Wedding DJ saves the Cake!
Posted by Jason | Filed under Tips for Hiring a Wedding DJ
As you can imagine, in my 11 year career as a DJ, particularly a Wedding DJ, I have seen just about everything, and if I haven’t seen it, one of my colleagues has, or I soon will.
I want to tell you a story that might help you better understand the role that a DJ has, especially at a Wedding.
Many clients assume that a DJ simply sits back and plays music, or maybe he performs a few tricks with his mixing abilities that the average I-tunes user can’t do. Clients should expect their DJ to have a sense of how to keep the guests involved, on the dance floor, and having a good time. Honestly, that is the majority of what Wedding DJs are supposed to do. But oh, there’s so much more to it.

When I first began my career back in North Carolina, I didn’t have a clue about all the crazy things I was going to see and deal with as a DJ. I quickly learned that due to the simple fact that we have the microphone, Wedding DJs become the Person In Charge in almost any situation, whether we like it or not. Fortunately our clients like it that way and I feel that our DJs handle the responsibility really well. It is our job to convey to your guests the order of events, the plan of the party, the story of the celebration and virtually every major detail of the event. We must do this in such a way as to not be “Cheesy DJs” or obtrusive on the microphone. We can do it with music and with specially arranged and coordinated announcements and work done “behind the scenes.” We must be concise, to the point, friendly and upbeat all the while. But it also becomes our job to try to avert disasters, or to keep certain things from causing problems, things that go unnoticed by most people at an event. This of course, goes well beyond the ability to mix music properly or make the Grand Entrance announcement. This is the role of the DJ that many clients don’t see at first and usually won’t fully realize until the event is over and they are showering the DJ with many praises for his “above and beyond” performance all across the board.
So I want to provide you with an example of how a DJ can work well beyond the conventional “job description” to improve your event. Of course, we feel that these are common standards for our DJs, skills they must all possess in order to be an Elegant Event Entertainment Wedding DJ.
What follows is The Story Of The Falling Wedding Cakes, and how I, the DJ, went beyond the call of duty to help in a time of crisis!
If you’ve ever been to North Carolina in August, you know it can be very hot and humid. If you haven’t, then turn your shower as hot as it will go, close all the windows and doors and put the heat thermostat on 85-90 degrees. Now, stand there in a tuxedo for 6 hours. That’s what an August wedding in NC feels like. And honestly, it isn’t much better in Southern California, minus the really thick humidity.
At any rate, long about my 3rd year as a DJ, I was faced with an interesting problem at a mid August NC wedding. The Cake was delivered, it was a gorgeous 5 tier cake, very traditional, but absolutely beautiful. About 30 minutes after the cake was set up, the icing began to melt. The Bride and Groom finished taking pictures at the church and were in the limo heading to the reception site at about the same time I noticed the cake beginning to “lean” shall we say? I quickly alerted a catering staff member, who assigned someone to stand guard with a platter to catch the cake if it fell. Brilliant! Read the rest of this entry »
