KARAOKE SCENE MAGAZINE ONLINE! - Booked my first wedding Public Forums Karaoke Discussions Karaoke Scene's Karaoke Forums Home | Contact Us | Site Map  

Karaoke Forums

Karaoke Scene Karaoke Forums

Karaoke Scene

   
  * Login
  * Register

  * FAQ
  * Search

Custom Search

Social Networks


premium-member

Offsite Links


It is currently Thu Mar 28, 2024 8:54 am

All times are UTC - 8 hours





Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 45 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2, 3  Next
Author Message
PostPosted: Tue Aug 30, 2016 8:15 am 
Offline
Extreme Poster
Extreme Poster
User avatar

Joined: Mon Dec 20, 2004 10:09 am
Posts: 3341
Location: Tampa Bay, FL
Been Liked: 445 times
Also, have a backup of major speaker and interconnect cords and power cords and a backup laptop or other way to play music, all preloaded with the same music on your primary player, especially an easy way to get to the "event" songs.

_________________
C Mc
KJ, FL


Top
 Profile Singer's Showcase Profile 
 
PostPosted: Tue Aug 30, 2016 11:39 am 
Offline
Super Poster
Super Poster
User avatar

Joined: Thu Jul 07, 2011 12:35 pm
Posts: 1351
Images: 1
Location: Idaho
Been Liked: 180 times
and I take a portable all-in-one mixer, amp combo unit as a backup just in case something fails.

_________________
It's all good!


Top
 Profile Personal album Singer's Showcase Profile 
 
PostPosted: Wed Aug 31, 2016 6:35 am 
Offline
Major Poster
Major Poster

Joined: Thu Aug 15, 2013 8:49 am
Posts: 51
Been Liked: 3 times
Have an ashtray at the side of the stage or let people hold their cigarettes while they are singing, they may prefer that as they can have a puff when they like.

Also, allow children to sing if they wish.


Top
 Profile Singer's Showcase Profile 
 
PostPosted: Thu Sep 01, 2016 4:21 am 
Offline
Senior Poster
Senior Poster
User avatar

Joined: Tue Nov 03, 2015 5:46 am
Posts: 118
Images: 19
Been Liked: 32 times
mightywiz wrote:
and I take a portable all-in-one mixer, amp combo unit as a backup just in case something fails.



I keep a spare computer, an assortment of cords and monitors in my trailer just in case, knock on wood, nothing has failed yet.

_________________
I only do private parties, and you're not invited


Top
 Profile Personal album Singer's Showcase Profile 
 
PostPosted: Thu Sep 01, 2016 8:24 am 
Offline
Extreme Poster
Extreme Poster
User avatar

Joined: Mon Dec 20, 2004 10:09 am
Posts: 3341
Location: Tampa Bay, FL
Been Liked: 445 times
singsong wrote:
Have an ashtray at the side of the stage or let people hold their cigarettes while they are singing, they may prefer that as they can have a puff when they like.


I've done about 60-70 weddings, and NEVER seen a wedding venue allow indoor smoking.

_________________
C Mc
KJ, FL


Top
 Profile Singer's Showcase Profile 
 
PostPosted: Thu Sep 01, 2016 10:07 am 
Offline
Super Extreme Poster
Super Extreme Poster
User avatar

Joined: Mon Dec 10, 2001 3:57 pm
Posts: 22974
Songs: 35
Images: 3
Location: Tacoma, WA
Been Liked: 2125 times
TopherM wrote:
singsong wrote:
Have an ashtray at the side of the stage or let people hold their cigarettes while they are singing, they may prefer that as they can have a puff when they like.


I've done about 60-70 weddings, and NEVER seen a wedding venue allow indoor smoking.
Most weddings I've worked are in halls, hotel banquet rooms & other indoor places - none of which allow smoking inside either.

_________________
LIKE Lonman on Facebook - Lonman Productions Karaoke & my main site via my profile!
Image


Top
 Profile Personal album Singer's Showcase Profile 
 
PostPosted: Thu Sep 01, 2016 1:02 pm 
Offline
Super Poster
Super Poster
User avatar

Joined: Thu Jul 07, 2011 12:35 pm
Posts: 1351
Images: 1
Location: Idaho
Been Liked: 180 times
I'm rural america s.e. washington & central idaho.
I do them all over the place, outside more so then i do inside (late fall & winter we are inside).

and usually the guests will all go away from everyone else to light up a cigarette.

_________________
It's all good!


Top
 Profile Personal album Singer's Showcase Profile 
 
PostPosted: Fri Sep 02, 2016 7:29 am 
Offline
Senior Poster
Senior Poster
User avatar

Joined: Tue Nov 03, 2015 5:46 am
Posts: 118
Images: 19
Been Liked: 32 times
The venue where this wedding will be is none smoking, which is like most places I've dj'd

_________________
I only do private parties, and you're not invited


Top
 Profile Personal album Singer's Showcase Profile 
 
PostPosted: Sun Sep 25, 2016 4:45 pm 
Offline
Advanced Poster
Advanced Poster

Joined: Sat May 24, 2014 11:26 pm
Posts: 346
Been Liked: 20 times
as a 10-year KJ, i think i've done a half-dozen weddings in my career so far and i can truly say i hate weddings

here's my 2 cents:

1st penny: if it's your first few times doing a wedding, do yourself a favor: bring someone else with you that you trust to that wedding to help you out--a brother, a best friend, a parent, another KJ that you're cool with, someone that you know who will have your back. i found it almost impossible to be at two places at one time, by myself during the wedding. a second person nearby who knows you could be very handy at tough moments.

2nd penny: be upfront and ask the bride and groom will there be any surprises during the reception when you announce folks into the venue. folks will be drinking at the wedding and won't care when it comes time to announce folks by name into the venue. for me, as in some cases, the bride's parents were splitsville, but the bride's dad brought in his girlfriend of 24 hours and demanded i announce her. that wasn't in the script, so to speak but he was paying for part of this wedding. his ex-wife of course was against me announcing his 24-hour girlfriend by name or even adding her last minute into the line-up for the reception, but things like this happen when parents split up, the bride plans a wedding and doesn't contact her father. he's gonna bring a surprise like this especially if he's paying. or they'll add an ailing aunt who showed up from Texas into the line up with an impossible name to pronounce. get all of your pronunciations correct. my problem will always be the line up for announcing names of the bridal party and groom party into the venue. you'll realize at that moment that you don't know these people and don't care for them. you don't know which name matches with who. so people get drunk during the wedding, line up wrong and you can't tell who is who since you've never really met them. it's a mess. i don't like doing weddings. bring a friend with you to help you sort all that drama out.


Top
 Profile Singer's Showcase Profile 
 
PostPosted: Sun Sep 25, 2016 5:10 pm 
Offline
Advanced Poster
Advanced Poster

Joined: Sat May 24, 2014 11:26 pm
Posts: 346
Been Liked: 20 times
extra penny

i know weddings seem to be all about the bride and her day, but don't forget the groom. when you ask the COUPLE for songs to be played at THEIR wedding, do not forget the groom. he will bypass your question, play nice and say he's leaving it all up to the bride--he's going with whatever songs she wants; he's not into music, blah blah. but once the wedding's here and you're at the wedding, it's a whole different story. you were warned here now.

my 2 stories/cautionary tales: my 1st wedding. the groom's family is from a different country overseas. me, being a wedding newbie, it didn't cross my mind to notice that. i took of the bride's songlist while he was there and he approved of it, but at the wedding his entire family got off the plane from thousands of miles away and filled half the room--all from another country. and i didn't have one song to play from the county. none of their country's music were listed on the bride's playlist. yep, as you can guess, i don't think they're still married today. but i was so embarrassed. i saw it immediately. i still played a great reception. but i learned a lesson.

wedding story #2. this wedding groom played it off that he didn't need any music for himself. he'll leave it up to the bride. her playlist was very soft. the groom's dad rolled up on me at the reception and was like "what the hell are you playing? i helped out to pay for this wedding and i'm actually paying the dj, so i want to hear ratchet music. i wanna get drunk and party. period. i'm paying." i was like, yessir! i turned up the ratchet and the crowd went wild. of course, the bride was shooting lazers of hatred my way. her husband loved it. his family loved it. her family and friends love it. she was the only person in the room woefully unhappy and i didn't blame her. but it was pointed out to me that her elderly grandma was out on the dancefloor getting it in and said i was the best thing ever and folks were so happy to get her on video. my saving grace was i remembered the bride's favorite song so i ended on that which was danceable and perfect. only time she smiled and everyone circled her because they knew she was pissed the music didn't go her way but went everyone else's way and they had fun. strangers making out in the dancefloor. bridal party making out in the dancefloor. parents wilding out. loud cheers on the dancefloor. and why not? i also did it because the bride gets so busy taking pictures and greeting everyone, she's hardly on the dancefloor while everyone else who showed up is out there. so i'm like, ok, she's not in the room right now, ok, let's go for it, let's see if you guys can hang. and they could!! so you gotta think about that too--you'll get a songlist from the bride who won't always be on the dancefloor or in the room, while other people are. so, what do you do?


Top
 Profile Singer's Showcase Profile 
 
PostPosted: Mon Sep 26, 2016 8:16 am 
Offline
Extreme Poster
Extreme Poster
User avatar

Joined: Mon Dec 20, 2004 10:09 am
Posts: 3341
Location: Tampa Bay, FL
Been Liked: 445 times
I never leave the entire playlist up to the bride/groom. I ask them if there are any songs/genres they strictly DO NOT want me to play, and if they have a handful of "must have" songs, but then ask that they give me the autonomy to read the crowd and play what I know works.

For like "cocktail hour" or "dinner music," I will typically ask them to give me some basic genre guidelines, like "oldies," "big band/rat pack," "80s," etc. and let me handle the specific songs.

The bride/groom should be allowed to shape the basics of their playlist, but they have to defer to the professional on the specifics. Otherwise, why would they even need you, just to press buttons :)

_________________
C Mc
KJ, FL


Top
 Profile Singer's Showcase Profile 
 
PostPosted: Sun Apr 30, 2017 11:44 am 
Offline
Extreme Poster
Extreme Poster
User avatar

Joined: Thu Jul 10, 2008 5:13 pm
Posts: 3801
Images: 1
Location: Florida
Been Liked: 1612 times
Last night I had a wedding rehearsal gig for a mid twenties bride and groom. It was a fabulous large room overlooking a marina, with windows every where. It was a hard 1 hour drive in Friday rush hour traffic, and I got there plenty early. There was an elevator, but a very long haul to the huge stage. My start time was 6:30 and I was suppose to meet with the groom's mother at 6PM and go over some details of the evening.

The unusual details of this gig was that the groom was providing the music AND the computer to play it with. Since he wasn't there yet I fired up some dinner music at 6:00 just in case there would be a few early arrivers. Finally the groom showed at 7PM with his Apple laptop and we plugged it in, discovered my Lexicon Alpha sound card, and fired up some music.

His music selection for the first hour and a half was odd at best with a mix of 80's rock, techno electronic, jazz, and current pop. It was dinner and socializing so no one was paying any attention anyway. The groom seemed to be having a problem with the laptop because it stopped playing 2 times the first hour.

Once the wedding details were discussed the party was to begin. The place had about 120 guests and half of them were "20 somethings" and all grads from ivy league schools. The groom came up and started playing a folder labeled "Shag" and it played for the next 2 1/2 hours.

From then until the evening's end there was only a total of six couples that ever stepped foot on this beautiful dance floor. I had several people ask me if I could play some other music, and I informed them that it was not my music or my laptop, so I had no control of the music. They looked at me like I must be pulling their leg..... until I suggested them to talk to the groom.

At the evening's end not a single person would even look me in the eye or say anything positive to me. It was my worst, most boring, most frustrating gig of my life. The really frustrating part was that I started requesting a "playlist" 6 weeks before the gig, and kept asking every week. Everyone was sure that it was me that ruined their fun.

As Topher says "I never leave the entire playlist up to the bride/groom." Truer words have never been said :wink:


Top
 Profile Personal album Singer's Showcase Profile 
 
PostPosted: Sun Apr 30, 2017 1:41 pm 
Offline
Extreme Plus Poster
Extreme Plus Poster

Joined: Fri Jun 17, 2011 8:22 am
Posts: 6103
Been Liked: 634 times
8) Gee this was just posted and look at all of the feedback!

I have to agree with Lonnie never a karaoke wedding, just stick to the DJ part and you should do fine. The financial rewards of doing weddings cannot be over stated. Yes you do have to put up with very difficult people from both the bride and grooms factions. Sometimes a little anarchy is good, that gives you a chance to bring order with music, sort of like it soothing the breast of the savage beast part of the wedding. I have found out that as long as the people keep drinking at a wedding, as time goes on it is easier to take charge of the situation, and do what you are getting paid to do, keep things entertaining and moving. I wouldn't stress too much because if it doesn't work guess what you don't have to do another. Unless of course you really like this type of situation. It is a one shot gig each time you do one, and like anything else if other people hire you, you must have done something right. Have fun.


Top
 Profile Singer's Showcase Profile 
 
PostPosted: Sun Apr 30, 2017 2:26 pm 
Offline
Advanced Poster
Advanced Poster
User avatar

Joined: Tue May 17, 2016 11:58 pm
Posts: 253
Been Liked: 116 times
mrmarog wrote:
Last night I had a wedding rehearsal gig for a mid twenties bride and groom. It was a fabulous large room overlooking a marina, with windows every where. It was a hard 1 hour drive in Friday rush hour traffic, and I got there plenty early. There was an elevator, but a very long haul to the huge stage. My start time was 6:30 and I was suppose to meet with the groom's mother at 6PM and go over some details of the evening.

The unusual details of this gig was that the groom was providing the music AND the computer to play it with. Since he wasn't there yet I fired up some dinner music at 6:00 just in case there would be a few early arrivers. Finally the groom showed at 7PM with his Apple laptop and we plugged it in, discovered my Lexicon Alpha sound card, and fired up some music.

His music selection for the first hour and a half was odd at best with a mix of 80's rock, techno electronic, jazz, and current pop. It was dinner and socializing so no one was paying any attention anyway. The groom seemed to be having a problem with the laptop because it stopped playing 2 times the first hour.

Once the wedding details were discussed the party was to begin. The place had about 120 guests and half of them were "20 somethings" and all grads from ivy league schools. The groom came up and started playing a folder labeled "Shag" and it played for the next 2 1/2 hours.

From then until the evening's end there was only a total of six couples that ever stepped foot on this beautiful dance floor. I had several people ask me if I could play some other music, and I informed them that it was not my music or my laptop, so I had no control of the music. They looked at me like I must be pulling their leg..... until I suggested them to talk to the groom.

At the evening's end not a single person would even look me in the eye or say anything positive to me. It was my worst, most boring, most frustrating gig of my life. The really frustrating part was that I started requesting a "playlist" 6 weeks before the gig, and kept asking every week. Everyone was sure that it was me that ruined their fun.

As Topher says "I never leave the entire playlist up to the bride/groom." Truer words have never been said :wink:

I feel for you buddy! The bad part is if you do another wedding and some of the guest are at the next wedding, they'll be giving the oh oh it's that guy again. Hopefully you'll have more control on the music and you can show them that you're style is way better than the previous groom.


Top
 Profile Singer's Showcase Profile 
 
PostPosted: Mon May 01, 2017 3:43 am 
Offline
Extreme Poster
Extreme Poster
User avatar

Joined: Thu Jul 10, 2008 5:13 pm
Posts: 3801
Images: 1
Location: Florida
Been Liked: 1612 times
bazinga wrote:
Quote:
As Topher says "I never leave the entire playlist up to the bride/groom." Truer words have never been said :wink:

I feel for you buddy! The bad part is if you do another wedding and some of the guest are at the next wedding, they'll be giving the oh oh it's that guy again. Hopefully you'll have more control on the music and you can show them that you're style is way better than the previous groom.
Thank you Bazinga, The good part is that almost everyone was from out of state. I left a message for the the bride's father (a very good friend of mine) yesterday, but I have not heard back from him.

The groom seemed completely unconcerned about the (his) poor music choice or the total absence of dancers. I think his main concern was reducing the expense of the entertainment, which his parents was paying for. What he didn't realize was that I was doing a big favor for the bride's parents not his, and I would not have charged him anything extra even if I had provided the music.


Top
 Profile Personal album Singer's Showcase Profile 
 
PostPosted: Mon May 01, 2017 6:15 am 
Offline
Extreme Plus Poster
Extreme Plus Poster

Joined: Fri Jun 17, 2011 8:22 am
Posts: 6103
Been Liked: 634 times
8) This is the lesson if you are doing a show, you can work with people, but after all it is your show. The reason you were hired is someone liked your style and wanted your expertise. Remember the scene from "Butch Cassidy and The Sun Dance Kid"? They are applying for the job as payroll guards for a mine. The owner tells Sun Dance to hit a piece of wood, to just aim and shoot, of course this was not the way he did his business, and missed. He then asked the owner if he could move, the owner said yes, he did his usual style and hit the wood three times twice in the air. Sun Dance said "I'm a lot better when I move", to thy own self be true.


Top
 Profile Singer's Showcase Profile 
 
PostPosted: Mon May 01, 2017 6:51 am 
Offline
Extreme Poster
Extreme Poster
User avatar

Joined: Thu Jul 10, 2008 5:13 pm
Posts: 3801
Images: 1
Location: Florida
Been Liked: 1612 times
Lone, What made it so difficult was that fact that the groom would not give me any sort of a playlist, or any indication of his musical preferences, because he was set on using his laptop and ONLY HIS laptop.


Top
 Profile Personal album Singer's Showcase Profile 
 
PostPosted: Mon May 01, 2017 8:06 am 
Offline
Extreme Plus Poster
Extreme Plus Poster

Joined: Fri Jun 17, 2011 8:22 am
Posts: 6103
Been Liked: 634 times
mrmarog wrote:
Lone, What made it so difficult was that fact that the groom would not give me any sort of a playlist, or any indication of his musical preferences, because he was set on using his laptop and ONLY HIS laptop.



8) Not to be difficult myself, I would have just bowed out and let the groom run the show since that is what he did anyway. I have been at this too long to let a non-professional hijack my business. After all the show is a reflection on the host, I would not let some drunk make me look bad, not any groom either. Just saying mrmarog.


Top
 Profile Singer's Showcase Profile 
 
PostPosted: Mon May 01, 2017 8:10 am 
Offline
Extreme Poster
Extreme Poster
User avatar

Joined: Thu Jul 10, 2008 5:13 pm
Posts: 3801
Images: 1
Location: Florida
Been Liked: 1612 times
UPDATE: I just heard from the bride's father and the next day the groom spread the word around that the music that was being played was his choice not the DJ's. I have been exonerated! The "scarlet letter A" (for Awful) has been removed


Last edited by mrmarog on Mon May 01, 2017 8:12 am, edited 1 time in total.

Top
 Profile Personal album Singer's Showcase Profile 
 
PostPosted: Mon May 01, 2017 8:12 am 
Offline
Extreme Plus Poster
Extreme Plus Poster

Joined: Fri Jun 17, 2011 8:22 am
Posts: 6103
Been Liked: 634 times
8) All's well that ends well.


Top
 Profile Singer's Showcase Profile 
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 45 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2, 3  Next

All times are UTC - 8 hours


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 741 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group

Privacy Policy | Anti-Spam Policy | Acceptable Use Policy Copyright © Karaoke Scene Magazine
design & hosting by Cross Web Tech