Chantale Pitts: I’d like to welcome Rob Salvati of the Music Man DJ Service to our show today. Welcome, Rob.

Rob Salvati: Hi, how’s it going?

Chantale: Good. Our topic is selecting music, from the ceremony to the reception afterward. You think it’s a key element in a wedding for setting a nice atmosphere.

Receptions normally start off with that very special first dance. What other special dances occur during receptions that requires the couple to select music?

Rob: It’s usually optional, but couples can select songs for a father/daughter dance, a mother/son dance, the wedding party dance, cake cutting, bouquet and garter, and the last song of the night. It isn’t uncommon these days for people to combine some of the dances to get to the dancing portion of the night.

I’ve also seen the first dance occur after the wedding party’s been called to the head table, right before dinner. That’s something that I like to suggest, because the photographers will be ready. You already have everyone’s attention, and it gets through some of the formal dances quicker to keep the party moving.

Chantale: Oh, that’s a great idea. I’ve never heard of that. That would be a wonderful option.

Now, the first song is an important dance, and obviously each year I’m sure there’s a key new hit song that makes brides and grooms choose their special dance, but is there a classic song that’s been popular over the years that you recommend to couples?

Rob: When it comes to the first dance and other formal dances, I think that this is the best time to pick a special song that’s important to you, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be a song that everyone at the wedding needs to know as a chart topper, or even needs to know at all. If it’s unique, people are going to remember the song as your wedding song and not everyone else’s wedding song as well.

This year I had one couple who selected all their songs using a Beatles themed wedding. I thought that was interesting because they personalized their songs. The formal dances are the only dances that don’t require the DJ to fill the dance floor. When a couple tries to pick the new hit songs, I find around 75% of the weddings to have the same special songs. That’s why it’s important to have a unique song, I find.

Chantale: That’s good advice. Really good advice.

Everyone’s preference in music is different. The bride may love rap. The groom is a country boy, but Mom and Dad are fans of jazz or classical. How can you accommodate everyone’s taste at a wedding?

Rob: I think that’s one of the hardest things for a DJ to do at such a diverse event like a wedding. It just takes experience for a DJ to build up a collection of music that works for all ages. There are certain patterns a DJ can follow, such as five fast songs, two slow songs, or also using three songs from a genre at a time. It’s just a matter of feeling out the crowd and figuring out what type of music the majority of the people are into, and also picking the most popular songs from different genres and singers.

The best practice is to have the most popular music for multiple genres. The DJ should also be knowledgeable in the history of music throughout the years, and also current fads in pop culture.

The most important thing for a DJ at a wedding is to keep the music upbeat and keep the crowd interested.

Chantale: Good idea. OK.

Sometimes couples may know the artist or maybe just key phrases in a song that they want. Can you offer tips for where couples can go to find the names of songs?

Rob: The best place to go for accurate song names would be an official music site, such as Billboard.com, which has the top Billboard every month for all styles of music. Even just a local music store, like H and B can give you some good song ideas. DJ’s and wedding sites are also good for song names, with accuracy.

I have a searchable list on my web site at MusicManDJ.ca. You can usually find formal dance suggestions, as well as which songs will help a couple pick their formal dance songs. I find that a DJ usually knows which song a person’s talking about, even if they only know some of the lyrics, so that’s usually not an issue when selecting songs.

Chantale: Good. I guess a knowledgeable DJ really helps out with that.

Rob: Right.

Chantale: How involved should a bride and groom be in selecting the music for their reception? Should they be selecting every song, from start to finish, for the night, or giving only a few must haves and must never play songs to the DJ?

Rob: I would definitely say that they should limit their song selection to no more than five or ten songs. That’s really important because you have to remember that the DJ you’re hiring does this for a living, so he understands the crowd reaction and what songs to play to get the best results.

When a bride and groom select the majority of the songs for the night, they’re basically doing the job of the DJ, and I usually find that the songs the DJ picks will always get better results for the amount of people dancing. Another thing that isn’t always realized is that a standard wedding usually only fits 60-80 songs for the dancing portion of the night, so a request list tends to fill up pretty quickly.

I would suggest a “Must Play” list and a “Do Not Play” list. You can make the “Do Not Play” list larger if you prefer, as long as you give the DJ some flexibility in what to play. Another good idea is to give an artist name that your family may enjoy to help the DJ read the crowd.

Chantale: Good idea. That DJ’s always that main player, that expertise you’re looking for.

So, how far in advance should you book a DJ?

Rob: Normally, people will book between six months to a year before their weddings. I would suggest something within that timeframe. Anything sooner and you may have trouble finding a good DJ for your wedding, just because of the fact that weddings are a limited business.

Normally, people only get married on Saturdays, and often in the spring or summer. So that puts wedding DJ’s in high demand, because there are usually not enough professionals to go around come June or July.

On top of that, wedding planning can be a full time job. Couples don’t realize all the work involved until they experience it themselves. So, you always want to give yourself enough time because just a few months isn’t enough time to plan a wedding if you also have a full time job and you’re in the moving process, as most couples are who get married.

Chantale: Right. Great advice.

Now, what other advice can you offer for couples looking for a DJ. What quality does a good DJ have?

Rob: The best qualities to look for in a DJ, without having heard them play before, are how they present themselves, I would say. Usually a website is the first indication to tell how serious the DJ takes his business, and how organized the business is before even meeting with the DJ. You can tell how much work is involved when you look at their site. If the site’s incomplete or not working it may also say something about the business.

On top of that, other important facts to consider are how knowledgeable the DJ is regarding different styles of music. The DJ should be outgoing, well spoken, and able to read the crowd. You should make sure they’re using professional grade equipment, and that they have a large selection of purchased music.

Response time is important as well, because it indicates how the DJ will handle your event when it comes to your actual event time. Those would be the most important things to look for, I find.

Chantale: Thank you, Rob. I think you’ve given everyone good guidelines that they can follow in selecting music for their special day. Best of luck in your wedding venues this year with the Music Man DJ Service.

Rob: Thank you very much.

Chantale: Thank you, Rob. Bye-bye.

Rob: Take care.

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Source: This interview was conducted by MyDreamWedding.ca, The host for this interview about “Selecting the Music” was Chantale Pitts. Their guest was Rob Salvati of “The Music Man DJ Service”. A special thanks goes out to My Style Wedding 3D wedding planning software for sponsoring this wonderful event.

MyDreamWedding.ca is Canada’s premier wedding blog about unique wedding ideas.