Decisions, Decisions | What To Tell Your Wedding DJ Before The Big Day

There are so many decisions that the bride and groom have to make before their big day. From the venue to the flavor of the wedding cake, there are many opportunities to make the day unique to them. The decision-making process includes the wedding DJ. Once you hire a great DJ for your event, however, you have more work to do. You need to communicate how you want the night to sound. 

Your Style: Everyone has a different taste in music. If the boogie-woogie bugle boy in company B gets your toes tapping then, by all means, talk to your DJ about spinning jive records and getting people out on the dance floor for some swing dancing. If you prefer hip hop, classic love songs, or country line dancing, communicate that as well. Music can help set the stage for the wedding of your dreams. 

First Dance: A wedding DJ is fairly familiar with first dance options so you just need to tell him your choice of song. If, however, you want to include a special dance, like grandparents celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary or groom with the step-mom, be sure to talk it over with your DJ. 

Traditions: Nothing can be worse than a DJ announcing that it is time for the money dance or for the groom to throw the garter if you have no intention to follow that tradition. 

Banned Songs: If the macarena makes your left eye twitch or the chicken dance makes you want to scream and pull out all your hair, make sure you include them on a banned songs list for your DJ. This means -- under no circumstances -- should the DJ play those songs, even if requested by guests. 

Banned People: Thankfully, you can also ban people from requesting songs. If your cousin regularly requests gangster rap that would make your great-aunt blush or your grandfather requests dance floor emptying polka, you can tell the reception DJ to politely ignore their requests. 

Last Song: While most couples do not think about the last song, it can be a great way to end the night and send guests off with a bang.  "(I've Had) the Time of My Life" from the movie, Dirty Dancing, is an appropriate and classic option, but here are 45 more songs to use for an end-of-night send-off. 

The music at your wedding -- from the ceremony to the wedding DJ -- sets the entire tone for your night. Choose wisely and communicate those choices well to guarantee the perfect evening for you and your guests.