YOUR FLOOR PLAN & YOUR MUSIC

As a professional wedding DJ, I do everything I can to keep the bride and groom and their guest happy. But I can’t repeal the laws of physics.

If your grandmother is seated three feet from my speakers, the music is going to sound too loud to her -- even during dinner, when I’m trying to play soft background music. And if your venue sticks the DJ in a corner far away from the dance floor, the music might lack the “punch” that energizes dancers.

What I’m getting at is this: Correct placement of the DJ or live band relative to the guest tables and the dance floor is critical to the success of your reception. It is not rocket science. The sound system should be adjacent to the dance floor, and should NOT be butting up against the tables where guests are seated for dinner.

You’d think this would be obvious. And you’d be right. Sadly, some reception sites and caterers ignore this obvious point. That’s why I always ask to review my clients’ floor plans in advance.

I recently had to convince a hotel wedding coordinator to modify a plan that placed the DJ in a corner, with many guest tables smack dab in front of him, situated between him and the dance floor.

When I objected, she said: “We’ve done it this way for years, and I’ve never gotten any complaints.” I had to tell her the truth: “Believe me, there are complaints. But you don’t get them; the DJ does!” Think about it. If the entrée comes out cold, the guests don’t complain to the DJ. And if the music sounds too loud, they don’t complain to the banquet staff.

By the way, although this hotel coordinator was miffed at my candor, she agreed to alter the floor plan, and that wedding reception was a great success.

One of my goals as a professional wedding DJ is to trouble-shoot potential problems in advance, so that your wedding day goes smoothly. And I know from experience that if guests are seated too close to the DJ’s equipment, you’re asking for problems. Fortunately, these problems can be avoided. Often, minor readjustments of the floor plan do the trick.

In cases where it’s impossible to allow a sufficient buffer between the DJ and the tables (for example, if your guest count bumps up against the room’s capacity), there is a fallback solution. Simply avoid sitting older guests at the tables that are closest to the sound system. Seat only guests in their 20s and 30s at those tables.

By having your DJ or bandleader review your floor plan in advance, he can spot the potential problem and recommend which tables should be moved or be reserved for younger guests.