Wedding and party playlists and mobile Djs.

I’d like to offer some advice to brides and grooms and anyone booking a mobile Dj for a party re playlists.

In the last 42 years I’ve had more playlists than you’d ever imagine. Some really amazing ones and some absolute howlers!

I have several pieces of practical advice for you to help your event be a huge success.

1. Hire an experienced Dj with great customer reviews who accepts reasonable playlists and plays requests.

2. When you send out your invites include a place where your guests can choose three songs. When you get them back compile a list and sent it to your Dj. I have a handy playlist creator on my website: https://platinum-discos.co.uk/playlist

3. Please don’t expect your Dj to play every song on your playlist. It should be used as a guide and an indication of what you and your guests like. We will of course try to play as many as possible but sometimes we get playlists 5 pages or more long and it’s physically impossible to play them all in 5 hours. An average song is  three to four minutes long, that’s 15-20 per hour or approximately 100 songs per night.

4. Hire a Dj who plays requests on the night who can cater for a varied tastes in music. My music collection is 1.4 million songs, I’ve been buying music for 42 years!

5. Please remember that your guests need entertained too and the music played should appeal to everyone.

6. Your Dj will think a successful night is one with a full dance floor and will do everything possible to make that the case. Please allow him to do his job. Reading a crowd is not easy and takes years of experience, it’s why the experienced Djs charge more.

7. Look after your Dj! I’ve been very lucky and met some fantastic brides and grooms and I seem to avoid bridezillas. If you get on well with your Dj, he or she will move heaven and earth to make your night a massive success and go the extra mile where necessary. If you upset your Dj at the beginning of your night it can really put them on a downer which will effect their performance. Djs are human too and we can be put off by some bad interactions.

8. The best nights I’ve had have always been with very chilled out brides and grooms. I always tell them to relax, as after all, you’re really just having a party with all your friends and family! Don’t stress yourself about timings as weddings in particular rarely run to time. As long as you do all the things that need to be done at some point that’s all you need to do.

9. Picking your first dances and father daughter dances can be hard for some couples. I’ve made a first dance list and father daughter dance list to give you some ideas. Most brides and grooms have an “our tune” which makes life easy. You can find these here:

https://platinum-discos.co.uk/top-50-wedding-first-dances/

https://platinum-discos.co.uk/father-daughter-dances/

10. Please please please don’t just pick songs you like! I’ve been put in that awful predicament a few times in 42 years where the bride and groom insist you only play songs from their playlist. I personally don’t enjoy looking like an idiot playing songs that I know that nobody will dance to.

I’ve actually turned down jobs where I’ve received a really bad playlist. I’ve asked if it has to be rigidly stuck to and if the answer is yes I decline the job. I want your wedding or  party to be a huge success and that means applying suggestions one to ten.

I hope that my advice has been of help to you and I wish you a successful and fun filled night.

Ashley.