dj or no Dj?

View quoted message Thank you! We are on the hunt for a DJ now and reaching out to potential dj’s

You will definitely need a DJ . And you have a lot of guest to entertain. The DJ can play your list of songs with extra effects to enjoy the day .

Defiantly get a DJ if you're wanting dancing! That way you don't have to worry about the whole music list and such. Your DJ will feel the room and pick the right music for your guests and go of that vibe! Most of the time DJ's will give you something that you can write down "Must Haves" songs for the night.

View quoted message Thank you so much! We talked this morning and have decided to get a DJ! Time to start looking!!

I say DJ 100% especially with the amount of guests you are planning on having. You don't want to have to worry about one of your friends having to take care of the ipod the entire night. You will be able to speak with your DJ and give them a list of no play songs, or genres ect so I wouldn't worry about that part. Plus, a DJ knows how to get the crowd going and hyped up for the evening, I think it brings a whole different element when having one!

View quoted message Thank you so much for your reply!
All of this advice has helped a ton! Thanks everyone!

With a wedding that big I would recommend a DJ. Ours is around 100 guests (actual number will probably be less) and we hired a DJ. We interviewed 4 different DJs and found 2 we really liked. It was a tough choice to make.


In any case a DJ will consider yours & your husband's wishes in addition to requests from your guests. Many DJs request a 'must play' list for certain songs such as a first dance, father/daughter & mother/son dances, etc. Most, I think, will also require a 'do not play list' for certain songs/genres that are off limits for one reason or another (for example, we have requested NO rap/hip hop and/or certain songs from various artists). These lists are to be finalized by you & your husband before the wedding takes place. A DJ can also provide some MC services (this would need to be discussed in advance).
A DJ can take a lot off your mind when it comes to music for dancing. Like another poster said they will 'read the room', as well as playing music that you & your guests have requested. It will be a lot easier for you than creating a playlist with an IPod and worrying about having to reset/pause/stop for any reason.

View quoted message Thank you all so much for your recommendations!! I appreciate it!

View quoted message So exciting! October 22 will be a great day! Thank you for the advice! I’ll look into them!

My wedding day is October 22, too!! Looking at DJ's was overwhelming at first! I couldn't believe how expensive most of them were! I'm not sure where in AB you are located but if I were you I would check out Surround Sound Music (out of Swift Current, SK). We booked them and even with 2 hours of mileage tacked on to the cost they were still a quarter of the price of the other DJs I got quotes from based out of the bigger SK centers. My brother and sister in law had Surround Sound at their wedding and said that they did a good job at reading the crowd to keep the dance floor hopping! If you're worried about making sure the DJ plays music that you like, you can always discuss the type of music you would like played ahead of time, and give them a list of must play songs and songs to avoid. In my experience at weddings when a friend or family member is in charge of music on an iPod, I have found that the music gets neglected. Some songs are repeated throughout the night, songs get changed mid-song, and then as people have more to drink it seems that more and more people go over to the iPod and mess with it throughout the night. I'm sure your dance will be super fun no matter what you decide, just my two cents!

I completely agree with everything Alyx and Hank said. From what I have gathered, DJ's will go off your vibe, and play music you like. They work with you/or your planner and when things need to go down, and well, this is their profession so they know what they are doing.

I know my venue was ready to provide DJ options if we were going that route.

I think with your larger party, you'll be better off with a DJ.

I’ve heard wedding planners say that it is a good idea to hire a dj for the evening to run smoothly.. then you don’t have to worry about the iPod guy running off to the bar quick while the music has stopped playing!



I wouldn’t be too worried about getting the dj to play music you like! Usually they have you fill out a form of the genres you like. You can add additional information like the artists you like ect.. And they have you fill out a must play, should play and do not play list!


It takes sometime to fill out. But my fiancé and I went for a drive and made a fun night out of it listening to our favourite songs! So the dj should get a pretty clear idea of what kind of music you guys are into!


Little tip for finding a dj.. I recommend asking your venue for suggestions! They will mention someone who they have worked with before and a dj who is good at what they do!

View quoted message So true! That’s how I’m feeling to! We are definitely having dancing so I feel a DJ will help mix everything up and get everyone moving!

If you're planning on dancing, get a DJ. It's not fair to have someone from your family or guest list to be monitoring music all night while others are partying away. A DJ can read the crowd, knows when to cut songs short if they're not appealing, and perform proper transitional mixes.

If you're just having a cocktail style reception with no dancing and all you want is background music, then no need for a DJ.

As for music, it's not about what he likes but what the crowd likes. A DJ knows how to mix it up so there's a variety.