Wedding Music

Save Money By Becoming Your Own Wedding Music DJ

For small, informal weddings, it's becoming increasingly popular for brides and grooms to forgo professional DJs or bands in favor of providing their own, preprogrammed wedding music. Even if you do hire musicians for the event, a library of your favorite songs in MP3 format can be played during the rehearsal dinner, the pre-reception cocktail hour, or just when the band takes a break. This is a great opportunity as there are benefits to doing your own wedding music this way, but there are a few drawbacks as well.

Taking Control of the Tunes

One bonus with programming your iPod or computer to play your wedding music is that you get to hear all the music that you really like. You'll hear only the songs you choose, so you have complete control over the selections. You and your spouse-to-be can choose all of the music you've loved as a couple. It's also very inexpensive - you'll be using an iPod or other player that you already own (or can borrow) and your venue should be able to provide speakers. This can save you a lot of cash for an already expensive event. Another fun aspect of DIY wedding music is that your guests can gave fun with it, picking out their favorites and queuing them up, which can sometimes offer the personal touch your wedding needs.

Of course, audience participation can be a drawback, too - your guests may take over the music and make choices you don't like. It's also harder to create mood with the music, changing the tempo as part of your musical program. And there will occasionally be pauses between songs, which can ruin the mood if people are dancing.

If you're interested in DIY wedding music, one way to share your favorite tunes is to connect your laptop, iPod or MP3 player to a stereo receiver or to powered speakers via an inexpensive mini-stereo-to-RCA cable. Pick up a male-to-female RCA extension cable at Radio Shack so you'll have additional options for setting up your player. Just program your music ahead of time - a menu of jazz, rock, pop and even a little classical will keep your guests happy while maintaining an interesting rhythm of listenable, fun music.

For brides and grooms looking for more control over their wedding music, or couples trying to save money, or even if you just like the idea of playing with the latest gadgets and contraptions, becoming your own DJ for your wedding music can offer a fun, inexpensive alternative to the traditional four-piece combo or the overpriced DJ. So start putting together your favorite playlist now, and you can have an evening of wedding music that will be talked about for years to come by both the two of you and your guests.