Wedding DJ Playlist – July 2010

I recorded the following sample of my DJ Playlist from an evening wedding reception in Christchurch just over a week ago. It was a fairly young audience and from the wedding music requests given I got an idea of the sorts of songs to concentrate on.

The song order shows how I mixed them on the night and contains the guest’s requests (Marked in bold)

1. Everybody dance – Bob Sinclar
2. I gotta feeling – Black eyed peas
3. All I ever wanted – Basshunter
4. Example - Kickstarts
5. All the lovers – Kylie
6. Fire with fire – Scissor Sisters
7. Don’t upset the rythm – The Noisettes
8. Ego – The Saturdays
9. Bad romance – Lady Gaga
10. Getting over you – David Guetta and Fergie
11. Stereo love – Edward Maya
12. Remedy – Little Boots
13. California girls – Katy Perry
14. Pretty green eyes – Ultrabeat
15. Sandstorm – Darude
16. Boom Boom Pow – Black Eyed Peas
17. Yeah! – Usher
18. Rudeboy – Rhianna
19. Pass out – Tinie Tempah
20. If we ever meet again – Katy Perry and Timbaland
21. Put your hands up – Fat Man Scoop
22. Frisky – Tinie Tempah
23. Mr Brightside – The Killers
24. Sex on fire – Kings of Leon
25. Place your hands – Reef
26. Sweet child o mine – Guns N’ Roses
27. Living on a prayer – Bon Jovi
28. All night long – Alex Burke
29. Valerie – Amy Winehouse
30. Pack up – Eliza Doolittle
31. Poker face – Lady Gaga
32. Tik Tok - Ke$ha
33. OMG – Usher
34. Sexy Back – Justin Timberlake
35. Dirty Picture – Taio Cruz
36. Shake a tail feather – The Blues Brothers
37. Everybody needs somebody – The Blues Brothers
38. Superstition – Stevie Wonder
39. Soul Man – Sam and Dave
40. Don’t stop beleiving - Journey

Note: As always the choice of music played reflects -
a) What song were requested from the bride, groom and wedding guests.
b) What the wedding party responded to and enjoyed most on the night.

This is what makes each and every Wedding DJ playlist unique and personal.

Party DJ Playlist – March 2010

I recorded the following DJ Playlist from a Black Tie themed birthday party for a lovely lady in Portsmouth. She was very flexible with her requests and didn’t give specifics so it was up to me to find out what her party guests liked and what would keep the dance floor packed all night. The song order shows how I mixed them on the night and contains the guest’s requests (Marked in bold)

The age range was quite mixed from 6 through to about 80 years old therefore the music needed to be varied.

THE MARCH 2010 PLAYLIST

1. Brown eyed girl – Van Morrison
2. Build me up Buttercup – The Foundations
3. Stuck in the middle – Stealers Wheel
4. Working my way back to you - Detroit Spinners
5. Young Hearts – Candi Staton
6. December ’63 – Four Seasons
7. You can’t hurry love – Phil Collins
8. Baby Love – Supremes
9. I can’t help myself (Sugar Pie honey bunch) – Four Tops
10. This old heart of mine – Isley Brothers
11. I want you back – Jackson 5
12. Valerie – Amy Winehouse
13. I don’t feel like dancing – Scissor Sisters
14. Dance the night away – Mavericks
15. Man! I feel like a woman – Shania Twain
16. I love to boogie – T-Rex
17. Tiger Feet – Mud
18. Lay your love on me – Lacey
19. Bye bye baby love – Bay City rollers
20. Respect – Erasure
21. Take on me – A-Ha
22. Love Shack – The B-52’s
23. Bad Boys – Alex Burke
24. If we meet again – Timbaland ft. Katy Perry
25. I got a feeling – Black Eye Peas
26. Poker face – Lady Ga Ga
27. Don’t stop believing – Journey
28. First, my last my everything – Barry White

So quite a bit of 70’s Party Music in there which I have to admit is not my best decade! The crowd seemed to enjoy it though which is of course the main thing!

Becoming a Wedding DJ: 4. How to get work.

It may seem like a very easy thing to do - advertise in the local paper, turn up at a Wedding Fayre or two but in actual fact it is probably the most difficult aspect of becoming a Wedding DJ.

WHERE TO START LOOKING FOR GIGS

Here are a few things you can do to help you get started and gain some experience as a Wedding DJ:

Contact local Hotels and enquire if they need a resident DJ: If you have just started you will need to offer yourself out cheaper than most, sometimes for free! I know this sounds bad but would you want an inexperienced Wedding DJ supplying music at your Wedding? Certainly not. Also if the hotels have their own resident DJ why not offer your services as a stand in or emergency measure? That way you can show your reliability and gain their trust.

Attend Wedding Fayres: A Wedding Fayre is a great place to start showcasing your talent and it acts as a wedding couple central. Choose wisely though as they can be expensive and you could be advertising next to an established Wedding DJ. You may want to offer your services as a Compere for the event. This will help with your business advertising and help get you noticed but may mean that you could get a discounted stall rate - Always a bonus!

Advertising: There are a number of ways you can advertise and it really doesn’t have to be expensive. Get a basic website built and register with online directories such as Welsh Brides. Register your business details with the good old Yellow Pages too. If all else fails you can always place an ad in the local paper.

Join an Entertainments/ DJ Agency: This is probably the cheapest way to get started and a good way to gain experience. Again exercise caution! Some entertainment agencies are very good and will keep you working 7 nights a week if you want it, but some (As with most industries) can be rogue. Just be sure of their terms and conditions as agency fees can sometime be very high.

I Hope these starting points prove as a useful tool when looking for DJ work. There are a lot of us Professional Wedding DJ’s out there so be patient and persevere.

Wedding DJ Playlist – September 2009

I recorded the following DJ Playlist from a recent wedding in Yorkshire – September 2009. It contains the music tracks ordered after Wedding Singer Luca’s performances. The song order shows how I mixed them on the night and contains many special requests by the wedding party (Marked in bold). There was a lot of requests and feedback from the guests on the night. There was a wide range of ages therefore you will see from the list – many different genres of music.

For their First Dance the couple chose Waterloo Sunset – The Kinks played.

THE September 2009 PLAYLIST

1. Lily Allen – Not Fair
2. GIrls Aloud – Promise
3. Kings of Leon – Sex on Fire
4. Katy Perry – Hot n Cold
5. Duffy - Mercy
6. Noisettes – Remember me
7. Lady Ga Ga – Poker Face
8. Beyonce – Crazy in Love
9. Jackson 5 – I want you back
10. Frontella Bass – Rescue Me
11. Aretha Franklin – RESPECT
12. Phil Collins – You Can’t hurry love
13. Four Tops – Can’[t help myself
14. Kim Weston and Marvin Gaye – It takes two
15. Cockney Rebel – Come up and see me
16. David Bowie – Changes
17. Tom Jones – Green Green Grass
18. The La’s – There She Goes
19. Soul Limbo – BBC Cricket Theme tune
20. Amy Winehouse – Valerie
21. Beyonce – Single Ladies (put a ring on it)
22. Justin Timberlake – Sexyback
23. Black Eye Peas – I Gotta Feeling
24. Bob Sinclair – Rock this Party
25. Black Eye Peas – Boom Boom Pow
26. Rhianna – Umbarella
27. Queen – Don’t stop me now
28. ABBA – Waterloo
29. Tony Christie - Amarillo
30. Bryan Adams – Summer of 69
31. Killers – Mr Brightside
32. Reef – Place your hands
33. Bon Jovi – Like a Prayer
34. Guns N Roses – Sweet Child
35. Madonna – Like a Prayer
36. Pulp – Common People
37. Billy Joel – Uptpwn GIrl
38. Phil Oakley – Electric Dreams
39. Dirty Dancing - Mega mix
40. Madness – Must be Love
41. Oasis – Don’t look back in Anger
42. Eric Clapton – Wonderful Tonight
43. Take That – Never Forget

Note: As always the choice of music played reflects -
a) What song were requested from the bride, groom and wedding guests.
b) What the wedding party responded to and enjoyed most on the night.

This is what makes each and every Wedding DJ playlist unique and personal.

Wedding DJ Playlist: August 2009

I recorded the following DJ Playlist from a recent wedding in Derbyshire – August 2009. It contains the music played after Wedding Singer Luca’s performances. The order of the songs here is how I mixed them on the night and contain any special requests by the wedding party (Marked in bold). There was a lot of requests and feedback from the guests on the night. They had a strong taste for old club classics.

THE AUGUST 2009 PLAYLIST

1. Wonderwall - Oasis
2. Mr Brightside - The Killers
3. Let me be your fantasy - Baby D
4. Rythm is a Dancer - Snap
5. Sunshine after the rain - Berri
6. Set you free - N-Trance
7. Show me love - Robin S
8. Relight my fire - Take That
9. Call on me - Eric Prydz
10. I'm gonna be (500 miles) - The Proclaimers
11. Shine - Take That
12. Sex on fire - Kings of Leon
13. Evacuate the dancefloor - Cascada
14. I'm not alone - Calvin Harris
15. I see you baby - Groove Armada
16. Groovejet (If this ain't love) - Spiller
17. Boom Boom Pow - Black Eyed Peas
18. Poker Face - Lady Gaga
19. Sexy Back – Justin Timberlake Feat. Timbaland
20. Silence - Delerium Feat. McLachian
21. Castles in the sky – Paul Van Dyke
22. Poison - Groove Coverage
23. Darude - Sandstorm
24. Rock this Party - Bob Sinclair
25. Make a move - Joey Negro
26. Insomnia - Faithless
27. There's nothing I won't do - JX
28. Doctor Pressure - Mylo Vs. Miami Sound Machine
29. Somebody's watching me - Beatfreakz
30. Now You're gone - Basshunter
31. Human - The Killers
32. I gotta feeling - Black eyed peas
33. Don't stop 'til you get enough - Michael Jackson
34. Faith - George Michael
35. Never forget you - Noisettes
36. Not Fair - Lily Allen
37. Hush Hush - Pussycat dolls
38. Greatest Day - Take That
39. You're the first, the last, my everything
40. Bulletproof - La Roux
41. Could it be magic - Take That
42. It only takes a minute - Take That
43. Sit down – James

Note: As always the choice of music played reflects -
a) What song were requested from the bride, groom and wedding guests.
b) What the wedding party responded to and enjoyed most on the night.

This is what makes each and every Wedding DJ playlist unique and personal.

Wedding DJ Playlist: July 2009

I’ve recorded the following DJ playlist from a recent wedding in Staffordshire – July 2009. It contains the music played after Wedding Singer Luca’s performances. The order of the songs here is how I mixed them on the night and contain any special requests by the wedding party (Marked in bold).

THE JULY 2009 PLAYLIST

1. Valerie - Amy Winehouse
2. Mercy - Duffy
3. So What - Pink
4. Just Dance - Lady Gaga
5. The Best - Tina Turner
6. Respect - Aretha Franklin
7. Rescue Me - Fontella Bass
8. Young hearts run free - Candi Staton
9. You can't hurry love - Phil Collins
10. This old heart of mind - Isley Brothers
11. Sugar Pie Honey Bunch - Four tops
12. At the hop - Devendra Banhart
13. Rock around the clock - Eddie Cochran
14. Don't feel like Dancing - Scissor Sisters
15. Love machine - Girls Aloud
16. Cha Cha Slide - DJ Casper
17. Dance the night away - The Mavericks
18. Don't stop me now - Queen
19. I want you back - Jackson 5
20. The Proclaimers - I'm gonna be (500 miles)
21. Dolly Parton - 9 to 5
22. Take on me - A-Ha
23. Sweet Dreams - Eurythmics
24. Relight my fire - Take That
25. Twist again - Chubby Checker
26. Shake a tail feather - The blues brothers
27. Billie Jean - Michael Jackson
28. Place your hands - Reef
29. Mr Brightside - The Killers
30. Dancing in the moonlight - Top Loader
31. Just looking - Stereophonics
32. Chasing Cars - Snow Patrol
33. Greatest Day - Take That

Note: As always the choice of music played reflects -
a) What song were requested from the bride, groom and wedding guests.
b) What the wedding party responded to and enjoyed most on the night.

This is what makes each and every Wedding DJ playlist unique and personal.

Becoming a Wedding DJ: 2. In the Beginning

MEDDLING MOTHERS IN THE MAKING OF A WEDDING DJ

One random afternoon back in 1995 a wedding couple knocked on my mum’s front door to ask if they could book my sister (who was a professional DJ at the time) to DJ at their forthcoming wedding. My dear mother explained that my sister was now living and working in a different area therefore could not but that I could do it for them! I was 15!!

I had always had a keen interest in music and I had accompanied my sister to her gigs on several occasions. As a result of this I kind of knew what to do. Still I was terrified! I sat down with the couple to discuss their wedding theme and music preferences. I needed all the help I could get. They were happy with our discussion and booked me there and then. Perhaps my sister’s good reputation helped their decision a little I thought.

Thanks to my sisters Wedding DJ business I was given her old equipment - Turntables, CD players and lights. I had my own music collection of Vinyl and CD’s, so all that was left was to play at their wedding. I remember the date very well, it will always stick in my mind – 1st June 1995!

The day of my first gig I felt physically sick and for two whole hours before going I cried my heart out. I was so nervous I felt that I might chicken out but I knew that it would ruin their special day so I sorted myself out and my dad took me and the equipment to their Wedding Venue.

HOW DID IT GO?

Naturally it could have gone a lot better, but after all, this was my first time. The Bride and Groom were very happy and off the back of their wedding I received my second wedding booking. So that’s where it began for me. You could say it’s thanks to my pushy mother. Even so now I love my job and although I have years of experience behind me I am constantly learning and always will be… well until I retire of course!

ADVICE FOR BUDDING WEDDING DJS

If you know a Wedding DJ or Party DJ go along with them to gigs. Offer to carry their equipment or something, no one will ever say no to that! It’s best to get some hands on experience before your go it alone. It will be like going to school or university for the first time – totally nerve racking, but if your serious about working as a Wedding DJ and doing a good job then bite the bullet! Trust me it gets a whole lot better after the first one!

Keep checking back with the Vocal Show Wedding Blog for further posts on Becoming a Wedding DJ.

The Surprise First Dance

WHY HAVE A SURPRISE FIRST DANCE?

So you’ve wowed your guests with your stunning dress, you’ve chosen the perfect flower displays, the menu is set to everyone’s taste, you’ve had the emotional speeches and all remains in the very important first dance.

Your first dance is announced and you make your way to the dance floor. The music begins, then in true first dance style a ballad starts up and all of your wedding guests coo and cheer. Then suddenly the CD scratches or skips and an upbeat song kicks in. What comes next is something that shocks your guests to the core – Your surprise first dance!

Surprise First Dance

There you have it, one final wow factor to add to your special day - a fabulous, choreographed first dance. If you would like some ideas click here for surprise first dance suggestions.

SOMETHING TO CONSIDER

Choose carefully … maybe stay away from ballroom dances as they take a great deal of concentration and hours of practice. Luckily the couple in this video clip only had a few initial ballroom style moves to learn. Let’s face it there is nothing worse than a bride telling off her groom for doing the wrong step!

Your Wedding DJ or Wedding Singer will be happy to work with you, to put together the perfect surprise first dance track.

Just remember, do it for fun and if you want a special slow song for the evening, just for you, maybe ask for it as a last dance. That way you get the best of both worlds - Fun AND romance. What more could you ask for?

Surprise First Dance Suggestions

HOW TO CHOOSE A SURPRISE FIRST DANCE

As a modern bride and groom you may want to have a totally different first dance experience. Perhaps you want your first dance to be more FUN than romance!

As an experienced Wedding DJ I have seen some spectacular First Dances and if choreographed cleverly, can really add the finishing touches to your Wedding Day. If you would like to see a bride and groom in action visit our other blog – The Surprise First Dance. Here you can watch a YouTube clip of a couple having a whole lot of fun!

I have put together a list of 20 surprise first dance suggestions, that I hope will help you decide on the first dance you want to shock your guests with!

20 Surprise First Dance Suggestions

1. Outkast Hey Ya
2. Madness Must be love
3. Take That Relight my Fire
4. Sir Mix a Lot Baby got Back
5. Barry White The first, My last, My everything
6. King Julien I Like to move it
7. Mr C Cha Cha Slide
8. Grease The One the I want/ Megamix
9. Michael Jackson Thriller
10. Bob Sinclair Everybody dance now
11. M C Hammer Can’t touch this
12. Tiffany Think we’re alone now
13. Girls Aloud Love Machine
14. Run DMC It’s like that
15. The Proclaimers 500 Miles
16. Chubby Checker Let’s twist again
17. Dirty Dancing Do you love me
18. Blues Brothers Everybody needs somebody
19. Status Quo Rocking all over the world
20. ABBA Gimme Gimme Gimme

That should get the brain juices flowing! Remember too that you don’t have to do your surprise first dance alone! You can encourage your wedding guests to join in after a while so they can be part of your spectacular first dance too.

If you need a tailored music track then don’t hesitate to ask your Wedding DJ or Wedding Singer, who will have the experience of customising songs.

Follow Vocal Show on Twitter

WEDDING SINGER AND WEDDING DJ NOW ON TWITTER

Since its launch in 2006 Twitter has gained worldwide popularity as one of the leading micro-blogging sites around.

For those of you who aren’t too familiar, Twitter is a service that allows users to send and read each other’s updates, known as Tweets (Text based posts of up to 140 characters).

This service is completely free over the internet.

FOLLOW US!

You can now connect easily with and follow Wedding Singer Luca and Wedding DJ Sally on Twitter by clicking on the image above. You’ll be able to follow Vocal Show and vice versa, so you’ll always be up to date on the latest wedding entertainment news, Wedding Blog posts and general Wedding Singer and DJ happenings.

So, whether you’re an existing client or just someone who is interested in what a Wedding Singer and DJ get up to pay us a visit on Twitter and hit the follow button to get started.

Wedding DJ Playlist: May 2009

WEDDING RECEPTION MUSIC

I’ve recorded the following DJ playlist from one of our wedding gigs in Kent – May 2009. It contains some of the wedding music played before wedding singer Luca’s second evening show and also from about 10.00 pm – 11.30 pm. It also includes the bride and groom’s last dance choice - ‘Have you ever been in love’ by Céline Dion. The order of the songs here is how I mixed them on the night and contain any special requests by the wedding party (Marked in bold).

THE WEDDING PLAYLIST

1. Rescue me – Fontella Bass
2. You’re the first, the last, my everything – Barry White
3. I want you back – Jacksons 5
4. Mamma mia – ABBA
5. Valerie – Amy Winehouse
6. Supestar – Jamelia
7. Just Dance – Lady GaGa
8. Please don’t stop the music – Rhianna
9. Shine – Booty Love
10. Poker Face – Lady GaGa
11. Don’t stop me now – Queen
12. Town called Malice – The Jam
13. Do ya think I’m sexy? – N-Trance ft. Rod Stewart
14. All that she wants – Ace of Base
15. Oh Carolina – Shaggy
16. Boom Shakalaka! – Apache Indian
17. Tease me – Chaka Demus and Pliers
18. I like to move it – King Julien (‘Madagascar’ Version)
19. Walk this way – Run DMC ft. Aerosmith
20. What is love – Haddaway
21. Mr. Vain – Culture Beat
22. The key, The secret – Urban Cookie Collective
23. Don’t stop till you get enough – Jackson 5
24. Staying alive – Bee Gees
25. Young hearts run free – Candi Staton
26. Sex machine – James Brown
27. Tainted love – Soft Cell
28. Love Shack – The B-52’s
29. Missing – Everything but the girl
30. Do you love me – The Tremelos
31. Time of my life – Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes
32. My girl – The Temptations
33. One love – Bob Marley
34. Red red wine – UB40
35. I don’t wanna miss a thing – Aerosmith
36. Have you ever been in love – Céline Dion

ABOUT THIS DJ PLAYLIST

This is certainly a DJ playlist for the 90’s lovers and not really suited to people who aren’t fond of this era, however i did also try to include other material in order to involve the rest of the wedding party. I have to say having grown up with 90’s music myself it was nice to hear a lot of the old school tracks. If you look towards the end of the playlist you’ll see how it very gradually slows down in pace through the songs I’ve chosen. I prefer to slow it down gradually as I don’t like the way some Wedding DJs bring things to an abrupt halt at the end of the night, leaving wedding guests a little stunned.

I really enjoyed this music here and it made a nice change to be able to steer away from the typical Wedding DJ playlist.

Note: As always the choice of music played reflects -
a) What song were requested from the bride, groom and wedding guests.
b) What the wedding party responded to and enjoyed most on the night.

This is what makes each and every Wedding DJ playlist unique and personal.

Becoming a Wedding DJ: 1. Introduction

LIFE AS A WEDDING DJ

Many people have this idea that life as a Wedding DJ is pretty sweet – Just turning up at a wedding reception, lining up a few tunes, getting drunk and having a good old time ogling the ladies (or men) on the dance floor, but in actual fact there is more to being a Wedding DJ than people think (that is if you want to do an excellent job of it of course!). Yes, many of us have had a laugh at Peter Kay’s hilarious impressions of the ‘Typical Wedding DJ’ who shouts incomprehensively into the microphone, before playing the worst cheesy wedding music imaginable, however it would be naive of us to assume that all Wedding DJs worked in this manner. There ARE still those traditional, stereotypical Wedding DJs out there, we have all seen them, but there are also the other half who are hard working and very well attuned to their audience.

MY WEDDING DJ EXPERIENCE

Personally I love being a Wedding DJ! I love to see people enjoying themselves; when a particular music track sparks a memory and you can see the reaction on people’s faces and in the way they dance. I very much enjoy the social aspect of the job – meeting new people and going to new places as part of Vocal Show. Mostly though I love being part of somebody’s special event and knowing that I make a difference to their wedding day. I have been working as a professional DJ since 1995 and over this time have managed to learn a great deal about music, DJ playlists and generally how to keep an audience happy. Through being in the wedding business for so long I have grown up with many different types of music and due to my work mainly as a Wedding DJ I have developed a good knowledge of music from the 50’s right up to the present day. Whilst working I tend to rely mainly on intuition and draw upon my internal library of songs (not to be confused with a laptop library!). If I sense that a wedding party needs a certain feel to it I will change the music accordingly, so that my playlist stays fresh and always appropriate.

BEING A GOOD WEDDING DJ

As a Wedding DJ you must remember that it is your responsibility to please people of all ages. Different people have very different ideas of what is ‘good’ wedding music and what should be played at such an occasion, but it is a Wedding DJs responsibility to judge each moment and decide what music to play and when. To be a good Wedding DJ you have to remember that it’s very different from say a job as a Club DJ. People will go to a club to enjoy a particular type/ genre of music, and so the Club DJ will know what is required pretty much for the whole night. With weddings you don’t know what will work until you get there! You have to be prepared to experiment a little and change direction, depending on how people are reacting to your music choices.

In summary, being a good Wedding DJ isn’t really about you as the DJ – It’s about the people and what they need from you in order to have a great time.

WHY WRITE ABOUT BECOMING A WEDDING DJ

This series of posts are made to be of interest to:

1. Those who wish to learn a little more about me and what is involved in my job as a Wedding DJ for Vocal Show.
2. Those of you who are interesting in becoming a professional, self managed Wedding DJ and learning more about what is required of you to succeed in the wedding entertainment industry.

I’ll be writing quite a few Wedding Blog posts on this topic over time, outlining how to get into the wedding entertainment industry as a professional DJ, about bride and groom DJ relationships, working with Wedding Singers and Wedding Bands, plus many more aspects of the job.

On a final note, mainly to the aspiring Wedding DJs out there, I must say don’t get into weddings if you are just in it for your ego or an easy way to make some money. if you want to make some quick cash go and DJ in a local pub or club. Weddings are special events and are too important to mess up, You must be prepared to make a solid commitment to your role as a Wedding DJ.

Anyway, I’ll look forward to any of your questions and comments.

Take care.

Sally
Wedding DJ
www.VocalShow.co.uk

Vocal Show and ‘You and Your Wedding’

NOW ON THE ‘YOU AND YOUR WEDDING’ WEBSITE

You’ll now find Vocal Show displayed proudly in the directory section of the You and Your Wedding website.

This is just one of the many places where you’ll find Wedding Singer Luca and Wedding DJ Sally online, so you can rest assured that your favourite wedding entertainers are always just a few clicks away!

You and Your Wedding is proving to be one of the UK’s top wedding websites and Directories, providing visitors with an excellent user interface and boasting many great tools that will help towards the planning of your wedding.

ADVISING IN A CHAT ROOM NEAR YOU!

You’ll not only find Wedding Singer Luca and DJ Sally in this very popular wedding directory, but now Luca is also providing advice and tips in the ‘You and Your Wedding’ chat rooms/ Forum on many music related topics, from Ceremony music through to DJ Playlist ideas.

So if you’re in the neighbourhood be sure to look out for Wedding Singer Luca and say a quick “Hello!”

Vocal Show
Our Voice, YOUR Show!
www.VocalShow.co.uk

The Cheesy Wedding DJ: Mild Cheese

CHEESY MUSIC (OF THE EDAM VARIETY)

If you have read the previous blog post you will know what I’m on about, if not take a look at the Strong Cheesy Music post.

To recap, there are two types of cheesy wedding music – Mild and Strong (or Edam and Stilton). Another way of putting it, it’s similar to how we all think about Marmite – we either love it or we hate it! Some of us hear Wham! and still scream, some of us hear Wham! and want to run away or block our ears. Put quite simply, we are all very different.

Some cheesy music tracks spark great memories of dancing with your mates in dance halls or school discos and they can be essential to any party, wedding or otherwise. Don’t be too scared of putting these requests to your Wedding DJ or Wedding Singer..

Here is some mildly cheesy music that should be considered as Edam:

CHEESY DJ PLAYLIST: THE EDAM

1. Freedom - Wham!
2. Uptown Girl - Billy Joel
3. I'm gonna be (500 Miles) - The Proclaimers
4. I’m in the mood - The Nolans
5. Mickey - Toni Basil
6. December ‘63 - Four Seasons
7. Don’t stop till you get enough - Jackson 5
8. One and Only - Chesney Hawks
9. I think we’re alone now - Tiffany
10. Various including the Megamix - Grease
11. Footloose - Kenny Loggins
12. Flashdance - Irene Cara
13. Relight my Fire - Take That
14. It’s raining men - The Weather Girls
15. Love Shack - The B52’s
16. Stop! - The Spice Girls
17. Can’t touch this - M C Hammer
18. Sweet Dreams - Eurythmics
19. 9 to 5 - Dolly Parton
20. I wanna dance with somebody - Whitney Houston

There are many more cheesy songs like these. There’s nothing better than having a boogie with your friends and family and reminiscing) about the good old days, you never know you may still even remember the moves!! .

Another good way of finding out about long lost songs is by going through films (some great songs come from film soundtracks) or simply go through your CD collection and pick out your ultimate cheesy favourites.

Sally
Wedding DJ
www.VocalShow.co.uk

The Cheesy Wedding DJ: Strong Cheese

CHEESY MUSIC (OF THE STILTON VARIETY)

I have worked with wedding music now for over 14 years. Having been married and thrown a party or two I can understand how some Wedding DJs get a bad reputation for being cheese monsters! I find there are two very different varieties of cheesy music – Edam (mild cheesy, but enjoyable) and Stilton (strong and unbearably cheesy to some).

As a Wedding DJ some cheesy music is necessary at an evening wedding reception as there are generally a wide variety of wedding guests with various musical tastes (cheesy or otherwise). After all you do want everyone to enjoy themselves, but there is a limit when it comes to cheesy music.

Here is some very cheesy music that should be considered as Stilton:

CHEESY DJ PLAYLIST: THE STILTON

1. Agadoo - Black Lace
2. In the Navy - The Village People
3. The Birdie Song - The Tweets
4. Come on Eileen - Dexy’s Midnight Runners
5. The Conga - Black Lace
6. Reach - S Club 7
7. Tragedy - Steps
8. Oops! I did it again - Britney Spears
9. D.I.S.C.O - Ottawan
10. No Limit - 2 Unlimited
11. Hey Baby- DJ Otzi
12. Land of Make Believe - Bucks Fizz
13. Obla di obla da - The Beatles
14. U.G.L.Y - Daphne and Celeste
15. Mambo No.5 - Lou Bega
16. Do you really want to hurt me - Culture Club
17. Out of my Dreams - Billy Ocean
18. Just a little bit - Gina G
19. Anything by Jive Bunny
20. Anything by Chas and Dave

You have to remember though, what is a cheesy song to you may be someone else’s best party tune, so try to be open minded. However, as it’s your wedding day, if you really don’t want something playing tell your Wedding DJ or Wedding Singer beforehand to make sure that they know your likes and dislikes.

See my Mild Cheesy Music post for information on wedding music considered as Edam. This is where you’ll find your Wham!, The Nolans, Barry White etc.

Sally
Wedding DJ
www.VocalShow.co.uk

YouTube’s #1 Wedding Singer

THE VOCAL SHOW YOUTUBE CHANNEL

We are pleased to announce that you can now find the UK’s #1 Wedding Singer on YouTube.

Wedding Singer Trailer

By visiting the Vocal Show YouTube channel you will not only be able to view the existing Wedding Singer video samples (as on the Vocal Show website) but you will now find all of Wedding Singer Luca’s audio demos (In picture video format), including extra music samples that aren’t included on the website.

GETTING STARTED WITH YOUR YOUTUBE ACCOUNT

in just a few short minutes you can be up and running with your own YouTube account. Once you sign up free for a YouTube account you can:

• SUBSCRIBE to the Vocal Show channel and receive our latest video feeds
• ADD YOURSELF TO OUR FRIENDS LIST and be part of the Vocal Show YouTube community
• CONNECT WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY via YouTube and forward your favourite Wedding Singer videos onto your own contacts via email or to your social networking pages such as Facebook and Bebo (See ‘more share options’ below each video)

If you have your own personal blog you can also embed these videos as another way of sharing various media content with family and friends.

SUPPORTING YOUR WEDDING SINGER AND DJ on youtube

Finally, one of the best ways to support Wedding Singer Luca and Wedding DJ Sally through YouTube is to rate and comment on their videos. Any positive feedback and ratings are very much appreciated and help towards making these videos more popular in the ever-growing YouTube community.

Vocal Show
Our Voice, YOUR Show!
www.VocalShow.co.uk

Saving on Wedding Entertainment During the Credit Crunch

The wedding industry like most others at this time will likely be suffering as a result of the credit crunch. The demand for certain wedding services I’m sure will decline where as others naturally will grow and flourish where there is a need for the cheaper alternative during recession time. Although the savvy wedding planner should always look for new ways to save money, now is the time to really dig deep for those credit crunch wedding offers and make the savings wherever possible.

The cost of quality wedding entertainment can often take up a significant portion of the average wedding budget and so it is in this area that it’s most important to make the right sorts of savings through the right methods.

Here are 5 simple ways in which you can save money on wedding entertainment during the credit crunch without compromising on quality:

HIRE A WEDDING SINGER

After just a few short visits to the top UK wedding forums it was quite obvious to me that when it comes to planning their wedding music couples simply aren’t aware of Wedding Singers and what a good Wedding Singer can bring to their big day. The sorts of forum post titles that I regularly come across when it comes to live wedding entertainment are things like “Can anyone recommend a good Band in …?”, “Does anyone know of a good Wedding Band?”, “Any recommendations for a good Wedding DJ in …?” etc. What people don’t realise Is that there is a much cheaper alternative to hiring a 4 or 5 piece Wedding Function Band!

Most Professional Wedding Singers work as Solo Vocalists providing a self contained entertainment service. Self contained means No Live Wedding Band. The backing music/ instrumentals are played from a laptop or other media device, so your wedding guests hear the same Big Band sound, just without the Big Wedding Band. A Wedding Singer is quite simply a One Man Band, therefore it is often cheaper paying for one talent, as opposed to paying four or five. The difference in credit crunch savings here, between a top Wedding Singer and a top Wedding Band can be, in some cases, thousands of pounds!

There are also a few other non-monetary benefits to hiring a Wedding Singer as opposed to a Wedding Band such as:

• A smaller amount of space taken up with music equipment.
• More control over music volume, which keeps the wedding venues happy.
• The possibility of appropriate audience interaction from your Wedding Singer.

BOOK YOUR WEDDING ENTERTAINMENT DIRECT

This one can also often make quite a significant difference to cost, quite often of a few hundred pounds. With live wedding entertainment you can either book through an entertainment agency or book direct with the Wedding Singer, Band or DJ. A wedding entertainment agency will either charge the artist a percentage fee or they will charge you what they call a booking fee for their entertainment booking services. Either way you’ll generally end up paying more for your live entertainment package. If you DO decide to book direct however It is very important to make sure that the Wedding Singer, Band or DJ is used to working as Self Managed and will provide you with invoices, receipts, contracts and anything else that you would expect in order to make your wedding entertainment booking secure.

OPT FOR A 12.00 AM FINISH

Finishing your evening wedding reception at 12.00 am instead of 1.00 am is a great way to save money during credit crunch time. Not only can you save money on your wedding entertainment venue, but this can also reduce the cost of your live wedding entertainment. DJs, Bands and Wedding Singers will often charge an extra fee for this additional hour of entertainment. The other added benefit of this is that your wedding tends to finish on more of a high note, as more of your wedding guests are still present and still relatively sturdy on their feet and so can join you for your last dance.

NEGOTIATE ENTERTAINMENT FEES AND TIMES

Again during the credit crunch many wedding entertainment businesses, large and small, will be feeling the pinch and so may be willing to negotiate their cost and/ or wedding music services in some way. As it tends to go with other very good quality products, a popular Wedding Singer, Band or DJ won’t feel the need to negotiate their prices, however what they may be able to do is tailor a more specific entertainment package, for example – Performing for less time, for a lesser fee. Some wedding entertainment providers, (though not all) may also provide their services for less during off peak months. At the end of the day it doesn’t harm to ask.

A FAVOUR FROM A FRIEND

If you have a family member or a close friend who is a Wedding Singer, Wedding DJ or who performs in a Wedding function Band then now may be a good time to call in that Credit Crunch Favour! Obviously this isn’t something that I’d recommend you consider lightly. You should always book someone who is a professional and well experienced in performing for Weddings, but if you’re fortunate enough to know someone who fits the bill and who you know will do a top job then you may want to propose your cheeky wedding gift idea. A full time wedding musician couldn’t really be expected to give up a booking date (and therefore a portion of their full time income) for free, but you may save a little money on their existing wedding entertainment fees.

So there you have it – Five great way to save on wedding entertainment during the recession. Watch this space for more useful wedding entertainment and music tips.

Luca
Wedding Singer
www.VocalShow.co.uk

90's Music Hits

90'S PARTY MUSIC

The 90’s saw a few different music types; Dance and Trance, Reggae came back, Take That were the best pop band since sliced bread and then there was Girl Power!

Does anyone remember the Super Mario and Tetris songs? I do and I can assure you they are not on my top 20 list.

I have come up with this list of 90's party music to help you put together a varied playlist for your Wedding DJ or Wedding Singer. If you need inspiration for the other decades you can take a look at the following posts:

• 60's Music Hits
• 70's Music Hits
• 80's Music Hits

But for now, glow sticks at the ready and here we go …

THE WEDDING DJ'S TOP 20 90'S HITS

1. The One and Only - Chesney Hawks
2. Rhythm is a Dancer - Snap!
3. Groove is in the Heart - Deee-Lite
4. Justified and Ancient - The KLF
5. Smells like teen spirit - Nirvana
6. Baby got back - Sir Mix-a-Lot
7. Let’s Talk about Sex - Salt-n-Pepa
   
8. Higher State of Consciousness - Josh Wink
9. Insomnia - Faithless
10. Vogue - Madonna
11. Jump Around - House of Pain
12. Set you Free - N-Trance
13. Let me be your Fantasy - Baby D
14. Love Shack - The B-52’s
15. Sweat - Inner Circle
16. Oh Carolina - Shaggy
17. Boom Shakalaka - Apache Indian
18. Mysterious Girl - Peter André
    
19. Boom! Shake the room - DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince
20. What’s Up - 4 Non Blondes
    

There are plenty more excellent 90's songs where these come from but giving your DJ or Singer a sample of the wedding music you like should be enough for them to come up with a personalised playlist in order to keep you and your wedding guests dancing until the early hours.

Sally
Wedding DJ
www.VocalShow.co.uk

80's Music Hits

80'S PARTY MUSIC

The 80’s saw the dawn of the cheesy music, leg warmers, big hair, Ra Ra skirts and not forgetting shoulder pads!

The 80’s gave us Madonna, Bon Jovi and Michael Jackson, just to name a few.

I have come up with this list of 80's party music to help you put together a varied playlist for your Wedding DJ or Wedding Singer. If you need inspiration for the other decades you can take a look at the following posts:

• 60's Music Hits
• 70's Music Hits
• 90's Music Hits

But for now, hair brushes at the ready and here we go ...

THE WEDDING DJ'S TOP 20 80'S HITS

1. Faith - George Michael
2. Billie Jean - Michael Jackson
3. Like a Prayer - Madonna
4. Living on a Prayer - Bon Jovi
5. Sweet Child O' Mine - Gun’s N Roses
6. I’m you man - Wham!
7. Poison - Alice Cooper
8. Ride on Time - Black Box
9. I think were alone now - Tiffany
10. Can’t touch this - MC Hammer
11. Uptown Girl - Billy Joel
12. One Step Beyond - Madness
13. Take on Me – A-Ha
14. Hungry like the Wolf - Duran Duran
15. Don’t you Want me - Human League
16. Together in Electric Dreams - Phil Oakley
17. Blue Monday - New Order
18. Down Under - Men at Work
19. Town Called Malice - The Jam
20. Don't You (Forget about me) - Simple Minds

There are plenty more excellent 80's songs where these come from but giving your DJ or Singer a sample of the wedding music you like should be enough for them to come up with a personalised playlist in order to keep you and your wedding guests dancing until the early hours.

Sally
Wedding DJ
www.VocalShow.co.uk

60's Music Hits

60'S PARTY MUSIC

The swinging 60’s would have been my ideal decade to live in. Man went to the moon, JFK was president and Martin Luther King had his very important dream which has now become reality.

The 60’s also gave us the Beatles, The Rolling Stones and The Kinks. It really was the decade for putting the UK on the world’s music menu.

I have come up with this list of 60's party music to help you put together a varied playlist for your Wedding DJ or Wedding Singer. If you need inspiration for the other decades you can take a look at the following posts:

• 70's Music Hits
• 80's Music Hits
• 90's Music Hits

But for now, hair brushes at the ready and here we go ...

THE WEDDING DJ'S TOP 20 60'S HITS

1. Satisfaction - Rolling Stones
2. Hound Dog - Elvis Presley
3. I Heard it through the Grapevine - Marvin Gaye
4. Think - Aretha Franklin
5. Surfing USA - Beach Boys
6. Shout - Lulu
7. Brown Eye Girl - Van Morrison
8. Hippy Hippy Shake - Swinging Blue Jeans
9. I got you (I Feel Good) - James Brown
10. Pretty Woman - Roy Orbison
11. Do Wah Diddy Diddy - Manfred Man
12. Happy Together - Turtles
13. It’s not unusual - Tom Jones
14. I’m a Believer – The Monkees
15. Sweet Caroline - Neil Diamond
16. Soul Man - Sam and Dave
17. Twist and Shout – The Beatles
18. Hi Ho Silver Lining - Jeff Beck
19. Wild Thing – The Troggs
20. Higher and Higher - Jackie Wilson

There are plenty more excellent 60's songs where these come from but giving your DJ or Singer a sample of the wedding music you like should be enough for them to come up with a personalised playlist in order to keep you and your wedding guests dancing until the early hours.

Sally
Wedding DJ
www.VocalShow.co.uk