In lieu of dj

Keep in mind the DJ does more than just play a preset music list. They read the crowd and adjust songs accordingly. They also MC throughout the night and coordinate with your vendors for your timeline.

Most DJs will work with your budget.
They do a bit more than just play music.
Shop around, I got a bunch of quotes on Thumbtack that were way lower than what was listed on their websites.

I've always hearx playlist receptions end early. DJ's can be so expensive but unless you purposefully wanted a short reception, they're worth it.

Most of the receptions I went to that had a playlist vs a DJ only were like an hour--it seemed like it was just a few songs the Bride and Groom liked but none the crowd did.

Thanks guys, I’ve been looking into DJs and I think I found one. I was just wondering if things went smoothly without one. I’ll make sure to book now though!😊

A DJ was a must for us. We set a budget we were comfortable with and were able to get a great deal. I have been to weddings where the DJ was sub-par, and no one stayed.

We went to a wedding where the reception music was a playlist on a laptop. By the end of the night, people kept going up and changing the song in the middle of other songs. It got a little chaotic.

A DJ pretty much makes or breaks the reception. They do the announcements, read the vibe of the party and keep it going. Having a playlist, anyone can go up there and change the music to what they want and mess up the vibe.

Who will you have in charge of the music??

View Quoted Comment Agree so much! I've been to a number of iPod receptions. There was even a couple that chose it intentionally because they didn't want people dancing.

A good DJ is worth their weight in gold! Our DJ had everyone dancing and people still talk about him! My cousin's FH just messaged me a couple weeks back asking for his information.

I was planning on doing the whole playlist thing with speakers at first but after listening to advise on here I decided against it. Just met our DJ last night and I am so thrilled with him! Also got him for a really decent price IMO, shop around!

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Yes! THey're definitely worth every penny!! We went with a more expensive DJ because his reviews were so good, and the videos we've seen from weddings he's J's were all bouncing and everyone having fun! This was important to us! Even my DAD said how important a DJ is!

OP, there's just so much that would need to be worked out logistically, then you'd need someone in charge of it to prevent people from messing with it. Who would you ask? A friend, a relative?? That's not what they're there for.

I did a playlist and rented equipment and it worked great for me here's why:

1) we had an intimate reception of 20 people

2) It was at a restaurant so we wanted more of a mingling vibe than a dancing vibe

If you are looking for a mingling dinner-party vibe with a little bit of dancing as opposed to a full dance reception this could work for you. But, as previous posters have said, if you want a party vibe, the DJ does so much more than just plays a play list. Also there were only 20 people so it was really easy for my husband and I to make announcements, and we were able to just go with the flow more. The playlist can work, but not in all situations.

We were going to do this, but then found a venue where the DJ was included for pretty cheap. I don't really think anyone at my wedding will be dancing- that seems weird given that it's all family and that's certainly not their style. I agree with the pp about I'd rather have a mingling vibe than dancing vibe. Especially if it's just a couple people actually dancing, and certainly myself or FH will not take part in that. The only people who would be into that would be the BM/GM and they'll likely be drinking and dance to anything anyway. As far as MC, I don't really think that's necessary, either. We're not doing first dances, announced entrance, toasts/speeches, cake cutting, bouquet toss, etc., so very few announcements will be required and I'll probably be the one to do that. So if you think you know your crowd, go for it. Just have a couple different playlists lined up so you can change it if you need to.

We are still figuring this out. I have a small 0 guest wedding and a DJ felt totally over the top. I am looking into guitar for the ceremony through dinner, perhaps with some music thrown in via speaker. Some of the live musicians in the area are also DJs, so it would be a bit of a live musician and DJ lite. We aren’t doing many major wedding “things”—maybe a first dance, and cake cutting but that’s it. As I said to my mom, with the guests we have we can just stand at the head of the table and say “ok, cake cutting.”

That was not supposed to be a heart! It was supposed to be less than 30!

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Why's it weird to have aDJ and dance if you're family is there?? Our wedding is mainly family, and there's going to be dancing. No judgement, just honestly curious.

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Picturing my family dancing just makes me uncomfortable- like those are adults over twice my age and they're dancing. I get that that's normal to most people, but that's just weird to me. Being the center of attention from them will be awkward enough for me, so that would just set me over the top and I'd go chill in a corner lol. You couldn't pay me to get close to that dance floor. There's always someone who would want me to join in and I'd have to up and walk away. Like noooope.

We are not having a DJ, because we aren't having dancing. Our venue has professional sound equipment that my fiance knows how to use (since he has worked there) and so we're just making a Spotify Premium playlist in advance.

If we were having dancing, we'd have a DJ.