I-Pod Reception vs. DJ

katien27 · October 2009

I was 100% set on having an I-pod reception for my very small destination wedding. A good friend of ours was going to host/MC it and it was going to be real chill and fun. I asked the event coordinator at the reception venue about having an i-pod reception and in so many words she basically said it was a terrible idea. She also said it'd cost $300 to rent the speakers from an AV company that they use??? That seemed incredibly high. A friend of mine who's a DJ also said that was really, really high. What do you guys think about this? any one having an i-pod reception?

duckie1905 · October 2009

I've been to a few iPod receptions and unfortunately, I have to agree with your event coordinator. I think it is a great idea in theory but in practice the couple never seems able to pull it off. They have a friend act as MC (and they usually aren't any good or they don't want to be doing it as they'd rather be a guest and enjoy themselves).I've also heard brides complain that for the cost of eqiupment rental they could've hired a DJ anyway. Additionally I've seen the iPod break (a pro will have backup equipment) as well as a myriad of other technical problems that no one is knowledgeable enough to deal with.

lyndausvi · October 2009

It might depend on where your DW is located. That would be about the same price down here. Most of the venues do not have their own speakers here. They have to rent them from a local DJ or AV company.As far as IPOD vs. DJ. It's up to you. Are you having dancing or just background music? If it's background music then I think IPOD is find. If there is dancing, personally I like a DJ because they can read the crowd in real time. I think it would be hard to figure out the vibe weeks in advance.

faith194 · October 2009

We had a laptop reception. We rented the AV equipment for 85 dollars and my cousin(who DJs in England) MC'd the event with his brother. It really added that personal touch we wanted, with no cheese whatsoever. Everyone raved about our "entertainment" and I'm glad I didn't spend more than 200 dollars on this(we did give them money for mcing our event, even though it was their gift to us--we didn't feel right since they did so much for us).Anyway, my wedding has been the only wedding that was not DJd, and it went off without a hitch! Every other wedding I've been to has had a dj.Is there anyway you can look into different companies where your wedding is being held? 300 dollars does seem unreasonable to me, since we only paid 85 dollars for everything. However, we are in Upstate NY in a LCOL area.Good luck!

aerinpegadrak · October 2009

Our DW venue has an iPod docking station, and we'll either run the music through that or try to hook up our laptop. We may end up bringing our stereo setup from home, since we've got some pretty boss speakers and it wouldn't be too hard to fit in the car.My BIL is a professional DJ, and will probably run the playlists and MC for the few moments we want announced. We're just doing background music, though; I think we're saving our first dance for the AHR, because to have that and no other dancing would be kind of weird.

Lasairiona · October 2009

I've been to a few Ipod weddings and they completely bombed which is not what anyone was expecting. In fact, at most of them, no one danced. The music selection was great to listen to but wasn't danceable. If something doesn't work for the guests, you don't have alot of options to quickly find something else that does work. There isn't a problem with that with a regular dj. A good dj will just play music if you ask them and not say a word. They also have a ton of music available and can quickly get to it if something doesn't work with the guests. Some people here at the Knot have said they had great success with Ipods as their dj but most say they preferred a dj and that it was better in their experience as a guest too. Everyone is different obviously so you need to figure out what works best for you. I also know people in "real life" who have attended weddings with Ipod djs and nearly all agree that Ipods are better suited for personal use rather than mid-size to large events.

AmieR0423 · October 2009

I'm really glad I found this thread because we were seriously considering an iPod wedding. I have seen some baaaad DJs (mispronouncing the couples first names, even. Not to mention the do-not-play breeches). My venue comes with sound and mic built in, so I wouldn't have to rent the speakers and such. My concern lies with how big our guest list is (over 120), and how awkward it may get inbetween songs and who will accounce certain things. If anyone has one soon please comment! So I'm having many concerns as well!

Leah&Christian09 · October 2009

I think ipods work well if you want background music and people aren't really going to dance. If you want a lot of people to dance, you really need a DJ. You may be able to find a friend of a friend or someone via craigslist that isn't a professional and will do it for cheaper. Finding a good DJ is all in the legwork, just like any other vendor. There are some really great DJs, and we've all heard some obnoxious ones. If you do your homework, get recs, and meet the DJ before the wedding, you'll find someone that will fit your vision.

scoetto · October 2009

We are doing an iPod reception. We have a 4 hour reception with 60 guests. We are picturing a more relaxed laid back feel than a wild party with crazy dancing. I think it all depends on what you want. We'll be happy without dancing.

faith194 · October 2009

Oh, just for reference--We had 110 guests with lots of a dancing(no down time between songs). My cousin only had to get on the mic a few times, just to announce a specific song or whatnot. the "ipod" reception for us went off without a hitch and no one missed a paid DJ. Granted, my cousin has an awesome personality and really knew how to work the crowd(although not a lot of working of the crowd was needed).

MeaghanandMichael · October 2009

Fwiw, if you are trying to have an ipod reception with a lot of dancing, this just does not work. It comes off as not well put together and confusing. Just say no.

artistic7219 · October 2009

My fiance and I are trying to stick to a budget as much as possible for our wedding and we thought it would be just as nice to have reception music playing from an i-pod than spending tons of money on a DJ. He is a musician and knows about all that tech-y stuff, so we're confident that our reception will turn out beautifully. We are also having a good friend of ours be the MC. My advice is not to worry about what that event coordinator thinks about your plans- it's you and your fiance's big day and you should do what you think is best and what you can afford! If the reception hall has a sound-system you should have no worries about renting speakers, just hook up the i-pod. But if not, maybe look into renting them from a different AV company or borrowing them from your DJ friend for a nominal fee. Hopefully you will find ways of getting around using your reception hall's AV company and everything will work out great! Best wishes!!!

katien27 · October 2009

thanks everyone! this is a lot to think about. i appreciate all of your input!

I-Pod Reception vs. DJ

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