Posts tagged wedding
Do I really need a wedding DJ?

Yes. yes. A thousand times yes.

Does this sound like you? You’ve curated the perfect playlist on your spotify account. Your best friend was the resident DJ in college (meaning they pushed next song at the appropriate time) and has excellent people skills. You are looking to cut costs where you can.

When considering a wedding DJ, a friend is likely not the best option. At first, it sounds like a good way to save money or add a personal touch. And if you’ve been around here long enough…you know I’m all about those unique touches. However, it's crucial to remember that this role requires specific skills and experience.

A professional DJ brings serious expertise that is very hard to recreate. They have the music library suited to a variety of listeners, they mix the music, read the crowd and keep guests engaged. Unexpected situations can arise during a wedding such as specific equipment needs and minor emergency situations. These likely won’t be something that a friend may be able to handle…not to mention feeling torn between their DJ duties and celebrating the occasion.

Here is the hard truth. Cutting the DJ won’t just cut financial costs. It will cost you smooth transitions, it will cost you the time to do the extra work yourself and it will cost you the peace of mind that a professional is taking care of business. If I haven’t convinced you yet, here is a breakdown of what they can do during your day. Keep in mind, this is ONLY the work that I see with my own eyes. Hours of pre-planning goes into this before the day even arrives.

  • A couple hours of equipment setup for the ceremony

  • Going over the timeline with the planner

  • Ensuring the ceremony runs smoothly and all transitions are seamless

  • Potentially breaking down the ceremony setup

  • Potentially a second set up for the reception

  • Double check timeline with planner

  • Ensuring the reception has mingling music, correct volume, making sure desired songs are played, making announcements at the correct time, making spontaneous announcements as needed, directing the crowd in a succinct way.

  • Making sure the first dance and any parent dances are focused on by guests.

  • Starting the dance party, creating an all ages dance floor if desired, following the clients requested vibe and song list, taking song requests if previously discussed, announcing last call, announcing the final dance at the appropriate time, etc.

  • Breakdown of equipment (have you seen the size of the speakers alone?!)

As a planner, I work with the DJ to make appropriate announcements at the right time which is absolutely key. I would say that they, along with the caterer, are who I work with the closest on event day. I can happily make announcements for the evening but I am already telling you that having a dedicated emcee to manage the flow is the way to go. So much hinges on this coordination effort! I can promise you…they are worth their weight in gold.

If you are considering cutting a DJ out of your budget, think to yourself “but what is the real cost here?

xoxo,

- Eva

Photos: Jonas Seaman

DJ: DJ B Two Times

Michelle and Nick

Michelle and Nick | August 2023 | Ballard, WA

Traditional in series of events, unique in all selections. The magic of this day cannot be replicated into words…though here I go. Take a stunning venue with a classic Seattle view (smoke be damned), incredible food, extremely intentional wine selections and curated bites, small yet meaningful details, add in some live music and you have a true party. 

Upon guest arrival, they were greeted by rose bubbles for a cocktail hour right on the water. Guests snapped a photo for the guestbook and enjoyed a 5 piece jazz band, a game of cornhole and seeing old friends as many guests traveled far for the occasion.

If you’ve been to more than one wedding, you know that the food can be hit or miss. Kaspars Catering knocked it out of the park and they were absolute gems to work with. They are so food focused and make sure to hit every mark so everything tastes delicious. 

The ceremony was on a snug, asymmetrical piece of grass and the chairs were squeezed as tight as we could get them. It was not your average setup but it was more important to the couple that the guests get cozy and experience the space well. We love that here! To top it all off…the officiants were the bride and grooms combined brothers and it really brought a specialness to it all. 

Can we talk about the drinks for a quick sec. Michelle and Nick are both in the wine industry so naturally this was an important element to get right…dare I say perfect. They hand chose the wine for EACH table. This meant that they took each and every person into consideration when choosing their wine.

As dinner was winding down…it’s almost like the second half of the evening was about to begin. The DJ created an epic dance floor that was second to none. Meanwhile, Karaoke was setting up. The party was almost like a wave going from one room to another and eventually leaving the dance floor for the Karaoke room. It was cohesively chaotic in the best way. To top it all off (and I hope you aren’t hungry) Dick’s burgers and fries were brought in for a late night snack.

I’ll be honest here…there were some very specific desires and I was not completely sure how it would play out. You can plan until the ends of the earth but you never really know what will arise until the day arrives. In the end, the guest experience was really kept in mind for this day. Every extra meeting, phone call, email and text were worth it in the end. 

Venue | Sunset Bay Lodge

Planner | Gather and Cheer

Photography | Jonas Seaman Photography

Catering | Kaspars Catering

Bar | Sunset Bay + Kaspars Catering

Cake | The Sweetside

Floral | (Personals): Moonflower Design Co.

Floral | (Table centerpieces): Pike Place

HMUA | Bridal Beauty Agency

Officiant | Brothers

Stationary | Minted.com

Rentals | CORT

Late Night Snack | Dicks Drive-In

Music | Brass Band