All night long: Keeping the dancefloor busy

Credit: Craig Payne Photography We posed local DJ Brian Mole the following question...

We're having nightmares about those awkward periods during weddings we've been to where the dancefloor is empty. How can you suggest we avoid this embarrassment at our wedding?

Brian says: This is a great question asked by many engaged couples. The key point to consider here is whether the right music is playing. Let's think about this, if I were to ask you: “What's your favourite music?” You may give me a list of amazing tunes, but will they set the dancefloor on fire? A better question to ask is: “What do you promise to dance to?” This will make you think about those songs you remember celebrating to. Think about who'll be attending your wedding. Are all the guests friends in the same age group with the same awesome taste in music as you, or will there be a wide age range present?

Choosing your wedding party music is one of the most important aspects of the big day's entertainment. It ensures the success of the party, and everyone's enjoyment of it. As a minimum, you should think about working with your DJ in advance, and giving them a few request lists such as:

• A must-play list of your own favourite songs to dance to.
• Your guests' requests of songs they love to dance to.
• Special requests such as your first dance.
• A don't play list – songs not to be played under any circumstances!

Hiring a professional wedding DJ with lots of experience should give you confidence that the dancefloor will be full all night long. Make sure you check out reviews from other couples who've booked the DJ you're considering before you book and meet them before hand. Also, simply preparing a Spotify playlist really isn't a good idea. Unless you have 10 guests, you'll still need to hire some PA equipment, which will need to be collected, set up, dismantled and returned. The music won't be mixed well to keep the flow of the party going, the sound quality will be debatable and Spotify doesn't take requests on the night. On a few occasions, I've hired some equipment to clients who did this and each time I've turned up to collect the kit at the end of the night, the party had fizzled out way too soon.

One final tip: don't leave it to the last minute to book a pro. The last few months have meant that most are booked up for key dates already.

Brian Mole, https://dancemix.co.uk