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Beginner August 2020

Who has successfully held a reception without a Dj?

Jaime, on May 26, 2020 at 11:07 PM Posted in Wedding Reception 0 9

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Hey all!
My Fiancé and I were supposed to get married in Punta Cana In April, and with future travel being so uncertain right now we have decided to have a ceremony and reception in our home town August 29th. I’m having trouble finding a reasonable priced DJ right now especially with it being so soon. Has anyone successfully held a reception without a DJ? How did you execute it? Guest list is around 80 people. I do have Spotify premium and our venue has all the sound equipment we need. Thanks!

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9 Comments

Latest activity by Naikesha, on May 28, 2020 at 5:17 AM

Master October 2022
Jana · on May 26, 2020 at 11:37 PM
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Lots of receptions skip the dj when there is no dancing (usually cake and coffee in the church fellowship hall) with no problems. If you want dancing, DIY music doesn't always work, because it's not set up to read the crowd and what they respond to.
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Legend June 2019
Melle · on May 26, 2020 at 11:37 PM
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I was at a reception last year that had 80 people and they didn’t have a dj. They just borrowed a speaker from someone and had a Spotify list play in the background too. They didn’t have a dance floor either so there wasn’t any dancing. But it went fine.
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Legend March 2017
Pirate & 60s Bride · on May 27, 2020 at 12:37 AM
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If no dancing or a party vibe, skipping a DJ is fine. Want dancing or a party vibe? Get a DJ. Well worth the money.
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Master August 2019
Rebecca · on May 27, 2020 at 12:41 AM
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The larger the crowd, the more you need an emcee/dj to help guide the party. Keep looking, I'm sure a lot of couples are postponing/cancelling.
If you still can't find someone, you might need to ask a member of your BP to at least be in charge of the playlist.
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Expert February 2021
RaylaSan · on May 27, 2020 at 1:02 AM
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I feel like as long as you have a good sound system and a good playlist you should be fine. My wedding won't be having a DJ though, we decided to hire a live band for our wedding.
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Champion June 2019
Gen · on May 27, 2020 at 1:42 AM
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We didn't have a DJ (we used a spotify playlist) and it went over really well! A few things though... make sure you have someone responsible for MCing (like, making announcements, encouraging people to get up and dance, etc) and to manage the playlist. It really isn't enough to just press "play" and let the playlist go... you need to change songs if people aren't responding, adjust the volume, etc.
Another thing is don't be afraid to go off-playlist! We used our playlist for about 30 mins and then my husband's best man (who we had put in charge of manning the playlist) and I ended up just picking some off-playlist songs because we felt like they would fit the mood really well, and THAT was when people actually started getting up and dancing.
A DJ definitely does WAY more than just pressing play on songs. I cannot emphasize how important it is to read the room in order to choose what song (or what type of song) to play next. That being said, I still don't think hiring an actual DJ is "necessary" if you have a friend or relative who would enjoy taking on this responsibility (and who you trust to do so!)
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Master October 2020
Margaret · on May 27, 2020 at 7:30 AM
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Our wedding is scheduled for this fall and we have no plans for a DJ. We're planning on just using speakers and a playlist that we've been working on. I think it will be fine without.
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Super October 2020
Trisha · on May 27, 2020 at 7:33 AM
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I Personally Prefer A DJ. Our Families Are Party People && We Want That Party Vibe, Hes Also Interactive With The Guests. Dont Want Anyone Sitting Down. We Also Need An MC To Keep Things Organized. I Wouldnt Want To Ask Someone To Be An MC, Id Rather Them Enjoy The Reception And Not Have To Worry About The Timeline && Announcements.
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Super September 2020
Naikesha · on May 28, 2020 at 5:17 AM
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You can do a play list and have it prepped.
You will need help though for someone to stop it during speeches. Know what/where you have specialized songs. (daddy daughter dance etc. )
Check thumbtack, craigslist, gig master. You still have time.
PM and let me know where you live and budget maybe I can help you search.
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