No DJ/iPod Playlist

A DJ does more than just play music. Will you have someone to announce your first dance, cake cutting, etc? My friends did this and nobody was around to see any of these moments because there was nobody to announce when they were happening. At least get a microphone for speeches and have someone make announcements.

I would definitely reconsider.......

Please do not make your friends MC your wedding. Let them enjoy the event. Hire an MC. A DJ really would be best, it changes the atmosphere and a DJ really knows how to get the crowd going. If possible, you should cut back on decor and hire a professional DJ.

We thought about it and then we thought about all the things that could go wrong. If a DJs equiptment fails then they will have a back up. If your stuff fails then you just have no music. A DJ will make all announcements. If a friend does it then they have to worry about being on time and they might miss some stuff or be stressed out when they should just be a guest and be enjoying the party. What happens if someone wants to request a song? Do you have extra speakers to make sure the music is the right volume? What happens if something messes up? Are you going to take time out from your wedding to fix it?

After thinking about all those things we decided to get a DJ. Less stress for everyone!

Cut out other things and find room for a DJ

I'd cut places elsewhere in order to afford a DJ

I agree with your parents

I would say hire a DJ. They do other things then just play music.

You don't want your friends (or even possibly yourself) doing this on your wedding day. Let someone else take care of it!

We also considered it, but it gave me anxiety thinking of all the things that could go wrong. Shop around for a DJ, you may be able to get one for a decent price depending on where you are. We found one for 6 hrs (including ceremony and cocktail hr) for $995 in Maine. I'm glad to pay money and have peace of mind.

Food, Photography, and DJ/MC are the 3 things IMO you should NEVER do yourself or rely on friends/friendors for. There are other things too, but those are the main ones.

I strongly suggest you research DJs in your area. You don't want to do this or expect a guest to do it.

When you get a chance log in from a computer and search for this topic.

We didn't. We had very structured categories we filled out and dj played all of our songs and more. You should really Google how many songs you need for the hours of your wedding and you might be in shock. Our dj made CDs of every song he played at our wedding. A total of 5 CDs with who knows how many songs!

Cut costs somewhere else. Hire a DJ

I'm doing the same thing I'm perfectly happy with our choice. Last few weddings I've been too, the DJs sucked. Including my quinceanera, the DJ was highly recommended to us and was horrible..They were definitely a waste of money. My mom is actually purchasing a sound system to play music on. Not just for our wedding but for future parties (once set for next year ) . The big system is $300 and you can play thru Bluetooth, usb,cd, etc.. ,we've been gathering song titles to play. Oh it also comes with a microphone for announcements.. The system plays really nicely. I'm not cutting back on other items to pay for a DJ. I've never been to a wedding where the dj makes a special impression on me.. So if that's what you think will make your night, go ahead and do it. You know your family and guests best!

Before anyone criticizes are decision my son is autistic and couldn't handle loud music and lightening, additionally my dad suffered a massive head injury a few years ago and was in a coma for months. He too can't handle loud music, lights, or too much stimulation. Seeing as these are two of the most important people in mine and my FH's lives we want to include them as much as possible. Music will low background noise, mainly The Piano Guys and other instrumental music. My sister did not consider this at her wedding and my dad lasted about twenty minutes into her wedding reception and had such a splitting headache he was crying, slurring his speech, and had to be hospitalized for a few days because he had such a setback.

So no we are not having a DJ, we are doing a intimate dinner outside at MFILs house, we are renting equipment for what music we will have, using the wedding dj app, and renting a microphone for the one speech and any announcements.

If we doing a wedding where we wanted a lot of dancing or had different family situations we would be hiring a DJ.

Obviously a DJ would better, but an iPod isn't the worst thing you could do. I have been to a few iPod weddings. It definitely does affect the "party" atmosphere, but it's also super dependent on your crowd. People will still dance, just not as much as they would with a DJ. Also I totally think friends make better MCs than DJs do. Just make sure you have people that are comfortable talking with a mic.

I think it would depend on whether the dancing part is a priority to you. If it is, it probably makes sense to budget accordingly. Are you trying to save money or doing it for a different reason? For everything that you don't hire a vendor, you really just have to be accepting of the possibility that it doesn't work out perfectly.

I highly recommend hiring a DJ. It's not just about the announcements and dancing but they monitor where everyone is at with everything else to keep things running smoothly. They also keep the wedding moving so that not too much time is spent doing certain things.

By the time you buy all the necessary equipment you would probably save money by just paying a dj.

No DJ is most likely going to be no dancing.