Think a wedding DJ is just supposed to play music? Almost nothing could be further from the truth! A wedding DJ plays a much bigger role than merely playing music. An ipod with a playlist can play music but there are lots of other reasons why you should hire a professional wedding DJ. A DJ mixes the music, helps the wedding couple select music beforehand in order to prepare for the wedding to ensure it goes just how they want it, and the DJ also acts as the master of ceremonies (MC). As the MC, the DJ conducts all the events that take place on your wedding day. The DJ/MC will communicate with the crowd so they know what to do, what not to do, and what to expect. When the wedding party is done with their photos after the ceremony and are ready to make their grand entrance in to the reception, the DJ traditionally announces the wedding party as they walk in. This moment is arguably the most important moment for the DJ to perform at his/her best.
The Grand Entrance
As the wedding party is getting ready to make their grand entrance, the guests are often feeling all kinds of emotions. Some of them may have traveled quite far to attend the wedding. Maybe they haven’t eaten in awhile and they’re ready for dinner. Maybe the bride is the only one they personally know at the wedding and they’re anxiously waiting to see her, because they’re surrounded by strangers and they just watched her give her vows and say “I do” so they’re ready to congratulate her. Remember, the bride and groom get very little, if any, time with guests immediately after the ceremony because they usually go straight into the family formal photos with the photographer. Meanwhile, the guests are waiting for them to finish so we can all start the reception. These are just a couple of the many possible things causing guests to want to get the reception started so they can spend time with the bride and groom, eat dinner, and just plain party! Therefore, the grand entrance is perhaps the most highly anticipated part of the wedding day.
When the wedding party makes their grand entrance into the reception, it’s an exciting moment! But only if the DJ makes it so. If the DJ does a good job introducing the wedding party, he has likely earned the guests’ trust and respect. They’ll be more loud and excited during this moment than any other moment throughout the wedding day. If the DJ drops the ball here, he’ll be struggling to redeem him or herself the rest of the evening. The way the DJ handles the introductions can make or break them because it sets the stage for the rest of the day. This one reason alone makes it essential to hire an experienced wedding DJ vs a regular DJ or club DJ.
How We Introduce The Wedding Party
Wedding reception introductions are a traditional part of a wedding so they’re often done very similarly. Though the introductions are usually done in a similar way, it’s how they’re done that makes the most difference. That’s why we finally have a video showing us doing our introductions for the wedding party during their grand entrance. Neither the video or introductions is perfect, but we feel it’s important for clients to see their prospective wedding DJ do introductions before hiring them so we posted one for now.
Typically the wedding party is larger than that in the video, but each wedding is unique in it’s own way. Before the wedding, we create a wedding plan with the bride and groom and establish who will be in the wedding party and what order they’ll be announced. I encourage the bride and groom to choose a song for me to play during their introductions. I give them a few examples that work well, such as:
Song Ideas For Wedding Reception Entrances
- “Happy” by Pharrell Williams
- “I Gotta Feeling” by The Black Eyed Peas
- “Sexy and I Know it” by LMFAO
Ultimately, it’s the wedding couple’s big day, so I like to give some suggestions but leave it up to the bride and groom to choose the song that suits their tastes best. Of course they’re welcome to customize their introductions in any way they’d like. A popular option is to use two songs – one exclusively for when the bride and groom enter the reception, and another for the rest of the wedding party’s entrance. This can be a nice touch because it adds excitement by playing a new song that’s only used for the wedding couple. Of course, the song has to work well with the occasion and it can’t be less exciting than the other song used for the other members of the wedding party.
Whether they choose 1 or 2 songs, I like to cut the music completely off when announcing the bride and groom’s entrance. This makes for a more dramatic entrance and gets everyone’s attention focused on that moment. Then, as soon as I announce them I throw the music back in and it’s even louder than it was for the rest of the wedding party!
It’s important for the DJ to play the music at the right level: Too low and the music won’t have enough impact. Too high and the introductions will be lost in the music. A good wedding DJ knows how loud to have the music and how loud to have his voice on the mic. I leave the music slightly lower for the wedding party than I do for the bride and groom. That’s because I’m talking over the music as the wedding party enters. I cut the music off and get more hype on the mic for the bride and groom. Then I can throw the music in louder because I don’t need to talk as they enter. The contrast going from without music to louder music, as well as the extra enthusiasm, for the bride and groom’s entrance, makes this moment really shine for the bride and groom. The audience gets filled with joy and excitement, as they applaud for you while cheering standing up.
Contact us today about reserving a professional wedding DJ for your big day. Let Best Choice DJs rock your wedding reception, starting with your introductions for your grand entrance.