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Cocktail Reception - DJ or no?

Moonduzt17Moonduzt17
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in Wedding Reception Forum
I am going to be having a 3-hour cocktail reception for about 100 people. I am very torn as to book a DJ or not because the venue is very intimate (old townhouse) type of feel. There will be a dance floor as we do want the traditional first dance/dad-daughter dance/etc. We are not into the typical DJ routine/music and agree that's not what we want. However, I want to encourage dancing and make sure the night is moving along smoothly. Are there any suggestions besides a DJ for this? My fiancee is very much against the idea of a DJ and we don't want to spend the money for just an MC for three hours as that can get very expensive...thoughts??? 

Thanks!
Ashley
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Re: Cocktail Reception - DJ or no?

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    Sassenach1743Sassenach1743 member
    5 Love Its Name Dropper First Anniversary First Comment
    Hire a jazz trio! I'm sure there are plenty in your area if you do some research. 

    My FI and I feel the same way about DJs and knew from the start that we wanted live music no matter what. We searched our area and used this website (which has national listings)


    We found several great options, one of which we hired. The price points range from $300 to $3000, depending on what you want to spend. I HIGHLY recommend checking into this option. Live music truly sets the tone for your event. All the groups (whether instrumental or featured vocalist) will have a member who will MC for your.

    Good Luck!

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    MrsGandthebeagMrsGandthebeag member
    5 Love Its Combo Breaker First Comment First Anniversary
    Personally I'd go with a DJ.  Ours just played music, he didn't have a routine.  You can check out live musicians but they're usually much more expensive.  I looked on gigmasters for our ceremony musicians and ended up hiring some high school kids instead.  The professionals wanted $200 each person/hour.  Crazy.  
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    BarbiiieeeBarbiiieee member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its Name Dropper First Comment
    If they already have a music system there, you could see if plugging in you iPod with a preset playlist is an option.
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    OwningAHome1981OwningAHome1981 member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its Name Dropper First Comment
    edited December 2012
    I think it depends what vibe you are going for. I personally am not a fan of DJ's, I feel every wedding they do seems like I'm at a sweet 16. I would go with a live band- the jazz trio previously mentioned sounds great... or a regular band. Most bands have extensive repertoires and can play anything you want. I went to a wedding where the bride requested the band play some jewish music and they did and they sounded great. Any good band can play jazz... and if you explain to them the type of affair you are having, they can suggest songs that would give it the right feel.
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    gymbugmj2kgymbugmj2k member
    5 Love Its First Anniversary First Comment
    I'd go for a jazz band.  And yes, this typically is a bit more expensive.
    A DJ would be awesome as well --- especially if you can request a certain genre of music.  We asked for ratpack style throughout our cocktail hour and it would very easily fit in nicely to your venue/event.  ratpack style music is quiet enough, however it is also danceable (swing, foxtrot, waltz, etc)

    i'd suggest NOT doing an ipod or something that you just let run.  It's not worth the worry.

    ~*~ Charmed By Wine Blog! ~*~

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    emgray1emgray1
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     I think an iPod is perfect for this situation. You and your FI can spend some time together working on a personalized playlist which will ensure you get to hear the type of music you like.  If you are uninterested in the traditional dances, there should be nothing to worry about by just letting it play. I'm not sure of your date, but if it's not too late you could even incorporate a spot on the invite(or wedding website if you have one) to request a song. This gets people invested in the playlist and will encourage dancing as each guests' songs are played.
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    Moonduzt17Moonduzt17
    First Comment
    Thanks all for the great ideas! My fiancee is really weird when it comes DJs/Bands ( I have no idea why) so I am trying to accomidate him. I do want the traditional dances, but he is set on the idea of the IPOD, it's a tough situation to figure out! The venue though is an upscale club and not really a place to have a band. :-\. 
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