By Scott King
When you are hiring the DJ for your Wedding Reception, it’s essential to know the Venue’s ins and outs. It’s important for the DJ’s knowledge and for the clients’ information as well. Here are some questions for you to ask when it comes to understanding the groundwork of the Wedding Reception Venue:
1. Is the Wedding Ceremony at the Same Venue?
Knowing this is important. It will require two different systems to be set up in 2 different locations to guarantee a smooth transition between events. Most times, there is also another speaker set up in a third location for the cocktail hour as well. A professional DJ would get this information upfront and be prepared before the ceremony even started. Preparation ensures that there won’t be any downtime between the ceremony, cocktail hour, and the wedding reception.
King Entertainment Events arrives on site up 2 hours before the start of the ceremony. Showing up with plenty of time to get ready for any obstacles that could occur before the wedding starts (obstacles can be another article on its own). Once we arrive at the Venue, setting up the reception room is what happens first.
This takes the most amount of time because this is where the bulk of the action takes place. Depending on the items purchased, there could be up to 20 up lights, monograms, cloud dance, and Photo Booth. The cloud dance alone takes 2 hours for the water to reach the right temperature. These items all need to be in place before thinking about setting up the other two locations.
2. Does the Venue have a “Day of Coordinator”?
The DJ is in charge of making sure the equipment works and also in control of the timeline and the flow of the evening. First, we make it a point to find the day of coordinator and catering staff to get on the same page. Introducing the Best Man for a toast when the champagne isn’t ready makes the event look unorganized.
Next, we find the photographer and video team to ensure all those special moments get caught on tape. There are so many different angles to keep track of. Double-checking our work and open communication enables all the vendors to have a smooth Wedding Reception.
3. Is The Wedding Ceremony Location covered, and does it have power?
Once the Wedding Reception DJ System is set, we head over to the ceremony location. If the Venue is a place that typically does Wedding Ceremonies, then they most likely have an operations plan already set. Typically, having power at the location is pretty much a common DJ necessity. To be sure, we would ask that question in advance and bring a generator as a back up if needed.
As the DJ company, we bring our own table and spandex skirting. Also, having an umbrella on hand helps protect the gear from the elements in Florida.
The Ceremony system is easier to set up because there are fewer parts involved. Here is a list of what is provided in our Wedding Ceremony Package.
Multi-Channel Mixer
It’s good to have a quality sound mixer with an eq system for your ceremony so that you can cut down on the microphone’s feedback. Hearing a high pitched tone is the last thing a guest wants to hear while the couple confesses their love for one another.
Wireless Lavalier Microphone
This is the tiny microphone that clips to the officiant’s clothes. The microphone pick-up pattern is omnidirectional so that the bride and groom can also be heard while they are saying their vows to each other.
Wireless Microphone on a Stand
Most times this is used for readings from a bridesmaid or family member. Also, some officiants prefer a handheld microphone over the lapel option. You could also use this for singing performances.
Speaker System
Yes, we provide a powered speaker for your guests to hear the ceremony.
4. What is the load in like for the Venue?
Not all venues are the same when it comes to load-in. It’s straight forward in some places. It’s nice when you can back the van right next to the reception room. With some other venues, it’s not so easy. Depending on the Venue, you could have to go upstairs with heavy equipment or have to get through tight spots where the kitchen is. In some cases, you might have to wait for the venue staff to get there to unlock the building. Knowing where you can park and room location is key when it comes to loading in for a show. This is one of the reasons we arrive 2 hours before the start of the wedding ceremony.
5. Is the DJ placed close to the dance floor based on the floor plan?
Let’s talk about the floor plan. The DJ is responsible for the activities throughout the wedding reception, and being close to the dance is essential for many different reasons.
First, having the speakers close to the dance floor makes it better for the sound when it comes time to dance. If the speakers are far away from the dance floor, the sound won’t be commanding enough to help raise the room’s energy.
If the DJ is interactive, they engage the crowd by pulling people out to the dance floor. The longer the distance and more obstacles there are, the harder it gets.
Also, the DJ is in charge of the temperature in the room. If the DJ needed to change the room’s mood, it is easier to do if the crowd is already facing in the DJ’s direction. Simple things like this go a long way.
In Conclusion:
These are just some of the most important points you would want to consider when it comes to choosing your venue and hiring your DJ. In most cases I would recommend a place that is set up for Wedding Receptions. This takes care of many check points that some times are taken for granted when a couple decides to have their wedding reception at a family member’s house or a venue that’s not equipped for the day’s festivities. It’s your big day and you want to have the professionals do what they do best.
