The Caterer asks the Dj: What about those iPods??

Gotta Dance!!!!

Teatime thought she would ask some of her fellow vendors to weigh in on the blog postings with wedding and/or event related subjects for a change of pace!
I asked Dave Melton of Black Tie Djs http://www.musicaldj.com located right here in Washington DC what he thought about the increasing usage of iPods at wedding receptions instead of hiring a DJ.  Here is a portion of what Dave spells out on a recent blog post:
“November 28th, 2012 by Dave Melton
Are Ipods the way to go for your wedding?  Here are some possibilities where there is no need to waste money on a professional DJ:  If you have an event with 25 guests and it’s in your house, or music just isn’t important to you on this special day – use your iPod!  If you have no announcements and do not care whether your guests may not like the music you select – use your iPod!
However, if music and entertainment plays an important role at your wedding, why entertain the idea of using an iPod?  Two common reasons:  1) To save money and/or 2) to control what music is played.
Before we look at why or why not, you should understand what actually goes into your music entertainment, then decide if it is something you want to take on yourself.  You will soon see that if it was just about pushing play and letting the iPod roll, professional DJs would be out of business…obviously that is not the case.
A typical wedding lasts 5 hour.   That is roughly 75 songs.  ORDER OF SONGS IS IMPORTANT and can make a difference as to the response of your guests as well as dancing and energy levels.  Most weddings require announcements and coordination so that everything runs smoothly and on time.
OPTION 1:  iPod and rent your own system
Time programming your iPod, get all your songs lined up in the order you want PRICE:  FREE
Find RENTED PA speakers, cables, amplifier, mixer, microphones PRICE $300
Your friend sets it all up as you deal with the dozens of song requests all night PRICE: FREE

TOTAL COST:  Was it worth saving $500 on one of the most important days of your life?  We used to rent sound systems for those that wanted to take the iPod route.  When we would arrive at the end of the event to pick up the equipment, more than half the guests left early because it was boring or we were told there really wasn’t very much dancing. Yet they spent $10,000-$15,000 on a day that nobody will remember.  Crazy!

OPTION2:
If you want to control the music, simply hire a DJ that will allow you to do that!  Many people think that a professional DJ simply plays music.  WRONG!  When DJs get married, do you think they use an iPod?  Of course not – they hire professionals.  Just because you have 8000 songs on your iPod doesn’t make you qualified to play the DJ role at such an important event.
Even if you preselect all the music for your event, what if something goes wrong?  Here are some things to think about:
 
  *What if your friend decides to stick their iPhone or iPod in the player because THEY don’t like your song?

  *What if nobody is dancing to your selection?

  *Will the order of the songs you selected be the best order for the party?

  *Will the player be enough to fill your dance area with music?

  *iPods do not make any announcements such as special dances, speeches, toasts, cake cutting, introduction of the wedding party, etc.

  *Who will monitor the volume all night?

If your wedding reception will last 5 hours, a professional DJ will usually put in roughly 5-10 additional hours in organization, travel, setup and consultations in order to make it run the way you want. This is why you will see some DJs charging $500 and others charging $2500.   Find out how much time they will invest into making your event come out the way you want!”
Thanks Dave!
www.teatimeinc.com