Weddings are somewhat natural events to host since they have been part of our traditions and are generally attended by groups of people that know each other well. When hosting other events like private parties at your home, Christmas parties, office parties, etc, you have to be a little more proactive in how you structure the party. You should have a timeline of how you want the night to go and talk to your DJ about this. If the party has no natural dance period and it is important to the party let the DJ know when you want the “dance” portion of the night to begin. This can be a tough transition so make sure the room mood has been set for dancing by lowering the lights and clearing the dance floor of any items such as buffet tables.
Some events like office parties can have many types of people with different personalities and musical tastes, so you need to have a DJ who is well versed in all types of music. Usually anything heavier (Metal, Rap) should be saved until the end of the night when it is just the younger crowd.
Do you need to plug an audio video accessory into the DJ equipment? With today’s technology many people are doing photo montages or DVD presentations. Do they need to plug into the DJ’s system for audio? How far away is the projector from the DJ equipment? Do they need a special type of cord and how long should it be? Is someone going to give a speech? Make sure you talk to your DJ in advance to make sure you can be prepared.
Home Private Parties
Have a time line of how you think events should work out. Plan your event accordingly think of flow and transitions. When is the dinner, when does the dancing start, are there any toasts, and tributes? Try to avoid putting the DJ in the basement or in a room separate from the main party. The music will sound muffled coming up thru the floor and most people won’t run up and down steps to dance. If dancing is important to your event put the DJ in the place where most people will be.
Casino Nights
Make sure your room is big enough to accommodate both the tables for Casino games and a dance floor for the guests who want to dance. The closer the gaming tables are to the dance floor the louder everyone will have to talk and hearing will be at a premium.
Karaoke
You should be careful with karaoke at a party. If people are dancing and having a good time karaoke can disrupt the flow of the evening and bring the energy down.
Holiday Parties
Let your DJ know how much and what kind of holiday music you want played. Be careful of how much you play because it can become obnoxious to some and could make some with different religious beliefs uncomfortable.
