Hi there. My name is David Newton, and for the past 20 years or so, I have been on a microphone or in a spotlight on a stage or in front of a camera talking. It’s a terrifying place for some people to be, but it the most comfortable place for me. We all have those comfortable places. For me, it’s public speaking.

For the past 6 years, I have taken these skills into the wedding industry as a wedding and event DJ and emcee. What a magical thrill-ride it has been indeed. Over the course of over 600 weddings and events, I have managed to steer my clients towards a few important questions they don;’t know that they need the answers to. I’d like to share them with you.

Why can’t we just get our friend’s cousin to DJ our wedding?

Honestly, if your friend’s cousin is a professional experienced wedding DJ, you absolutely can. Remember, weddings are the greatest day of a couple’s lives. There are many once-in-a-lifetime moments that an experienced wedding DJ is used to navigating successfully. The last thing a couple needs is for a precious memory to get messed up due to inexperience, all in the name of saving a few dollars.

 

Why do we want a DJ who is also an experienced MC?

Many DJ companies may look cheaper on paper, but often do not include a professional experienced MC service. A good wedding MC will be the face of the client and is on hand to charmingly greet guests and ask them to silence their cell phones at the beginning of the ceremony, usher quests towards the cocktail hour reception, energetically announce the bridal party in a fun Grand Entrance, mention the parents of the couple to make them feel honored, facilitate speeches, work with the photographers and videographers to make sure all the important first dances are captured… and even announce which hotel bar the after party is going to be in at the end of the night. This is an invaluable service that not all DJs are comfortable with or even experienced at performing well.

 

What questions should we be asking ourselves when choosing our wedding music?

Obviously my big desire as your DJ would be to know what some of your all-time favorite songs to dance to are. Nothing makes me happier that to see the couple having the time of their lives at their own wedding. Choose songs that are going to make you and your crew yell “OMG! This is my jam!” as you grab their hand and run to the dance floor.

That said, the most important, honest question in my experience is: “Do I only want to play music I like or do I want to play music 100 other guests also like?” In other words: “Am I okay letting the DJ play a few songs, that are definite crowd dance floor favorites, even if I don’t particularly like them myself, so that we all have a great party?”

 

Is all equipment included in the price?

Simply put, yes it is. Depending on the package deal you choose and the needs of the venue, up to 3 full systems will be set up so that no equipment needs to be moved during the flow of the day/night.

 

What if we book you and, for whatever reason, you can’t make it to our event at the last minute?

Firstly, this has never happened with me, so it is very unlikely this will happen. But, it is a legitimate concern and unforeseeable circumstances or tragedies do sometimes come up in life and we can’t always see them coming. IF this were ever to happen, I have some fail-safes built in. During our planning, we work on planning documents that literally acts as a blue-print for the night. I have a number of great DJ partners who also work on the same planning documents system, so I would be able to find a good emergency replacement who would be familiar with reading and interpreting the planning documents and familiarize themselves with all your wants and needs to execute every DJ & MC duty perfectly. But, as I said at the outset, this has never happened with me.

 

Are there important questions we should be asking our venue regarding music and sound?

Wedding venues are known for their picturesque beauty. It is often why couples choose them. It is also good to be aware that, while some venues are wonderful and incredibly gorgeous, they do come with sound ordinance restrictions due to their location. This means that the DJ is often given a maximum decibel volume allowance for the dance music. I have worked with great venues that enforce sound ordinance limitations and we have had a phenomenal party… but it is worth asking what those rules are up front.