Congratulations on your engagement and thank you for choosing me as the DJ/MC for your wedding! I certainly look forward to it and I know it will be a fantastic time.
I wrote this guide to help you in the next steps of the planning process to let you know what I need as your DJ and also to bring up some things you may not have thought about. Think of this as sort of a check list.
Face to Face Meeting
If we have not already met in person, I highly recommend getting together at some point to go over some initial details. This is generally about 30 to 45 minutes, and a great opportunity to meet face to face. If you are planning from out of state or cannot meet, that is okay, this can all be done through email and phone calls.
Client Login
On my website I have a client login for each of my clients. You have probably already received a client login from me (if not, let me know and I’ll create it for you). This client login allows you to handle some of the planning aspects of the night, as well as allowing you to choose special songs for your wedding.
To login, just click the direct client login link I provided in the email. It looks like this: http://clients.theorlandodj.com/client/index.asp?Date=12/27/2011&Password=mypasswd
Once logged in, you will see the screen below. Here you can choose between the planning tool, music requests, and contact form. When making changes in these tools please remember to click the “Save” button or else your changes will not be saved.
Planning Form
The planning form asks questions such as your wedding party lineup order, who is doing the toast, and many other important items. There is even a section at the bottom that allows you to add additional notes.
Music Requests
The music requests section has about 75,000+ songs to choose from. Don’t worry though, because choosing your special songs is incredibly easy. At the top of this section you will see the “Most Requested” button. It will allow you to see a list of the top songs in each category (Overall Top 200, Top 50’s, Top 60’s, Top 70’s, Top 80’s, Top 90’s, Top 00’s, Top 10’s, Bride & Groom, Bride & Father, Groom & Mother, Bridal Party, Bouquet, Garter, Cake Cutting, Introductions). This is great because you can preview the songs and read the lyrics by clicking on the little icons next to the songs. If you are planning far in advance (such as one year) you may want to wait to pick certain songs. Songs that you like now may be songs you are tired of when the big day arrives.
Guest Requests
There is a feature in the online tools that I can enable called “Guest Requests.” If you would like to allow your guests to anonymously choose songs, they can do it through the “Guest Request” login. You can see the songs your guests are choosing and even decide if you don’t want certain ones played. This login is separate from your private client login and can be shared on Facebook, Twitter, Email, etc. Let me know if you want me to enable this feature in the client login.
Ceremony Music
There are many different versions to some of the popular songs such as “Canon in D” or the “Bridal March”, so please make sure to let me know which version you want. This is VERY important so I can make sure to play the correct version.
Here are some song choices you may want to think about for your ceremony:
- Guest Seating (Prelude) – generally a mix of soft music (ex: Classical, Smooth Jazz, or any type of music you wish)
- Parents – Click here for Processional Top 50
- Groom and/or Groomsmen – Click here for Processional Top 50
- Bridesmaids – Click here for Processional Top 50
- Bride and Father – Click here for Processional Top 50
- Sand Ceremony – Click here for Ceremony Top 50
- Recessional – when you are leaving the aisle after being married – Click here for Recessional Top 50
Itinerary
If you need help with planning the itinerary of your ceremony and reception, let me know. I have performed at many weddings and have seen many different variations of how to setup the night. Here is a sample itinerary of a five hour wedding to get some ideas flowing:
3:00 Scott Arrives to Setup
5:30 Guests Arrive
6:00 Ceremony
6:20 Pictures and Cocktail Hour
7:20 Introductions to Reception (Parents, Wedding Party, Bride/Groom)
7:30 1st Dance Bride/Groom, Father/Daughter, Mother/Son
7:40 Dinner Begins
8:40 Toast by Best Man and Maid of Honor
8:50 Dancing Begins
9:20 Cake Cutting
9:25 Dancing Resumes
* Garter/Bouquet Toss during dancing when ready
10:55 Last Song
11:00 Night Ends
One Week Before the Wedding Phone Call
About one or two weeks before your wedding I recommend having a quick phone conversation (usually 10 to 15 minutes) to go over the final details with you. I wait until this time because generally during a long planning process certain details change and many times these are details I need to know about. This is also a good opportunity to go over the pronunciation of the names of your wedding party for the introduction to the reception.
The Big Day
Finally, it’s the big day! The day of your wedding I arrive two to three hours prior to your guests arriving, depending on how much setup is required. I will speak with the vendors (photographer, videographer, caterer, etc.) about the itinerary to make sure they are on board with how the day is going to happen.
I am certainly looking forward to your wedding and appreciate that you have chosen me to be a part of a day you will remember for the rest of your lives. If at any time during this planning process you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call or email me any time.
Thank you…