Cutting corners with a dj

We just had wireless speakers and a playlist and it worked great. We had 65 guests and a small venue so there wasn't room for a DJ even if we did want one. We had several hundred songs, all chosen to keep the happy dancers and drunken singers going for a while lol, I think that will be just fine. We also didn't have any toasts, scheduled mom/son etc dances either so there was nothing that needed to be announced during which is why so many go with having a DJ.

A lot of the time DJ's keep the wedding on track with the announcements so if you have someone willing to keep you guys on track so you don't have to worry about it then I would say don't worry about spending money on a DJ.

I think this could definitely work! I wonder if someone could just step in as MC and keep the flow of the wedding going?

We didn't have a DJ (we used a spotify playlist) and it went over really well! A few things though... make sure you have someone responsible for MCing (like, making announcements, encouraging people to get up and dance, etc) and to manage the playlist. It really isn't enough to just press "play" and let the playlist go... you need to change songs if people aren't responding, adjust the volume, etc.

Another thing is don't be afraid to go off-playlist! We used our playlist for about 30 mins and then my husband's best man (who we had put in charge of manning the playlist) and I ended up just picking some off-playlist songs because we felt like they would fit the mood really well, and THAT was when people actually started getting up and dancing.

A DJ definitely does WAY more than just pressing play on songs. I cannot emphasize how important it is to read the room in order to choose what song (or what type of song) to play next. That being said, I still don't think hiring an actual DJ is "necessary" if you have a friend or relative who would enjoy taking on this responsibility (and who you trust to do so!)

We didn't have a DJ either and we had no issues with it!

You need someone in charge of music, even if not a professional DJ (although I would recommend one). DJs not only play your playlist, but usually serve as the MC, helping make announcements and organize guests, and also read the room and know when to play what songs and how to get your guests going. We considered not having a DJ (we're having a 60-80 person wedding and already spending a lot in other areas), but found one that we liked that worked within our budget and we haven't even had our wedding yet and it has been worth it. We were spending SO MUCH TIME trying to find the right songs and make our playlist and figure out timing and the DJ saves us all that, plus they are helping coach us through parts of the wedding we would have forgotten about otherwise, and they are doing music for our ceremony. Overall I say a DJ is worth the investment.

If you decide not to go with a DJ, at least select someone who will fill the role of MC and be in charge of music. That way you aren't the ones constantly stopping and starting the music to make announcements, troubleshooting tech issues, etc.

As long as you have someone to help in case the sound doesn't work then i'm sure that would be fine! DJ's are great for keeping people on schedule and trying to get people on the dance floor. if you have the music for that then you won't need one!