A DJ, Band, or an Ipod - Can you DJ your own wedding?

We’re thinking of using an ipod at our wedding, and getting her dad to be on the microphone telling people when to dance, etc.

I think it’s a great idea. With a band or DJ, you might only like about 50-75% of the songs they play – with the iPod you’d definitely know it’d be songs you like.
Of course, you’d have to hope that the bride and groom have good music tastes!

I totally agree why have a DJ I think having a friend or brother emcee with the use of an ipod would be a great honor, and way more personal!
I am going to use this idea for my wedding!

Not only do you need an iPod, but you need Lightiing for ambiance, and a very good sound system which costs $1000’s of dollars. Recouping these expenses alone justifies the cost of a DJ. However, adding a 5000-10000 song music collection, knowing what’s appropriate to play and when more than makes up the cost of a legitimate DJ. Think twice before just throwing an iPod on your Son’s stereo and entertaining the most important day of your life.

I agree, as a DJ myself and working on planning my own wedding, I would definately go with a DJ. Most people are told to look for a DJ who has stability, and experience in the business, but from my experiences having someone with a smaller amout of experience charges a lot less, and they still do a great job.

In my experience, I will be using the old Ipod. Not only is it cheaper, but it ensures that you won’t be hearing YMCA if you don’t want to hear it. Though time consuming (it took my friend and her fiance several hours putting songlists together for the whole eating and dancing periods of the reception), it was absolutely free. It definetly depends in what formality of wedding you plan on having, but for a semi-formal wedding it is perfect for us.
My only complaint – towards the end of the night at my friend’s wedding, the Ipod was left unguarded and some people changed songs. But that’s it, and if you can deal with that, you’re good to go, I know that we will be.

How ridiculous is this? So you want to save a few hundred dollars and use an iPod at the most important day of your life???So you spend the time programming your iPod, get all your favorite songs lined up in the order you want them played.??Now what???OK, spend a few hours calling around trying to find RENTED PA speakers, cables, amplifier, mixer, microphones, dance lighting. The article suggests this would be in excess of $100. Boy are they right…WAY inexcess of $100 and more like $300.??OK, you have arranged your rental equipment, but if you want it delivered, and if they even offer to deliver it, it’s another $50 bucks or so. Now you are going to set it all up right???Let’s assume you have the technical knowledge to patch into your amplifier and set the mixer and microphone gain properly, and you know about speaker placement and feedback issues and sound checks. You are going to do all this when? You have the facility for about 5 hours. Not to mention you’re getting married that day. Hmmm.??So you have a friend who volunteers to miss out on the wedding and do all this for you during the ceremony. He has also volunteered to run your iPod all night long for you and deal with the dozens of song requests that will come in. He will also deal with all the disgruntled guests who are unhappy because you don’t have the song they want to hear. It’s played at every other wedding in the world but the person with the iPod didn’t think about that particular song so sorry, out of luck. People start leaving.??Now you have fumbled your way through the Grand Entrance, dinner and First Dance. Your schedule has gone to hell in a handbasket because no one is paying attention to the timeline which allows you to get everything done in the amount of time you have the facility for. You rush through the last few formalities and get ready to leave on your honeymoon…but wait..oh yeah, you have to return the rental gear and the facility wants it out now. You think the guy who rented to you is gong to show up at midnight to pick it up? Try again.??Digital DJ’ing with a laptop allows the DJ to fill your requests faster, bring alot more music because he doesn’t have to haul hundreds of pounds of CD cases, setup and teardown quicker which cuts down on the facility time, and the freedon to setup up short mixes so he can go about doing his business like coordinating with the photographer and caterer to make sure everyone is where they need to be and the glasses are filled for the toasts and take care of all the little details that no one gives them an ounce of credit for.??You get top notch professional equipment, not beatup rental gear that looks like it came from a school auditorium, and you get someone to handle the details of getting the equipment where it needs to be, when it needs to be there.??You get someone who has a vested interest in making your guests happy, and providing an enjoyable, hassle free experience on your most important day.??Do you want to trust all this to iPod?

I appreciate it when folks present this in a balanced way, I’m actually for the ipod and might try it for my wedding, which will be small and not so formal so the risk is not so bad, but I am willing to admit that there is risk involved. Still I’m tired of hearing *DJS* sound off about how great DJs are, let’s face there are advantages to the ipod, and advantages to a DJ, but there are drawbacks to both too. It’s about what you can live with.

I have yet to see a comment from a couple who actually did this. Plenty of people considering it though.

That said, you’re already paying a wedding coordinator, so why not have them control the flow. We have a friend who sings in a band who will be on the mic’ making announcements. I’d rather pay $1k for a new iMac and use my dusty cd collection (& friends) than pay for some stranger to take a lead roll in my wedding.

Sorry DJ’s, but you were all invited only cause you had to be. Expect the well to dry up soon. Especially since we can eliminate the risk that you’ll put on something in colossally poor taste (as I’ve witnessed three times before).

@Al. You can rent PA systems and it’s not like being a DJ makes you an expert in music. I’d agree if you knew the DJ before the wedding, but DJ’s are an unknown. And unknown’s destroy weddings frequently.

You ever been to a party with a 3 second delay between songs, you don’t get a great flow to any party never mind the most important day of your life. IPODS = Disaster!

I am a wedding DJ who has posted my own to that help people DJ their own wedding with an iPod.
Naturally, I am a bit biased, but I realize there are people that are going to do it, so why not share some useful tips to make it work to your best advantage.

If you want to iPod your wedding, do your homework, do the proper preparation, and best of luck to you! Feel free to email if you have questions.

Entertainment is one of the most important things that will ‘make’ or ‘break’ your reception. After all your hours of planning, and all the expense of your event, success will come right down to how well your DJ has done his or her job. So if you leave it to an amateur with an IPOD , good luck with that. If you are on a budget, I suggest you cut corners on other items and not entertainment. Leave that to the pros. Your ipod stops working and your party is over. There are NON-cheesy DJS out there, if you are thinking iPOD then you are probably interviewing budget DJS who ARE cheesey.

“Sorry DJ’s, but you were all invited only cause you had to be. Expect the well to dry up soon.”

I dont think so. I am booked every month starting in February. You see I am a NON_CHEESY Dj who plays EXACTLY what the bride and groom want to hear. I have 3 metting siwth them before, they email me play lists before the wedding and I make sure it gets played. Along with that my wife is the reception coordinator who helps the event run smoothly. Lets see your ipod try to read the crowd, set the mood of the party, blend in songs,keep the crowd moving, make sure all your vendors are synchronized and play the chicken dance (joking). Leave the iPods for the back yard keg parties you cheap bastards. Scrimp on other crap.

Interesting to note that the DJ has not been replaced – the duties have just been shifted to someone that’s never done it, and has yet to learn from their mistakes (at your event.) Congratulations. You have just re-invented the wheel.

This is the 21st century! Everything is always changing!! At least there is one company out there that gets it check out http://www.youdjit.com Get over it DJ’s it is a whole new world out there and we are in charge!!!!

I’ll be using a borrowed laptop for our wedding music. I’ve spent quite a few hours picking songs we want to have played. I then got in contact with a professional artist (whom works in the same company as I do) – who will lend me the amp, speakers and mic. Everything has only costed me $100.

I found a free program that can blend songs together (fade in, fade out etc) – which has done a great job.

I’m just looking forward to the big day now.

Keep in mind many halls do come with their own speakers and a mic you can hook up your music player to – mine doesn’t which is why I’m not bothering.

Wow. From the get-go, I wanted to use my iPod…even before I knew it was a ‘trend’ – my mom has all the equipment I need (except lighting, but really, those flashy lights won’t fit with my wedding AT ALL). Ha, she even has TWO of each! She will also emcee with the help of a couple others when she needs a break.

There are, of course, things that can go wrong – but there are things that go wrong no matter WHO (or what) you use!

I have to say, though, that hearing these “DJ’s” on here calling people who are considering using their iPods “Cheap bastards” fully convinced me that I was right. I don’t want some person I don’t know having a hissy fit and swearing at my guests and a few of these “dj’s” on here have shown that they aren’t capable of being collected – even over a simple internet article. What are you going to do when my man’s drunk co-worker starts harassing you??? Call him names? Tell him how much better you are? No thanks. I’ll take dead silence over that! Also…I really don’t think that anyone I’d invite to my wedding would GET UP AND LEAVE because I couldn’t play a song they requested. That’s ridiculous and rude and I just wouldn’t invite someone like that.

An ipod could never provide the selection or the emcee skills of a competent mobile Disc Jockey and Emcee.

Although I don’t react with hostility like some of the above, because I’ve only got 52 Saturdays per year and there are thousands of weddings to choose from. As long as a small percentage of those folks (let’s assume 33%) require a reception planner, emcee, equipment setup person, crowd control expert, music expert, PR person, and entertainer….at a price that costs much less than hiring each one of these persons individually…..there will continue to be a market for Non-cheesy mobile Disc Jockeys like

I have an extremely specific idea of what I want in songs played and even specific recordings. Since most DJs specialize in overplayed pop music from the 70s and 80s, they have only a small collection of what I want. Brahms piano for dinner music. Gershwin, Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, and light swing music for dancing (I am always disappointed when those composers are wasted with instrumental versions at dinner music). I want ballroom, not booty, dancing at my wedding. I’ll take the risk of a few seconds of dead silence here and there; our reception is semi-formal anyway. In my area, the only DJ that matched my price and personality was booked the same day. All other DJs didn’t have the library and were $200 more expensive. Sorry that makes me a “cheap bastard”.

I simply couldn’t get what I wanted in my area, and I don’t mind taking the time to develop the playlists and find equipment. I could care less if I am subjecting my guests to a lesson in “music appreciation” because I am playing music written before 1950. Whenever I’ve mentioned my playlist to my friends they’ve been thrilled at the idea of going to a wedding and not hearing the expected traditional “wedding” music. Additionally, I am also not walking down the asile to Wagner.

Fantastic!

My fiancée and I had the same issue trying to save money on our wedding AND have some real control over the music selection!

We both have our own great music collections deeply rooted in our memories-why not use tis music at our wedding!

A musician myself, I put together a small PA system with a wireless mic. Saved us a ton of cash and we feel great!

I see here that there are many of us out there trying to do the same with our wedding planning.

I started a little service that allows others to rent the sound system.

Check it out: http://www.RentMyGear.net

If you are going to do this be sure you check a couple of things. Most laptops and iPods use a mini plug connector. You may get a buzz or humm if you connect it direct to an amplifier or active speaker system such as the eons or mackie systems many places rent out. You also probably cannot connect it direct to the “house” systems without distotrion as they are usually “mic level”. Just be sure to use a couple of “DI’s” and the problem will go away. Many house systems (and amp rentals) have an inherent hum when non-standard line signals are plugged into them. In my area, for people that want to spend the time programming the playlists, are not worried about killing the energy by having “dead air” between songs, do not need someone to coordinate all the vendors, have someone willing to miss most of the fun of attending your wedding (and are responsible enough to handle it), don’t need announcements (or just add a microphone and mixer), want to save a little money, are not worried that a drunk friend will change the music or ramble in the microphone, that don’t care about their guests requests (or are handling that in advance), then I offer a system that’s made so they can just plug right in and not have to worry about a thing. It looks and sounds great (I can even add a hard drive filled with music for those requests).

I was recently in a wedding where the couple did their own music (via laptop, not iPod). They spent a good deal of time picking out music and getting suggestions from other people, and then had someone in charge of music for the dance. It went wonderfully and there were none of the problems that some of the DJs are saying are going to happen.

I agree with the “classically oriented” music (ie–not pop) article above. I am also a musician myself (as well as my fiance) and have had 4 years of sound equipment training/running to satisfy my desire to want to make my wedding reception intimate for any number of guests. Intimate=what I/my fiance want to hear at our reception.

We are aiming for a live big band/jazz band for the dinner/dancing part, and then later, the musicians will head home, the laptop and sound system will come out at breaks and for dancing, and we can provide everyone with a taste of how our lives were brought together in the first place. It makes for a real nice reception, I’m used to hard work, and it will be worth whatever the pricetag is.

With respect to the DJs, some of whom obviously feel threatened (as can be discerned by the tone of their responses), they have no one to blame but themselves.

To put it simply, DJs are expensive and often the only time they leave an impression is when they screw up — My brother’s DJ didn’t even have the song my brother and his fiance had for their first dance (fortunately, another DJ at the Hotel had it and was kind enough to loan it to us). He also arranged the speakers around the whole reception hall rather than on the dance floor; he then played the music so it was loud on the dance floor, making it too loud everywhere for the non-dancing guests to have conversations.

I have had other DJs tell me that they will run the show like it is their party.. well I am sorry it is not their party, its my and my fiance’s party. Another engaged couple I was talking with said that their DJ has refused to not play certain tunes because they get people out on the dance floor! I don’t care if they get people out on the dance floor, if my fiance and I don’t want to hear them at our wedding, we shouldn’t have to hear them.

Now, I am not saying that there are not some really excellent DJs out there, and if a bride and a groom want more than basic music; i.e., if they want a lighting system, or if they really feel they need an emcee, then a DJ can be an excellent way to go. But the idea that a DJ is a sure way to have trouble free entertainment at the reception is just plain silly.

Future brides and grooms the key to make your day exciting and memorable is to involve as many of the senses as possible. Most importantly, don’t under estimate the power of the visual sense…your eyes.
Sight is the sense we value the most.

Great bands create numerous opportunities for visual stimulation and since no one else has commented on this I feel I must make some corrections and offer a few thoughts.

Firstly, the cost of the band is NOT often 2 to 10 times more than the $1500 average cost of a dj unless it’s a CELEBRITY or a 15 piece big band during the month of June or other popular wedding month.

If you’d like to have a band but feel that bands cost too much unfortunately you’ve been in dialog with the wrong people. Most of your very best wedding musicians are not in it for the money. They are in it because they love playing music and also feel it’s a special honor to be a part of the celebration of the joining of two lover’s and their families. I know many great musicians whom aspire to this notion.

Secondly, regarding songs, if you begin dialog with a band early enough you can view their song list and cross out songs you don’t want to hear and ask them to learn a few songs that you absolutely want to hear on your day but don’t see in their repertoire.

Don’t under estimate the power of human performance. Any professional photographer will tell you that a great band will create more photo opportunities than a great dj. If your family(ies) possess a talented singer or two they can sing with the band. Note:Occasionally the family singer is known to be the source of a healthy belly laugh or the fighting back of a tear.

A great band is often the spark behind a truly special once-in-a-lifetime moment. Moments that before cameras and camcorders could only captured in the heart.

Don’t rob your eyes of the chance to capture these special (visual) moments. You’ll cherish them in your recall many years from now.

Finally, don’t cheat yourself of the awesome photo and video opportunities that only a live band performance can offer for yes, close to the same price as a dj.

P.S. Some bands offer “dj time” during their breaks. This obviously gives you the best of both worlds.

I’m planning on using my ipod for my upcoming wedding. A lot of people have mentioned the costs of equipment involved, which I agree could be very expensive, but the easy solution is to use a venue with a good sound system already in place. For instance, we are having our reception at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco. They have a technician on-site for the event included in the cost of the rental, and we will be providing a good trust-worthy friend to man the playlists and to announce people coming in and the various dances and cake cutting, etc. Oh and we are going to program our two iPods, in the unlikely event that one should fail (and bring our chargers!). Good luck to everyone, no matter which method of making music you choose!

This is a very STUPID move. If you want to save a few hundred dollars I would cut out some thing else not the dj. I am a Bride to be and that was very high on my priority list. A dj is someone who makes your event flow the best. Takes the extra stress off the bride to know that everything will run smoothly. I have seen so many ghetto weddings using your ipod, if you want your wedding to go like that, this is very trashy. I have seen weddings where people do this and everyone of them has been terrible, the songs dont play right , they sound like crap, and there pauses between songs where everyone is just standing around, is that how you want your wedding day, the day that is suppose to be the most specail day of your life. Not me personally I would pay the extra few hundred or even a thousand dollars to have a proffessional run the show, to make sure my guest are having a great time, and most important to give the bride piece of mind. If your spending all this money on your wedding what a few hundred more just to ensure your day is a special as possible.
Anyone who says different is completly wrong and dosnt know what they are talking about.

We used a company called You DJ iT for our wedding last weekend and it was PERFECT! They delivered a professional system, set it up and showed us how to use it! We had a party a couple of weeks ago and selected the playlist we invited our wedding party to bring their own iPods it was a BLAST! One of our guest told us that a week prior to our wedding she attended another wedding and the DJ actually ruined the reception! She told us that our wedding was much more fun and unique!! We had a friend of the family do the MC’ing and you would be amazed how getting behind a mic can release your “INNER DJ”! I am telling all of my friends about it and how perfect my reception was! I can’t thank them enough! DJ’s I hear they are selling franchises so instead of whining about the future of wedding entertainment I suggest you give them a call……..

Me and my fiance are using our MP3 player with a a nice 560 watt speaker system. We went to our friends wedding who made Cd’s and played them in a nice shelf stereo and let a cousin be in charge of the music and he was an outgoing person so he did a wonderful job at getting people to dance and get them together when it was time for the cake. Maybe if you are having a huge wedding with lots of guests you might want to consider a DJ, but if you are having a small intimate wedding in a small venue then I think an IPOD and Cd’s will work just fine. I do agree with people who say that DJ’s want to play there music, because I emailed Dj’s and all would take requests but when it came right down to it they would play there own mixes. So if you are having a wedding on a budget, then let the entertainment be where you cut the costs. Your family and friends will not care if it’s a DJ or a MP3 player as long as there is music playing.

The Dj’s on here calling people cheap bastards are very immature. People are not cheap because they need to stay on a budget. You saying that proves that using an MP3 player is a better idea than a smarta** DJ.

As a lot of you seem to be “pro-DJ” (most of you being in the profession, I’m pretty sure) you keep talking of all these extra expenses. I however, have a friend with an amp, microphone and such. We already have a laptop (two, actually) and two iPods. Tell me we won’t be saving money! We have very specific musical tastes, NONE of which ANY DJ knows! HOORAY for the death of cheesy DJs!!!! (And, you DJ’s out there, “YES, you are CHEESY!”

There appears to be pros and cons to doing it both ways. At my upcoming wedding, we plan to use a friend who is an amateur d.j. He will play the exact music that we want, but he will fade the songs in and out and he can mix up the playlist as necessary. He will dj using a labtop (which any dj should be capable of). Perhaps the solution for djs who are being replaced by ipods is to agree to use only the bride and groom’s labtop/playlist to ensure that they hear the music that they want.

WOW! We are lucky! A close friend of ours is our Wedding Singer & Professional DJ. I can’t imagine our day without him, because he is a great entertainer & Speaker as well!

My sister and her husband used cd’s on my sister’s stereo in a very big building with no sound system to speak of. It cost them money for cd’s. I think they figured the final cost at around 83 dollars after they had bought some songs they really wanted and didn’t have already. So, with the exception of changing out cd’s, we never once felt the need for a dj. I’m planning on doing it with an iPod because I know it can be done, and done well. My Brother-in-law is going to run the music, and he’ll do it well since he did it for his own wedding.

I think there are benefits to using a dj, but to those who keep on going on and on about how cheap we are for wanting to save a couple hundred bucks on a dj on “the most important day of (our) lives,” I have this to say: A)It’s still just one day out of your life, most important or not, B) I’m not going to let that type of attitude (which most vendors have) talk me out of hundreds of dollars here and there that could be going towards my retirement or my kids’ colleges, etc. and C) the most important day of your life should be about being with friends and family and the person you are marrying and celebrating. If it all comes down to things that can be measured in dollars, then good luck with the marriage.

I completely agree with Candido – a band (a GOOD band) is absolutely the best way to go if you can afford it. Although it is more expensive than a DJ. Most DJs in my area are @ $500, whereas the band cost me $1500 – but worth every single penny. That was my number one priority when planning my wedding, and it is the number one reason many of my guests commented to me that it was the best wedding they had ever been to – and many of my friends and family still talk about it. We still had a full dance floor at the end of the night – and we have GREAT pictures and video of everyone having a blast! I’ve been to many weddings with DJs – some good, some bad. But even the good ones don’t compare to a live band. That said, I would definitely go for a DJ over using an Ipod – for all of the reasons the DJs here have mentioned. You don’t want any extra hassle on your Big Day. Maybe the Ipod would work if you have someone specifically assigned to the task of operating it and acting as emcee, that’s very important. But I would hate to ask a friend or family member to perform that duty when they should be enjoying the wedding. And I hate to say it – but using your own system does say “cheap” to me, and that’s not the impression I would want to give my guests.

I don’t think you can just leave it up to an iPod. I have DJ many parties, clubs, etc. The ideal of the iPod wedding is good to a point. An iPod is good for background music while people eat, but when it comes to the husband & wife dance, and for your guests it’s important you have someone in charge of the music. A DJ can read the mood of the people and make corrections that an iPod cannot. And sometimes, some songs, even if its a fav of the bride and groom, are best left private (hint no Megadeth!)

I see some folks are anti-DJ and thats fine. I don’t think people who are DJ’s trying to tell anyone that they are cheap for not having a DJ. I think people under-estimates the value of a DJ and think a simple iPod can do the job just as well. Listen, I am NOT a DJ, but I do know that a good DJ makes the club hop. I think an iPod is an iPod and it is good for listening to when you have friends over, working out or general background music. I just think that when it comes to weddings, if you are not going to have a band, you should go with a DJ, or at least (as someone says). I’ve seen the DJ mix two iPods before and that was cool, still it was good to have someone that had some knowledge with music and you don’t have to have a professional DJ. We all know friends that are good at music, someone who is DJ as a hobby and seems to be pretty good at it. A friend of mine got married and he had a friend of his do the DJing and it was perfectly cool.

By the way, there is nothing wrong with trying to be inexpensive for a wedding. Gone are the days when daddy use to foot the entire bill. Most of the time, the bride and groom got to pay for most of their own wedddings. Especially if its the second go round. I just think people need to look at their budget and decide on music in this order from most expensive to least expensive. 1. A live band 2. A professional DJ 3. An amateur (friend) DJ 4. an Ipod and 5, lets not forget the mixed tape (or CDs).

About the iPod wedding: Someone suggested that it will cost more or just as much as a DJ and that is not true. You don’t have to rent a PA system, speakers, etc. Must stereos have an aux input that you can buy a $10.00 cable and you hook your ipod to it and you have great sound. You don’t need megawatts for a wedding reception. And some stereo systems are equip with a mic-in, in which some, not all, will allow you to talk while the music is playing. So don’t believe the bull about how much more expensive it will be. On the downside, you will have to set up your own equipment within the allotted time of the hall rental (or wherever you have the reception). This will require one of your friends to miss the wedding perhaps, unless the reception is on the same grounds as the wedding.

Listen, I think its wrong to start off your married life in debt because of your wedding. But if you are going to have an iPod wedding then you absolutely must pre-designate someone in charge of running the music for you. But if you CAN afford it, get a DJ, even if its an amateur one. I think they do more than just PLAY music. They can set up all the stuff and be prepare to play while your wedding is going on. And then tear down the equipment after you and your guest have gone. By the way, whose ipod is it… the groom’s? the bride’s? They normally leave before the reception is over so how are they going to get it back? I mean, we are talking about providing your own music to your own wedding so it can’t be a friends ipod because that isn’t “your” music.

Another thing.. as an amateur DJ myself, I have always, ALWAYS, asked what type of music the bride and groom wanted (when I did DJ the two weddings I did). I also show them what I had and if I didn’t have it, they did and I we burnt cds specifically for their wedding. I know its not about me and how “cool” I think I am. I take myself COMPLETELY out of the picture because the music that I like can be different then the music that I play at parties. I have DJ rock clubs, country music clubs, and, of course, dance clubs. I’ve done house parties, holiday parties and theme parties (the sock hop parties were the best!). The one thing that I had always kept in mind is that the music have to be appropriate (i.e., no cussing included). Now someone mentioned that they were looking for Geswhin and etc, but the local DJs didn’t have it. Why not work with the person? But I do know that some DJs think that they know what is right and no one else have a clue on what they are doing.

Hey, I am not dissing the iPod wedding. I think its actually innovating, but trust me, sometimes the music you think is “cool” and “great” may not be so for your guests. Now if the wedding is all about you and you want to express yourself, then play anything you want. I can tell you that I know my friends wouldn’t be down with some of the artists I think people should hear (Mary Prankster, Muse, Miles Davis) so while you are expressing yourself, be sure to keep your guests in mind. An iPod can’t determined what music is inappropriate and an iPod can’t take request (sometimes a best man, or another guest may want to dedicate a song to the bride or groom).

To everyone who is being negative: If people are only coming to your wedding for the music then that’s really pathetic. Who cares if there’s a 3 second delay between songs or that a certain song isn’t on the playlist? If that’s enough to make people leave your WEDDING RECEPTION, in which the whole point is to support and celebrate your big day then you have some really crappy friends/family. It isn’t about the party, it’s about the BRIDE and GROOM. Guests aren’t going to care that you don’t have a spectacular speaker system because the point is to just have fun and be there for those you care about.

I for one am having my maid of honors husband DJ our social and wedding reception, I personally feel it would be more intimate and comfortable, plus he know’s more about us then a DJ would.

My cousin used an ipod for music at his wedding reception as they were doing wedding way on the cheap (outside ceremony, mother made the food and wedding cake, no linens or centerpieces). They borrowed a sound system from my other cousin who has a band, so they had microphones, speakers, amps, etc… The song list was fine and people danced, but the draw back was that they had the bride’s uncle MCing, and he was terrible. No charisma whatsoever and a super mono-tone voice so no one even noticed when he was announcing their first dance. But, overall they saved a ton of money and no one had anything bad to say about the music itself. No one requested songs, but it didn’t put a damper on the reception. Overall this was a fun wedding, so not having a DJ didn’t ruin anything.

I’m getting married next November and I am gonna use an I-pod for the music at my wedding and I doubt that anything really bad will happen that will ruin my day,I will have 2 I-pods just in case one crashes,My brother is gonna run the I-pod but is not gonna be the M.C,The place where our reception is gonna be held has everything we need so we have nothing to rent,We get to chose which songs get played when we want and we save alot of money,Which in no means says”WERE CHEAP”We just happen to have 3 kids to worry about,So will an I-pod work at your wedding??? YES IN SOME CASES ITS THE JUST AS GOOD IF NOT BETTER THEN A D.J!!!

Reasons why I do not want to hire a DJ:

- DJs ALWAYS massacre the pronunciation of ethnic last names.

- EVERYONE has a charismatic family member who will introduce the bridal party, bouquet/garter toss, speeches, etc FOR FREE.

- The last wedding I went to, the DJ played DMX, 50 cent & Ice Cube. um, no thanks.

- Music played at weddings is formulaic and outdated. If I’m going to spend a day going through what music I want played with a DJ anyway, why not spend that time programming it myself?

why i will use an iPod at my wedding:

- it’s easy enough to find programs to mix music. personally, i know a DJ who will pre-record a mix for me.

- ever heard of survey monkey? create a survey and send it to your guests. ask them to include music they want to hear and music they don’t want to hear. that way, everyone gets a say.

- i’ve gone to weddings where DJs have played fabulous music and ones where DJs totally bombed. the key to success at any wedding are the people who attend. cheesy music or great music, your guests are there to celebrate your night with you. you know who the party poopers are, so if you want your reception to be a blast, scratch them off your list or let them sit in the corner and sulk. you can’t please everyone, but you can please those that matter. if you can do it and save a few hundred bucks doing it, then it’s a win-win.

I’ve been reading many different opinions on the ipod wedding and have a little different take on the pros and cons. Our wedding production company, Sacred Events is adding an ipod wedding package for our event management clients that want to go this route.

As a wedding planner, I have been to hundreds of different wedding receptions from small and intimate dinners with very little dancing to the ‘rip roaring re-invent the club at your wedding party’. I am a little different from most planners, as I have been a wedding DJ prior to event producer, so I do know the benefits of 1. having a good DJ and 2. having a technician onsite for any electronic gliches, which do happen.

I think that ipod weddings do have their place especially in this year of budget restraints. It really comes down to the atmosphere you want to create and the amount of dancing you want to have take place at your wedding.

If you are having a small intimate wedding 30 – 65 guests and you are not having a lot of dancing, the ipod could work well. We planned a wedding where the guests just wanted to visit and talk. Most of the time, the small weddings are like this.

You could spice up the entertainment with an ethnic dance act like Mid Eastern Dancers, or performance art like the Chinese Plate Jugglers and have the ipod background dinner music and it would work fine. As long as you had someone on staff that kept an eye on your sound system and was there to take care of any gliches.

But if you want to get a dance floor moving and keep it moving, you need a GOOD DJ or band. The music should be appropriate for your guests. So many times, couples will hire a band, and they can be very loud, in a small space, the older guests will leave before cake.
We’ve had an R&B band interactive with the guests, before the dinner even was served and the energy of the party was great for all ages into the night. I suggest you really think through the entire wedding experience and your budget and make decisions accordingly. You can have amazing atmosphere, fun and memorable wedding without spending a fortune.

What you really need to do is have a well thought out good plan and a manager to make sure all your wishes are followed, in a timely manner.

You guys are all retarded. Ipod weddings are ridiculous, wedding DJ’s are washed up cheese balls, and bands are some washed up musicians singing at YOUR lame ass wedding because thats all they can get. Also, wedding djs are labeled as cheesy for some of the music they play, but guess what? They are playing that crap because it has probably been requested 10 times by your cheese ball relatives. They are only playing what people at your lame reception are requesting. Its not like they get into their car when they finish your reception and rock out to the YMCA and the Chicken Dance on the ride home. They probably hate playing it more than you hate hearing it. Getting married is an all around ridiculous idea. Get over yourselves.

We are using an IPOD and will also have a computer to download itunes for songs we don’t have in our list. Guests will be able to pick a song if needed and then there is the all important ones you forgot. This will give everyone the music they want to hear. We are lucky we already have all the equipment needed. I think using the ipod will work out great.

I gotta say as a DJ I am pretty shock at some of my fellow DJ’s on here. First THERE IS A DJ for every BUDGET!!! Also Yes it is YOUR DAY!!! There is NO reason a DJ should play any songs that you don’t want to hear on YOUR DAY!! With that said there is also No Reason why the DJ should not Have ALL THE MUSIC you REQUESTED. I have been in the business for over 20 years. Although I do not recommend an iPod at a wedding, It could be done. BUT with that said there are alot of things to consider, Who is getting the “rented sound system there and take it away”, Who will professionally announce the important things, who will work with the staff of the hall, work with the video and photographers. Perhaps Us DJ’s are thinking of the higher end weddings. But you should think of these things as well. I had a bride give me 4 hours worth of music that I played. I warned her many couples will want to dance to THEIR OWN wedding song that day in most cases I get a lot of requests like this, not to announce but just to slow dance. Now will your Ipod be able to do this? In my case I explained to several couple I was unable to play anything but the “Playlist” They where very unhappy. Although the wedding went without a hitch and NO ONE DANCED. The bride and groom where happy on THEIR DAY. I can’t say the same thing for the guests that asked when I was gonna play something “THEY” could dance to.!!!!
I also agree with some posts that SOME DJ’s are expensive however you have to understand if they are professiona:
A/ l they get music from professional sources I subscribe to 3 music services 2 are radio services which means I get new music before you hear it usually takes about a month for the song I got today for you to hear on the radio.
B/They are INSURED
C/They have Professional equipment
D/YEARS IN THE BUSINESS-Like myself I have 20 Years in, so I can work for “big money” however I do not work with everyone and every budget!!!
E/They LISTEN to their CLIENTS NEEDS AND WANTS (Or DISLIKES)
F/If These DJ’s are concern about losing jobs, perhaps they should do what I also offer….. You want an iPod wedding sure, I got that sound system you need to fill that hall…. AKA RENT YOUR SOUNDSYSTEM and TAKE THE NIGHT OFF, OR BETTER YET RENT 1 SET UP AND DJ ANOTHER PARTY…. CHANGING TIMES REQUIRE WORKING SMARTER!!!!!!

EVERYONE WANTS TO BE A DJ, BUT IT TAKES A PROFESSIONAL TO ACTUALLY DJ RIGHT !!!

I totally disagree with an Ipod for a wedding. First off I want my friends and family there to enjoy my wedding not to worry about the music, timing of the events and all the various things that could go wrong. A good DJ better play what you want, they’re employed by you. Ipod seems tacky to me unless maybe-it’s a very small at home type wedding. We have 100 guests and I can’t imagine one of my family members dealing with that.

We had an ipod hooked into a GREAT sound system that we bought for $300 which we use on a regular basis at home thru our LCD tv and to play our ipod. Thats all we needed.
There were NO downsides to having an ipod at our wedding. It didnt make our perfect special day any less special. We had a semi formal wedding and our celebrant was mc so she had a microphone and pa system.
It took time to select the right mix of songs and put them in order for our 4hr reception.
There is so much info out there that using an ipod should be equally as good if not better than a dj. So many times Ive heard of djs playing songs that the bride and groom werent happy with even after giving them a list of must play and must not play songs.
You know your guests better than a dj who’s a total stranger. Its not too difficult to select songs that not only the bride and groom like but songs that will be enjoyed by everyone and songs that will get people up and dancing.
Its more about the ambience created by the people and the bride and groom than the music. If the bride and groom are happy and if they get up and dance it will encourage everyone else to do the same.
So why wouldnt you save a tonne of money and stress by using an ipod and a simple speaker system. You dont NEED to go overboard with lighting and all this other professional dj equipment. As long as people can cleary hear the music your good to go.

It’s my opinion that the wedding reception is a celebration put on by the bride and groom, for their guests. Many people on here are saying that “it’s my wedding and the DJ better play what I want” To a degree I agree, if there is a particular song that you don’t want played then the DJ shouldn’t play it but the DJ is there to put on a party not demonstrate the bride and grooms music tastes.

I was a guy who wouldn’t pay the $1200 bucks for a DJ. I said we’ll do it ourselves. 5 years ago we didn’t have an Ipod we used our computer and a playlist. We now have a video of my wife standing in the middle of the dance floor with her Dad for 5 minutes waiting for the father daughter song to start up. I looked like a fool.

We also learned that there is a huge difference between a stereo that rocks your living room and one that rocks a dance hall.

Funny thing was, when I found out how much my wife spent on other things like $600 bucks for flowers, 300 on toole, and hundreds more on ribbons and other stuff I totally would have spent the money and got the DJ.

I am using my MP3 player for my wedding, however we are having an informal wedding to begin with. I already have hundreds of songs downloaded, so that wasn’t really a problem.
My Mp3 player cost about $100 but I already had it, the pa rental was $42.50. As far as the lighting goes, it really isn’t that important to us, we’re not out to impress anyone we just want to have a good time and certainly lights are not the reason for having or not having a good time. Being surrounded by family friends and booze it

I am seriously considering the iPod play list route myself. My fiance and I have pretty particular tastes and we are also trying to eliminate strangers at our wedding.

The venues we are looking at have great sound systems, so with a little planning the coordinator of the sites will be able to help us. They already let us know that they can arrange it all beforehand. Whether we will wind up using the iPod or loading mix CD’s, it shouldn’t be a problem.

Remember that many wedding venues are used for several different types of events. They have sound systems already, people use those dance floors all the time. I highly doubt most people would wind up RENTING equipment.

I don’t think we’ll have a problem getting people dancing because it will be small, 50-60 people, nearly all family members, so we’re close. We’ll just shout at people to join us.

ha ha ha, Ive recieved way to many hugs from the bride, free drinks, referrals, smiling faces, letters in the mail, huge tips and lasting memories at the weddings ive played to ever believe an ipod could do it better. A well equiped DJ can almost do anything! It comes down to simple communication. Your DJ needs to be appreciated. It drives me insane when I show up to a gig and there is no table set for me, no one knows where im supposed to be, what time everything can start, what songs to play(not play) and they get mad when something isnt what they want. Talk to your DJ its an easy thing to do for something that may be very important. A profesional DJ with a smart Bride(groom) or whoever else can and will lead to an excellent night. I prove it almost every weekend.

I was pricing I-pods just last night for this very reason. I found a 8GB which holds up to 4,000 songs for $147 dollars. Connect the music player to your home theater with compatible cables, and you have a sound system. Borrow your friends karaoke machine for a mic, and allow your friends to DJ. They can scroll through your I-pod for music choices and make announcements or share a special memory over the mic. I will be DJing our wedding with an I-pod!!

As a DJ myself I’m shocked to see fellow DJs calling people cheap bastards and retards. This does our profession nothing but harm. Just think about what you’re saying.

Booking a DJ can be a daunting task. We’ve all been to a party where some idiot DJ has played Smack My Bitch Up at Auntie Floss’s 60th Birthday. Take a step back though and consider how this happened. If you rang round several DJs and then booked the cheapest one at the end then that’s asking for trouble. People think they can book the cheapest DJ available, not even speak to him beforehand then expect the night to run exactly how they want it to.

As a DJ myself I put a lot of effort into giving people exactly what they want.
I like to properly consult with clients before the event. I encourage clients to make a tracklist beforehand leaving ample time spare to incorporate requests from guests on the night and to change the music around depending on what’s working on the dance floor. You can set up what is, in your eyes, the perfect track list but that’s no guarantee your guests are going to dance to it.

It’s the DJs job to get the crowd onto the dance floor. Imagine a DJ is playing some 70s disco classics and the floor is full of middle aged people having a bit of a boogie. Suddenly, after 20 mins they get bored/tired/want a drink/cigarette and they all sit down. The DJ then has to change the music to get others onto the floor who may not like 70s but love 80s or whatever genre takes their fancy. The iPod would just solider on with whatever it’s programmed to play, it won’t react to the empty dance floor.

2 second gaps sound terrible too. Quite often I see people leave the dance floor when a track has a quiet start only to run straight back on when the track kicks in and they realise what it is. On a dance floor you can’t let people rest, not even for a second or they’ll lose interest.

Some of the comments I’ve read on other sites are shocking too. Like one bride-to-be who said her mate had an iPod docking station and it sounds amazing. Sure, I bet it does sound amazing in your empty front room. How amazing is it going to sound in a party venue with all your guests talking at the top of their voice.

And for those saying lighting isn’t important. Show me a nightclub with no lighting, I’d love to see it. Clubs spend ludicrous amounts of money on lighting as they’re an important part of creating the right atmosphere.

Renting a PA & Lighting system won’t come cheap so the savings might not be as much as you imagine. What if the PA fails, what next. I carry backup equipment everywhere I go. Do you really want your night ruined just to save a few quid. If you think it won’t happen believe me, it does. Equipment has failed on me in the past and I look after my stuff.

My advice would be to find a DJ who has a good reputation. Ask him for some references from previous clients. Converse with him about exactly what you want played and what you don’t want played. How loud you want the music. How much interaction you want him to have with the crowd. Make sure he carries back up equipment in case of a failure. Public Liability Insurance. All equipment electrically tested. Signed contracts detailing your commitments to each other.

There are DJs out there capable of giving you exactly what you want. Just don’t expect them to cost £80.

we will be using an Ipod, or even Pandora Radio. Putting together a song list is actually fun. The DJ at my first wedding pretty much sucked, the music was typical, and didn’t fit our tastes.
If people dance they dance. If they don’t they don’t.

I believe that you can DJ your own wedding but YOU should not be involved at all if you are going to use this option you should a) identify a friend or your day of coordinator as the person that will orchestrate the ipod – you need this person to assist with playing different songs for your special moments (first dance, cake cutting, father dance, etc.) b) you should lay out a detailed playlist and create those playlists in the ipod before hand , c) do a test run with your friend/day of coordinator to ensure it runs smoothly.

For more advice or to schedule a consultation email snseventplanning@gmail.com.

I am in the wedding business and can certainly see both sides of the fence here. We are in a recession and can understand clients wanting to stay within a certain budget. Cutting costs on your entertainment can prove to be a modest savings (when looking at the percentage of the overall wedding) at the expense of your party going badly.

A good DJ can be well worth their price and make for a very enjoyable evening. Such a DJ should also never treat the reception like “their own party”. It is the bride & groom’s day and the bride & groom should have full input into the playlist. With that said, I have seen Brides & Grooms create (and insist upon) their playlist which killed the party within 2 songs. (For those that have posted tales of horror stories about DJs ruining a party, are you certain that it wasn’t a DJ that was respecting their client’s playlist?) DJs should certainly respect your “do not play” lists (The Chicken Song or YMCA or whatever music you object to hearing on your day). At that same time, you should value a DJs experience in reading the crowd… give them some latitude to get (or keep) the party going.

As for having a friend or family member behind the mic, running the playlist etc… I have a warning for what I have seen with regard to friends and family being given responsibilities on your wedding day. Friends and family typically get caught up in the festivities and fall behind in the commitment they have made to you for MCing, catering, bartending, photographing etc. Put a couple drinks in your friends / family and they quickly forget that they have an important role for your day.

If DJs didn’t play the stale set of times universally I might think they have a point. How many times have I suffered through the Chicken dance, or Strokin’, or the other members of the standard wedding D J set? They play the same 40-50 songs (September, Play that Funky Music, etc), wherever you go in the US, and want to say they do a good job?

ClearChanneln couldnt homogenize it any better.

We had dueling pianos at our wedding.

We’re doing an ipod for our special songs. Not any trouble, just make a playlist on itunes. One for the “first dance” tunes and another list for the instrumental music during the meal.

Our reception hall has a nice sound system that the ipod will plug into easily. No extra expense.

For the main entertainment at the reception we’ve opted to play Guitar Hero (or Rock Band! People can take turns and 4 can play at once. People can dance or watch. The little kids will dance to anything. It is a relaxed afternoon reception. The Reception hall also has nice TV so we just bring the wii and the instruments.

The best part about it – it is so US! It suits our personalities and lifestyle and lets our guests share in the fun.

As a former profesinal D.J. I was never paid like these hack wedding D.J.’s I am planing my wedding with an IPod due to the simple fact that my bride and I want to hear the music we want to hear. Who cares about your guest. It is our day and after spending money on and for your guest, this is one thing that you can have as your own.

You don’t need a lame D.J. charging you $100.00 per hour, when he makes about 15 bucks an hour (if he is lucky enough) at his day job. Take your IPod, hook it up your home system and get yourself a karaoke machine for your P.A. system. I know the mic will be in mono but, a mic is always in momo. Never hire a D.J. for $100.00 bucks an hour. Just buy the equipment you need and then take it home and enjoy it for the rest of your life.

Wow, talk about some rather pretentious people on both sides of this discussion. I love how so many of those getting married seem so “hipster” in their tastes. God forbid you would have to listen to some music that is played at every wedding i.e. YMCA, or The Chicken Dance. I’m sure your diverse guest list would be much more happy with setlists from groups like Angels and Airwaves, Colplay, or Death Cab for Cutie. Yep, I’m sure that would get your party going! It boils down to selecting what your budget allows, if it’s an iPod wedding then so be it. However, deejays taking shots at people getting married for being cheap and those people, in turn, defining all deejays as cheesy and outdated is just ridiculous.

What do I think?
I think if you can’t afford simple entertainment and you have pinched every penny then you should not even have a reception with dancing. Just go thru a drive thru in Vegas…It’s cheep~!

I thought about this as a solution for our low budget and as green as possible wedding reception but…. the fact that we have everyone pitching in all around with their own duties… I wanted to take the stress off the family. I hired a guy from my childhood who is giving a great deal and I gave him the song list that will be played, no chicken dance, and let him know that any requests had to be from that list.

I think communication is very important and the DJ is in the business to make the client happy. And knows that future referrals are on the line if he doesnt do what he/she promised.

An MP3 player cant emcee. That is what my decision came down to.

I have a better way to cut wedding costs, replace your planner or consultant with your DJ. Why not? Almost every wedding planner or consultant I’ve met is clueless as to what really happens at a wedding.

I’ve been doing weddings for over 19 years now and, in the end, I end up running the show anyway.

So, there you go, fire your planner and hire a DJ.

I can understand saving money, but, why would anyone want to risk one of the most important days of your life to chance. You an your guests won’t remember if the roast beef was cold or the balloon arch was flat, you will remember if you had a great time or not. Professional Dj services take the chance out of the event.
There are Professional DJ services and there are the weekend warriors that do it for the money and have no concern for your special day. If you interview several DJ services, you will be able to tell which ones will be the right one for you. Call their references. Previous clients won’t lie.

It all comes down to this. Do you want a fun, worry free event or the stress and the chance of your event being the worst day of your life.

“Leave the iPods for the back yard keg parties you cheap bastards. Scrimp on other crap.”

Why do some people have to be so rude and call those thinking of doing this “stupid”? Some of us (like myself) cannot afford a DJ but really, really, really want music for their reception. My wedding is not going to be huge; my reception will most likely be in a community center–100 people or less. I’ve been to weddings where an ipod or cd was used for the ceremony only, and it turned out fine. Not saying things can’t go wrong, but I’m on a very tight budget so I’m having to cut corners everywhere. If someone can afford a $30,000 wedding, great…but I’m not one of them.

This is an account from a friend of mine:
My wife and I took the weekend off to visit her parents up in Menohmen MN. (225 miles – six hour drive each way) Up towards the Minnesota/North Dakota border by Fargo. We stayed at the Casino Friday & Saturday evenings. Friday they had a concert by the band Styx. (Really – they are still alive ) Then on Saturday night they had a wedding in one of the smaller ballrooms.

Between 6pm and 1 am I walked past the ballroom 4 or 5 times to see what was going on. The B&G had a large dance floor (rented) with an ipod plugged into one (1) powered speaker with no lighting or Master of ceremony. The first time I passed by the room they were doing toasts to the B&G. There was no organization, no control over the microphone loudness and no order to who would speak and when.

The next time I walked by the B&G was on the dance floor having their first dance as husband and wife. No one was paying attention to what was going on, many of the guests were out in the hall or outside smoking. When the song ended it was silent. The B&G stood there for what seemed like forever but was probably 30 seconds then each walked away in a different direction. Then another song started “I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz but no one went onto the dance floor. It looked like two of the bridesmaids were in charge of the music selections. I hung around for several songs but then went on my way.

The next two times I walked by to peek in – the “stereo typical” wedding music was playing but again, no one was dancing. Most of the young kids were out in the halls running around like crazy people. The adults sat there like lumps in the darked room. For “Beat it” by Micheal Jackson I did see a bridesmaid with two little kids get out and dance a little but quickly left the floor when the kids got bored.

It was a complete disaster and I felt bad for this couple who looked to be in their early 20’s with a room of all ages and yet the dance floor for the most part was unoccupied and there was no “excitement” level or direction for the group.

WOw!!!! I never thought there would be so much hate about using an ipod at your wedding. It comes out fine. If your venue has a system all you do is pay to use it about 50 bucks and plug in you ipod and the night will go smoothly. Okay, so you dont have a person who makes weird noises at random times, so what its better that way. Download or buy cds like Wedding music or Dinner Music, (We got both in instrumental) and set upa playlist with about 50 songs and had the playlist on repeat and it was plain romantic. Im sure you can do the same with regular songs as well. It wont hurt to have your brother o brother in law welcome the bride & groom for the forst time, and say special announcements. Our wedding turned out great without a DJ and without a band. Oh and it wasnt to save money either, it was just an idea we thought would be great and glad we did! Hope this helps others who want to save money or just want a romantic night!

I have had a great time reading all the comments. Well I have been giving a lot of thought to using an ipod for our ceremony and reception. Then it came down to “What will people think of me if I use an ipod?” I then became convinced that I had to have a DJ and that a DJ will help with the flow of the event. My greatest fear though is having a cheesy DJ that says stupid things, tries to get crowd interaction, or plays awful 70s music. Also, since when has the DJ been given the highest honor of coordinating all vendors, announcements, and events? So far, the only DJs I would semi-trust are $1200-$1800. This is way more than I want to spend on music. After reading all this I am back on my ipod kick.

I think the whole wedding industry is way over priced in the first place. It is horrible how vendors try to play on the emotions of people by saying this is “the biggest day of your life” or “this is YOUR day”. This is a special day of hopefully many to come. It just so happens that all your friends and family will be gathered at once. I think Miss Manners would say that any guest should graciously attend a wedding reception without complaint. This is the Bride and Groom’s gift to the guest. With that said the hosts of the party should graciously make their guests feel welcome and comfortable. I think with the ipod route you must consider appropriate music for everyone.

I am still up in the air about what to do, but I am pretty sure I’d rather save some money. We’d rather spend extra on great food and plenty of alcohol. Once everyone is drunk they won’t care what music is playing:)

Just like I’m sure photographers have had to adapt to people only wanting digital copies of photos, DJs need to adapt to people being able to DIY. Offer better prices DJs; times are tough.