Wedding Blog

• Karen Gingerich
  Your points are spot-on, Susan! I actually attended a wedding where the bride attempted to go the iPod route (with a friend attending to the music), and before the dancing even started, the iPod's broadcasting equipment stopped working.
  
  The end result was someone backing their truck up to the front doors of the venue and blasting the truck's stereo so the wedding would have some music. The bride was less than thrilled, to say the least! She would definitely have been better off going with a professional.
• Marc Burgess
  Susan,
  Thank you for seeing the value in a PROFESSIONAL DJ.Granted there are a lot of people out there who simply buy equipment, illegally download music and call themselves Disc Jockeys, but just having the tools does not make one a DJ. The same could be said for photogrpahers and videographers. The gear means nothing without the talent behind it.
  
  I will agree that there are some weddings where an I-Pod might be a viable alternative. The important thing to remember is that there are no "do-overs" in a wedding so the bride needs to consider the cost savings versus the risk of not having the wedding of her dreams and being stressed out the whole day.
• Arielle Haze
  I completely agree! Hiring a talented professional with back up equipment and the ability to work with people is extremely valuable!
  
  As a wedding photographer, I encounter the same issue from time to time. Some brides want to save money by just having their guests take lots of photos with digital cameras. I guess each couple has their priority; but, I agree, there is no substitute for a talented, human professional! :)
• Kerline Docteur
  Susan:
  I meant to come over to the blog to see your posting. You were absolutely dead on in your points. Marc also made an excellent point, there are no 'do-overs' on wedding day. It is one shot and you want that shot to hit the bulls-eye. I had a wedding in 2007 where I was a DOC and imagine the horror when her worksheets said they were using a karaoke machine with an ipod as their sound system. Needless to say it was a near disaster:
  1. Dad was supposed to cue the music, he cued the wrong track,
  2. The musical selections did not move the crowd to the dance floor,
  3. The reception pretty much ended once cake was cut.
  
  To all the brides out there, whether its a $1 or $100,000 spent on your wedding, it is your hard earned money being invested into one day...do not DIY your music!
• The Turtle
  Wait, you forgot an enormous ADVANTAGE to going the iPod route: the pod is never going to consciously play some truly awful crap that the bride and groom hatehatehate. I've done weddings, and it never fails that there's some third party who comes over and requests something awful that the bride and groom specifically barred from their lives, usually some uncle or friend-of-the-groom. I stand firm; some DJs do not. The iPod will always stand firm against "Strokin'" or "New York, New York."
• Amanda
  Hey, I am getting married Nov. 22 and I have chosen to use an IPOD. My venue already has the sound system that goes throughout the whole mansion and that includes a microphone. I think if you truly know what you are doing than it will turn out good. I am recording someone to be the emcee so that we can tell everyone who is dancing or when we are cutting the cake.
• Jon
  You forgot one very important thing. How IMPORTANT is the music and dancing to the couple? If they really don't care about the music but just need something in the background, why not spend the money elsewhere? If it is important that there is a party with people dancing, you really can't beat a good dj.
• Mark Sanchez
  Thank you for the article, and for putting the word
  professional in front of DJ. Some people are finally
  getting it. The key word in the article here is professional. There is no way an Ipod will never
  replace what a good professional DJ can do for you.
  All the points in the article are perfect.
  
  Note to Turtle: Not all DJ's are professional. A professional DJ will know the right music to play, and not embarrass anyone by playing inappropreate music.
• Chris T
  No matter how many times I'm presented with this topic I am still SHOCKED to see how many people who are spending tens of thousands of dollars on a "once in a lifetime" event such as a wedding that are willing to ruin it by skimping on the entertainment. Lets face it, no matter how beautiful the facility is, no matter how delicious the food is, etc. etc. if the entertainment is awful then the party is going to be awful. My question then is which of the following is more likely to create and "awful" party: Uncle Fred operating an i-pod or a professional entertainer with years & years of experience? Why risk it?? A good entertainer will most likely cost you perhaps 5% of your total event budget.
  At the end of the day do you REALLY want to look back and say "wow, we really should've spent that extra couple hundred dollars"! As has been said in previous postings....there are no do-overs!!
• Larry James
  I had a couple who - against my pleadings - put all their music on an iPod and failed to have a back-up plan or to check to see if the hotel's audio system was compatible. It wasn't and they had no music at their reception.