The OurWeddingDay Blog

After you choose your wedding DJ or band, and after you create your wedding playlist, make sure you provide the aforementioned entertainment with a letter of agreement.

A letter of agreement should include the following information:

• Your wedding date along with the expected musician arrival time.
• The address of your wedding.
• A list of equipment that the musicians are responsible for bringing to your wedding. (Music stands, amplifiers, chairs etc.)
• If you are going to hire a wedding band make sure to include the exact number of musicians you’ve booked, their names, and the instruments they will be playing.
• A list of substitute musicians in case there is an emergency and someone needs to be replaced.
• Also include a detailed guide on what the musicians are expected to wear.
• The wedding music playlist.
• Songs that you do not want them to play.
• The time frame you are booking them for.
• The time of their dinner break and any other breaks that might occur throughout the reception.
• The amount you are paying them as well as overtime rates.
• The due date of their payment.
• A policy that covers cancelling or refunding.

Of all the vendors that you interview and evaluate when planning a wedding, DJs are among the most important. Wedding DJ prices vary significantly, and often the more expensive DJs are worth the price. However, there are some excellent DJs that are reasonably priced and pleasant to work with. In order to find these DJs, you will need to do some research.

1. Have several in-person interviews. There are many questions you should ask this contender. Does he have a music database where you can work together to choose your key songs? How does he set up his equipment? Does your venue have specific requirements for set-up (and if so, can he work within those parameters?) Does he do any wedding games?
2. Ask for (and speak to) his or her references. If he or she runs a good wedding DJ service, then there should already be a list of references that you can call. If not, you should move to the next person on your list. Also, be prepared with a list of questions when you call a former client.
3. See if he or she is flexible on rates. Definitely try to negotiate (and remember that most wedding DJ prices have a specific price range), but do remember that DJs work hard for their money. If your DJ is good (and has been distinguished from the many other professional DJs available), then don’t ask them to do your wedding for a price that is unreasonable.

The first major music decision you will have to make is whether to have live wedding music or to hire a DJ. There are benefits and drawbacks to both. Having a live band at your wedding is fun and festive; however, this is typically expensive and not always an option for everyone. You can have a fabulous reception if you choose the right DJ. Just be sure to do thorough research on wedding music ideas beforehand.

• If you really want some type of live music at your wedding but are weary of the cost, consider hiring someone to play music (such as a harpist) for your ceremony, then hiring a DJ to do the reception. If you have friends that play instruments, consider asking them to perform.

Choose the right DJ
If you decide to go with a DJ, it is important to meet with him or her in person on a few separate occasions. People give off certain vibes, and you want someone that gives off the type of vibe you want at your wedding. This is a time to go with your instinct about a person.

• Ask someone you trust if they can recommend a DJ. You want someone who is reliable and who knows how to be a “master of ceremonies.” The DJ is responsible for keeping energy levels up and setting the pace of the reception. Remember that the time will fly by, and most people only have a few short hours at their venue.
• Choose a DJ who has experience with weddings that are similar in size and atmosphere to yours.
• Choose someone who is familiar with the type of venue you are using, for two reasons: 1) the nature of the venue’s space can drastically affect the way a DJ sets up his or her equipment, and 2) venues often have regulations or restrictions regarding music. Make sure that you know anything of this nature well in advance of your reception.

Choose songs that are meaningful and appropriate
Strike the right balance between crowd pleasers and music that is special to you.

• Even though your favorite band might be Radiohead, their music is not the appropriate genre to be played throughout a celebratory occasion. Remember that a wedding is not the time to showcase your identity through your cutting edge taste in music; rather, choose music that you enjoy, but music that will also set the right mood and atmosphere for this type of event.
• When considering wedding music ideas for the first dance, it is extremely important that the bride and groom practice dancing to a few different contending songs. Choose a song that feels right, one that both of you are comfortable dancing to.
• Remember that many top wedding songs have been recorded by different artists, and you should listen to each version to figure out which has the best rhythm. A song such as The Way You Look Tonight has been recorded by Frank Sinatra, Michael Bublé, Rod Stewart, Billie Holiday, Steve Tyrell, and others. Also, do not choose your first dance song based on what is trendy at the moment, unless it is a song that you both love or has special meaning to you.

Read more:

• Hiring the Right DJ or Band
• Should You Ban the Chicken Dance from Your Reception?
• Hiring a Live Band

The difference between having live wedding bands or a DJ at your wedding is hefty. This decision will influence the variety of music as well as the overall experience guests have at your wedding reception. Some couples choose to have both a wedding band and a DJ, ensuring that their wedding reception is full of non-stop entertainment and the perfect mixture of songs that range from background music to base-bumping dance jams.

Sophisticated
If you’re a conservative traditionalist and you plan on having an elegant wedding without much dancing, then you should consider hiring a sophisticated string quartet. String quartets are ideal for the ceremony as well and can provide classic wedding music for that portion of your wedding.

Pleasing to Everyone
Some wedding bands are capable of playing classics and modern day pop hits. If you want to please your guests, young and old, then find a band that will play Beatles and Sinatra classics as well as songs by Ke$ha or The Black Eyed Peas. You’ll be surprised to find that countless wedding reception bands offer a wide variety of songs from a handful of decades.

Specific Needs
If you are religious and would like a specific religious song played at your reception, you’ll have to ensure the band or DJ you choose can provide that for you. For example, if you’re Jewish chances are you’ll want the Hora song played at your reception after you and your hubby-to-be make your grand entrance.

Read more:

• Tips for Hiring a Live Wedding Band
• Hiring Your DJ
• Should the Chicken Dance be Played at Your Wedding?

When hiring local wedding DJs, it's customary to supply them with a list before your reception of songs you do want played and songs you absolutely do not want to hear during your reception. While choosing the wedding DJ music might seem like the simplest of decisions you need to make before the big day, there's actually quite a bit of controversy among brides about some popular wedding songs and whether or not they should still be include on today's playlists. When you meet with your DJ you'll need to decide: will you or won't you play The Chicken Dance?

Guest Participation Songs
The Chicken Dance is a classic example of songs that reception DJs play in order to encourage guests to get out of their seats and onto the dance floors. Many DJs refer to songs like The Chicken Dance, YMCA and The Macarena as "guest participation songs" and will encourage couple's to consider including them as part of the approved repertoire. Sure, these songs may be a little cheesy, but they are also well known and don't require smooth moves for your friends and family to dance along.

Too Tacky for a Formal Affair
Familiar or not, some brides are stepping up to ban these well-known musical numbers from their wedding receptions claiming that they are too tacky and overplayed. There's no denying that the sight of men and women in elegant evening attire flapping their arms like chickens isn't exactly elegant. If you've envisioned your wedding reception as a sophisticated event than you should make your desires about your wedding DJ music clear. Don't let anyone — even a wedding DJ — tell you what your reception should be like.

Fun Without the Chicken
If you're concerned that your wedding reception won't be fun for your guests without the inclusion of these old "favorites," but you cringe at the idea of one more refrain of "I don't wanna be a chicken, I don't wanna be a duck" being song on your wedding day, talk to your DJ about your concerns. Share the vision you have of your reception. Do you imagine people laughing and dancing on the dance floor all night or mingling around the room with cocktails and champagne flutes? If it's important to you to have a full dance floor, ask your local wedding DJs for recommendations on other popular songs that encourage dancing without the gimmicks. An experienced DJ will be able to give you several suggestions including games, music styles that appeal to a variety of ages, and chart-topping but wedding-appropriate pop songs.

Know that this is your wedding and wedding reception and you and your fiance get to decide what type of event it will be. You also get to decide what type of wedding DJ music you want to remember for the rest of your lives. Whether you want to insist on no country music, demand all 80s hits or refuse to allow the YMCA, an experienced wedding DJ will ensure you and your guests have a great time.

Read more:

• Hiring Your DJ
• Wedding Traditions to Retire
• Why Some Couples are Skipping the "First Dance"

We told you a few weeks ago about True Blood stars Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer got married... but did you know that Elijah Wood was their DJ?!?!

Crazy!  Check out a cute video of Elijah telling Jimmy Fallon all about it here.

Read more: Hiring Your DJ, The iPod Vs. the Wedding DJ, Hiring a Live Band

There's a fun post over at Jezebel this morning about a tricky part of reception planning: the tunes!

"There's something both weird and wonderful about throwing a dance party for basically everyone you care about in your life, as it's an opportunity for your aunts to break it down with your college friends and for your grandma to engage in a dance off with your best friend from kindergarten. Still, you have to make sure you have the kind of music that gets everyone on the dance floor. And not only that, but you have to make sure you have the kind of music that doesn't come across as offensive to some or boring to others..."

Discussing how real people find the right musical balance is a great way to brainstorm for your party.  We love this idea from the post: "My sister is currently considering dividing the night into sections, playing jams from the 60s as the party starts, then working up to 80s songs, then 90s songs, and finally, as the night wears down and it's mostly her peers left on the dance floor, recent and perhaps more "scandalous" tunes."

Check out the full post here.

Have you considered your wedding playlist?

Celebrity weddings and glamorous bridal magazines are a lot of fun, but nothing’s more helpful than learning how real brides plan their big day.

Meet OWD's Real Brides: real OurWeddingDay.com Brides-to-be sharing their experiences.  It’s not about the “right” way to plan; it’s about each bride planning the wedding that’s right for her.

Oh my goodness...where has this week gone?!

In this last week, I have made great progress.  :)  The florist came to me on Monday out of courtesy and told me that they had just had a busy weekend: two brides looking to book May 29th, which is our wedding date.  Since they had been working with me for a couple months, fine-tuning our needs, they wanted to make certain I wanted to go with them by giving me first right of refusal; if so, I would need to secure the date with a deposit.  (I highly recommend Bella Flora for your floral and decor needs because of their professionalism just shown me. :)  I jumped on that by placing a deposit down with them, knowing that I can change our order well up until two weeks before the wedding.  So, that is now finally checked off my list.  

I didn't have the same great experience with our DJ service I was getting ready to book.  I was waiting for the DJ to get back with me on a question I had; I had been working with this company for about a month.  Instead of giving me the same courtesy shown by the florist, I was simply told, "Sorry, your date is now booked."  I was so upset, especially seeing I had to go back to the drawing board.  But all is good now, because I found someone even better and have booked their services.  I guess this was actually a blessing in disguise.  

The flower girl dress came in and her mom sent me pictures of her daughter in the dress.  I am so pleased; it turned out how I hoped.  So now, if only I could get my Bridesmaids to order their dresses, I can get that stress relieved and checked off my list.

Monday, I go to try on my wedding dress with a few Bridesmaids and my Mom there with me.  The first go round, the dress I ordered didn't fit at all, even though I had lost an inch and a half from the time they last measured me and ordered the dress off those measurements.  I am looking forward to actually lacing up, zipping and buttoning the dress for the very first time, and then getting it over to the alterations lady by the 2nd to 3rd week of April.  In that amount of time, I hope to continue to lose this baby weight that I am carrying only in my lower belly area.  Well that and toning up my arms some more, as well.  ;)

What I will work on in this next week is finals for my college class and stitching on hair combs to my two veils...one cathedral length for the ceremony and one fingertip length for the reception.  Oh and we are adding an 8th Bridesmaid, 8th Groomsmen and two more Ushers, making it now a total of 14 Ushers.  

Happy Planning!

We just updated our Phoenix Wedding Guide with a new article about hiring the perfect wedding reception DJ in Arizona.

Phoenix has long been a rising star for musical magicians. With artists as varied as Stevie Nicks and Wayne Newton hailing from these parts, it’s no surprise that DJ’s flock to the bars and clubs scattered around the city. Like other non-show business towns, it serves as a hot spot for spinners on the rise. To find your perfect DJ, check out the full article for record-saving tips.

And if you're not planning a wedding in Phoenix, perhaps one of our other local wedding guides would be more useful for you: The Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, Miami, Chicago, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Indianapolis, Houston, New York City, or the San Francisco Bay Area.

We're still updating our Las Vegas Wedding Guide!  We just posted  Our Las Vegas DJs Guide.

When people think of Las Vegas music, their inner soundtrack may go to Frank Sinatra and Wayne Newton. While those hip dudes can be found on Vegas wedding DJ’s track lists, your wedding disc jockey can also spin the latest Top 40. No surprise, really, as Vegas is the wedding capital of the world, and not just a last-minute elopement option.

Check it out!

And check out our other regularly-updated local wedding guides as well: New York, Miami, Chicago, Philadelphia, Los Angeles the San Francisco Bay Area and the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex.