A good wedding DJ is going to keep the dance floor packed all night. A great wedding DJ is going to do more than that. How much more? This will depend on mainly if there is a wedding coordinator or not. If there is not a day of coordinator the DJ needs to take a very active role in keeping the evening moving. If the venue does not have a coordinator the DJ really needs to own it. Let’s get into some details about what a great Milwaukee DJ brings to the table, and what you can expect from a Complete DJ.
Milwaukee DJ: More Than the Music
Being the master of ceremonies is the thing most expected from the DJ. What makes a good MC? In short: keeping guests informed. An effective MC will create a presence and keep the room up to speed on how the night will go. There are a good number of important moments, and creating proper visibility is key:
- Grand entrance with wedding party
- Cutting the cake
- Toasts from family and wedding party
- First dances
- Photo opp with newlyweds
- Family traditions
- Potentially more
The other important consideration for a good MC is being able to properly stage the moments. What is mainly meant here is getting key people in place before starting, and that takes an extra level of attention to detail. The first key people are the vendors with cameras. A good MC will ensure the cameras are set, and this gives the best chance to properly capture the moment. Thinking of people like parents and wedding party is good too. For certain things, like the spotlight dances, it may not even be possible to start without them.
The goal is good flow, and an MC needs to handle the details to make things flow.
Owner of Schedule
If MC = master of ceremony we can make up a new one: MS = master of schedule. The DJ will have the greatest control and stake over the reception of anyone outside a hired coordinator or venue coordinator. If there is a coordinator, great!! We highly recommend hiring one if the venue does not have a day of coordinator. The DJ will interface with this person for high-level schedule management. If there is not a coordinator at all the DJ needs to take the ball and play quarterback. Let’s assume this for the rest of this section.
A great DJ is in full control of the schedule and will keep the night moving. Our belief is that the photographer is the MS for the first half of the day and the DJ for the second. The clean handoff point is the grand entrance. The proper way for this to happen is a quick link between the two, and the DJ taking the ball. This will include lining up the wedding party, and getting the photo and video shooters in place for the best shots.
The DJ will make sure to keep control of the schedule to make sure the key, immovable timing items happen as scheduled. The big one is the dinner start time. The catering staff has a timing that is optimal for the dining experience, and it is imperative to keep that on time. Another key time is the end of the contract for photo and video, and the DJ needs to ensure all important moments are captured before these individuals leave. This means being on time with first dances, bouquet toss, etc. The last thing to consider is starting the dance on time. The goal for us is a 3-4 hour dance, so starting the first dance on time is key to make this happen.
White-Glove Service
What is white glove service? We define it as things that don’t appear to be our job, but we do them to be helpful. This can include grabbing drinks for the head table, carrying the bride’s plate from the buffet, or moving tables to get the dance floor ready. Many of these things will be based on making the couple’s day enjoyable and relaxing, and every newlywed should get pampered a bit on their wedding day. The other focus is keeping the schedule. Anything that can make the dancing and party happen sooner is important, and it is our job.
How WE DO Things in Milwaukee
I, Josh Kingsley, am the Complete Weddings + Events owner in Milwaukee and an 18 year DJ, so this is a fun topic for me. My personal approach to a wedding is to keep guests engaged, the dance floor full, and the couple in party-and-enjoy mode. The goal of our final detail walk-through is to effectively hand all the details off to me. My couple’s only job on the day of the wedding is to be present in all the moments of the day. I will keep track of when the ceremony (if it the same site as the reception), dinner, and dance times are supposed to start.
All of our DJ crew is trained to take this same approach. Our goal is to make the big day fun, fulfilling, and all about YOU!!
Complete Weddings + Events Milwaukee
Complete in Milwaukee offers multiple services to make your wedding planning go that much smoother! We’d love to get a package together for you. Feel free to reach out to us to learn more about our DJ, photography, videography, photo booth, and uplighting services!