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DJ Higgumz
04-08-2012, 02:21 PM
on the 14th i have my first wedding. i've been in the dj game for about 5 years (i'm 16), but the majority of that is house parties. this wedding pays $300, dirt cheap IMO. guests are only 100 people. so I think this should be a good first timer. my system consists of dual 6'' kustom profile system one, Bill fitzmaurice T39 subwoofer (a loud mofo!) and a ten foot tritruss holding 4 martin roboscans (love them), 2 martin cx2s, 3 adj quick scans, 2 red and blue par 54s, 2 white par 64s, and 2 moonflowers. helping me is a friend that works with a bigtime dj in my area, so he knows the ropes and can help me out. he's going to announce the dances while I cue up the songs. anyways i have a couple questions

how do i act around the bride and groom? is it odd to congradulate them?

with the 2 par64s that have no filter, should i aim them at the center of the dance floor, and turn them on during the announced dances like a spot light? i would let the dancers know where to dance.

i plan to make my own white scrims out of bed sheets and put the colored pars or moonflowers under it. now a couple of you might facepalm right here, but before i cut them up, would it be worth it or is it going to look like shit?

as far as reverb, how am i supposed to set my tops? (i understand the basics, on a stand, above head height, etc.) being in a banquet hall, i imagine there is a massive amount of windows. sub placement i've pretty much got down.

sorry but it's quite a bit to digest, don't have to answer them all but the ones you know.
anybody's and everybody's .02 appreciated here!

this pic is a bit outdated, and the sub is out of the pic (in the corner)

!334

*note- the cords are untidy in the pic, but are much better now. i also have a table cloth, so you don't see the ugly table.

DJ Scotch
04-08-2012, 02:59 PM
I don't want to be rude to you, but you need a lot of help with your setup.

A lot is wrong with your set up (based on the pic). This is extremely unprofessional setup. Wires all over the place. Too much going on with lights.

Please refer to the thread "How NOT to run your mobile DJ business, pics of the 'competition'..."

Synaxis
04-08-2012, 03:55 PM
I don't want to be rude to you, but you need a lot of help with your setup.

A lot is wrong with the your set up (based on the pic). This is extremely unprofessional setup. Wires all over the place. Too much going on with lights.

Please refer to the thread "How NOT to run your mobile DJ business, pics of the 'competition'..."

I agree, you really need to clean it up.

And please, no orange extension cords!

Can you show us an updated picture?

carblekin
04-08-2012, 03:55 PM
Looks like you have some pretty decent equipment, way better than mine was when I started weddings. I think you're right on track there. If you're DJing for a wedding with around 100 people though, I think you may want to cut down on your lights.When you have such a small event, especially a small wedding, a light setup like that may look quite overbearing (in my opinion). Maybe you could put some of your best, most favorite lights up on just one single light tree stand thing. I would suggest trying to fit all your equipment onto a 4' table as well. Cable management is very important, but you already mentioned that you were going to clean it up so you should be ok.

Here's the "how not to run your mobile DJ business" link: http://www.djforums.com/forums/showthread.php?3855-How-NOT-to-run-your-mobile-DJ-business-pics-of-the-competition

Djgoodsteve
04-08-2012, 04:44 PM
I agree regarding the light setup. You new to be thinking "pretty white pin lights" not "club banging robo show". I use a few star balls and jelly domes set to white. When things pick up later I can turn up the color on the jelly domes. Less is more for a wedding. Leave the truss at home. The bride is the show, not you.

DJ Higgumz
04-08-2012, 06:07 PM
I don't want to be rude to you, but you need a lot of help with your setup.

A lot is wrong with the your set up (based on the pic). This is extremely unprofessional setup. Wires all over the place. Too much going on with lights.

Please refer to the thread "How NOT to run your mobile DJ business, pics of the 'competition'..."

Check the note under the pic... (also I should add this pic was after I bought alot of the lights, and I was excited to get it set up. Since on most of my lights have disconnecting power cords, I permanently zip tied them to the top of the truss. They are very neat now, and they make setup way quicker. I also checked that thread and had a couple laughs!

DJ Higgumz
04-08-2012, 06:11 PM
I have to bring my truss, because I'm not confident in a t stand with my 25lb scanners, and those are a must. If the show becomes overbearing, I will just turn off a couple lights. I have a adj copilot so it is real easy.

windspeed36
04-08-2012, 06:29 PM
on the 14th i have my first wedding. i've been in the dj game for about 5 years (i'm 16), but the majority of that is house parties. this wedding pays $300, dirt cheap IMO. guests are only 100 people. so I think this should be a good first timer. my system consists of dual 6'' kustom profile system one, Bill fitzmaurice T39 subwoofer (a loud mofo!) and a ten foot tritruss holding 4 martin roboscans (love them), 2 martin cx2s, 3 adj quick scans, 2 red and blue par 54s, 2 white par 64s, and 2 moonflowers. helping me is a friend that works with a bigtime dj in my area, so he knows the ropes and can help me out. he's going to announce the dances while I cue up the songs. anyways i have a couple questions

how do i act around the bride and groom? is it odd to congradulate them?

with the 2 par64s that have no filter, should i aim them at the center of the dance floor, and turn them on during the announced dances like a spot light? i would let the dancers know where to dance.

i plan to make my own white scrims out of bed sheets and put the colored pars or moonflowers under it. now a couple of you might facepalm right here, but before i cut them up, would it be worth it or is it going to look like shit?

as far as reverb, how am i supposed to set my tops? (i understand the basics, on a stand, above head height, etc.) being in a banquet hall, i imagine there is a massive amount of windows. sub placement i've pretty much got down.

sorry but it's quite a bit to digest, don't have to answer them all but the ones you know.
anybody's and everybody's .02 appreciated here!

this pic is a bit outdated, and the sub is out of the pic (in the corner)

!334

*note- the cords are untidy in the pic, but are much better now. i also have a table cloth, so you don't see the ugly table.
Have you ever gone along to a wedding with another DJ?

DJ Higgumz
04-08-2012, 07:00 PM
No, but it would have been a good idea to!

DJ EZBeats
04-08-2012, 07:04 PM
on the 14th i have my first wedding. i've been in the dj game for about 5 years (i'm 16), but the majority of that is house parties. this wedding pays $300, dirt cheap IMO. guests are only 100 people. so I think this should be a good first timer. my system consists of dual 6'' kustom profile system one, Bill fitzmaurice T39 subwoofer (a loud mofo!) and a ten foot tritruss holding 4 martin roboscans (love them), 2 martin cx2s, 3 adj quick scans, 2 red and blue par 54s, 2 white par 64s, and 2 moonflowers. helping me is a friend that works with a bigtime dj in my area, so he knows the ropes and can help me out. he's going to announce the dances while I cue up the songs. anyways i have a couple questions

how do i act around the bride and groom? is it odd to congradulate them?

with the 2 par64s that have no filter, should i aim them at the center of the dance floor, and turn them on during the announced dances like a spot light? i would let the dancers know where to dance.

i plan to make my own white scrims out of bed sheets and put the colored pars or moonflowers under it. now a couple of you might facepalm right here, but before i cut them up, would it be worth it or is it going to look like shit?

as far as reverb, how am i supposed to set my tops? (i understand the basics, on a stand, above head height, etc.) being in a banquet hall, i imagine there is a massive amount of windows. sub placement i've pretty much got down.

sorry but it's quite a bit to digest, don't have to answer them all but the ones you know.
anybody's and everybody's .02 appreciated here!

this pic is a bit outdated, and the sub is out of the pic (in the corner)

!334

*note- the cords are untidy in the pic, but are much better now. i also have a table cloth, so you don't see the ugly table.


I'll stay away from the others discussing your lights, I agree its too much but I'll stop at that.

At a wedding, appearance, professionalism, and song selection are most important. You have to be able to talk to the bride and groom like you know what your talking about. If you sound like it's your first time DJing a wedding to them, they will not be happy. Congratulating them is perfectly fine.

No scrims is much better than shitty looking ones. Stay away from the bed sheet!

Point your tops in a direction that will cover the absolute most area of space in the room. generally for cocktail/dinner hours, you'll want to face them in a position that covers both sides of the room (depending on the layout and where your setup). Then when dancing begins, you can face them toward the dance floor.

DJ Higgumz
04-08-2012, 07:28 PM
I'll stay away from the others discussing your lights, I agree its too much but I'll stop at that.

At a wedding, appearance, professionalism, and song selection are most important. You have to be able to talk to the bride and groom like you know what your talking about. If you sound like it's your first time DJing a wedding to them, they will not be happy. Congratulating them is perfectly fine.

No scrims is much better than shitty looking ones. Stay away from the bed sheet!

Point your tops in a direction that will cover the absolute most area of space in the room. generally for cocktail/dinner hours, you'll want to face them in a position that covers both sides of the room (depending on the layout and where your setup). Then when dancing begins, you can face them toward the dance floor.

i was mainly going for reverb control, this guy i worked with said to point one of the speakers diagonal across the room since the whole room was walls of windows. i was wondering if anyone was an expert at reverb control. thanks for the input!

SummitAudioDJ
04-08-2012, 07:42 PM
Most importantly, know your time line and confirm and share everything that is going on with the other vendors (catering host, photographer, bar) Nothing worse than announcing the first dance or something important and the photographer or videographer is using the bathroom and misses the shot or calling everyone up for the dollar dance and nobody has shots poured or cake cut to give out.

You might think 100 people is a great start but a larger crowd will be easier to get more people moving on the dance floor. Only about 50% (if you are lucky) are actually there to dance it up all night long. My biggest fear when I started was announcing on the mic but practice makes perfect. I went right into weddings without tagging along with other DJ's but it would have been a nice confidence booster.

Having your top 100 wedding songs is key since this won't be a top 40 rave. I'm not saying you wont play some newer songs but you will be more inclined to play "Hang on Sloopy" over " Drop it low" .

You seem to have a very capable light show but as other said clean it up. Your first upgrade should really be a new pair of tops.

Over the years I have evolved my reception planner to include anything and everything that should come up during the night. This includes a DO NOT PLAY LIST, designated person to deal with persistent requests of such DO NOT PLAY songs, an emergency contact number of someone I can reach during set up just in case something comes up , who will be pouring the shots for dollar dance.... the list goes on and on.

DJ Higgumz
04-08-2012, 08:11 PM
Most importantly, know your time line and confirm and share everything that is going on with the other vendors (catering host, photographer, bar) Nothing worse than announcing the first dance or something important and the photographer or videographer is using the bathroom and misses the shot or calling everyone up for the dollar dance and nobody has shots poured or cake cut to give out.

You might think 100 people is a great start but a larger crowd will be easier to get more people moving on the dance floor. Only about 50% (if you are lucky) are actually there to dance it up all night long. My biggest fear when I started was announcing on the mic but practice makes perfect. I went right into weddings without tagging along with other DJ's but it would have been a nice confidence booster.

Having your top 100 wedding songs is key since this won't be a top 40 rave. I'm not saying you wont play some newer songs but you will be more inclined to play "Hang on Sloopy" over " Drop it low" .

You seem to have a very capable light show but as other said clean it up. Your first upgrade should really be a new pair of tops.

Over the years I have evolved my reception planner to include anything and everything that should come up during the night. This includes a DO NOT PLAY LIST, designated person to deal with persistent requests of such DO NOT PLAY songs, an emergency contact number of someone I can reach during set up just in case something comes up , who will be pouring the shots for dollar dance.... the list goes on and on.

i knew about the crowd effect, i was just getting the point across that this is no princess wedding... lol. whats nice is they gave me a request list with about 50 or more songs, so i have an idea on who i'm playing for. as of the tops when i raise enough money i'm building 4 dr200s and also 4 t60 subs to go with it from this site (http://billfitzmaurice.net). the little tops i have get hella loud, i've only cranked it all the way once, and that was 4 years ago, i was on top of a hill, and it was quiet at the bottom, and i thought i needed to raise it up higher! the reason i am upgrading is for the sound from the dr200s that cut through the air like a warm knife through butter. listen to this-

zns6E_AG4Yc

DJ Higgumz
04-08-2012, 10:48 PM
How do I post attachments? I want to post a pic, but the attachment manager won't let me exceed 100 kb, which the photo I previously uploaded took all the space up. What am I doing wrong? Also, is there anything I did that was good?

DJNR
04-08-2012, 11:06 PM
Don't mess up :P

DjAaron
04-08-2012, 11:13 PM
Since everyone has mentioned lights already my thing would be to make sure all cables are perfect and get that amp rack hidden if possible. People don't want to see that sitting right on the table with you unless those wires are nicely done. I posted my setup back on DJF 1.0 and people were saying to make sure the wires were all hidden as much as possible. So since then I went and got cable ties and got gaffers tape to hold down the cables that ran to my speaker stands to make it more professional and for safety reasons. I am also in the process of getting the right extension cords in all black and the right size.

Just double check all of your stuff, make sure you have the kind of music they want, dress right for the wedding. I would also meet up with them again to go over everything and make sure you ask about the timeline and what kind of lights they want. Some don't want it to look like a club inside and some do.

Most of all just act professional for the whole event. Show them just because you are 16 doesn't mean you act like one

Oh and just relax and do what you do best

DJ Higgumz
04-08-2012, 11:23 PM
This week I am putting a back on it. When build my new speakers I will build a new box, this one is crap. The next one will be freestanding

SummitAudioDJ
04-09-2012, 11:59 AM
Just because they gave you a request list doesn't mean that list of songs is going to work to get people dancing. I usually play 1/4 of the songs on a request list and they are usually during dinner becuase they don't fit my usually wedding porgram. My planner clearly states that the request list will only be used as a guide and not a play all list. Playing for a wedding isn't just playing the 50-60 songs the Bride and groom gave you. It requires reading the crowd and adjusting to what they react to.

My best friends wedding was exactly that. They actually had to pick 60 songs from his website and these are exactly what he played and didn't take a single request or stray from the list. This was supposedly the best in the business in that area of Raleigh NC. For $2000 he got ripped off. Not a single light in the venue and he played off of a Bose L1 system of coarse.

DJ Higgumz
04-09-2012, 12:13 PM
Of course, Its just nice to know who I'm playing for. Alot of the songs are decent for dancing that they chose and just a handful aren't

Quentin Legend
04-09-2012, 12:54 PM
I was also 16 when I did my first wedding.

Just make sure your setup is clean and stay calm, I was VERY nervous before the music started.

Just chill and act professional (look friendly!) :)

sss18734
04-09-2012, 01:08 PM
Your presence is really important at a wedding. If you can, go over the flow of the evening with the bride and groom before the event. Not only does this help you get an idea for exactly what they want, but it builds mutual trust before you even show up to the event, making it that much easier.

Even if you don't know what you're doing, fake it. Read up and watch videos on the various events that happen through the course of the night. If you look and act confident, people will respect you. Speak loudly and clearly over the mic. If you have to, write down your lines so that you don't forget what to say.

And yes, please bring fewer lights. Some wash and maybe 2 or 3 of those roboscans should do it.

DJ Higgumz
04-09-2012, 03:10 PM
And yes, please bring fewer lights. Some wash and maybe 2 or 3 of those roboscans should do it.

I plan on my washes, 4 roboscans, and the cx2s. The cx2s facing the outer dance floor, roboscan taking the main, and the washes in the center. The robo scans are slow now, because they are sound active.

bumpyjonas
04-09-2012, 04:28 PM
Before the wedding you should have a couple of practice runs doing the announcements and intros etc. The timeline should be second nature to you before the actual event.

Also what backup plan do you have in place, in case you have equipment issues, map this out before the event.

Remember confidence and planning is your best friend, good luck.

DJ Higgumz
04-09-2012, 04:37 PM
Thanks, the timeline is a little muddy

sss18734
04-09-2012, 04:57 PM
Thanks, the timeline is a little muddy

Big mistake. You need to plan this to a T with the client beforehand. If you can't meet, it's only a phone call away. I would suggest you come up with a time line and run that by the bride and groom so they can make changes as necessary.

During the event, you'll want to make sure the other vendors are in the loop, as are the bride and groom.

I would also not bring the CX2's, personally. You'd be better off getting a cheap DMX controller and programming a few spotlight scenes on those Roboscans.

DJ Higgumz
04-09-2012, 05:06 PM
I meant that by stating I need to get it done! Haha that would be crazy showing up to a gig not knowing the timeline! I could consider leaving the cx2s home, but I thought they would be good "softer lights". I want to get dmx soon, what do you think of the entec open dmx USB box?

SummitAudioDJ
04-09-2012, 05:47 PM
Considering your gig is only 5 days away and you haven't finalized a timeline is quite frightening to me. I usually have everything squared up at least a month prior and have my intro names , timeline, special dance songs and request list typed up a week in advanced.

Sween
04-09-2012, 05:50 PM
Considering your gig is only 5 days away and you haven't finalized a timeline is quite frightening to me. I usually have everything squared up at least a month prior and have my intro names , timeline, special dance songs and request list typed up a week in advanced.

:stupid:

Preparation is key. Shit will happen, but it won't be as bad if you're prepared. Weddings are a clusterfuck until you get past the formalities.

I too like to finalize with the client at least a month in advance and have a schedule ready to go at the two week mark... including play/do not play stuff.

Sam Whitman
04-10-2012, 02:07 AM
I hate to be rude or whatever, I am sure you're a great house party DJ but after reading all of your responses my pointer would be you're not ready. You are very very far from ready to do a wedding. You don't know enough about your own equipment, you don't know what's too much and not enough, you don't know what songs to play at a wedding, you've never seen or shadowed a wedding DJ, you don't know how to act, or what to wear. Do you have wedding style music? All the oldies and the new stuff? Clean edits? Legally bought? High quality? Do you have back up equipment? Any insurance?

I really hate being this guy but you are no where near ready. You really need to shadow and pay your dues before you start doing weddings. If you think your services are worth any less than $1000 just stay away from the wedding market.

RodneyL
04-10-2012, 07:29 AM
I have been doing this 4 years, and Saturday I skipped over a name when announcing the bridal party in to the reception- DOH!. Mistakes will happen, don't let it throw you off too bad.. be quick on your toes and try to recover smoothly.

In my case, no recovery was needed because the guy didn't really want to be there and was happy he didn't have to walk in to applause... still sucked to make the mistake though.

DJ Higgumz
04-10-2012, 08:34 AM
Like I said, my friend who's done weddings will be with me, and I'm copying alot of my parents CDs for music. There's no turning back now, but are there ways I can be ready? The nice thing is they aren't expecting much, and they said beginners welcome, so I thought I'd try it. No one said anything about pointing my white pars in the center for the special dances. Is that a good idea?

LiteTrix
04-10-2012, 11:30 AM
They said "beginners welcome" ? Oh Boy

Dave Daschofsky
04-12-2012, 01:03 AM
They said "beginners welcome" ? Oh Boy

Sounds like the kind of client that really wants a pro but doesn't want to pay for one, and they don't know the difference.

ampnation
04-12-2012, 01:37 AM
You need at least two mics. One for you, and one for the toasts. Can I assume you're not doing the ceremony since you haven't mentioned it?

As mentioned, you should have backup gear. Think about renting a portable PA as a backup in case your tops die. If the sub dies, you can gimp along with just tops, but if the tops go, you're dead in the water. $300 or $3000, you don't want to be in that situation. Or maybe your buddy can bring his system as a backup.

It looks like you've got something like a Hercules RMX and a laptop. Do you have a backup for those? Is the software and music library on the backup system? If you do have that, have it booted and on before the gig. If for this event,you would be using your buddy's DJ kit for backup, have at the very least, all the requested songs on a thumbdrive so they can be used on his system. Test it out before the day of.

I wasn't prepared for my first wedding enough and when I had a system failure, I was very happy I had backup plans which I put into use. The end result wasn't as good as it could have been, but at least I finished the event with music still playing.

DJ Higgumz
04-12-2012, 08:37 AM
@ampnation good idea to bring two mics. I already have a ton so that shouldn't be a big deal. But, my friend works for another dj, and doesn't have his own system. When I build some dr200s, I will keep the tops I have as a backup, along with the amp that came with it. That already crossed my mind. I'll see if he can bring his laptop, and my library is on a glorified jump drive just for that reason. Where do you guys get music, is there a cheaper place than iTunes? I don't have a credit card so it is hard for me.

ampnation
04-12-2012, 01:04 PM
I get mine at Amazon for now. I'll be joining a DJ pool and when I do, it will be PrimeCuts. I tried ERG and wasn't impressed with their tagging. The idea of the pool is to keep you updated on the latest hits. To build your back catalog you can buy back catalog discs from your pool and esp. for older stuff, I would buy audio CD's of the reallly hit machine artists like Michael Jackson, Madonna, The Police, etc. snagging greatest hits compilations. Get a few compilation discs for the one hit wonders and fill in the rest with single mp3 purchases. You should be able to get a bank account with a debit card and that's all you need. I don't know what PayPal rules are but that is handy if you're buying CDs from ebay. You can find some bargains there plus some music just never has been released for digital download like AC/DC's catalog.

Work on completing your DJ Intelligence Top200 and the top songs for special songs first.

Don't forget the cheez like the Chicken Dance unless you'll be drawing a hard line there. The DJ I shadowed is strictly no cheese as are others. They make it a selling point.

DJ Higgumz
04-12-2012, 01:42 PM
I got a majority of the music off of mobilebeat 200, and my clients asked for the Cupid shuffle and the cheese songs. What other dance routine songs are there that are a hit?

bumpyjonas
04-14-2012, 11:58 PM
Cha Cha Slide....

DJ Higgumz
04-15-2012, 03:52 PM
well, i guess it turned out fine, they all liked it, and were drunk off there @$$! it was a wedding by name. they had the wedding there, and ate while i set up. then, they were interested in staying at the bar and watching nascar. later in the night i played some 90s rap and they all jumped around and whatnot till they were tired, then went for more drinks.. heres a vid of the setup

uLzDGIBLC8g

note - the camera has audio compression

ampnation
04-15-2012, 04:33 PM
Sounds like you did very well for a first wedding. Congrats. And yeah, I would never judge the sound system based on a cam corder capture. LOL

DJ Higgumz
04-15-2012, 09:13 PM
We were next to a cop shop so I was conservative on the sub. I cranked it during pour some sugar on me, and the reaction was great!

Statik
04-20-2012, 05:45 PM
Man only 300 bucks? for the wedding? how many hours were you there for?

pertytown
04-20-2012, 08:14 PM
Nice job! One suggestion...hide all the cables that are on the tabletop. Most here will castrate you for cable management.

DJ Higgumz
04-21-2012, 09:45 PM
Man only 300 bucks? for the wedding? how many hours were you there for?
yeah, it was really low end. that's why i did it. now that i'm familiar with the game, i can do the higher end ones


Nice job! One suggestion...hide all the cables that are on the tabletop. Most here will castrate you for cable management.

actually that was the mic for the toast! that would be ungodly ugly! i also just bought a black table cloth.