hear the person talking during speeches, then the whole day can be derailed. No matter how gorgeous the décor is or how perfect the weather turned out. You want a full dance floor and to party all night long? Then, honey, you better get yourself a professional because a playlist isn’t going to be able to read the room or smoothly transition from song to song like an experienced DJ can. I have worked with a lot of DJs over the last decade… I asked 4 of my absolute favorites to answer some questions to help shed some light on how a DJ can truly elevate your wedding day and give you the confidence that it is 100% worth hiring a professional. See if you can start to see a pattern in their responses to my questions… *wink wink*

• What do you feel like some of your most important job and duties are as a DJ/MC on the wedding day?

Helping to coordinate with the vendors on site, like the planner, photographer, videographer, venue staff, caterer, etc. I need to make sure that we’re all on the same page with the timeline, so that gets executed as best as possible. The last thing we need is for the client to be stressed over things that don’t go as planned, so being prepared beforehand and working well with these other vendors is essential to make the event a success. Besides working well with other vendors and executing a timeline, another important duty is acting as the event host. Making announcements for everything where guests should know what’s coming up next or what they need to do is just as important as selecting music for various portions of the event. And lastly, wedding DJ’s are almost always responsible for releasing tables during dinnertime. I want to make sure the right people go up first to get their food (parents and grandparents usually go right after the bridal party), or at least make sure tables are being released in a timely manner.  – DJ Davey Dave, DRJ Productions

The most important job/duty we have on the day of the wedding is to Know the Flow. This starts in the planning phase but is on full display on the big day! We do this by making sure we have the day-of schedule, continually check in with the couple, coordinator, and other vendors, and then communicate out what is needed. It is not enough to simply tell everyone what is coming up next without first ensuring that everything or everybody is in place and ready.  – RCP Imagine Events

The important duties of the DJ and MC shift as the event moves forward. Before the event, they need to make sure they’re prepared for anything that could come up from extra equipment, wireless items charged and ready, and backup batteries. When the ceremony is about to start, the DJ might have to usher guests, remind them to turn off phones, or even help the groom with a belt or tie. I had a groom forget a belt and gave him mine, and I had a groom who couldn’t tie a tie between him and all of his groomsmen, you just need to be ready to help wherever you can. As the night moves on and it’s time to party, you need to be able to read the crowd. One step ahead of “well that didn’t work”, is looking at the ages and the way the guests are dressed and knowing what kind of music suits that group on any given day.  – Matt Leon, Soundwave Entertainment

• What can an experienced DJ provide that you can’t get from just playing a playlist, or something created on Spotify?

An inexperienced DJ can hit play and wait for the night to be over. An experienced DJ will be out away from his table directing traffic, keeping on the party schedule, helping and coordinating with other vendors, and letting friends and family know when to be somewhere and when. Personally, I like to really, really DJ. Beatmatch, mix songs together, make use of Serato Stems, and entertain the crowd. What’s the difference? If you push play on spotify or iTunes, it’s going to play the slow quiet part of every song, it might have a 1-2 second break between songs, it’s just unprofessional and in my mind, beyond unacceptable.  – Matt Leon, Soundwave Entertainment

Being able to DJ live is something Spotify can never do (hopefully!), and that’s where the magic happens with creating an epic party or event.  Great DJ’s can read the crowd right in front of them, make better choices for which songs to play, play the best parts of those songs and mix them seamlessly together, bringing the energy levels high and setting the stage for a memorable dance party. Sorry Spotify, but even you only work best when an experienced DJ has their hands on you!  – DJ Davey Dave, DRJ Productions

Reading the crowd, what songs or genres are keeping the dance floor full. With Spotify someone always ends up being the DJ. Don’t do that to your friends and family let them enjoy the night too!  – Tom Singleton, DJ Tom

Spotify is a great music platform, but an experienced DJ is a necessity. We always say for your wedding there are 4 vital needs: A location (venue), a coordinator, a photographer and a DJ. Once you have the first three, an experienced DJ is going to be key in making it all work together. Spotify can suggest music, and even if you have someone running the playlist, do they know how to read the crowd, move the crowd, play appropriate music at the appropriate times? Make your wedding day more stress free and hire an experienced DJ!  – Phil with RCP Imagine Events

• What is your favorite part of being a DJ?

I love to party! A good party with good music mixed by a good DJ is just straight up fun! My favorite part overall is making people happy by simply playing music that brings those feelings out in them. An epic dance party might be an obvious answer, but even getting compliments from music during cocktail hour and dinnertime, with people smiling, mingling, eating and drinking together is something special to be a part of.  – DJ Davey Dave, DRJ Productions

When the couple come back to me after their wedding just gushing about what a great time they had and leave a great review, that means the world to me for growing the business, but it’s also just the best feeling to me. My other favorite is when wedding vendors tell brides, “You need to work with Matt. You want Matt”. That means so much to me because wedding vendors see dozens of DJs, and to get their approval is a serious accomplishment. Making the bride and groom’s day really fulfills that emotional check box and knowing that professionals in the industry say you’re the one feels like such a professional accomplishment.  – Matt Leon, Soundwave Entertainment

My favorite thing about being a DJ/MC is that I get to be instrumental in helping our couples wedding day be a success. When COVID hit, it would’ve been easy to hang up the headphones. We had a few “modified for health reasons” weddings, and I realized that regardless of how we had to do it, I still loved being able to provide the important aspects of sound and music for our couples. Whether there is dancing or not, music still brings people together. I enjoy the excitement, fun and love that I get to see at every wedding I am a part of.  – Phil with RCP Imagine Events

My favorite things about having the honor to DJ weddings are seeing the smiles on the faces of couples, guests singing at the top of their lungs, and getting a referral after someone has attended a wedding I was the DJ/MC for. These things are what keep me coming back for more fun!  – Tom Singleton, DJ Tom

So, what do you think? Are you convinced enough yet? Because if not, I am happy to also provide some horror stories of events that didn’t have professional DJs and then we can revisit the subject! The gentlemen who have been running these companies for many many years are awesome and you will absolutely love having any of them at your wedding or next event! And just like many vendor in the industry, they are booking up for dates quickly, so don’t want to start having those conversations! See below for links to all their websites/socials:

DJ Davey Dave – DRJ Productions

Matt Leon – Soundwave Entertainment

Phil & Clint – RCP Imagine Events

Tom Singleton – DJ Tom

Be sure to also check out these vendor features:

Matt Leon with Soundwave Entertainment

Jaime Denise with Jaime Denise Photography

Rebekah with Sage Tree Design