Conscientious event DJ Jesse Wheat doesn't even need the "Chicken Dance."
Do you primarily DJ weddings?
The greater percentage of the work I do is weddings. It's not that I only like doing weddings, but they are the ones seeking someone to help. You'd be surprised how many couples don't know where to stand or what to do. I don't have a problem explaining 50 times—I'm there to help them out and be aware of their needs. I've done it so many years I can almost anticipate the kinds of problems we'll have. I've had brides almost fainting on me because they don't want to eat because they're too nervous, then they start to drink. The very first day I meet with my couple, if I get a sense that all they want to do is drink, drink, drink, I do not accept the job because I know there will be problems with that. So, I do weddings, anniversary parties, teen parties—which are very easy to do because it's play top 40 and not mix it too much. I don't do clubs. In a club environment you try to rotate the floor for drinks. You play whatever the night is—a hip-hop night, a country night. But every 20 minutes the tempo abruptly changes. That's because you're told to rotate the floor and get the people off the floor and get them to drinking. Weddings you have to please the little kids and the grandparents all in four hours.
What are some considerations for a wedding DJ people might not realize?
A few weeks ago I met with some clients who wanted me to play nothing but rock & roll. I declined to do their wedding, simply because they were being self-centered, and I cannot play only rock & roll because there are going to be grandparents there. I didn't all of a sudden come to that conclusion. It takes about two hours meeting with them. In the two hours that I was with them I got the sense that they were not really considering the guests. They feel because they're giving them free drinks and dinner they're going to be at their beck and call. That's not necessarily true and I tell that to my couples. I like to let them know I'm not only there to please them, but I'm also there to please all of their guests.
Is MCing one of a wedding DJ's main responsibilities?
Yes. All the way from the moment they get there to the moment I leave. I ask clients what their ideal wedding is because they will pretty much tell me what I should be doing. Being obnoxious is not MCing. That's something you do at clubs. What I do for MCing weddings is give them the schedule—let them know the bride's arriving in five minutes. I don't want Aunt Mary to get mad because they cut the cake and I didn't announce it in time enough for her to get the camera from her cousin.
Is the "Chicken Dance" something you always have to play?
You'd be surprised. I've done a lot of weddings and I haven't done the "Chicken Dance" yet. I do so many interactive games that it's not necessary. I think if you're still doing the "Chicken Dance" for a wedding it's only because you haven't opened your mind to other possibilities. There are so many other things you can do.
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