Is anyone using a ipod instead of hiring a dj?

I went to an "iPod" wedding last year and it went pretty well, but the couple was super laid back. They didn't have any real problems, but they did have stuff like dead air switching playlists and a song or two played twice. Personally I think if you are going to go this route, maybe using a laptop might be better, so you could perhaps change up songs easier. And have someone completely dedicated to it all night. If you have guests drinking, I wouldn't be surprised if someone decided to just grab the controls and change the song if it was left unattended.

We seriously considered doing an iPod wedding but ultimately decided against it. Our main deciding factor is that neither one of us wanted to make a playlist. Additionally, DJs are really good at playing music that get the crowds engaged and that's something that would've been missing with a basic iPod playlist.

After talking to about 10 different DJs, we found a local guy who does DJ work as a hobby. Since he's only part time (and pretty much known by word of mouth only), he was about half the price as an advertised DJ.

Finding DJs and videographers has been the most difficult part for me so far. The ones that advertise are generally a lot more expensive than the ones who don't, but the ones that don't advertise are hard to find. My advice is to talk to people you know and see if they have any connections to DJs that are lesser-known.

Honestly, I didn't want a DJ, but now that we have one I'm happy with our choice.

I would go for the DJ. I feel like by doing it yourself there will more likely be problems, and you will have to put your guests to work. I considered it briefly, but remembered a wedding that played music from their computer. The music was great but a guest was stuck at the computer all night- I felt bad for him! I feel like music is a big part of a wedding- and one that will affect the guests enjoyment. 800-1200 sounds like a great price (make sure you look at reviews and see if they have videos of their work). Maybe go cheap on things that will affect your guests less- like your dress, flowers, etc...

I agree that DJs are worth the money, having gone to two weddings over Labor Day weekend, 1 with and 1 without. They set the mood, are able to adjust to the vibe the guests are giving off & overall just create a fun environment. That being said, if you decide against it, get a Spotify premium membership (I think it's $10/month) and setup your playlist to crossfade so that there isn't silence between songs. And be prepared to spend a TON of time putting together a playlist. Possibly recruit a friend that is into music to help curate your playlist too.

We did it because the venue we rented didn't allow for a DJ. We found a wedding DJ app that worked really well for transitioning between songs. We also had a very casual, outdoor wedding so it worked for us.

It just depends on your priorities. You said you want it to be fun - does fun mean a giant crazy dance party to you? Will you be disappointed if people end up spending more time sitting and talking? If yes, a DJ is probably your best bet. However, if you're going for a more laid back wedding (especially if it's on the smaller side) you could probably go without.

A couple links to read - http://apracticalwedding.com/2013/11/self-dj-wedding/

http://apracticalwedding.com/2009/09/djing-your-wedding-with-ipod/

We wanted a laptop at the beginning as well, but then we realised that we would have to rent the whole sound system to plug the laptop into, so going with a DJ is much more convenient for us. She is also providing the ceremony music and we can use her microphones during that. Overall I think she's a good investment and we're saving money at other places, like flowers and other decoration. I feel like people might not remember the centerpieces, but they will remember if the music was lame.

We're using an iPod. Our venue has a great sound system and I'm okay being my own DJ. We're going to do 3 playlists - one for cocktail hour/dinner, one for first dances and stuff, and one for partying after. I'm going to be controlling it myself. Our crowd won't be big on dancing, and those that will are great at getting things started.

I think we're going to use an ipod or laptop. My sister is an audio engineer, and has agreed to help me with renting speakers, and I think she already has a microphone or two we can use.

I was at a wedding with a DJ last year, and the dance floor was still empty for most of the reception.

We are doing an iPod, but our wedding is small (14 adult guests, 2 children). And I doubt there will be much dancing at ours, so we are really just having music for atmosphere. So, my thought is it depends on how large your wedding is. I do think if you had someone who could be fairly dedicated to controlling the iPod/laptop, that would work out fine!

For a really small wedding, maybe. But I personally wouldn't ever do it. What is your backup plan? A good dj will have a backup plan for when things don't work. I'll cut costs other places In order to have a good dj. As a bride and groom the last thing you will want to be doing is babysitting the iPod. Plus, a playlist might get old. A dj will switch it up if he or she notices the party is getting stale.

@Tracy : What was the name of the app you used? That sounds very useful, we might want to try that!

I was dead set against a DJ, but I might be changing my mind. We're not having dancing, but there's no sound equipment at our venue. I'm deciding between renting equipment and plugging in a computer and hiring a DJ, but more like a sound person than a DJ. I'm really trying to limit the jobs I give to friends and family, so it might be worth it for me to bite the bullet and pay a professional.

Different aspects of the wedding are important to other questions, but to DH and I, we thought of the wedding DJ (also the MC) as reception insurance. Tons of money is dumped into the reception from food, to cake, to décor. If the DJ/MC sucks...the reception will be a lot more likely to suck. Do you have an MC lined up that you trust? And by trust, I mean you should really really trust him/her. A good MC should be entertaining, but tasteful, organized, on time, and have an invested interest in your wedding (whether its because you are paying him or because he really cares about making your wedding day special). Don't assume that your friend who sometimes uses vulgar language will tone it down for your reception. I have seen way too many family friend MC's make receptions really awkward (i.e. making jokes that one of the bridesmaids "gets around.")

Using an iPod for the ceremony and DJ for the reception. Destination wedding probs

We're doing an iPod. We're having an afternoon, outdoor wedding so we're expecting more hanging out talking and lawn games than dancing. Our venue has speakers set up so you can just plug in your iPod and you have sound in the whole building. If you are planning for a out of dancing I would get a dj and cut costs somewhere else.

We are going playlists on a laptop, my sister has agreed to be "DJ" and my friend has agreed to be "MC". I think it is important to have someone do the announcements for the entrance (if you are having that), speeches, etc.

My sister is going to help with the making of the playlists because she is in tune with current pop/dance music which is something I'm not into.

I'm doing the ipod wedding, mostly because the reception will be on a riverboat, and while they say you can bring a band or a DJ, its not very practical for the room. I'm just going to pump music through the speakers on the boat, like they did when we went on one of their sunset cruises. It was in the background, really nice.

We are using an IPod because the outdoor pavilion for our reception doesn't allow DJ's ~ I feel if you are having a small wedding like we are then an IPod is fine. If you are having a rather large wedding I would go with a DJ. Maybe someone just starting out?

and @Tracey can you tell us what DJ app you used, I would be interested also.

We're going the iPod route for the first part of the wedding because of noise ordinances; we didn't want to have to pay a DJ for the 1.5 hour or so we're eating dinner outside. So we will iPod it for cocktail hour. The DJ will start setting up inside once all of our family and friends move outside for dinner.