Five (5) Tips For DIY Music
We know many amazing DJ’s and Emcees in the wedding industry, and are not shy about sharing contacts with our couples. For some, however, music isn’t a high priority for their event. DIY music, or doing the music for your wedding yourself, can be a budget friendly option for those couples, or for couples who simply are not big dancers. However, there’s many components to consider in order to successfully DIY your music. Read on to discover five (5) tips to consider if you’re having DIY music at your wedding.
#1: Talk To Your Venue
The first step to determining if you can DIY your wedding music, is talking to your venue. Specifically ask them about their set-up and/or where professionals usually set-up. For example, some venues have built-in speaker systems throughout their building and they may also have wireless microphones you can use, but if they don’t have their own system, you’ll need to know where the outlets are so you can plug in your own equipment. Be sure to also ask about the noise ordinance for the county your venue is located in. Some counties require different decimal levels at different times of the day/evening. If you’re not hiring a professional, you’ll need to make sure to monitor how loud your music is to stay compliant and avoid any fees.
#2: Be Prepared For Equipment Costs
If you’re lucky enough to have a venue with a built-in speaker system, you may only have to worry about one cord that connects your phone to their input. If you’re working with a blank slate, however, equipment costs can add up. Music systems, speakers, cables, and microphones are just a few items you may need. Thankfully there’s specific rental companies, like Seattle Event Rentals, that can help with providing these items so you don’t have to buy them outright.
#3: Test, Test, Test!
Whether you’re providing your own equipment, or renting through a company, it’s important to test everything before the wedding – including your playlists! This may mean renting your equipment for more days in advance, but worth the cost to give you peace of mind. If you’re providing your own equipment, you can test your set-up during open house hours or a scheduled site-visit with your venue. If you’re renting music equipment, ask your venue if you can test during or after your rehearsal hour. Make sure to even test your playlists and every song! You don’t want a track to skip, have a lengthy ending (or opening) of silence, or be a cover version of the original song you were hoping to hear.
#4: Have A Backup
However you’re planning on having your music stored, make sure to have a backup. This means if your playing music directly from a laptop, have a second laptop. If you’re playing it directly from your phone, have another phone. If you’re playing if from an app, make sure to have a second app or even an external hard drive! The last thing you want is for the laptop or phone to break or lose power. What if all your wedding music is on a Spotify playlist but you can’t access your account? Or the venue’s wifi becomes difficult and you can’t stream? Having a backup system for your music is a must.
#5: Assign A Point Person(s)
Another perk of hiring a professional DJ and/or Emcee is not having to worry about announcements or the timing of music. It’s a good idea to have a family member or friend cover these responsibilities. This way the microphone isn’t passed around or gets lost, and the music stays on course. No one wants a rogue song played because someone got ahold of your phone and wanted something else on. We recommend having one person in charge of music (pushing play and stop, switching playlists between “Dinner Music” to “Dancing Music”, etc.) and one person in charge of the microphone. Make sure to ask reliable and responsible people. This might mean someone outside your wedding party even. A cousin or sibling who doesn’t drink or isn’t planning on indulging is a great option!