Pandora Radio instead of DJ?

We are doing this for our very casual outdoor wedding. I wouldn't for a more formal wedding though..

I wouldn't say it would make you cheap but I do think it's a way to save money. I personally would cut other places because I believe a DJ really helps keep the party going but if this is somewhere you want to cut costs then go for it.

I'd recommend creating a playlist over Pandora though because they have commercials and that can be really annoying and totally kill the mood.

It will play commercials so just be aware of that. We're doing an ipod reception and using the WeddingDJ app with our playlist so we can pick what gets played.

Awe crap. I thought if you did the $3.99 upgrade it would remove commercials!

I would definitely recommend a DJ! It is of course another big cost, but so very worth it. If you find an experienced one, they will make your night run smoothly as well as keep your guests on the dance floor!

Heres the thing, I had the same question and I think if your doing a short casual wedding then that should be OK but if your having a full out wedding with introductions and songs I would say hire one. I was going to do the same thing as that but my SIL told me its a lot less stressfull

I downloaded all my music for an MC to play off of and keep the partying going with

I was surprised to find out (by attending many weddings in my 20s) what a difference a DJ makes. They play the 'group songs to keep people out on the floor-- once everyone sits, it's really hard to get them up again-- they do the announcements, they know when people are tired and need a slow song or it's time to get people moving again. Of course, if you're not really expecting dancing, but the music will be just for background noise, an ipod would be fine. And yes, there is a pandora upgrade that eliminates commercials, but I don't know how much it is.

I would try and get a DJ, they always seem to keep the party going and allows the guests to make requests too.

I think a DJ is important. They serve as an MC for the night to make all the important announcements and can judge the crowd to ensure they're playing what keeps people dancing, if that's the goal, and that may not be what you think they want to hear. They also typically bring their own equipment so you don't have to rent a sound system.

A good DJ will switch things up if your guests aren't dancing. It's definitely better to make cuts elsewhere if possible.

We are using an ipod our wedding is small FH and I don't care about music and most of the guests are older. We decided to let the few teens pic and play what they like. I know it's a big wedding don't but in our case a dj isn't worth the money. We are also skipping wedding party intros so no worries about MC lol

The $3.99 upgrade still has some ads mixed in, I had the upgrade for about a year but I haven't used it lately so I canceled it.

It really depends on what type of a wedding you are having. For a small, casual gathering an iPod might work, but for something larger or more formal, I think a DJ is your best option. For me and FH, hiring a DJ was a MUST because neither of us like to dance, or be the center of attention too much (we are embarassed easily). We need the DJ to keep things moving, get people dancing, as well as to move us through the timeline of the night (garter toss, bouquet toss, speeches, buffet line, special dances, sparkler exit, cake cutting, etc.).

We have our DJ for the ceremony and 5 hours for $600, which in our area is a steal! Check out thumbtack.com to gauge pricing and get some quotes, you might be surprised at how inexpensive they are, especially depending on how long you need a DJ for.

Definitely get a DJ if you can.

If not, I would probably do a playlist instead of pandora. And have someone man it to make sure people are digging the tunes. If not they can switch it up. Pandora does repeat songs every now and again. And it would be annoying to have the same song play more than once.

The DJ is one of the most important expenses you can splurge on...

I have a subscription to google play music so I'm considering using that to stream music for the wedding (not doing a DJ - we won't have a dance floor, just music playing in the background, so it's not worth the money).

My only worry about that would be if your internet connection drops - so if you're considering that option, have a backup playlist saved as well that you can play.

We're skipping the DJ as well. The husband of one of my bridesmaids offered to "MC" for us and control the iPod. We'll make a few playlists - one for ceremony, one for meal background, and one or two for dancing. Fingers crossed it all goes well! We just couldn't justify spending $1500 on a DJ for our $6k wedding. If you have Apple products, have you tried iTunes match? Huge selection and doesn't take space on your device unless you download.

I'm an advocate of hiring a professional DJ. But to each his own, if you are having a more casual wedding I would say you can save the money on a DJ and DIY the music. I would say to try out the wedding music aps or even grooveshark.com... it allows you to actually pick and compile a playlist. Pandora unfortunately will still have ads and I know just from using it at work some days its awesome and plays exactly what I want and other days I'm like all these songs suck... so just be mindful. Also consider if you have or will want a microphone for speeches and introductions... this would come as a service with a professional DJ.