Here are some pros and cons of allowing your guests to make song requests at your wedding!
Let’s start with the pros…
Filling the dance floor:
Most of the time if you allow your guests to make song requests it also means they will be on that dance floor when their song is played. Other guests are likely to join if others are already dancing and having fun!
If your guests are taking the time to go up to the DJ and make that request, they’re going to feel obligated to get out there and dance when they hear their song.
Making your guests feel special:
Another pro of allowing song requests from your guests is giving them the opportunity to be heard. Encouraging your friends and family to make song requests is basically inviting them to play a special role in the entertainment of your evening.
Ultimately, your guest hearing their song makes the moment very memorable for them!
Guest’s Satisfaction:
Another reason you might want to allow song requests at your wedding is that it’s going to directly affect the feedback that you receive after everything is over.
After everything is said and done, your family and friends will most likely be telling you how they felt everything went. More times than not, your guests will want to tell you how your wedding DJ performed and interacted with the crowd.
Generally speaking, if your guests hear the music that they want to hear they’re going to have a great time and their overall feedback is going to be more positive.
It’s the DJs job to skillfully mix between the eclectic mix of music your guests want to hear!
Ready for some cons?
Guests waiting for their request to be played:
When someone wants to hear a song, they typically are not asking to hear a song an hour from now or in the next 30 minutes. More often than not, they want to hear that song next or as soon as possible.
As a DJ, it’s our job to create a seamless musical experience where everything is played at right time.
If multiple guests are asking for requests around the same, time that’s a serious case of “too many cooks in the kitchen”.
With all of this musical input, the rhythm can be thrown off (especially if the guests making requests do not share similar tastes).
If your DJ’s mix of requests becomes too unpredictable, your guests are not going to be comfortable staying on your dance floor. The ending result is anything but seamless.
Distracting your DJ:
Another con to consider is that every time a guest comes up to the DJ to make a request, they’re distracting your DJ from paying attention to what’s happening on your dance floor.
It is your DJ’s job to look at your dance floor and see how everyone is reacting to what’s currently playing. That information is used to decide what the DJ is going to play next.
If your DJ is communicating with one of your guests on their song requests, then that might mean that the song that’s currently on might be played a little bit longer than originally intended.
Songs that don’t fit your wedding:
Your DJ is your last line of musical defense! They have to be comfortable with saying no if they’re getting obscure song requests that do not fit the format that you laid out for your evening.
Similarly, your DJ needs to be making sure songs from your “do not play list” list are NOT played.
No one likes to hear no, and if the song request is denied in the wrong way it can upset some of your guests. This is why it’s important to hire a DJ that is not only talented at mixing music, but is good at communicating so your guests don’t feel snubbed or offended.
So…song requests or no song requests?
Our professional opinion:
Encouraging song requests can make your guests feel incredibly special on one of the most important days of your life.
That being said, your guests were not a part of the planning leading up to your reception. As professional DJs, it is our goal to create a musical experience that exceeds your expectations. Unfortunately, there are times where your guests requests are not aligned with your musical preferences.
The wedding invitation plan:
As a solution, we highly encourage you to ask for song requests on your wedding invitations because not only does that allow them to share their preferences, but it also allows you to vet the songs before you send them to your DJ!
This way you don’t have to worry about hearing anything that you don’t want to hear at your wedding, and guests will still have a say in what they would like to dance to on your dance floor.
Hire a professional:
When it comes to song requests, everything has to be handled professionally, respectfully, and tactfully.
This is where having a professional DJ that has received thousands of song requests can make all of the difference in you and your guests overall experience. Make sure when you hire your DJ, your musical preferences are heard! And please remember everyone is there to see YOU.
If your friends and family see that you’re having a great time, they’re going to have a great time too (regardless of what music is playing).
Questions?
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