We came across friends asking us the difference between a Club DJ and a Wedding DJ. A very interesting question that we thought it might come handy to put it on a blog and see what other people have to say as well.
1. Audience.
Club DJ’s usually serve a very similar demographic of people with similar preference or taste in music. Take for example a popular DJ. People go specifically to that club because of that particular DJ, or the style of music or vibe that that DJ is there to express. It usually is one or two genres of music that they are spinning (I.e house, or dubstep) which would have the same or very close bpm (beats per minute). Alternatively, it could be a club that plays top 40, where the bpm varies, but the setlist is consistent with what is the popular music at the time. Although they may take some requests, they usually stick to the setlist.
A Wedding DJ, on the other hand, serves a variety of demographic. From age 4 to 84. Thus, a variety of songs have to be prepared and researched prior to the Big Day. A Wedding DJ’s primary job is to serve the Bride & Groom and their guests with a good choice of music from Cocktail to Dinner, and ultimately to the Dance Floor. It is also a Wedding DJ’s job to read the crowd and adapt to the music needs of the night to keep the dance floor full. Wedding DJ's usually are open to requests, and quite often have to vary from their setlist to accommodate a wide assortment of music requests. Wedding DJ’s commonly can go from playing top 40, to classic rock, to country, to hip-hop, and even the occasional polka!
2. Set-up and Technicalities.
Club DJ’s usually have the same setup every time as it is already provided by the venue. They bring their Controller/ Turntable and hooks up with the venue’s sound system.
A Wedding DJ on the other hand, usually brings their own sound system, microphone(s) and dance lights, and have to set-up and tear down the equipment at the end of the night. The set-up varies every time depending on the space available during the event, and where the dance floor is located. A Wedding DJ also acts as the main audio technician all throughout the event -- they are responsible for the soundcheck and all audio technical issues.
3. Timeline/Schedule.
Club DJ’s primary responsibility is to play music from the start of their set to the end of their set, or 'til the club closes.
A Wedding DJ, on the other hand, has a timeline for the night. From cocktail to the bridal party’s entourage, to dinner & speeches, and sometimes surprise performances. Although timelines may be similar from wedding to wedding, it is the Wedding DJ’s responsibility to follow a certain flow as specifically instructed by the Bride & Groom, or the MC.
In closing, there are some amazing club DJ’s out there, and there are some amazing wedding DJ’s out there. We are not saying that a club DJ couldn’t rock a wedding or vice versa, but the two are different, mostly in what they are experienced in and specialized in.
At Analog Squad, we offer different DJ services. In Weddings, we enjoy building relationships with the Bride & Groom so we can have a clear understanding of the theme and vibe that they are going for at their party.
We’d love to hear your thoughts. Feel free to leave us your comment!