Professional DJ or iPod for your Wedding?

By Grant Allendorf

Approximately five years ago many DJ publications were predicting the demise of the mobile DJ industry at the hands of the ever popular iPod in providing music at wedding receptions.

Many went as far as to say that in five years 50 percent of brides would provide their own music at wedding receptions. Since then, the iPod has played a much smaller role than DJs feared.

A closer look at the limitations of the iPod helps to explain why this technological solution to replacing the professional DJ at wedding receptions has failed to take hold among the public.

The most obvious shortcoming of the iPod is that it is not a living, breathing human being capable of making professional announcements, talking with the mother of the bride, working with the caterer, and coordinating with the banquet manager or wedding consultant.

Sometimes people will have friends who accompany the iPod in order carry out these vital aspects of the reception, but the lack of experience of such friends will inevitably lead to problems.

In fact, one banquet manager with whom we have worked for years refuses to host an iPod wedding reception because of the communication difficulties such weddings present and because of how poorly these events reflect on his well-established business.

However, the inability to make crucial personal connections may not be the iPod-as-DJ’s greatest problem as most brides of such events will discover once the dancing gets going.

As the iPod is unable to think on its own, it is unable to mix music in such a way as gets the dance floor going or read the dance floor in order to shift the music to just the right song, artist, or genre that will get the crowd on their feet.

The reports my company has had of iPod weddings is that dance floor does indeed become lackluster as the party dwindles rather than soars to its conclusion. Perhaps some brides who have opted for an iPod have done so because they were turned off by officious DJs who attempt to control every aspect of the music and announcements. Such DJs do not deserve the title of professional, and wary brides should avoid them at all costs.

My advice to brides reading this column is to hire a genuinely professional DJ who will work with you on every detail to customize your special day and make it the truly unique and memorable event it deserves to be!

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Grant Allendorf

Supersounds Entertainment

Grant Allendorf is the owner of Supersounds Entertainment (www.supersounds.com), Video Memory and Green Mt. Photobooth ( www.greenmtphotobooth.com).
Supersounds has been voted Vermont’s #1 DJ Service. Contact Grant at supersounds.entertainment [at] gmail.com.

Vermont Bride Magazine - Vermont's Most Trusted Wedding Resource Since 1990

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