Supplier Takeover: Hampshire Event DJs
Est. 2018 │ Southampton
Photo: Alisa Roberts Photography
Hampshire Event DJs are a team of experienced DJs from radio, nightclub and event backgrounds. They all use the same identical modern equipment and provide a consistent experience with all of the party tunes you want to hear and none of the naff old cheese you don’t. Simon Clarke has put together this post for us, full of advice on finding the right DJ for your wedding.
When From Brides With Love asked us to blog about wedding music we jumped at the chance! It’s something we feel very passionate about and we know couples care too. Some say the music at a wedding reception is one of the things guests remember most so it’s important to get it right. But it’s also worth considering music is subjective, divides opinion and often couples themselves have very diverse tastes. So where do you begin with making sure you and your guests have a great evening?
Start by finding a DJ who understands music is about emotional connections.
Songs have the ability to take you to a different time and place. It’s why you feel amazing when a song comes on the radio which reminds you of leaving school, your first car, a teenage holiday abroad with your mates or messy university nights out. Music from the decade spanning your mid-teens to early 20s has the ability to make time travellers of all of us. It’s a great place to start when putting your party playlist together especially if a lot of your guests shared your life during this period of your life.
Photo: Alisa Roberts Photography Venue: Three Choirs Vineyard
Many mobile DJs just don’t understand this. They turn up with the same set-list they’ve used for years and cannot understand why fewer people are dancing over time. We’ve all been to “those” kind of weddings and its fear of their own turning into one which has seen more couples turning to bands in the last few years. Bands generally provide a set list so a bride and groom have complete control over what they will hear. Bands are considerably more expensive than a DJ and you really don’t need to spend that much to get the party tunes you want.
Just dedicate a bit of time to finding a good DJ:
- A DJ who will play all the songs you’ve requested in advance and is comfortable playing YOUR music even if it’s unfamiliar to them.
- A DJ who will follow YOUR brief because they care about customer satisfaction.
- A DJ who understands trends.
- A DJ who puts YOUR happiness above their own gratification.
Photo: Alisa Roberts Photography Venue: Three Choirs Vineyard
Let’s break those points down in more detail...
Providing a list of requests to a DJ in advance is often no guarantee you will hear them on the night. The DJ may avoid them because the tracks are unfamiliar and they will take them out of their comfort zone. This is their problem not yours.
Neither is a DJ failing to source requests in advance if you gave them a list. Your expectation is those songs will be available on the night. This can be forgivable if the DJ you’ve booked sends along a last-minute substitute although a good DJ will make sure the replacement has everything you’ve asked for.
Understanding trends is important. We don’t just mean downloading the entire top 20, but understanding why certain older songs have become acceptable again because of popular culture or themed club nights your couple will have enjoyed with their friends and created positive emotional connections to songs outside of their formative years.
The final point about putting your happiness first is the most important. You’ve hired the DJ to do a job. It could be the job is to give everyone a really good night and you’ve given them full creative freedom. Or it could be you only want a certain genre of music, have a specific list of songs and don’t care if only 10% of the room get up and dance because it’s YOUR night. A good DJ will follow your brief and not their own personal satisfaction in pursuit of a full dancefloor.
Check out their blog for lots more great advice here.
From Brides (and Simon!), With Love xo
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