Brides & Grooms, Avoid the Blue Smurf

Hey friends,

In this blog article I want to talk about uplighting, when to use it to enhance your event venue, how much to use and yes even when not to have lighting at all.

Many DJ services offer room uplighting and we are commonly asked about it: What is it? Do we need it? How much does it cost?

Room uplighing typically comes in the form of LED lights that are strategically placed around the perimeter of the venue and usually angled to shine upward on a wall, a curtain or other backdrop. Understand that there are different types of lights that provide a variety of features and effects, so ask your DJ about the type of lights they own and what they can do with them, the various color schemes that can be created, etc. Typically, they need to be plugged into a wall outlet so DJs pay close attention to where in the room they can run power cords without getting in the way of guests. We love venues with many electrical outlets. Lights can also come battery powered which gives your DJ more options but those units tend to cost 3 times what a corded light costs and may be more expensive for you to have. We use a combination of corded and battery powered lights using corded whenever possible and reserving battery operated lights for logistically challenging places in the room.

The goal of this article is not to go into depth about the types of lighting available but to have you think strategically about what you want the room to look like when they're set up. Most people admit that they don't know how many lights are appropriate to have and so they leave that up to their vendor to decide within budget. Many DJ services charge per light so, of course, they don't mind giving you as many as possible for your event if you can afford it. More lights, more money!

I caution you not to overdo the uplighting. A room that is heavy on uplighting sometimes glows with that particular color, which is fine to a point but you don't want to risk a situation where you and your guests end up looking like blue smurfs. You remember those little guys, right? They're cute but, well they're blue...

This is me, blue smurf

The problem is exacerbated when your photographer can't get clean  photos at your reception because they are so polluted with the glow of uplighting. This may not be an issue for you, so if you simply don't care, that's fine, go crazy with uplighting. But if you're paying a considerable amount of money for a professional photographer to take photos of your special day, why make their job harder by paying your DJ to create an overly lit room? I've chatted with a number of photographers about this and some agree that it makes editing photos a chore yet others don't seem to mind. I would simply advise you to have this discussion with both your DJ and your photographer to get some consensus on how much lighting is just right. Some photographers bring additional white lights if they know in advance the room will be dark and enhanced with uplighting. Your DJ can minimize this problem by alternating some of the lights with pure white to offset the effect.  I tell clients that uplighting should be used in moderation to enhance the room's features and complement your color scheme but not to excess - unless of course, you want to look like a blue smurf.

To be fair, part of the magic of uplighting is that it can make a drab looking room look much better. If however, your venue is already very beautiful in a unique way you don't need much additional lighting to make its features stand out. You may not need uplighting at all. In fact, if you overdo the uplighting in an already beautiful room you risk minimizing the features that you want guests to enjoy.

Again, have this chat with your DJ and photographer. Tell your DJ that you want uplighting in moderation to enhance the room but not to overdo it to the point that it looks like a sci-fi movie set.

I would love to hear your thoughts and opinions about uplighting, wedding and event photos and more. Please leave a comment and we'll continue to explore this topic further.

Gazebo Wedding Ceremony

Outdoor wedding ceremonies held under a gazebo are beautiful and very romantic.  Although a gazebo is an ideal site for a wedding, they almost never have an attached PA system.  For this reason, we are often asked to help couples facilitate their gazebo ceremony by providing a PA system, a microphone and/or music.

If you are having a small intimate gathering of 40 or 50 people and you do not wish music to be a part of your ceremony, you may not need a DJ to assist with a PA system.  You  and your officiant will probably be heard just fine without the aid of sound amplification.  If your group, however, is larger than 50 and/or you wish music to enhance the celebration you will certainly need a PA system at the gazebo.  I suggest against the boom box option as they tend not to be powerful enough and outside ambient noise can easily drown out the quality of sound coming from a boom box.  Plus, the boom box option requires a family member or a friend to work the controls and this takes away from their experience at your wedding, even if all else works fine.

You'd be surprised at how affordable it is to have a professional provide this service for you.  Typically, we charge only an additional $100 to $150 to set up a sound system at the gazebo if the ceremony is held at the same site as the reception, which is almost always the case.  A recent client of ours commented on how valuable this service was to her because it relieved her of a lot of stress related to the ceremony.

We'll arrive well before the start of the ceremony to set up equipment in a manner that is not intrusive.  We'll do a sound check, prepare the microphone and music, etc.  When guests begin to arrive, they are welcomed by prelude music already softly playing as they find their seats and prepare for your ceremony.  When the ceremony begins, you and your bridal party will enter to a processional song(s) of your choice, making for a very moving experience.  And, hey, what about the postlude song as your officiant congratulates you as husband and wife?  We'll make sure that the end of your ceremony is a great springboard for fun and celebration afterward at your reception!

For more information about how we might help you with your ceremony and reception, please contact us soon to set up a phone chat or a personal meeting!

Click here if you want to learn more about our DJ service or receive a price quote for your upcoming event!

What To Expect From Your DJ

Your DJ is an integral part of your event. An experienced, professional DJ will play several roles before and during the event to ensure that it will be a fun and memorable celebration.

Sound Technician

First, your DJ is responsible for delivering a sound system to the site of your event. He or she will assemble the sound system, conduct a sound check of the area and make sure everything is working and sounding great before your first guest arrives. This represents a lot of time, energy and work on the part of your DJ that very few people will see during the course of your event. In fact, this process may take several hours depending on travel time and the physical layout of the venue. In this sense, you have hired your DJ to be a delivery person and a sound technician.

Only through experience can one really understand the challenges and nuances of setting up electrical sound equipment in a safe manner that is out of the way of your guests, and making adjustments to provide the clearest possible sound. An experienced DJ will be able to do this in rooms of various shapes and sizes, inside or outside, making necessary adjustments throughout the event as people come and go (people in the room coming and going can change the way sound will travel). Your DJ will continually adjust the sound throughout the event so that your guests won’t be made uncomfortable by feedback, sound that is too high pitched or that may have too much bass, or is simply not well balanced. This is what many in the industry have traditionally called “sound mixing”, although the term now has several different interpretations.

Announcements and Coordination

Second, your DJ is responsible for making all necessary announcements throughout the event so that your guests and other vendors know what is going to happen. Photographers, for example, don’t appreciate when a DJ goes ahead with an unannounced portion of the event that might cause them to miss meaningful photos. Your DJ acts as the emcee of your party making sure that everything you want to happen, happens in an orderly way. Often your DJ will be playing and mixing pre-selected music while at the same time making announcements or facilitating festivities. This means that your DJ needs to be comfortable multi-tasking while coming off smooth, calm and collected. A DJ who effectively fulfills the role of coordinator and announcer will create a flow to the celebration and avoid a choppy, haphazard feel to the event.

A professional DJ will be prepared. Preparation is the key to making announcements at the appropriate time and ensuring that all that you want to happen, happens in smooth order. Preparation time is time well spent. Your DJ should communicate with you before your event to get from you the information necessary to act as emcee. There are various ways to go about planning. Some DJ services have online planning tools, many have planning documents that are completed by the client and returned to the DJ. Often a DJ will meet personally with their client to go over the details of the event. Your DJ will also be communicating with other vendors during the event to be sure everyone is on the same page for each planned festivity.

Music Selection and Engaging the Crowd

The third role is what most people think of when they imagine their DJ at work. He or she will be selecting music that reflects your musical tastes and will produce a fun and active celebration. Your DJ also needs to gauge the extent to which your guests need to be engaged and encouraged to get up and dance! Your DJ should be first and foremost concerned with the type of music you and your guests want to hear and dance to. Too many DJ’s show up with their own prescribed notion of what will be a fun time without consulting their clients. A professional DJ knows how to engage guests and encourage an active dance floor but without being obnoxious or too overwhelming. A pro will always remember that the celebration is not about the DJ but about you, your family and guests and will be more than willing to respect your choice of music.

Your DJ will, with your guidance, create the musical atmosphere you wish to have at your event. An experienced DJ knows that music has a powerful affect on the psychology of the group and therefore can influence the flow of the celebration. He or she needs to be able to “read the crowd” as quickly as possible and gain insight into what motivates guests to have fun. Your DJ will constantly monitor the energy level in the room and speed things up or slow things down when necessary. A pro will be sensitive to the diversity represented in the crowd (age differences, ethnic differences, etc.) and be sure to play music during the event that will be enjoyed by everyone. Be sure to ask your DJ how he or she prepares for the music selection of the event. Ask about the process that allows you to give input, song selections and how your DJ will incorporate requests from your guests. Be sure to mention, too, which types of music or specific song selections are NOT to be played.

A professionally operated DJ service will enable (and encourage) you to get to know your DJ and how he or she operates before the event. Don’t hesitate to communicate with your DJ by phone, website planning tools, email or a personal meeting. Your DJ will be glad to answer all of your questions because this type of communication leads to the effective fulfillment of the three roles discussed in this article. Remember, your DJ is your partner in planning and wants, more than anything, to give you a celebration that you will fondly remember forever.

Click here if you want to learn more about our DJ service or receive a price quote for your upcoming event!