I love weddings. I really do!
I have been to hundreds of weddings, from barns, to churches, to halls, to beaches and meadows. I still get a thrill out of being part of the team making it happen! My goal is to help make your day happen just the way you want it to.
I started with a vision of a wedding DJ that was more than just a glorified jukebox. This DJ would also be the MC and event host, helping to ensure each activity, from your walk down the aisle to the final dance, flows effortlessly into the other. He would coordinate with wedding planners and other vendors to ensure everyone was on the same page and knew what to expect throughout the day. He would know how to read the crowd and liven up the party but also cultivate memorable moments for the couple and their guests. And yes, the music would be great too.
This is the framework for what I call the DJ Stan Experience. But with just a little customization, it becomes your wedding experience. And I promise I will help make it the best day of your life. Keep reading for more details!
The DJ Stan Experience!
I strive to be the best DJ and MC you can get. My goal is to make your day as perfect as I can, making it happen just the way you planned it. This includes the music, of course, but also many other elements. My pricing is simple. I charge a set rate for the day. I bring everything I have to offer for a reasonable period of time*.
Let me tell you what I bring:
Music – I have playlists for each segment of the entire day, from first guest to last dance. All playlists are customizable. My music is all owned by me. My music is clean, primarily radio edits. I do entertain requests during dancing, with some limits. I have an extensive music collection, as I have been curating my music for many years now. I am constantly on the lookout for the latest hits!
Prelude – Before the ceremony, as guests are arriving, I play a selection of instrumental covers of love songs. Guitar, piano, cello, violin.
Ceremony – Whatever songs you choose.
Cocktail/Dinner – I have a collection of favorites through the decades. Frank Sinatra, Simon & Garfunkel, Elton John, the Beatles, just to name a few. Something for everyone.
Reception Formalities – For your grand entrance, cake cutting, first dance and more. You choose which songs to use. There are so many covers and versions, so you pick it and I will find it.
Dancing – I have a little bit of everything. Disco, Classic Rock, old Pop, new Pop, Top 40, Latin. Country, Hip Hop. You tell me what genres you prefer, and you give me a few songs and I will build a playlist from there. You also provide me a “do not play” list. I find that most folks want to hear songs they are familiar with so they can dance and sing along!
Equipment – I will bring two complete systems, one for ceremony and one for reception. The ceremony system is fully battery operated, so you can stage the ceremony anywhere on the venue property.
I provide microphones for the officiant as well as the couple. These are professional grade body packs with lavalier (lapel clip) microphones. For brides I have a system for hiding the mic under your dress so it does not show. Vows can be heard loud and clear. Plus I give your videographer a place to plug in a recorder to capture the audio.
For the reception I provide a wireless mic for toasts and speeches. The reception equipment also includes exciting dance lighting to help set the party mood!
MC & Host – As your MC I keep your guests informed and entertained. As guests make their way to the reception area I make an initial announcement welcoming them and letting them know when dinner is scheduled to be served. Throughout the evening as we perform each of the formalities I end with letting the guests know what is next and when. Here are the typical formalities:
Grand Entrance – This can be as simple as just the newlywed couple, or it can involve the entire bridal party in varying levels of detail. I think it is most fun to involve the entire bridal party and there are a variety of ways to do that.
Dinner – For table dismissal I much prefer to play a game to dismiss tables to the buffet. This gets the guests really engaged and generates a lot of laughter. I have a variety of games available, or we can work to create something unique for your wedding.
Advice Cards – It is not unusual to have advice cards for guests to fill out and place in a box. What I do different is I gather them up at the end of dinner and read a selection of them. It is a great segue into the toasts, and it generates a lot of laughter!
Toasts – Toasts typically follow dinner, and I will introduce each of the toasters and try to keep things on schedule. I recommend about 4 speakers. I typically recommend against “open mic”, although if you want to do this I have some ideas to keep it under control. Keep in mind that your best speaker should be scheduled for last. Something to consider is to have a song, walk up music, for each toaster. If the venue provides a way for a 20 to 30 second walk to the microphone this can be really dramatic and fun.
Shoe Game – This is another fun game that involves the newlywed couple sitting back to back and using their shoes (one of their own, one of their spouse’s) to answer questions such as “who is the messiest” or “who cries at sad movies”. This is a real crowd pleaser.
Scavenger Hunt – This is a cross between a scavenger hunt and musical chairs. We start with 10 or 12 guest volunteers sitting in chairs staged at the front. I then ask them to go get an item and bring it back. A chair is removed in the meantime and the last guest back is eliminated. Items to retrieve could be a woman’s shoe, a drivers license, a man’s belt, etc. Hilarity ensues!
Dances – This includes your first dance of course, but typically also includes parent dances. We can do the anniversary dance, where all married couples take the floor and we send them away by years married until we are left with the longest married couple. It is a nice way for the newest married couple to honor the longest married couple!
Final Dance – I like to end the night with a final dance that you pick out. It could be a romantic slow dance or an epic sing along. The purpose is to end the night on a bang. I call everyone to the dance floor to honor you with one final dance to end the reception on a bang! This would be right before your grand exit (if you are scheduling that).
Private Slow Dance – This is an optional song between the final dance and the grand exit. Since it takes a few minutes to get everyone organized for the grand exit, we can take advantage of that time to have a private slow dance, just for the two of you.
Please keep in mind - You can schedule any or all of these and on the day of if you are not feeling it, you don’t have to do it!
Team Newlyweds – This day is all about you, and my goal is to make it happen the way you want it to. I work with your other vendors (caterer, photographer, coordinator, etc.) to manage timeline and the flow of the event. As professional vendors we are used to working together, and if we see an issue we inform each other. If a change needs to be made we discuss it, then inform you of the change. Guests don’t need to know anything changed. Here are some examples of what I mean.
Several times we have had to move the cake cutting up because it was a particularly hot day and the cake was melting! A couple of times the food has not been ready on time so we moved the toasts up to before dinner. So not only are we working behind the scenes to resolve the issue, we are keeping the flow moving so that guests are not getting restless.
Anything you want to do to make your wedding unique I fully support. If you have a musician that needs to plug into my system, I can support that. If you want to create a special mashup or a special dance, I can support that.
I would be honored to be your DJ and MC for your wedding, and I can help you plan the timeline and any of the formalities that you choose to include.
And then we dance!