Helping Engaged Couples Select Wedding Music with Dave Barszcz – E146

Introduction

Welcome everybody to the Wedding Songs Podcast. Today we’re going to be talking about helping couples select their music. It’s very important because we want to make sure every soundtrack is perfect and really tailored to the couple. To help along with this today, we have Dave Barszcz from Entertainment Media DJs from Chicagoland, also known as the Chicago area.

Unique Wedding Moment

To start off, let’s share details about a unique wedding moment that Dave had as a DJ.

Absolutely. I’d love to share this with you. What would a DJ do if the bride and groom were late for their own wedding? To make a long story short, the ceremony was at a church, and I was set up probably about an hour and a half before. Sound check complete, ready for everybody to come in. All the guests started strolling in about 30 minutes before the introductions, during the cocktail hour. They started strolling in about an hour before, but then about a half hour before, I noticed that everybody was starting to take their seats minus the bride and groom. When we work on weddings with these clients, we build a relationship. So what’s the first thing I’m going to do? I’m going to text the bride. I sent the bride a text and asked if everything was okay, first and foremost, God forbid something were to happen. She responded, saying she was frantic and in tears, not knowing what to do. I told her, “You guys are okay. How long before you get here?” She said it would be about a half hour. Timing would have been that they would have been a few minutes late past when they were supposed to be introduced.

Long story short, she ended up taking her fiancé to a place where they first met. It was storming out, and it was an accident that caused them to be late from the ceremony to the reception. I told her not to worry about it, that I had it covered. There were a bunch of kids running around, as there always are at weddings. So I made an announcement, letting everyone know that the bride and groom were safe but running a little late. People were shaking their heads in acknowledgment, smiles, and what have you. I pulled the kids aside and asked if they wanted to do a dance party for everybody. Typically, you don’t do a dance party before dinner, but in this situation, I felt it was warranted. The kids were ecstatic. We played some sort of baby shark song, and they started dancing. We got the guests involved, clapping and standing up. I took a video of the moment and texted it to the bride. When she arrived, she burst into tears when she saw me. She said, “You have no clue what you just did for me.” I was trying to put myself in their shoes, thinking about what I would want to happen. First and foremost, we want everybody to know that we’re safe. But also, I would want someone to take charge and do something. Needless to say, they were so grateful. They gave me a nice handwritten card at the end of the night and a nice tip too. The point is that DJs have to think on their toes and be ready for every moment. Now, you’ll be prepared for if this were to happen again or any scenario of people being late. You could always throw out this card or at least get you thinking about what else you can do.

Introduction of Dave Barszcz

So, let’s introduce Dave Barszcz to our listeners.

Dave Barszcz, Entertainment Media, Chicagoland.

Music Selection for Weddings

Both of us know music is typically one of the last things couples decide before the wedding. How have you been able to get the couple’s music selections faster than like the two days prior to the event?

Well, what I like to do is utilize playlists and your book. I go through it with them and have them enter the songs when they come up, not all at once. I use an event planner, so I get notified every time they log in and update their music. It helps as far as letting them know that they can do this on a daily basis. When it comes to mind, they can put the song in. I also have a meeting about a week, probably about six days before their wedding to go over everything. I stress the importance of having the music selections in by our meeting. Hardly ever is it the last day or day of, but they’re always going to have requests the day of. As long as it’s not a major change, like wanting to mix this into that.

Specific Remixes and Versions

Do you go over specific remixes or specific versions with them as well?

Yeah, I try to get an idea of what they like as we go along with the music. If EDM is at the top of their list, then you kind of know what remixes to look for. Most often, it’s pretty much just the radio version that they’re requesting. But there are quite a few brides and grooms that book me because they know I do mixes on the radio and stuff like that. They heard some of my mixes and wanted me to imitate that. Otherwise, most often it’s going to be the radio version. Depending on the crowd, sometimes if it’s remixed a little too much, people get a little confused about what the song is.

Wedding Music Planners

You brought up the books. I’m curious, the pink one and the blue one. The pink one is more for the couples. Do you have a preference for which one you’re using when talking to the couples?

Yeah, pretty much. When I go through the planning part of it, I send them the pink one. They seem to like the fact that it has all the other to-do lists and suggested songs. But I still go through the blue book myself. There was an event this weekend where I dug deep into the book and pulled some out. They were impressed. Even after 25 plus years of doing this myself, I’m still learning. I want to continue to keep learning. I think that’s pretty important.

Comparison to Other Resources

How do the books compare to other resources? There’s so much music out there, like Pandora, YouTube, Billboard. Is there a reason why you choose the books over those other platforms?

I think it’s a little more user-friendly, to be honest. I personally like having the paperbacks. The other ones are nice, but when we were doing our planning, I got married back in August or October. We had a lot of items printed out and went through your book as well. It’s nice to have that physical copy in front of us to go along and check off and bring with us.

Organizing Playlists

When you’re planning a playlist for a wedding, do you have your crate set up by moments or specific moods? How do you organize your crates?

When it comes to the formalities, I have those listed on a timeline basis. Most everything else I have in separate files. I don’t have a pre-programmed idea of what my playlist will be because I have to read the dance floor and the crowd. I don’t know how many times I’ve taken a certain playlist to an event thinking I’m going to play this music, but then I have to revert to something different. I try not to be too rigid with the setup and playlist because I like the flexibility of knowing where I need to go.

Recommended Artists

Is there any artist you would recommend for someone starting DJing today?

For house music, I would certainly say Reality. One of my favorite Chicago house songs is Yolanda. I actually sing that to my wife; it’s her nickname. Fast Eddie, Mr. Lee, Daje, and Kashmir are also great artists.

Benefits of Wedding Music Planners

What would you say to a DJ with 100 weddings per year about the books that might intrigue them to check them out?

Having 100 different weddings means you’ll have a wide range of music to tap into. The books would certainly make the planning process a lot easier.

Future Editions

What would you like to see in future editions of the books that might help a little bit more? Any additional features you would recommend?

You have a lot of the bases covered with the wide variety of music and timelines. One thing I’d like to work with you on is including some Polish music. Maybe some go-to polka songs. It’s funny, one of our favorite restaurants here in Vegas is the Hofbrauhaus, and they always play polka music. Even though Billboard decided to get rid of the polka charts, there are definitely other songs you can play and should know. My goal is to have more cultural playlists.

Getting into the DJ Business

Is there something we missed today that you wanted to share?

One of the things I’d like to share is how I got into the DJ business. I went to Proviso West High School in Hillside, Illinois. One of the people I was following because they went to my high school was Bad Boy Bill. I didn’t know him personally, but he played at some of our school events. One of my friends was friends with him, and it caught my eye. I’ve been following him for quite some time, trying to learn some things. I got a chance to meet him at the DJ convention when he was out. It was kind of neat.

Working Together

I think it’s really cool that you and Crystal, your wife, work together and do events together. Sharon and I tried to do that for a while. It’s wonderful that you’re able to do that.

Oh, she is a master at the photo booth. I’ve been trying to teach her how to DJ a little bit, but we’ll see. Maybe we’ll get to that point. I think people don’t realize that mixing the music doesn’t mean you have to be on the microphone. You can always have an MC there as well, so you can go to the bathroom or whatever that looks like. It’s great to have that second person there.

Connecting with Dave Barszcz

So, where can people connect with Dave Barszcz and find him?

On Facebook at Entertainment Media, EMDJs.

Well, thanks, Dave, for being on the show today. Everybody stay tuned for another episode of the Wedding Songs Podcast in two weeks. Have a great day, all.