How to DJ at Your own Wedding With Just an iPhone

Posted by Nicholas Yeandle on 06/04/2020

In an age of user-friendly technology, and with the rise of intimate weddings, the idea of DJing at your own wedding is not absurd, but does require careful consideration. Becoming your own music czar allows you to stick to a tight budget without compromise, select carefully curated playlists to match the mood of every moment of your day, and pre-arrange guest requests. However, there are things to consider to ensure that your DJ-less wedding doesn't end up feeling ill-considered.

What You'll Need

Obviously, you'll need a reliable digital media player such as an iPad or laptop, capable of holding enough music. We recommend that you have a playlist that is an hour or two longer than the length of your reception, which will allow you to start the music before guests arrive and have backup songs in case you need to fade any songs out early or skip any sections that you no longer feel are appropriate on the night.

You then need a sound system to pack enough punch for the size of your venue and number of guests. AV Xpert offers good quality sound systems for hire which come with a wireless Bluetooth connection as well as an aux lead if you want to connect your device with a physical cable. A microphone (either wireless or with a long enough cable) can also be hired separately. Alternatively, we offer complete party packages, that come with everything you need for the evening reception, with a sound system, microphone, bluetooth and aux connecction, and some disco lighting for the dance floor all included.

Have a Backup Plan for your Backup Plan

Technology is not fail-safe, and devices can lag, or run out of battery, so it is always a good idea to bring along a second or third digital player all loaded with your playlists. When renting equipment, make sure it is set up and tested well before guests arrive at the venue to ensure everything is in perfect condition for you. This is a service AV Xpert can offer; as well as running 24-hour technical support for hired items.

Prevent "Guest DJs"

Just because there is no designated DJ, it doesn't mean that control of the music is up-for-grabs. There are many things you can do to prevent guests trying to hit shuffle on your playlist, or replacing their devices with yours. A Bluetooth connection is the easiest way to solve the issue, as you can keep your phone/ipad etc hidden away in your pocket or somewhere out of view of guests. Just don't forget to keep it in range of the sound system to prevent the music from stopping! You usually get around 25 metres.

Alternatively, you can create music request cards to be sent out and returned with the invitations, as there does need to be an element of crowd-pleasing at your wedding. With this, you can hide your device out of the way of guests, while ensuring that the floor-fillers are played!

Crossfade and Cut

Poor transitions between songs is enough to kill a party mood or make people want to leave the dancefloor, so ensure that your playback is gapless. This can be done through iTunes or apps such as Virtual DJ, and is also an option on Spotify and Apple Music. DJ Apps also allow songs to be cut down if they have an extended intro or outro and many have a complete auto-mix function.

Amplify It!

For any celebration, you need your music to be louder than life, which can be achieved through hiring the correct sound systems for the job. For example our Mackie SRM450 v3 speakers are perfect for a reception with up to 80 guests, and if hired with a pair of matching subwoofers, they will suit audience sizes in excess of 150 people.

Don't Rely on an Internet Connection

Internet connections drop all the time and you do not want that to happen right in the middle of a belter, so offline playlists are best! You can create these on iTunes and many of the available streaming apps.

Interested in hiring kit for your Wedding? Few quick questions? Need some technical advice? Anything at all, just give us a call on 01480 587556 or email us at info@avxpert.co.uk, and one of our xpert AV techs will be on hand to answer any questions and talk you through our hiring process.