I NEED ADVICE & experiences with DJing your own wedding, Ipod style... well, laptop style actually. Please!

Ladies… here’s the thing; I understand where some of you are coming from. I understand the DIY mentality. Having done this business for over 21 years, I know how to do things. Yes, some DJs suck, and some iPod weddings rock. I’m trying to steer you in a direction that will give you the best results, no matter which route you choose. Saying that all DJs are overpriced, and don’t listen to your concerns, is inaccurate and unfair.

First, know that I chose to reply, in an attempt to assist the OP. I know that 99% of you are not in my market or price range… I’m not prowling for customers here. I have read every comment here, and some are just plain wrong! Look at the video that Carlos posted above… it hits the nail on the head.

Will she have a successful iPod wedding… that depends. Is she willing to put in some work and effort? That will spell the success or failure of her experience. When I said “Do your homework”, that was absolutely accurate in order to have an -continued

Experience that she can look back on with happiness. Simply to show up with an iPod and two speakers is a recipe for disaster (someone above commented on that). That was a bride who didn’t do her homework.

It might be a better thread, had the OP stated…”I’m doing an iPod wedding, and I want help to avoid all the pitfalls that I’ve heard can happen”. Having an open mind, is a better strategy. Sure, you’ll get DJs piping in saying “don’t do it, it’s going to be a wreck”. Sure it might, but the DJs who are commenting are professional, and are trying to help you out. I don’t expect a DIY bride who wants to spend $100 on her music to change her mind and spend $1500 on a real DJ.

The point is… the professional vendors who comment have different motives for entering your threads. Sure, a few might be trying to hustle a client… but the vast majority are trying to help out.

I think Tyrone makes some great points, but I'd like to add a couple of concerns that I'm not sure I saw addressed by anyone.

Let's say you do an iPod/laptop for the music. That's great for your desk at work. but how do you get enough volume for everyone to hear? Most "desktop" sound systems will not be powerful enough for more than 20-30 guests. And then you still have an issue of "how to make announcements" that people can hear.

If you look at the video... did you notice how the "key" people weren't in place (i.e. when they called the father of the bride for the dance and he was nowhere to be found)?

I'm not saying DON'T do it. I'm just saying... look at all the things that can go wrong and prepare, When you anticipate things going wrong they are less likely to happen.

Good luck!

I'm going to chime in here again..Having coordinated an ipod wedding...some things are key in your success..1. a great sound system..a real one, speakers, mic, etc.2. A detailed timelist.3. organized playlist. 4. Someone (other then a guest) to be in charge of the system. It helps if they get to practice before hand. 4. A back up plan in case something goes wrong. 5. Someone who is comfortable in front of a mic and crowd to MC.

An Ipod wedding can be great, IF you are prepared. Good Luck Ladies!

Amy - you just described a DJ.

Lol had to laugh at BG's comment, a very good point!

BG-True! But just stating it can be done! We have to be honest, not every bride has the budget to hire a professional vendor for their wedding..Just trying to offer some advice from experience! I believe it can be done..personally I think the risk is the same..ipod wedding..Hiring a dj of craigslist..

I'm a server for a catering company so I have been to SO many weddings. I would say only about 20% of the DJs I have seen have actually been good at their jobs.

I agree that lots of things can go wrong with an ipod wedding, but those same things can go horribly wrong with a DJ - the only difference is you're paying a DJ to screw up your reception.

I still think a DJ is best if you can afford it since it eliviates stress (do your research when you hire someone!!!), however, it's totally do-able to make it happen yourself with the tips that some of the other brides mentioned (especially the tip about not letting anyone other then the designated person touch the ipod).

That being said, i am having an i-pod wedding. We are only having 25 guests and my venue has professional speakers etc for the ipod hookups and I have an emcee who is a family member.

I feel like I’ve started WW3 here. Mr. Blue, TY again for ur tasteful & confident response. As the OP, I want u to know I’m really grateful for all the time u’ve put into posting on this thread, both in defense of ur craft & for my education. Either way, I TY. I also think I phrased my question appropriately. I asked for advice & life experiences w/ this. It’s what wanted & what I received… along w/ some unintended vendor bashing. Actually, I was surprised & somewhat relieved to hear people say they’ve had good experiences w/ ipods because I know I’ve read endless blogs, primarily from DJs, saying not only is it a bad idea, it’s unconscionable to think that a laymen could possibly host their own party w/ their own music. I understood why they felt threatened, but it was hard to see anything but bias through the blatant anger that they felt toward this notion of a Djless event. I did find 1 DJ who wrote a helpful article w/ advice, not unlike u, Mr. Blue. CONT

I hadn’t initially (tho as I said I don’t have extra money), but as even u’ve admitted, if I do my homework & plan carefully, w/ the right equipment at my fingertips & a little help from reliable people, it is quite possible to pull off. I’ll follow up my response to u w/ another question (though u didn’t actually answer the last one, but I get it, u’re not giving the goods away for free or u just didn’t want to insult my taste), based on what u’ve read, do u think I’ve done “my homework”? Have I gone above & beyond the “average ipod wedding effort” in ur expert opinion? Honestly. Because I feel like so far, I have.

Mr. Carlos, It’s odd that the people in the video were aware enough to know they needed a mic outside, but not aware enough to realize that a stereo isn’t going to be enough to reach the 1st row. My venue has speakers mounted around the garden, connected to a TV inside. As I said earlier, my degree is in theater. I don’t know what it takes to be a DJ, & I don’t claim to. What I do know is how to put on a good show. I know about cues, entrances, & speaking in front of a crowd. I know about lighting & sound. I’m no music connoisseur, & I’ve never tried to read a crowd in my life, but I do know what makes my booty shake, & I know what made my mother’s foot tap (she wouldn’t want me to talk about her booty). I also know people who are still setting up, designing, & putting on shows for a living. This forum is helping me realize that if I REALLY want things to go well (& I do or I wouldn’t be here asking for help), I should call in their expertise to assure things run smoothly.

Honestly, until I started reading and writing posts on here, I thought it was normal to spend 2 months meticulously designing your STD’s, & that all brides looked up what age it’s appropriate to start referring to a woman as Ms. instead of Mrs. for invitational purposes. Hell, I spent days researching wedding etiquette before assuming that I could just call our event a wedding if we were already legally married (the answer was no, not allowed to call it a wedding, & I didn’t). Up until now my sick need to be over-prepared has only held me back in life. It prevented me from moving to NY to become an actress. It almost prevented me from taking a job today! Well let me tell u, after reading these posts, I’ve discovered that my over-prepared nature is FINALLY going to pay off! Of course it will screw me on the day of the event when one tiny thing goes wrong & flip my lid, but I’ve got plenty of time to purchase all sorts of medication to help with that before we get there, so I’m thrilled.

After all of this, let me tell you what I’ve learned: I’m prepared Mr. DJ so turn the music up! Because I’m pretty sure I’m going to be one of those gals that has a kick-ass ipod wedding! Well, a “marriage celebration” anyway. Oh, unless I find 1500 dollars in the street, in which case I’d hire Mr. Tyrone Blue, of course. After all, his name sounds like a large black man, but his face says otherwise. That doesn’t come free, you know.

@Emily... thanks for the nice comments. The name is actually my stage name... not my real name. I wrote a paragraph on my web site, about how I took this name, if you have time to read it. I work part time for a FM radio station too. I asked them, when I started, if I should use my real name, or Tyrone Blue, and I bet you know what they told me and why.

I'd be happy to give you some pointers, on setting up an iPod, and how to get the best results with it. Just e-mail me (address is on my web site), or PM me here, and I'll send you a message. You certainly have the right attitude to pull it off.

"Oh, unless I find 1500 dollars in the street, in which case I’d hire Mr. Tyrone Blue, of course. After all, his name sounds like a large black man, but his face says otherwise. That doesn’t come free, you know."

Bahahah, I love this forum!

Very well said, Emily!

We aren't hiring a DJ either. We are using Spotify which lets you search for songs and set up playlists. We're just gonna get a paid account so it doesn't play commercials like it does with a free account, then it saves money on not having to download all the songs we want. Then we are just having a friend who volunteered to man the computer to run the playlists and make announcements. The good thing about our friend who's doing this is he actually wants to start his own DJ service, so this gives him an opportunity to try it out. The PA system we are yet again borrowing from a friend who runs sound for local bands and has all the equipment. Ask around, or you can try posting something at a local college. Chances are you can find a student who will do it cheap or even free if they're just trying to add experience to their resume (same goes for photographers and live musicians).

I'm sticking my neck out but here goes. Ipod receptions 'can' be done well. But as most of you have read, there are many limitations. You also have yet another thing to worry about the 'day of'. Backup equip is usually non-existant. No lights (unless you rent them). Limited options for playing requests. Usually no mic. You don't get a 'do-over' on your big day.

Having said that, if you can overcome the obstacles, and your budget doesn't allow for a DJ, I'd be hard-pressed to say you 'need' one. Just keep in mind that with a DJ 1 or 2 people show up with everything needed on the big day, do their thing, then pack up and leave. If you decide to duplicate that on your own, you'll soon find out it's much more costly than you think. In time and money and stress.

If you just want some background music, then an Ipod, etc. should fit the bill. So it's simply a matter of how much do you want on your 'plate' on your wedding day. Neither is better or worse, just different.

Another thing that I just considered based on some of the previous posts. The area you live in will have a HUGE impact on the Ipod vs. DJ debate. An Ipod costs pretty much the same wherever you are. But DJs can vary from a few hundred to a few thousand $. So in some instances, an Ipod is a very attractive option. But if you live in a more affordable area, don't get too focused on the Ipod option. It might be more expensive than a DJ in the long run.

Just make sure you consider all the options, and all the details before committing to one or the other.

Wow! interesting thread!