Tips from diddydeks' to make your wedding disco memorable for all the right reasons

How are you going to entertain your guests?
One of the most difficult decisions for your wedding day celebrations is choosing the right entertainment for yourself, your family and your friends. And what about that daunting first dance?

By selecting a professional mobile disco you are starting to make this decision a lot easier. What other music maker has the ability and the stamina to perform for five hours or more, provide non-stop music during the evening including a pleasant background to your wedding breakfast, and supply wireless microphones to make your Best Man's speech sound even funnier?

No other entertainer will have such a wide range of music styles available.  From ballroom to boogie, Mozart to Motown, all will be in the DJ's vast repertoire, virtually at the touch of button - with enough variety to keep the many generations at your party entertained throughout the evening.

Once you have decided on a disco, how do you choose from the many hundreds advertised in newspapers, in directories or on the internet the one that is best for you? The evening is going to be one of the most important nights of your life - a night you will want your guests to remember (for all the right reasons) as well.  Good advice must be to get a professional.

High quality sound and lighting
As well as a wide variety of music to suit all ages and tastes, a professional DJ will use quality sound reproduction equipment that is appropriate for the size of your venue, accompanied by lighting effects that can be varied according to the mood of the music and the time of the event. For an idea of some of the lights and equipment, check out the video clip taken at a local wedding reception.

Legal and above board
To protect you and your guests a professional DJ will have provided you with a signed contract stating the terms of the agreement between you. He will give you a copy of the public liability insurance certificate and perform health and safety compliance checks on the venue, electrical and sound equipment.

Careful planning
To make your evening extra special a professional DJ will discuss your night regularly with you, offering advice gained from the experience of many previous wedding celebrations and:

  • establish start and finish times and access arrangements to your venue
  • create a wedding events timetable for speeches, cake cutting etc
  • list the family names to call up after your first dance
  • organise your departure at the end of the evening
  • discuss music likes and dislikes, special tunes to play and not to play
  • confirm any special requirements of your guests, e.g. susceptibility to strobe lighting
  • find out about your dress code so that he can dress appropriately
  • provide request slips for your guests.

Like all things in life – you get what you pay for  
Expect to pay around £350 for a professional DJ - you may find someone who'll do it for less but you are much more likely to end up disappointed. Unfortunately as in all professions we have our "cowboys".  Beware the DJ with only a mobile contact number; who left his receipt book at home; who will only take cash; who quotes you an unbelievably low price!  If anyone does turns up on the night of your special celebration the chances are it won't be the guy you saw. He will have got a better offer elsewhere, and sub-contracted your job to an inexperienced person. Please don’t get caught out – get a professional on the job; they will be great value for money.

Oh, and that dreaded first dance…
A professional DJ will advise on how to choose, adjust the time you dance together, call on close family members to join you and suggest follow on tunes to get everyone up onto the dance floor.

To summarise...
… shop around, look in internet disco directories or Yellow Pages, etc. Select a few local DJ Companies, ask what service they give, check they have public liability insurance, and have contracts available. Chat to the DJ themselves, give them all the details you can, and get a written quotation.  Before deciding, meet the DJ. Find out if their personality and music style suits you. Finally, once you have found someone you like, book them quickly before they get snapped up by another couple, pay your deposit and arrange to meet your DJ at your wedding venue three to four weeks before your big day.

Now relax and look forward to a GREAT WEDDING DAY.