“We don’t want any cheese” is a phrase I hear from many brides and grooms. I would classify myself as a non-cheesy wedding DJ. Absolutely, I prefer not to hear the same music at every event. My customers get a customised bespoke party based on the music they and their guests love. BUT….
Cheese is fun when you’ve had a drink!
When couples plan the music for a wedding reception they tend to be sober and on the evening itself maybe not so much! We’ve all seen and discussed the effect of “beer goggles” but a similar effect is “beer ears”! I can’t count how many times a playlist has been abandoned in order to mix things up a little at the 500+ weddings I have been the DJ.
When people have had a few drinks in a very sociable setting everyone wants to dance to songs that they all know – songs from childhood, college or whatever. This applies to people of all ages and it does mean that a little classic cheese does have a place at even the trendiest of weddings. Although it might be met with a groan, I love the sense of irony! I fondly remember a biker wedding having a dance-off to Grease Megamix!
Eclectic and cool vs a professionally curated mixture
It’s all well and good choosing a great eclectic playlist for your wedding but what happens if your guests won’t dance to it? The worst thing that can happen at your wedding is for your guest to lose interest in your music. That’s why I try to tell a musical story, moving smoothly between eras and genres and trying to find common ground for all of your guests.
The “classics” are just that for a reason – they are tried and tested (and almost expected) to succeed at getting people dancing. Try to avoid the over-played and tired tracks though and possibly opt for something with a slight twist.
Why did I write this blog?
Recently one of my couples asked for the final 2 hours of their wedding to be R’n’B and Hip Hop. I had played maybe 20 minutes of the biggest tunes from these genres with zero success. The requests from guests were flooding in for “Dancing Queen” and the like. With the groom’s permission, I switched the music up and suddenly the dance floor was full with the bride leading the dancing in the middle to “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” – a song that was nowhere near my remit for their party. With some judicial song choices, the rest of the evening was fabulous. I looked around the room and only 3 people were still seated! It was not a cheese-fest by any means but a mixture of wedding classics R’n’B, D’n’B and pop.
Don’t handcuff your non-cheesy wedding DJ. Let them know what you really don’t like but do allow your guilty secrets to be played. No matter how bad they may be in the cold light of day they could be perfect for your party!
