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Wedding DJ Secrets: Tips to Take Your DJ Skills to the Next Level

by Chris Brower
Last Updated: May 2, 2023

 

Let’s say you’ve learned the basics of wedding DJing, such as how to make a playlist, how to fill the dance floor, and how to MC a wedding. Now let’s look at some tips that can really take your wedding DJ skills to the next level.

 

Wedding DJ Secrets

 

Know Where to Start Songs

A basic of wedding DJing is that you don’t have to play the entire song. That means you don’t have to start right at the beginning of the song.

So where should you start a song?

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach for where to start songs. But some general advice is:

People generally need a beat to dance to. If there’s not a beat, the song is hard to dance to. A lot of songs might start with an intro and then the beat kicks in. Often, where the beat starts can be a good spot to start the song.

Use your judgment. Some songs start without a beat, but there’s a memorable intro that people enjoy like “Don’t Stop Believin’“* by Journey. Similarly, the beginning of “Fireball” by Pitbull is rhythmic and catchy, so people can dance to it even if the drums don’t kick in for a bit.

You just don’t want the situation where the beginning of the song you’re playing is loose and open, and thus people are standing around, waiting for something danceable to start.

For example, “Like a Prayer” by Madonna is very danceable…but not for a while! Vocals start at about 0:21 into the song, which I think is a good place to start. It’s then 20 more seconds before the beat starts, but I think you need that vocal intro to be heard to get people pumped up for the song.

“24K Magic” by Bruno Mars is a fun dance song…but has a long intro that you can easily skip. I recommend starting at 0:23, when the drums and Bruno’s vocals kick in.

Use your judgment and see what works well to find the sweet spot to start each particular song.

 

Know Where to End Songs

Similarly, you don’t have to play songs all the way to the end. In fact, in most cases you won’t. People just get antsy after a couple minutes of dancing to a song. They’re ready for the next thing.

I’m not a fan of wedding DJs who play 30 seconds of a song before switching to something else. That can feel jarring when the music is almost constantly changing.

That said, you likely don’t need to play the entire song. Often, after the second chorus can be a good time to switch to something else, as people have now had a couple minutes or so to dance to a song.

Certainly, if people are going wild for the song even after the second chorus, then you could play it to the end. Some songs are just that popular. Anytime I play “Yeah!” by Usher, people seem 100% game to dance to the end, so it’d be stupid to cut it off early.

Of course, if you’ve been playing the song for a bit and no one is dancing to it, well, that can also be a signal you should fade it out and move on to something else!

Typically, the guests, whether they look to be enjoying the song or not, will help you determine when to end a song.
 


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Discuss with the Couple Where to End Songs for the Specific Dances

I always tell my clients that for the specific dances – couple’s first dance, dances with parents, etc. – they don’t have to dance the entire song.

Let your couples know that for these specific dances they can:

  • Decide a spot when to stop it, such as 1:30 into the song or after the second chorus, etc.
  • Just give you a look/nod during the dance, whenever they feel like it, and you’ll fade it out then.
  • Still dance the entire song, if they prefer.

Many are relieved by this! Oh, thank you thank you thank you! Just the thought of dancing to all 5:40 of “Butterfly Kisses” with their dad may have filled them with dread. But if they know ahead of time that you can stop it earlier, they may feel much better.

I typically mention this option during the initial meeting where I’m trying to book the job. Couples like this simple technique, so it can be a good selling point.

Note: For the specific dances, I never recommend you being the one to decide to end the song early. That should be the couple’s call, as these are special dances, and they may be upset if you cut off the song too early.

 

Play Slow Songs

Many wedding DJs are excited about throwing a party with a ton of energy that they forget the power of playing slow songs.

Slow songs almost always do very well, even if people don’t know the song very well.

People love getting to dance one-on-one with a partner. And some people will only dance to slow songs. Some people are embarrassed at “cutting loose” and dancing to fun, fast songs, but are willing to dance to slow songs.

Don’t forget to play them!

I recommend playing a slow song every 45 minutes or hour or so. In general, I don’t recommend playing back-to-back slow songs. (People get annoyed at multiple slow songs in a row.) But play them more than once a night, unless your client has told you otherwise.

 

Play Slow Songs at a Lower Volume

During slow songs, people on the dance floor often converse with their dancing partner. And slow songs are meant to be more relaxing and laid back. So lower the volume some.

Don’t make it so quiet it sounds like just background music. But lower it from the loud, thumping sound of your regular dance songs.

This simple fix can really improve your wedding DJ skills. People want to be able to chat with their significant other (or whomever they’re slow dancing with) while they’re sharing this special dance, so make that possible!

 

Save Group Dances for When the Dance Floor Is Thinning

Sometimes the dance floor may be thinning (as in, fewer and fewer people are dancing) or maybe no one is dancing at all.

This can be a great time to play one of the group dances (also called lines dances). These are the songs that have a recognizable dance to them. And people love dancing to these songs!

Some popular examples include:

Of course, you can play these even when the dance floor is already full and doing well. But I often save them for when things are struggling. They can revive a dance floor fast.

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Don't Talk on the Mic Over Music

Generally, I don't recommend talking on the microphone while music plays. It can be hard to hear you clearly, for one. Plus, it can be confusing to people. They're dancing, having a good time, and, wait what, now the DJ is talking and saying...something?

From years of talking to couples, I've learned most couples don't want a hype man-DJ who's constantly interrupting the music to pump everyone up.

It's better to talk between songs and only when necessary.

Of course, there are exceptions. Many couples want you to do a grand entrance, where you announce the names of the wedding party members as they come into the reception, while you play a pump-up song. So yes, you'll be talking on the microphone while music plays. Similarly, if you do the anniversary dance - where all the married couples dance and are excused from the dance floor based on how long they've been married, until the last-dancing couple is the longest-married couple - then, yes, you will have to announce the years over the microphone while the song plays.

But otherwise, I don't recommend talking on the microphone over music.

 

Motown/Soul Songs Appeal to All Ages

At most weddings, you'll be DJing to a wide age range of people. Naturally, some songs will appeal to younger guests, some to older. Thankfully, there are some songs/styles that seem to work well with all ages. And one of those is Motown/soul music. You can get people in their 70s dancing next to people in their 20s. Some popular artists include:

  • The Temptations
  • Commodores
  • Sam Cooke
  • Aretha Franklin
  • The Four Tops
  • Earth, Wind & Fire
  • The Jackson 5
  • Etta James
  • Little Richard
  • Stevie Wonder

 

Try These Surprisingly Popular Songs

There are tons of obvious hit songs you'll think to play. But there are several gems that I've been surprised to learn do great. Not that these songs are unknown, but I wouldn't have guessed these would fill the dance floor even more than much "bigger" hits.

You might have success with some of these:

 

Have Another Song Ready to Go After the Last Song

Always have another song ready to play after the last song of the night. You most likely won't end up playing it, but it's good to be prepared in case the couple begs for another song.

Should that request come for another song from the couple, you want to be able to hit PLAY right away, not be scrambling to think of what song to play and then find it in your music library.

Of course, the couple could tell you a specific song to play, and if so, play that. But otherwise, it's up to you. Be ready so you can keep the party going for one more song!

Remember, it's up to the couple (and the venue) if you're allowed to play another song or not. If guests beg for another song, great, but they're not your boss. It's up to the couple and the venue whether that's okay to play another song.

 

Get Song Ideas from Wedding Speeches

Sometimes the maid of honor will mention a song the bride loves during her toast after dinner. Or someone else will give a speech and reference some songs that the couple likes or used to listen to.

These are probably good songs to then play during the dancing portion of the night!

People will likely make the connection, "Oh, he's playing the song Miranda mentioned during her speech!" and get a kick out of it and dance.

So be sure to pay attention to the speeches for any hints that may come your way about what songs to play.

 

Ask Your Couples Whether They're Okay With Profanity in Songs or Not

More and more songs today have explicit lyrics. Be sure to ask the couple ahead of time whether they’re okay with you playing songs with profanity or not.

Some will be fine with you playing songs with explicit lyrics, while others will not and instead want only clean versions.

Some may want clean versions until, say, 9:00 p.m., but then after that time they’re okay with you playing the explicit version.

Find out ahead of time their preference to avoid a potentially awkward situation.

 

Play a Long Song If You Have to Leave the DJ Table for Longer than a Minute

If you need to take a bathroom break, be sure you've started a song that gives you more than enough time to go and come back. You don't want the song to end and you're still in the bathroom.

Same goes if you need to run to your car to get another piece or equipment or something else that could take some time away from the DJ table.

That's why I recommend playing a particularly long song just in case if things take longer than you predicted.

Here are a few examples:

 

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