The Charleston Wedding DJ: So Much More Than Just Music

The belief at Mike Bills Entertainment has always been to do one thing and do it extremely well. I made a decision out of respect for my brides and grooms to focus solely on helping them create the absolute best and most memorable soundtrack that will allow them to remember their wedding day for many many years to come. The approach that I take with my clients is definitely a more personalized approach. We get together. We drink coffee. We laugh. We get to know each other. We discuss your favorite kinds of music. We discuss the songs that you absolutely positively never want to hear again. After all, it's the DJ you are hiring who you are putting in charge of one of the most important days of your life. You need a true professional wedding DJ that you feel comfortable with. After all the emails and in-person meetings, we generally have enough of a foundation to begin putting together that killer playlist that everyone loves and will talk about for years and years after the big day. The music will always be my sole focus, but in order to make your Charleston wedding the best ever, brides and grooms should know there is so much more to it than someone just playing music.

The Mixing Of Your Wedding Music
You and your wedding DJ have decided on a select playlist of songs. You could easily just load those songs on an Ipad and play them in some certain order. But how would you keep the music from stopping between songs? The best DJs will transition between songs without any breaks or gaps and will NEVER stop the music. The only time the music stops at my weddings is during the portion of the evening where the toasts are happening, and after the last song has ended.  Mixing of music is imperative to keep the party going and to keep the people on the dance floor at your wedding. Honestly, when I sit back and think about the music stopping at any time during a wedding (where it should not), I think about my decade on the air on the radio and remember how it felt when I had dead air. Not only did the boss call and wonder what's up, but I thought about what a letdown it was for all those thousands of listeners. It's equally as disappointing for your guests at your wedding to experience dead air too. The long and short is this. It should never happen and it's a party killer. Hire a DJ for your wedding in Charleston that has a proven track record and an exceptional arsenal of gear designed for a non-stop night of dancing.

Getting To Know Your Guests
The biggest challenge for any professional wedding DJ is properly reading your guests at your wedding and being able to play for all the age groups at your wedding. At the end of the day, the lion share of the playlist should be about the bride and groom, but I always tell my couples to take into consideration the fact that their parents also like to dance, and maybe their grandparents. Let's get some dances in for them too. Hiring a DJ with extensive wedding experience is essential to the success of your wedding day. 

The Voice Behind Your Charleston Wedding Or Event
Mixing the music you've selected for your wedding day is only about HALF of the battle when it comes to being a true professional wedding DJ. Your DJ is also most likely going to be the master of ceremonies too. This means that they need to sound professional and polished on the microphone and don't need to be cutting up and joking on the microphone or saying "Yo, Grandma put your hands in the air" like they did in the club the night before your wedding. You need a DJ with an excellent voice on the microphone, and I do mean "excellent", not high pitched. A pleasing and professional voice is equally important as mixing your music properly. An annoying voice will be remembered for sure, and not in a good way either.  You need a DJ who has a quality voice with plenty of experience on the microphone. It's always been my mantra to make as little or as many announcements as need be. The wedding DJ needs to also make sure they are pronouncing all the names in your bridal party properly too.

Meeting With The Bride & Groom
As I mentioned in the introduction to this blog post, I believe it's absolutely imperative to meet with a bride and groom prior to their wedding. The benefits of this are two-fold. We get to know each other's personalities. You get to see how the DJ is and they get to know the couple a bit as well. It just doesn't feel right for me personally not to meet a couple before their wedding day. Even if they booked me remotely and the bulk of our communication has been through email or even a Skype, I like to make time for a quick 30-45 minute meeting in the days leading up to their wedding day when they arrive into town. When you meet with your wedding DJ, let them know exactly how you'd like the night to go. The best DJs will execute your vision flawlessly and give you a night you'll never forget.

As you can see, there is SO MUCH MORE to the wedding DJs job than just loading in a bunch of heavy equipment and playing music. The importance of the wedding DJ and / or entertainment should never be marginalized and should be given top priority. The impact of the wedding DJ and / or entertainment at your ceremony and reception will be remembered more than any other element of your big day.  Go with your gut instinct and choose the wedding DJ you feel most comfortable with. Look at your wedding DJ as the person who takes all your favorite songs and arranges them to perfection, thus giving you that night you always dreamed of.  That autumn chill has FINALLY hit Charleston and how refreshing does it feel, especially after a few pretty sweaty October weekends. Thank you for finding me online and reading over this blog. I work very hard to keep this blog FULL of playlist ideas, DJ tips, and other things pertinent to helping brides and grooms have the best Charleston wedding ever. Engagement season is approaching again. I'd love to meet you and your fiance and discuss music with you. Click HERE to tell me a little about the big day.