Categories that can be selected are:

Are they the same age group as the Bride & Groom?
Are they Parents?
Are they Grandparents?

A. Oldies
B. Motown
C. Disco
D. Classic Rock
E. Country
F. 80s-Dance
G. 80s-Hair Bands
H. Old School Hip Hop
I. Billboard Hot 100 Pop Hits
J. Billboard Hot 100 Hip Hop Hits

Oldies/Disco will usually get the dance floor started??
If Disco is not working then try Country or Classic Rock.

Good songs for starting your wedding reception are:

1) Celebration/Cool & the Gang
2) Run around Sue-Dion & the Belmonts
3) Old Time Rock & Roll/Bob Seger
4) Twist/Chubby Checker
5) Twist & Shout/Beatles
6) Build me up Buttercup/Foundations
7) Brown Eyed Girl/Van Morrison
Brick House/Commodores

Part 1 dealt with reliability,[will the Dj show up]??

Part 2 will deal with ways to asset if a particular Dj
[is right for your wedding when there was no word of mouth recommendation to count on]

Telephone or in person consultation

As I stated previously word of mouth is by far the best criteria!!
However what do you do if all of the,”word of mouth Djs”, are booked??

First and foremost having a conversation with a prospective Dj/Emcee will tell you a lot.
Does this person have a personality?? This is a very important since his or her personality will determine the responsiveness of the people attending your wedding reception, when he/she is attempting to get your wedding party onto the dance floor.

Will this Dj/Emcee be willing to work with you,”Bride/Groom”, as well as the Photographers/Videographers and wedding hall staff.

Example: if you want good pictures/videos then there must be cooperation between the Dj + Photographers/Videographers. If the Dj sets up the various scenarios and gets people dancing then there will be some great pictures/videos.

Will this Dj/Emcee interact with audience?? More importantly how will this Dj/Emcee interact. Will they shout at and demand the audience to do things,especially when it comes to getting them to dance or will they persuade them in a nice way.The best way is for the Dj to get onto the dance floor and imitate the dancing to go along with a contagious dance number.

Your question to the Dj/Emcee should be do your interact with the audience and secondly how do interact and finally how do you get people to dance???

Remember interacting by the Dj/Emcee should be limited to the minimum to get the party started. It should not be done to the extend that the Dj/Emcee becomes the center of attention. That distinction belongs to the Bride/Groom. If the Dj/Emcee is on the mic continuously for the entire reception then that Dj/Emcee is on an ego trip. Once the dance floor is popping there is less need for the Dj/Emcee to be on the mic.
The exceptions to this are announcements of special events such as birthday and anniversary congratulations and shoutouts from the Bride/Groom to various family members and bridal party.

Remember personality is worth it’s weight in gold!!

The most important thing that is talked about long after the wedding reception has ended is people having had a good time versus people having a boring time.

How many times do you hear people talking about the great tasting cake or the beautiful centerpieces or the great meal?

The single most important thing that will make or break you wedding is the entertainment!! This article may seem to be biased since it is being written by a Dj, but after doing your own research I’m sure you will agree with me.

So just how do you select a Wedding Dj/Emcee

1-Telephone book?

2-Internet?

3-Word of mouth!!

4-Club Dj??

5-Business Card??

6-Bridal Show!!

In my opinion word of mouth is the best criteria!!

First and foremost will the Dj show up?? Yes this has become a serious problem with some entertainment companies and Djs. Some things that can look for are:

1-# years in business?

2-# weddings performed?

3-Listed with Better Business Bureau?

4-Business web site,” excluding MySpace which is a free-bee”?

5-Business van or truck?

6-Liabilty Insurance?

7-References/testimonials with name, address & tele#s for verification?

8-Are you dealing with an Entertainment Company that subcontracts and sends various
Djs or one on one with Wedding Dj?

9-Is the Dj/Entertainment Co. local or out of area??

All of the above are based on my experiences and is just a guide to get you started.

If the Dj has make a significant financial investment in his/her business then that Dj will probably show up regardless of the weather or not feeling well on your wedding day.

PS:I have personal experience with Djs that have called me and asked me to perform at their wedding gig on the morning of the wedding reception.Their reason for calling me was due to their drinking the night before and not feeling well.

Remember the Very Best Dj in the world is worthless if he/she does not show up!!

Yes indeed the chicken dance is still a favorite in Schuylkill County.About 10%-20% of the Brides/Grooms will put this song on their hit list, requesting that it not be played.With that being said it is especially highly requested if there are kids attending the wedding reception.

 Secondly having the First dance after the B&G’s introduction has the advantage of receiving maximum attention from the audience. This is when their attention span is at it’s highest, especially when since have not eaten yet and have been sitting around for 1-2 hours.

 [This is the theme of a Toast by the Best man.]

 1-First and foremost, talk about your relationship with the Bride & Groom.

2-How long did you know the Bride & Groom, how did you meet the Bride & Groom    and what it was like knowing the Bride & Groom?.

3-What was the Groom like prior to meeting his wife

4-How has he changed since having met her.

5-If there is a second toast by the Maid of Honor,then the Best Man will primarily talk about the Groom whereas the Maid of Honor will talk about Bride.

 If you want a longer toast then quote more memorable moments.

 Start the toast by  introducing yourself

Example: If  I could have your attention for a moment, I’d like to  say a few words about our bride and groom. I’m John Brown, Mike’s best man and a very close friend,” brother, relative”, etc.)”

 At this point you could say something funny about the Groom and or Bride, such as something about their meeting or just quote a memorable moment.

 Closing the toast The Best Man with his glass in hand looks at the audience & bridal table and asks everyone to raise their glasses. Looking at Bride/Groom he utters something like:

 May you have love, health & wealth; but most importantly, may you have each other and the time to enjoy them all.

 Examples #2 #3
May you know nothing but happiness from this day forward. May God Bless you both,etc.

May you have all the happiness and luck that life can hold.Good luck and God Bless,etc

 The keys words here are,[May you have],etc.Insert you own words.

 The last thing to say would be something like Cheers while looking at the Bride/Groom, Bridal Party and audience followed by drinking the beverage.

 At this time  the Dj will announce the Blessing or will ask the Bridal table to be seated.

 Things not to say:

1:Do not mention X-Girlfriends

2-Try not to read from a long list, if using a list then it should be a list of reminders,etc

3:Do not embarrass the Bride or Groom

4:Do not discuss the Bachelor Party

5:No jokes about the Bride’s family

6:Never use bad language.

7-Do not go on the Internet and copy a Toast verbatim, instead simply use the Internet for ideas only.

 Having witnessed many toasts by the Best Man & Maid of Honor, I can say that most importantly be sincere and let it come from the heart. Being nervous and scared is normal.

Remember to keep it short if possible and if you make mistakes don’t worry about it, you will not be criticized by anyone. I’ve seen speeches that were long, witty and like that of a professional speaker, however the most memorable ones were short, emotional and from the heart, including those with mistakes.