wedding singer

The normal scenario is that the DJ sets up for the duration of the evening so that they can fill the gaps of the band or singer. Live performers tend to perform in sets and can't always do your first dance....so if the DJ is there they can provide background music, do your first dance and keep the entertainment going inbetween the live artists sets.

This year I've worked with a singer a few times. To make it easier and keep the evening flowing, he plumbed his mic and put his backing tracks through my system.

The second scenario is that your singer or band also DJ for you when they are not performing. If this is offered, you need to evaluate thier DJ skills/set up too. I have seens some that do it well, and some that are appaling

It depends on how you want your day to flow, Some singers sing during the drinks reception and during the meal and sometimes at the start of the evening. Ive seen others start at the evening, maybe sing the first dance and do 2 - 30 mins sets. your dj will be able to fit around what you want, just talk to the singer and see what he thinks is best.

Hi Sarah,

A very good question! I have put a few scenarios that I have experienced below to give you some ideas.

1) Singer and Wedding DJ

I am regularly booked to work alongside singers at weddings. Depending on budget/your preferences, the singer can be booked for one or two sets and then the DJ plays music before, in-between and after. If you want the singer to sing your first dance then this can be really wonderful and if not, your DJ could play the first dance (or first few dances) and then introduce the singer. The advantage (in theory) of booking a separate wedding DJ and singer is that you get two musicians who are experts in their specialist field - an expert singer and an expert DJ.

2) Singer who also offers a DJ service

I have been to two weddings as a guest where they had a singer and then the singer also provided the DJ service. One of the singers just put on a playlist of good dance songs (I think that they had chosen songs that the bride and groom liked in advance) and the other singer DJ's from a laptop. Both nights were fun and people had a great time. I think that everybody understood that the entertainer was primarily a singer and that the DJ services were 2nd hat. By this, I mean that nobody got upset that they didn't have a very big selection of songs, etc. I would recommend chatting to the singer and asking firstly if they do offer a DJ service and secondly if they would prefer to DJ or would rather have another DJ booked alongside them. This way, you will get a sense of how confident they are about DJing.

3) Singer and Duke Box

I was playing the piano for a wedding and the couple asked me if I would like to stay for a bit of the evening to say thank you. They had booked a frank sinatra singer and they had also booked a dukebox+soundsystem+lighting rig from another company. This meant that inbetween the singers sets, the guests could go up to the jukebox and choose their favourite songs to dance to. It also had the facility to plug an ipod into the jukebox.

4) Just a Singer and Some Background Music

It is also completely possible to book a singer for two sets and then just ask if you could plug an ipod into their sound system to play some background music inbetween their sets. You could have the singer from 8-9 then a break for the evening buffet from 9-10 followed by the singer from 10-11 and then a playlist of your favourite dance songs??

In other words, the sky is your limit! You can rest assured that pretty much any combination will work. If you love dancing and really want to party for the whole night then you will want to make sure that somebody is playing awesome music for you all night long. If you don't really dig dancing that much and want a more relaxed evening, then one of the options could be for you?

Hope this helps

James

Hi sarah,

We're having a wedding singer. Our DJ is being provided by the venue. Over the last few days, both our DJ and the singer has been in contact. They have exchanged details and will be liasing between themselves. The singer is singing our first dance and then the DJ will take over for a bit and then the singer will do 2x45 min slots.

Personally I'm not sure I'd like the idea of a singer. It always seems a little disjointed to me to have someone singing over the top of a tape.

You really need a band, with them backing the singer to get the real atmostsphere. Otherwise it feels a bit of damp squib.

Sorry, thats just my opinion.

We are having a band, and we thought about a DJ as well, but have decieded thats just an uneccesary expense, as we'd rather pay for the band to be there longer.

So we'll just play some CDs in their breaks. This also give us the advantage that we can play some of our music.