Jazz for cocktail hr.
Slowjams, Ballads, Jazz, Instrumentals for Dinner
Top 40 and Disco for the dance it whatever is requested by the Bride and Groom.

When it's time to dance play your can't lose stuff first instead of later like you would at a normal party.

Been doing weddings for a few years now. Look up a wedding DJ itinerary sheet. I personally create my own but it’s basically a format of how things should go. Assuming you are covering the ceremony portion as well? Make sure you have all the songs for that too which is normally a love songs playlist for guest arrival, Wedding Party song, Bride’s walk, and song for after they are married (usually wedding march or whatever custom song she chooses) and since this is a big wedding you’ll want to make sure the priests, pastor or whoever is marrying them confirm if they need a wireless microphone or not (esp if it’s a big wedding)

There’s more “mc’ing” involved with weddings so make sure you are comfortable with talking and leading the show. Find out if they have a wedding planner or coordinator they really help out and basically tell you when to announce the wedding party, dinner etc (if they are professional) some times there is no wedding planner or coordinator so they go the cheap route and use a family member or something lol that knows nothing about a wedding. Just be comfortable. The dinner portion is majority love songs or “casual top 40”/ed Sheeran type shit. Always do a sound check and arrive at least 2 hrs before the wedding.

If they are a classy group of ppl don’t play any bodak yellow or some shit like that you’ll prob get bitched at by someone’s grandma lol.

This took me longer to realize than I care to admit. Used to take the club approach where you build up and that rarely works.

What I find helps is that for the last hour or so of dinner, start to ramp up the energy and move from background to funkier, more upbeat, but still laid back tunes and you get people more in the mood to dance when it comes time for the actual dancing.

Another thing I try to do when meeting the clients is to try to convince them to have the first dance right before the dancing is scheduled to start - that way the majority of the crowd will be on the dancefloor to watch and the hit them with a big tunes off the bat right after the first dance ends.

Start watching a couple of "Wedding DJ" gig logs on youtube to get a sense for the flow. During dinner/cocktail, you'll play "slow" or "sway" music (Jazz, instrumentals, love songs) and as it gets closer to the introductions, you'll start playing some "toe tapping" music.

You should probably meet w/ the couple to see how they want the events to flow. In my experience it's 50/50. Some couples will look for you to give them some guidance and others will know exactly, who, what, where, when and how.

After cocktails, and dinner, you'll probably go into the "customs" like first dance, Mom + Dad dances, etc.... After that, you'll open up dancing by saying something like "Now at this time, the newlyweds invite you to the dance floor....." and play a big hitter.....

If you haven't done the Cake cutting, bouquet and garter toss, maybe even dollar dance, be prepared for that to go down a little bit later. Come up w/ a "schedule sheet" or "time line" on excel and have that handy. There are tons floating out there so just google it and you can tailor it to your needs.

Interesting, why do you think that is?

We have melbourne cup here in australia and prettymuch the entire country parties on the first tuesday of november when the race is on. I'm not exaggerating, like i'm talking the entire country. It's like the kentucky derby on steroids. It's known as "the race that stops the nation". The race is around 3. And right after 3, you go HAM. You drop all your bangers, everything in your arsenal, kind of like midnight on NYE. The first couple years I took the "build up approach" but now I see how there are certain exceptions, im curious to know how weddings are the same.

Depends on the crowd and vibe. I'm dj'ing a good friend of mine's wedding and reception this weekend. We're Black and from Louisiana. We love to dance. After the wedding, i'm going to set it off with old school classics.

Maze - Before I let you go
Keith Sweat - Make it Last forever
Beyonce - Party
maybe an hour of this vibe, might slip in a slow dance song

Transition into a few line dance songs

More fun songs like Bruno mars 24k and some 90s and 80s classics

As the older people leave and the liquor kicks in, I'll start upping the tempo and start playing newer music.

About 2 hours before the end, I like to turn it all the way up for an hour or so maybe it the crowd is right.

Last Hour I'll start slowing it down.

Last 30 mins. I'll serious love songs.

This is interesting, because I've struggled with the opposite (wanting to do more lounges and clubs). In regards to wedding, I think why he's saying that is because of a couple reasons...

First, people at weddings are fickle dance ppl and there are soooooooooo many whack wedding djings that people are quick to either write you off or just chill at the bar. In my experience, your first set is crucial. This should be the equivalent of a peak hour set in the club, but based on tracks your crowd and clients want (not all, if any top 40). If you can have the wedding classics, but mixed like a club dj you'll get respect.

Once you earn the crowds trust & the liquor kicks in, THEN you basically do what you want within the lines the taste of the client. This is when DJin weddings become fun, if you dont do this, brace yourself, cause the requests will come (which are harder to ignore when the dance floor isn't packed).

Another reason why wedding are different from clubs is that people arent there for the music... therefore they wont have the patience or appreciation for a great build up. For me, as some people already mentioned, I use the dinner portion as my warm up. Also, I fight with the venue and couple to have a mini set after salad have been served and before the dinner comes out. This is good to attack the older people or to have a warm-up dance set to figure out the crowd.

If you play music that is non-typical then it is useful to start early like Robbie o says.
For example, I play a lot of vinyl only soul/funk/etc weddings. It helps to play cocktail hour or whatever because people can walk over and see what you are doing and what your specialty is. Once they understand what your lane is then they are way more likely to be on board with it later. Meaning no/less requests and more people already on your side.

I have a rather large urban wedding happening in a state a few hours from mine, and this is what I'm doing (I have to change it up from wedding to wedding because, surprisingly I don't only do urban/inner city weddings).

For this wedding :
For lounge/cocktail hour - mix of slow neo soul and smooth jazz
For dinner - upper tempo neo soul and R&B (to prepare for dancing)

For this dinner I'll have the crate have about 3 times the amount of songs needed to fill the dinner time frame, then sorted by bmp to slowly ramp the tempo up for dancing. By using three times the music needed I can pick and choose the right feel while going up in tempo.

When it comes to the traditional entry music, father daughter dance, wedding party dance, etc, I put THOSE in my sampler banks and use the pads to play those (in order). Yeah I could just make a create but in this way they have their own separate, super quick and accessible location...

All the advice everyone is giving you is great, really try to let it sink in. Here's my $0.02 as well.

-Get comfortable being more of an MC than you anticipate
I've done weddings where i was expecting to not speak at all, and then last minute i was given like 80% of the MC tasks. Ive also had a gig where the MC was super introverted and didnt know how to use a mic, so it was a pain to hear anything, ended up just doing a bit of the announcements myself. This is why I now charge extra for MC services. It's manageable, but be prepared. and also, 100% know the bride and grooms name, lol seems silly, but its useful.

-Play good slow jams for eating, but save a few for dancing if need-be.
"My girl" - the temptations. This is a song that I will either play for eating, or for dancing. If the crowd has a good bit of older ones, i save it for the dancing (as well as a few other similar songs) that way the older folks feel I played stuff for them as well. But if the crowd is younger, ill drop it during eating so people can jam out while eating

-Ramp up the vibe right before the dancing starts
I like to make the music before dancing be laid back, but also dance worthy. Its an interesting grey area of music that wont be a dancefloor mover, but can serve its purpose to get people mentally ready to dance. If i dont have atleast 15 mins of this kind of music before dancing, i will beg the MC/Bride/Groom to let me warm up the crowd. It really is important to having a good nite. I also love this kind of music because it surprisingly takes a lot of skill to get this just right.

-Golden Nugget: Start off hot, and by 45 mins in, try to slay the crowd
This was advice i received from my DJ mentor. It rarely fails (if it fails, its usually the crowds fault). Play great older disco songs, maybe a line dance or two to start off. And then at 45 mins, you have a decent understanding of what the crowd wants, this is usually when i play more of the fun older hip hop: This is how we do it, crazy in love, family affair etc. These are tracks everyone loves, and have a good similar vibe and are easy to play back to back. But note: I never play these songs out fully, i play one maybe 2 verses max, to keep the energy up.

-If the crowd is not feeling you, dont get mad.
People can tell when the DJ is not having a good time/struggling, and if you are, they will too. Worst comes to worse, if the crowd is really dry, I just start playing stuff more my natural style, and treat it like a well organized practice session. Odds are, SOMEONE will hear your talent, and at the very least you didnt leave them with nothing to impress.

-Its their big day, not yours.
The bride and groom are king, if they tell you to do something, and then someone says the opposite, do what the bride and groom asked. You can also use this as a way to swat requests.

-Lastly: Have fun,
You learn a lot from DJing your first wedding, they dont go perfect, but have fun because its a great learning experience.

For future reference. Almost all weddings don’t go as planned even if a timeline has been written out. Lol bride/groom or wedding party is almost always late. Also make sure everyone in their party is lined up according to the itinerary sheet and mostly important “do not pronounce their names wrong”

@The Times, very good advice!

Yup... been there! LoL

my favourite is when they schedule only an hour for dinner and by the time an hour is up, the last few tables have barely even gotten their food yet.

That’s def a wedding planner/coordinator fail. At least hour/30-2 hrs for dinner esp if it’s like 30 tables or more. Buffet line don’t go that fast and sometimes dinner isn’t even ready yet.

Hey, I was always dreaming about organizing a wedding. I thought that it is really cool and interesting. Now I'm organizing my own wedding and there is nothing captivating there. I want to do it in the open air. I think this will be great. I even found these guys www.mobilestagehire.co.uk to help me to install the stage and all the lights that there will be needed but now I need some advice about the music. How can I choose the best one and how to find a person who really knows how to manage the devices. Please help.

wedding = non stop mainstream popular bangers & singalongs from across the entire spectrum from the last 60 years with multiple peaks and a killer final 30 minutes. Take all requests and pander hard. Also be an event planner and audio engineer.

Club = new and old music in genre(s) X that carry a particular vibe, be that underground or mainstream. You should break new music and lead the way forward. Take no requests (unless they are perfect) and be a moody lil beooooch who has no idea what the equipment beyond the booth does.

Yup - that about covers it! :)

I believe that the wedding is the most beautiful event in everyone's life.
Of course, this holiday is just the beginning of a long road full of beautiful moments that will never be forgotten. This is why the wedding must also be unforgettable. I was lucky enough to marry my best friend, and I didn't regret it for a minute. I'm curious how you managed to make your party playlist.
We had some complications, but thanks to these guys, we could have some great fun. We did find a company that offers audio equipment hire, and that saved our asses :) I do hope that the wedding was great and that the guests danced till the sunrise.
Here you can check their site www.truesoundhire.co.uk :)

The art of DJing a wedding has almost nothing in common with the skills required to DJ in a nightclub or bar setting. Yes, there are people in a venue, and often they’re even drinking.

But the idea of toddlers drooling on themselves and grandparents eventually nodding off to sleep as Cardi B’s trap beats blare at the end of a two-hour set is a world away from main stage festival mayhem lol

You may able to find some helpful content on www.djpooya.com 's FAQ section.

The wedding is going to be amazing. You're going to have the reception in a central location, with a dance floor in the back and a buffet table at your side. After the first dance, each guest will receive a gift bag and they will stay on that side of the dance floor all night long. You can also download dance templates form this masterbundles.com source. You can't just go and look up video Da Wedding stuff because they're going to recognize you and track you down.

oh man I started a long time ago over 20 years ago with a the CD player at same Time tough also so excited time still I remember never to forget it

Well…where’s the update? How’d the wedding go did the Groom or Best Man get hammered and start fighting the bride’s family lol…curious to know.

First and foremost, it's important to make sure you meet with the couple getting married before the wedding. You'll want to get a sense of their musical taste, as well as the type of atmosphere they are hoping to create.

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Hello everyone,

As a DJ with over 20 years of experience, spanning from Tehran to Los Angeles, I've come to realize that DJing offers an unparalleled feeling of joy. There's nothing like the thrill of seeing a crowd light up, with everyone jumping and having the time of their lives to the beats I play. The key to a successful event, in my experience, is being comfortable and in tune with your audience. When you play the hits and genuinely enjoy yourself, your crowd catches that energy and enjoys themselves too. The relationship between a DJ and their crowd is pivotal; it's what makes each event unique and memorable. This understanding is at the core of my DJing philosophy, refined over two decades.
www.DjBehnood.com

Also, You may able to find some helpful content on www.Persiandjs.com 's FAQ section.

That wedding happened in 2018. lol

For the arrival and pre-ceremony, just go with soft, easy-going background music—something that sets a calm atmosphere but doesn’t draw too much attention. When dinner is happening, you’ll want music that’s smooth and low-key, so people can talk easily. Think mellow love songs or maybe some gentle classics.

For the dancing part, it’s usually a good idea to ease into it. Start with some recognizable songs that everyone likes and build up the energy from there. Throwing in a slow song here and there is definitely okay. In fact, it gives people a chance to catch their breath and it can create some sweet moments for couples to slow dance. As for line dances like the Cha Cha Slide or Cupid Shuffle, those are often a hit at weddings. People generally love them, but it’s always good to ask the couple beforehand if they want those types of songs. You can take ideas from instandersapk.com

The most important thing is to get a feel for the couple’s preferences when you meet with them. They'll probably give you a good sense of what they want, but being able to adapt on the fly depending on how the crowd reacts is key.

Back in 2018, wedding DJing was all about reading the room—starting with background music during dinner, easing into slow dances, and gradually building up to high-energy tracks. Line dances like the Cha Cha Slide were still crowd favorites, but it always depended on the couple’s vibe. Around that time, I was working on event marketing campaigns with the help of these guys t-ranks.com that highlighted how curated playlists could make or break an event. Would love to hear how your experience went!