Playlist vs. dj

We did this and didn't miss the DJ at all. Couple tips - use a fade in/out between songs so it's not so start and stop. Think about song (especially at the beginning) that will appeal to the masses, not just songs you like.

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Awesome! We did think about the fade between songs. My fiancé and I have very different taste in music so most of the music we both like are older classics which will work great with the guest list we have! I have also made sure to stay away from anything offensive or vulger. Did you pick the exact order of your songs or just put it on shuffle? Also what ratio between slow and up beat songs worked for you?

We’ve been guests at weddings that had DIY playlists and no one danced. The music was great to listen to but you couldn’t dance to it and at a couple weddings the bride and groom got upset that no one was dancing. The music played by djs had the dance floor going all night even if it wasn’t always full.



I’m not sure why people automatically associate djs and annoying talking. That is part of their online spiel when you are watching demo videos and some companies actually do say “if we aren’t talking and pushy, then your party will be a disaster” which is not true. Nearly every wedding we have attended with a dj, they didn’t say a word but they knew how to read the crowd. In our circles, there is no MC hired to talk either and yet everyone can tell what is happening at what point.
A good dj/dancing is one of the key things that guests remember from a wedding as either good or bad. If your guests are not dancers or dancing is not important to you, go the playlist route. If dancing is important, seek out a good dj within your budget and be very clear what you want.

We are getting our own speaker and using Spotify premium because my moms wedding 2 years ago was a train wreck with the DJ. He played nothing she asked for and played his own taste of music. It was awful.

This is a great way to save money BUT only if you don't want people to dance. The thing with a good DJ is they read the room and see what is getting people up and on the dance floor. A playlist isn't going to change and adjust based on what seems to be working with the guests at any given time. Now, if that isn't something that you care much about then this isn't a problem at all!

I am in this same boat, i mean i am all for a DJ but if i cant get one for like 500 dollars then it will have to be a playlist for me. I think even at the price, i will have to use a playlist for some part of the function,

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So, people were dancing the entire time at our wedding but we were very intentional with what we picked and when. Many many people commented that the music was good (After the fact) and didnt' even realize we didn't have a DJ. We picked the order of every song and played 4-5 slow songs in the first 90 minutes or so.

We had separate playlists for cocktail hour, dinner, our first dances, and the "dance" portion. Cocktail was lots of fun quirky stuff that might be hard to dance to like "sweet pea, Amos Lee" or "you and I, Ingrid Michaelson" "all night long, lionel richie". Dinner was similar but a little more chill and backgroundy "I believe I can fly" , "I will always love you" some Adele and similar stuff". Dancing started with stuff like "boogie shoes" "walking on sunshine" "I want to dance with somebody" then got progressively more dancy and modern with more popular music. Each portion had a definite vibe and hopefully that gives you some ideas.

Our first dance songs were on a separate playlist just so it was easy to start and stop.

We did have a designated person to start/stop/change the playlists at the appropriate times.

You can 100% do this on your own, it just takes more thoughtfulness than throwing a bunch of songs you like on shuffle! good luck.

We just made our own playlist but we intended on background music and no dancing. It was nice, not your conventional wedding reception and our guests had a great time. I’ve been to a few others that had playlists in lieu of dj’s but again there wasn’t as much dancing. It just depends on your vibe.

FH and I are making our own playlist to save money. But it’s also a pretty small wedding and there won’t be dancing (unless people really want to of course). If you curate your playlist carefully and have a friend read announcements, then I don’t think anyone will notice a difference.