MP3 Player instead of DJ.....tacky??

Itunes has a playlist portion that blends the songs together. If you have a friend that's good with music, let them be in control of it. I had two cousins do that for their wedding and it turned out good.

As someone who's going to be using an iPod myself, I say 'go for it.' If you have a small group and you're budget-conscious, I think it's fine. My only concern is having someone who can be in charge of the machine (because I certainly won't want to have to play dj on my wedding day...)

Your wedding, your rules. Just make sure you have a good speakers so everyone can hear. I went to one where they had an iPod, but the speakers were poor and we couldn't hear anything and thus, no dancing.

We went to a wedding in Hawaii where the couple did this and it was great. It's definitely a more casual vibe for the wedding but it's not tacky; we actually really liked it. I think for a small wedding near the water it's a great idea!

IMO a DJ is more than just music. They emcee the reception and keep it moving. They can also tailor what they play based on the vibe they get from the crowd. I think an MP3 is a viable option, but I want what a DJ can bring to a party.

I'm doing it. Pros - free & tailored to you & FH specific music tastes.

Cons - you also have to figure out good selections that your guests will enjoy, which can become tedious & tiresome. And you need to make it somewhat comparable to a DJ:

Check venue, in your case you family farmland. Are you doing it inside or outside? Inside what are acoustics like? Will sound carry well at farther distance than the dancefloor?

If using laptop or stereo system - test the speakers, make sure they dont get that distorted sound when the volume is near max.

Have backup for ipod - make cds having the music in order to be played.

Have an MC - someone that will not only know & keep the playlists on track, but will do announcements. make sure it's someone who's not shy to speak in public, someone who has a good carrying voice & can use whitty humor.

As Paris stated, DJ's typically do more than "just play music." A professional DJ will engage your guests, get them involved and focus the attention back to you at just the appropriate times.

Outdoor events are harder on iPod weddings because you need about 4x more sound to get the same volume (there would be no walls/ceilings to keep the sound focused). Therefore, most iPod stations wouldn't be sufficient to be heard.

Sounds like this might not be a problem if you can plug into your uncle's sound system... but be aware that without some direction and coordination (as provided by most Professional DJ's), your wedding will have several moments that will drag, several "dead air" moments, and such.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lXLAehQ4FI

I'm considering this too. We're planning a small event with mainly family as well so didn't feel the need to splurge on a DJ.

I think it depends on what you're aiming for. I did an absolutely fantastic wedding on a chic rooftop in NYC this fall. They did an ipod for background music, they had no interest in announcements , and they had the sound system in the venue to plug into. They were basically looking for background music, and it was perfect for them.

For what you described? Your solution sounds perfect.

We went to a DW in DR and they also had an ipod playing music.. On the day of they actually lost all of their music and luckily me and my husband had music and him and the groom worked on putting the music back on his ipod from our music.. We were called the music savers.. lol

So if you do this please make sure you have a back up just in case you lose all of your music.. I don't see it as being tacky. Good luck..

I agree, it depends on the situation. We will be doing the I-pod as well.

But we have a accoustic (amplified) guitar player playing three sets at the reception. We have a friend who will be the MC (GREAT public speaker with a lot of charisma) and we have the venue's sound system to plug into.

Your situations sounds very doable for I-pod as well. As others have pointed out, the backup solution is important to remember.

Check out the app "wedding DJ" for the I-phone/I-pad. You can build great playlists and can determine if you want to pause, crossfade etc. between songs.

And so in deciding to use an MP3 how do I even begin to compile the proper music list to play at the proper times throughout the day. im totally overwhelmed, even with helpful websites full of songs

We're doing an ipod mainly because there wont be dancing as such, i'm sure people will but it isn't really what our families and friends end up doing - we do a bit (esp the kids) but are equally likely to play games and stand around with drinks.

We are just plugging in our ipad into speakers having it in an order set to play but anyone is welcome to come up to it and pick something.

Me and my sister are putting it together just of songs we like.

Might not be very polished but it suits the laidback feeling of the wedding

A DJ wouldn't suit us but if you want the extra bits a DJ does then you wont get that with an ipod