Wedding Ceremony & Reception Music Discussions

iPod reception?

Hi!

My wedding is still really (REALLY REALLY) far away (yay, grad school!) but this is something that I have always wondered about. How good/bad of an idea is an iPod reception? What are the pros and cons of an iPod vs. a DJ? We definitely won't be having a live band.

Thanks in advance! :)
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Re: iPod reception?

  • loveslugloveslug member
    10 Comments
    edited December 2011
    We did this for DD's wedding and it was perfect for their event, but it is not as 'autopilot' as one might think...volume differences in the songs meant that someone had to babysit it most of the time to make sure it stayed in the pleasantly audible range, and to alter the playlist when something specific was requested.  Aside from that, it was exactly what DD wanted in that it allowed her to have the exact songs/artists she and her now-husband wanted played for the ceremony and reception (they did NOT want to hear covers of their favorite songs, and some of their song choices were obscure enough that most djs would not have had them). 

    We rented professional equipment, and if this is the route you plan to go the one thing I would suggest is to try to find one that has a cordless microphone.  It would have made some things a bit easier for us had we had a cordless mic!
  • edited December 2011
    One of the big things if you're not having a DJ is to find someone who is comfortable enough speaking to be the emcee for the wedding party introductions, etc.  I would also make sure that you have at least a second iPod or laptop loaded with your playlist in case something goes wrong.  You may need to designate someone to keep an eye on the iPod and change the music if people aren't dancing, etc.

    I agree with PP that it's a good way to make sure you hear all the songs you want to hear, but you can also have that with a DJ as well.  We are having a lot of songs played that are too obscure for our DJ to have, and he has been more than willing to find and upload these songs to his collection for us.  I would also keep in mind that your guests may not love all the songs you want to play, and people may not stay and dance if they're not into the music.  Part of the DJ's job is to get paid to read the crowd and play what is getting people up and dancing.

    I don't mean for this to come off totally anti-iPod, but these are some of the things we took into consideration when making our decision.  We ultimately found a great budget-friendly DJ who was willing to download new songs for us, and is willing to play a specific playlist for us during dinner (so that we get our favorite songs in without killing the dance mood for our guests), and then do his thing for the rest of the reception.
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  • edited December 2011
    DJ's are supposed to be experts at reading the dance floor and playing off of the ever changing emotion of the reception.  They can switch up the music to get people dancing, and tone it down whenever the mood is low due to food being served or what have you.  Obviously, an iPod playlist cannot do this.  I also think hiring someone is worth the cost so you don't have to worry about having a designated "iPod person" at your wedding.
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  • edited December 2011
    I am a professional musician and still decided to go with an ipod reception. It is perfectly fine and sure saves a lot of money! It is all about what fits you as a couple and the event style you want. The important thing really is finding a good person to emcee, and meeting with that person to go over the itinerary/timing. Definitely back up your music and have someone reliable whose job it is to hover near the ipod and watch for any problems. 
    Yes you will also need sound equipment, but mainly only large enough speakers and a microphone for the emcee. There are many businesses that rent equipment, or contact a local university with telecommunications or media arts departments to see if they have students in sound production to hire. If you are using a venue that does weddings a lot, they probably have a sound system you can use and especially if it's the kind of place that does weddings/conventions, they will probably have a microphone, too. 
    Have fun!
    -Kendall
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