Pandora

FarynTyler · March 2011

I wonder if it is possible to have a laptop connected to some speakers and let Pandora run all night long at the reception...think Nat King Cole station. This way you kinda have the same feel or vibe the whole night without trying to think of every song that might fit for what you are aiming for.

Just an idea, but I don't know if this is a good idea or not..somebody would have to monitor this so that it wouldn't stop because nobody has moved the mouse in over 2 hours...

Has anybody tried this? or thought of doing the same thing?

InMyLife1979 · March 2011

hmm...an interesting and brave idea....what about the commercials?

FarynTyler · March 2011

oh, well, I have the pandora one. This I have paid 30 something dollars and it lasts a year...I think my time is coming up soon...but

In Pandora One there is no commercials. : D

I like the idea...and I feel like it would be a lot cheaper than highering a DJ or a band. Just some way to get some speakers set up and test everything out ahead of time.

tpender13 · March 2011

If you're reception is really casual, I'd say it's fine. If not, the ladies in your area might be able to recommend an inexpensive DJ company. Around here, you can find decent DJs for well under $500.

colstj1 · March 2011

This would be risky because you wouldn't know what songs will be played for sure. But if it is a more laid back reception and is maybe a smaller one, it might work.

bonita_darling · March 2011

What about just hooking up an Ipod with all the songs you want? And again, hooking it up and making sure the sound is ok ahead of time? Anyone done this?

DJRobOne · March 2011

for the love of god NO! One thing I hate about the digital age is it has DEprofessionalized a few different professions. DJing is one of them, and YES I did say PROFESSION! Trust me people go to a wedding for the reception. Yes the guests are there to celebrate the union of two souls. BUT if there was no party after the ceremony with free food,drinks, and dancing how many people do you think would show up? You think you are paying a DJ $500+ for 4 hours of him just playing records. Not true. I am a DJ and I spend a good 25-30 hours of prep work leading up to my clients wedding. You also have to take into account who is going to be starting, stopping, changing songs during your grand entrance, first dance, father/daughter dance, and toasts? Either you will have to run over and take care of those things, or one of the guests that should be having a good time will be put in charge of that. Also take into account when everyone is up and dancing, there will be no smooth transition from song to song, because Pandora is not able to mix/blend songs together and there will be a 2-3 second pause in between songs. Trust me those pauses will clear a dance floor. An Ipod or laptop cannot replace what a live human being can do. At the end of the day nobody is going to remember the bows that were attached to the chairs, or the china that dinner was served on. But they will remember the entertainment. So will you. My wedding day went by so fast. All I remember is pictures, I do, pictures, speeches, dancing, and beer. I dont remember what the food taste like, I heard it was awesome. I dont remember what the center pieces looked like. But I do know my DJ kicked ass and the open bar wasnt bad either.

Allstardjs · March 2011

Faryn,

If you are on a budget and are not interested in participating in regular wedding reception activities, your best bet would be to setup an iPod with the songs you would like included at your reception. This way you have some control over the music and when it is played. However, I don't think this is a good idea for most receptions, most brides that I've talked to about this were disappointed in the results of the event. (You only get this day once!)

If you choose not to hire a professional dj, the biggest risk you face is no one being able to effectively control the flow and direction of your reception. You will also be placing a ton of pressure on the individual you place in charge of the iPod. Usually, these individuals have little to no experience and feel tremendous anxiety about messing up something on your special day. They generally miss the enjoyment of the event due to this anxiety. Hopefully, you will find this information helpful.

Brandon

~Tuck~ · March 2011

I would not go with Pandora! I don't know about you, but sometimes my Pandora "hiccups". For example, I will be listening to the techno station, and then it might randomly play a Simon and Garfunkel Song.

Go with an iPod if you are on a budget. Much safer! Or, if you are using a computer, make a playlist in iTunes. Good luck!

susie829 · March 2011

we're probably going to use an ipod. DJ's in my area are expensive and we are on a tight budget at this point. any DJ i would hire would have to fill some really high expectations since i was a clubber for over 13 years... started at age 17 and i just recently quit going out. inexpensive DJ's won't live up to that. a friend of mine has a radio show for house music so he's going to have them record a mix (since they do it for the show anyways) and we can put it on my ipod. i wouldn't go with pandora though. it's too random.

FarynTyler · March 2011

Wow, thanks for all of the advice guys!!

It's interesting that people expect weddings to run so smoothly and put all this energy, (sometimes in a tiring and/or negative way) into making sure EVERYTHING is PERFECT. I want to enjoy my engagement as well as my wedding and also If I can save some bacon, that's a plus.

My wedding will be very low key and I'm not too concerned about pandora "hiccups" or things like this. I actually like the idea of having an Ipod inplace of Pandora. Especially if the internet service isn't functioning. I truly feel that getting a DJ is not my thing. And who is to say DJ's wouldn't screw up your wedding. I'd rather have pandora hiccup than paying somebody large amount of money to play a song I didn't want or have the DJ stoned or drunk and screw things up in a major way. (Happened to a friend of mine).

Kimberly0402 · April 2011

I'm sorry, but the music is THE more important part of a wedding reception. Don't cheap out on that. Cut corners other places first. We are having a band perform at our wedding. A DJ in our area charges $1400. For $800 more we have a live band. SO much better.

Ghoti · April 2011

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_first-dance_pandora?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:29Discussion:523866d6-1aa5-4fa4-959c-96e3ccdcace2Post:a3c47ff5-d954-40dc-82ac-25991d334a18">Re: Pandora</a>:
[QUOTE]I'm sorry, but the music is THE more important part of a wedding reception. Don't cheap out on that. Cut corners other places first. We are having a band perform at our wedding. A DJ in our area charges $1400. For $800 more we have a live band. SO much better.
Posted by Kimberly0402[/QUOTE]
FOR YOU.<div>
</div><div>Some people have a hard time wrapping their heads around the fact that people have different priorities. IE, the FOOD is the most important part of the wedding reception for me.</div><div>
</div><div>I'd use Pandora, as it is, I think we're going to try to set up an iPod to some speakers. If we run out of songs, Pandora is a great backup! (I've never had a hiccup or anything :/)</div>

FarynTyler · April 2011

Thanks Ghoti - It is true about what others priorities are in a wedding. I asked my love what we would be spending the most on and we both agreed it would most definitly be food and drinks...

I think the option of having pandora or an ipod would be a great option for people (like me) that arn't willing to spend crazy amounts for the music.

patrickrlewis · April 2011

One thing to keep in mind is what are you going to run the laptop into? Keep in mind that a home stereo unit is not going be nearly poweful enough to run for 3-4 hours at the high volume you will need it ti be. It will also overheat very easily. Plus, it will not sound right if you jack the volume all the way up for a long period of time.

You will have to rent a system (or if you are at a venue that has an inhouse system use that one for a fee). In the long run, if will be just slightly more to have someone come in and do it for you without the headache.

Pandora

Re: Pandora

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