Special Wedding Songs with DJ JayP – E126

Welcome everybody to the Wedding Songs Podcast. I am Matt Campbell. Have you ever wanted to incorporate special wedding songs into your wedding day or have special music? Well, today, that’s what we will be talking about.

And to help me along with that, we have DJ Jay P from Alliance Entertainment Group based in Dallas, Texas. Welcome to the show, Jeff. Thanks, Matt for having me on. Thank you. Thank you. Yeah, I appreciate having you on here too, because I know you’re a wealth of knowledge and doing a lot of things in the DJ industry as well.

Heartwarming Wedding Moment

I want to start off with the way I start off with every podcast. Can you just share a memorable or heartwarming wedding moment? Oh, wow. There are so many, but, I think, one was, that we just did Valentine’s Day, wedding, the venue, everything was donated for a couple that have had a bunch of tragedies in their life.

So, to see the bride come through the doors and walk down the aisle. And, they didn’t have to worry about paying for anything. Everything was paid for. She could just totally relax and enjoy herself. It was one of the best weddings I’ve ever done. In the groom, he was giddy, like the bride was.

So it was just beautiful. And they looked at each other and I really, really, really enjoyed doing that and being a part of that. Yeah. That’s a special thing when the groom is really into it. It’s sad that that doesn’t happen anymore. For a while there, I had it happen at almost every wedding. I’ve seen about six in a row when the bride, the doors open, the groom just broke down in tears for six weddings in a row and it was just incredible.

So that shows true love to me. They’re really just as into it as their bride is, as the bride is. Yeah, and I think maybe even the COVID break had something to do with that. Yeah, probably did. So please introduce yourself and your company to the listeners.

Meet DJ JayP

Well, my name is DJ JayP, Jeffrey Powell, AKA DJ Jay P, and we are a, DJ company out of Dallas, Texas serving the Dallas Metroplex area, which can be up to 100 miles around for weddings. We do DJ MC lighting, special effects, dancing in the clouds, uplighting, photo booths, 360. So we do a whole bunch of different little things.

We’ve done weddings as far as New York. And, just somewhere everywhere. So we’ll go anywhere, domestic, foreign, you name it, we’ll do it. But, our job is to just try to provide exceptional service for each wedding that we do. I love it. And it’s funny, you mentioned going anywhere. I think every DJ I’ve had on here says that because we’re in a time of very mobile has been taken to an extreme.

Yes, yes, it is. Have had some different ones. I had somebody trying to get me to come to Chicago this year. And some of them didn’t come through, but I’m trying to find me the right planner that does a lot of Cancun, weddings so I can at least go do 1 down there.

So I’m laboring to get 1, but they’re hard to come by sometimes. Yeah, it’s definitely all who, you know, and usually, as you said, it’s the planners that are booking the DJs. Yeah. So I’m working, I’m trying. Great. Let’s get on the topic a little bit.

Music Matching Personality

Do you think it is important for couples to give you music or song ideas that match their personality? Yes, you need something to go by so you can feel their vibe and know what they’re like. So they’re happy, relaxed. To me, music is extremely important. I try to, you know, you get the list, you know what it is. You look at the songs, and you can tell, okay, this will fit cocktail, dinner, whatever. This is party music, depending on how they give it to you if they don’t break it up.

But I just feel like you got to give them something that they can relax to. Another good moment is since you said I had 1 room gave me a playlist and with every song I was close to them. He was at the table, the head table, just singing and dancing to every song during dinner. So, I’ll try to make sure if they tell me something, or give me a hint, I always make sure I play some of those after they’ve been introduced and sit down.

So, I know they said, okay, he thought about it, or he put some playlist that we gave him. To make sure that I’m not just playing for the audience, but playing for them also on their special day. I think that’s such an important aspect of DJs where you’re getting the list. Let’s say it’s 50 songs or 20 songs, but now you’re curating that.

So that way you’re adding songs that may surprise them or get them feeling a certain way. Yeah, and with Spotify and other services, it gives you stuff that you may not have even thought of that would go with that matches their flavor. So, I put all my list in Spotify and go through and then, okay, this is here’s a suggestion.

I didn’t think about that. I didn’t think about this. And then I have my favorites that I like to play at most of my reception so that something that I know everybody likes or remembers or can sing along that’s going to touch almost every audience. Spotify Well, think that’s really important too by the location that you’re in You know what’s popular in your area and what guests like from all the weddings that you’ve done Yep, you do.

And cocktail and dinner kind of travels. You can’t mess up with that. But other stuff is totally different. Mississippi is totally different than Texas. So that’s a whole different vibe of music versus what I play out here. And then going back home to where I’m from in Hattiesburg, Mississippi to DJ.

Mississippi vs Texas Wedding

So that’s a great transition. Then what is the difference between a wedding in Texas and a wedding in Mississippi? it’s not as stiff. I just do it on this level in New Orleans. So I go to New Orleans, I’m all stiff thinking, okay, introductions, this, that, and the other. No, the bride and groom just walk in, there’s no food line, no calling tables, they just tell everybody to go.

Nothing is like, just, the only thing that they really structure is the ceremony. Everything else is loose and fancy, put free. None of this about, don’t get on the dance floor before the bride, have her dance. No, we play a cocktail. They’re already dancing. So different. I mean, it’s very relaxed. No stress from the planet.

Just have fun due to the things that we have to do and then everything else is about fun. And Mississippi is kind of the same way. Not as structured, not as stiff just. Let’s have fun and celebrate the couple. I think that’s a trend where exactly what you’re saying, the fun is the biggest aspect that couples want, and less structure for sure. Absolutely.

Questions to Ask Couples

Are there questions you ask couples to get them to offer music that they like? what kind of music do you like? What are your favorite artists? and try to eliminate stuff. I always ask him, tell me some stuff you don’t like. So I’ll know not to go there. I asked him, well, give me this, give me that, you know if they start going off the rails.

Okay. Now, I want you to think about how your audience is going to answer this. Would they know this? Would, they vibe with it because remember that ceremony is for you guys, the reception and everything else is for you and them. So you have to think about them with everything you do. You can’t just say it’s all for me.

Now, some brides do, but I try to advise them not to do that. Think about it’s not just for you. It’s for everybody. That’s what’s attended. I think that’s so important. They incorporate what’s fun for every guest that’s there and make sure that’s inclusive for every guest. That’s something that we do offer.

We have, through a shameless plug DJ Event Planner. They have guests who can submit, So if they ask me, I offer it to them and say, Hey, you can send this out to your guests. You don’t have to email them or anything. Here’s one that can get three to five songs and submit them.

That way we kind of know what your guests want to hear too. So I do offer that to them. Sometimes, people, I don’t know anything about music. I don’t know what anybody wants to hear. Okay. Well, here’s something so you can ask your guests and we can get an idea of what they want to hear.

I want to hear The Cover of Rolling Stone. Okay. Let me dig that up out of my library for you. Yeah. You get a little bit of everything when it comes to music. Sure. Nobody’s tastes are the same. Just, just ask Spotify. No, no, not at all. It’s all over the place. I have one coming up on Sunday that is.

I don’t even know where this music came from, but I’m trying to learn it and get ready for it. So it’s kind of a really different mixture playing it because you know, once you have a skill to playing it, you can play almost anything. Absolutely. And that just makes you a better DJ learning that music for sure.

So the next time I run into a couple like this, I’ll already be prepared for it. I’ll never forget the wedding. I did. It was all folk music and it was, the Byrds. It was just that seventies and I’m like, God, this is terrible music to dance. What am I going to play? Yeah. I’ve done a couple of those, but thank God at the end, they transitioned over to normal party music. But it was interesting.

Fear of Odd Songs

So speaking about interesting, what would you say to a bride who’s nervous about playing Purple Rain by Prince as their first dance song? Why are you nervous? Like I say, certain things at a wedding are for you. And if that’s your song that you want to do your first dance to, that’s up to you.

It’s not about the audience. Cause that’s you and the groom’s moment to totally, get into it, have your first dance as Mr. and Mrs. So, Now, if I always tell them, think about something that means something to you, and they always, you know, most brides go back and pick a song and groom, or they’ll talk about it and find something, but if Purple Rain is your song, it’s funny, quick little thing, my wife and me our first slow dance was Silent Night by The Temptations.

So can you imagine that being our first dance? How would we explain that to everybody? That we’re dancing to Silent Night by the Temptations as a slow song. So I get it, but if she said that’s what she wanted to do for our first dance, that’s what we would do. I think the first time we had a slow, it was at a holiday party and it was Silent Night.

Yeah, it’s awesome. And you know what? Your closest family and friends will know that story and be okay with it. And they can relate and they might be huge Prince fans and they may know that. So sometimes they know you don’t have to explain it. Exactly. Do you.

Fun and Unique Requests

What are some fun and unique song choices you’ve seen for the first dance or parent dances? Oh my gosh, the mashups, man. just the different things where I got, Actually, the grown for Sunday, he wants to do something. But he wants to surprise his mother. He doesn’t want to tell her. And he only wants to give her like 15 seconds of it and then go back to the next song. So, we’ll see. But he’s got to talk to her.

She flies in tomorrow. So, they’re going to talk about it and he’s going to let me know. Because I said I’d rather pre-record it. Instead of trying to do it live, because if something, you know, it might be a little different, but I told him I could do it live, but just the mashups, the creativity where they got props.

I’ve had them with shades, outfits, all kinds of things. Father-daughters have been the best lately, but one that I really enjoy. I did 17 different tracks. Mashup for a mother and son and they danced to each one on props and everything. It was Apache it was 17 songs and I did it live at home and then play before I was at their wedding.

That’s awesome I think that as a DJ too, to do that live, it’s like live mixing for a ceremony. That’s something I would never want to do because there are no takebacks. And I think the same thing, like you’re saying, this is their moment, the groom and his mother, I wouldn’t want to mess that up.

You can mess it up 17 times. Of course, I want to record that. Think if they may have me edited at all because I sent it to them. And to do it, and I didn’t cut it with Adobe or anything. I actually put all the songs and the effects in there and each one by one, I just went through them and went through all 17 of the different moments and sound effects and played it for them.

So it was crazy. So then I have to ask, is that an extra fee that you’re offering for that? Yeah, well, oh, yeah, we charge anything over three songs, one or two. You can get it, but three, then you start getting into these times and what they wanted to put this effect with that.

You don’t want to, but then you get it, you send it to him. Oh, I wanted this. So, after about three or four edits, you like, I just still didn’t charge it enough. So, right. Yeah. We tell them if it’s more than, three songs, whatever, it’s going to cost a little bit more, but we don’t push it too much, but that’s 17.

Oh yeah. We definitely charged it. Yeah, I had an old boss who always used to say, you’re getting this order, but you forget all the times that you’re on the phone with the client and all of the communication. That’s time that’s on the books. So he always used to say he would double the price just because of the amount of communication time.

It’s funny. Oh yeah. If you got a bride that’s, kind of nervous and always checking in and got a question about this question about that, Yeah, you can talk to them quite a few times before their actual date.

Planning Non-traditional Playlists

How do you work with a playlist when the couple doesn’t want the same music as every other wedding? Like Ed Sheeran, Bruno Mars, and all the line dances. I love that question. I have a bride this week who has pretty much everything you have on there. No line dances, no Lizzo, no Beyonce, no this. I take it as a personal challenge to make them dance and go into my library and find something different.

Because, yeah, I get tired of line dances and everything. I wish we could go back to the way it was where everybody danced as a couple, not all this group dancing and all that stuff. Because then I feel like I’m really doing my job. Playing line dances, that’s a cheat code. That’s like Super Mario Brothers’ cheat code to get into another world.

So, I love it. I embrace the challenge. I don’t get mad. Oh, Lord, what am I going to do? Oh, no, no. Here we go. Let’s dig into that library, go back, and find out what they really like. She gave me a list of stuff that she likes, so, I’ll be able to jump from hip hop to 90s, 2000s, R&B, just different things, but none of the stuff that we play every wedding, like she said, no YMCA, no this, no that, so.

Oh, yeah, I’ll take it as a challenge. I think that that’s one of the things I love about what I do too, is finding those hits that are trending. You’re talking about 90s R&B. Tevin Campbell was huge back then and that would be one of those slow songs. Hey, you could throw that on, take you back to the day and it’s not on every playlist, so.

Well, that’s a very popular song at a black wedding. can we talk or one of these others, that’s like a sing-along at a wedding. It’s very popular. Well, anything you do pretty much, that’s one of the songs that you can put in there. That’s cool.

Sticking To A Playlist

How does the conversation go for couples who love music that is not your typical music? When you have heavy metal or that’s not your typical wedding music. Like I say, this is your wedding day. The ceremony, our dinner is you. The other part is you and your guests now we can make some of it in, but give me the leeway if it’s not working to be able to change it and go in a different direction so that your guests have a good time.

And they’re not just sitting at their table. So we want it to be fun for everybody. Not just you 2 at the reception. So please understand that we need leeway to play a little bit I can’t tell you how many people I’ve talked to that said the bride comes up and says, why is nobody dancing and the DJ says because I’m playing exactly what you told me to play.

Yes, we had one of our DJs, he was doing a wedding and she had this strict playlist. Nobody was dancing and the DJ changed it up a little bit. She came up there, playback to my playlist. Nobody dancing. He tried to sneak in another song. Stay on my playlist. And then she wants to write a bad review.

Cause you try, I don’t want to stand there and play on an empty dance floor. I want everybody to dance. So I wasn’t there, so I don’t know the full story, but I told him, I said, yeah, he tried to talk to her, but she just wouldn’t budge. So in that case, you just do what the bride said, and we’ll deal with it Monday morning.

They’re the paying client. So you have to do what they’re, what they want to try to make sure she’s happy. Well, and I think that that’s really important in the pre-conversation if you know that in the consultation, then you think, do I really want to accept this job because then the potential of this being a failure, quote-unquote, then I’m going to get a bad review.

Maybe I shouldn’t accept this person as a client. Yeah. A lot of times you’re so deep into it until you find that out. I guess we could walk away, but most of the time you’re already so vested into a bride. Unless they tell you that right up front, but we usually don’t talk about, music on the booking side.

So it’s hard to know a good example, I had a bride, who wanted all this explicit music. And I’m like, that’s something we really try not to do. So she goes on Facebook and says, well, my DJ company doesn’t want to play explicit music. So we said, called her, Hey, we’re going to do it.

We’re going to wait. She said, well, I just want you to wait till my grandmothers and all those people are gone. I said, okay, you just have to try to deal with each one differently. And maybe we should, I need to keep saying, I’m going to do that. Put an explicit thing in the contract right off the bat, and maybe I should ask those questions.

Are you a heavy metal, music? Nobody else likes that kind of bride, and see what they say. Well, and I, I think the 1 important thing that you just said was, yes, you want to avoid that during the dancing part, but, you know, the last half hour, that could be your moment. You can enjoy it. We can play that music at that time when it’s really not going to affect the overall outcome of the event. That’s a good idea. I’m going to have to remember that. So let’s talk about a little bit about your area.

Incorporating Special Songs

What are some creative ways to incorporate special songs for the ceremony and the reception? Incorporate special songs? What do you mean? Like doing something different or? Yeah,

Exactly. Let’s say you’re getting a unique request how would you incorporate that into the dancing part? Or are you going to put those songs in the dinner or in a cocktail hour depending on what, if it’s danceable, I’ll try to put it in the mix on the dancing side.

But if I feel like there’s more cocktail hour, I try to keep it in there, or dinner time, I’ll keep it in there. just so I hit what they want to say. My secret is, if I know it’s something that they really like, I always try to play when they 1st sit down at the table and take that moment. Relax. Then they hear something they like or request.

Because, you know, you want them to think he thought about it. He thought about it. He thought about me. So, yeah, he listened to us. So I always try to incorporate it right there. Wow, that’s a great tip for those who are listening to play something that. The bride and groom or the wedding couple like at the beginning, just to calm their nerves and know that you are going to make that day wonderful and play their music.

And I think they just feel like, Oh, he listened. He understood. He got our vibe. And even if you don’t play anything else, they like it for the rest of the day. You got them, you hooked them in right there. So now they’re not listening as intently to songs that they asked you to play because you already showed them that you, paid attention and did it. I love it.

Theme and Local Songs

So speaking of special songs, are there any college fight songs that are popular in your area? Oh man, you hit on everything that’s happened in the last couple of months. So I did a wedding. The bride was University of Texas, groom was A& M. So, the mother, the check writer, just wanted to rub it into the A& M fans faces and it was hilarious.

So we did it and then we let them, then we played the A&M song too and they got to do it, but she came up there, cut it short, cut it off. don’t let them have their whole moment. So it was just made a lot of fun out of it. But yeah, we do. Almost every school, Oklahoma, Baylor, everybody has a song and a lot of them do want me to play their fight song during the reception.

So yeah. Are there any other besides college? fight songs. Are there other songs too that are popular in your area that may just be specific to your area? Wow. Well, of course, you know, you got, what they call it, the chopped and screwed slower versions of songs from Houston. Then you got some Dallas artists like Southside the Realist and, Big Tuck.

And just certain artists that are here that are Dallas artists. Yeah, those are probably, but I think it’s leaked over into Mississippi because my brother asked me about him some time because he’s a DJ in Mississippi. but mainly we have our, just Texas artists that we play in the Enchoppedis group, you know, stuff like that.

That’s interesting. I should ask a Vegas DJ about that because we have the Imagine Dragons and the Killers are two big artists from Vegas, whether they get requested a lot. That’s interesting. Yeah, I mean, and because there’s a song called Hennessy and a lot of people probably don’t know it, but those two guys are from Dallas and it’s like, you can play that anywhere and

it’s going to pop off, but go home. Yeah. It’s likable, but not like it would be here. Just like nuance. I can play bounce music the whole night and nobody will complain. And so everywhere has their own music. Yeah, for sure.

Music Planning Mistakes

What are some common mistakes couples make when selecting their music? It all goes to what you like and not thinking about anybody else. This is a, you know, I want this, as you say, heavy metal, rock, stuff like that, that is not danceable. But again, if their whole crew is like that and they all like it, then it may work. But a lot of times they don’t take any, of their couples into consideration. They just me, me, me, me, me, me. So that’s when you can make the mistake of not thinking about and trying to make sure your guests are going to have a good time by considering what they might like or what’s danceable.

That, that would be my thing. If it’s danceable, Let’s do it. If it’s not, right? Yeah. There’s a difference between that and mosh pit music where maybe all the grooms are out there. Yeah. Don’t want each other around. Yeah. I’ve seen that too. Yeah. I have to in college.

Wedding Music Trends

What are some current wedding music trends that you’re noticing? Oh, Wow. , man, super Taylor Swiftie. Everybody’s almost a Swiftie or a beehiver or something like that, but top 40. And trend-wise, I don’t know if anything ever trends because music comes so fast now, you know what I mean?

You’ll have a hit today, and then next week, they’re on to something else. So it’s coming so fast, you’re just trying to keep up. So that’s another reason why lists are so important, because what you think is hot today It’s bide 20 days from now, man, I haven’t heard that. So it’s kind of, it’s kind of hard.

You just have to try to keep up with the music and make sure they give you what they want. So you know where to go with it. I was looking through the charts the last couple of weeks and I’m amazed that the Harry Styles album was not released all that long ago. And as it was, was really popular. And like you’re saying, it’s gone.

And, it’s amazing how fast music comes and goes and you definitely have to stop. I mean, weeks, sometimes weeks, some stuff like, we were having to discuss the other day, some classic songs, never die. There’s going to be songs that are coming out now that are going to be classics that we’ll be playing, somebody will be playing 20 years from now, you know if I’m still doing this, but there’s those that are going to live forever.

And those were the ones that were just momentary hits. So hopefully most of these things are classics or they stick around and stay, but most of them are not. Yeah, there’s certain artists that’ll definitely stick around like Ed Sheeran and John Legend and there’s some modern, even Christina Perri but man, that song was played on the Twilight Saga and every little girl was watching that.

And that’s. It’s not going anywhere. Yep. That one is frozen and a few others. And now Taylor Swift’s, cruel summer. Oh, man. Lavender haze. There’s some songs that are sticking in Lizzo’s stuff and Beyonce’s and it’s just Trendy, I wouldn’t call it trends.

I would just call it momentary hits because nothing sticks around It’s not trendy. Nobody’s okay. I want this kind of music at my wedding. I don’t know just whatever they like There’s no certain training because my Friday wedding is different than my Saturday wedding My Saturday wedding is different than my Sunday wedding.

So all three of them are totally different Thank God. Right. Well, it kind of makes it easier to prepare if they’re kind of, but, you know, I’ll incorporate some from each one on to the next one, but except for Sunday, it’s going to be totally different. Plus it’s a band. When I come on is just to kill them with the hits and let the band come back in 20 minutes.

Texas Wedding Music

What is your typical Texas wedding music? Include, is it country? Is it R and B? What, type of music that you seeing? That is a great question. So for Texas weddings, since, most weddings are top 40, 90s, 2000 hip hop and R and B, and it can vary from Spanish. And then you got to Bachata, merengue, everything, all of those.

It just depends on the family dynamics and 90 percent of them. Cause, we can do something older where we paying older music. It varies so much. I’ve done Tongan weddings, and I’ve done Persian weddings, so it’s just Typical Texas is top 40 and then a lot of country. Then you have to make sure the bride likes the new country or the old country.

So you have to do your research. And that’s the one thing that you have to ask those questions. What do you like to drill out of them to get songs? So you have an idea and then you still might be wrong because the crowd in front of you doesn’t like what she likes. So, but at least she told you something you like, so you can start with that.

Hey, thanks for sharing that because yeah, as an outsider, I think you’re probably playing George straight at every single wedding. No, no, no. I’m trying to think I’ve had ones where no country, again, it’s the. Dynamics of the couple. and then sometimes you’ll be surprised because believe it or not, a lot of Hispanic people love country.

So you can do a Hispanic way. And yeah, you’re going to play your combos, bachata, and all that stuff. But then they’re going to definitely want a little bit of country. So it’s very interesting that we, you have to be very versed. Here in Texas to DJ away. I was actually talking to a DJ a couple of weeks ago from South Carolina where country’s prominent.

And he was saying all of the boy country. So Florida Georgia Line, Jason Aldean’s Luke Bryan is really, really popular right now. And the older stuff, nothing older than the nineties there. So Shania Twain, nothing before her. And they’ll tell you that I don’t like any old country.

No, George, no, Vince Gill. No, Randy Travis. None of that. I just want all new country. And that’s pretty easy because all of that is readily available. We have it. So, and it’s a little bit more danceable poppier. So, it’s good. and it’s funny because I was talking to Chicago DJ, some of the guys we know.

They said no Country is played in Chicago. I said, wow, but back home when I was growing up, DJ, trust me, we didn’t hear any country at a wedding in Mississippi or anywhere, but now it’s totally different and I am in Texas, so that makes it totally different. I DJ in Montana and just a little bit of country, top 40 rock, primarily just top 40, but I would think it would make it hard not to play country because a lot of the love songs are country. What are you talking about here or just anywhere? Yeah, just because country music is known for telling great love stories.

You can get them from anywhere. You know, you can get a good slow song. Spanish wise, Mark Anthony, R&B love songs, a few poppy solos, Justin Timberlake, Lou, somebody’s they sneak in a few, Taylor, of course, and Beyonce one plus one. Like I say, you just have to be really versed and make sure that they share with you and give you what they want.

Slow Songs

And now that thing you posted I put it in my DJ group and I need to add you to my DJ group. About having 3 slow songs for a wedding, and I put it in there as a question, but nobody really answered.

They just read the article. you know, you do need to have 3 slow songs in your bag because you need to look at your audience. Okay, but I will tell you the ones that work here, Tennessee whiskey. And I played Always and Forever the other night by Heatwave and that was a huge hit. I think it was probably somebody’s anniversary song, but everybody knew what they all danced to it.

And that was an all-country kind of wedding, but that was on their list. So, paying attention again, make sure I play that because that was probably her parents. first dance song. So. I don’t know, sometimes I find it hard depending on the audience who I’m playing for to pick some, but normally Neon Moon, even, I’ve had black families request, Tennessee Whiskey, so that song has crossed over to the other side.

You can’t do it without country with almost anything. I agree with that too, it’s just like the couple that doesn’t want all of the same music. You can pull out the hits and I think even play slow songs, it depends on the time of the night that you’re playing it, whereas if it’s in the beginning, I’m going to go with an older song.

If it’s later, I’m going to go with a newer song. That’s just the way that I would DJ. Yeah, I try to look and see what’s in front of me or who’s dancing or, you know, who’s sitting down, who I can probably get up with a different song, and that’s how I try to feel, but I try to use that a newer, you said older, early, newer, later.

Okay, I’ll put that in my bag of tricks. It’s just that, by the end of the night, usually the young at heart are sitting down or tired. You’ve worn them out. They’re sitting down and it’s usually the younger crowd that’s dancing. So then I would, I would personally want something that’s newer and it could be recognizable.

One of the songs on the list was Sisqo incomplete. Yeah. With the right crowd that could still get everybody out on the dance floor later in the night. Yeah, one of my favorites to go to is, Keep Sweat, Make It Last Forever, that one always works for me. Or, you know, you can get a classic Marvin Gaye.

But, newer, I really can’t tell you a great slow song. Maybe Miguel, that, Adore, that one works. But, there’s nobody really making great slow songs. maybe some Usher stuff, but. It’s tough, I mean, to really find a, and most of his are classic hits too, so it’s, are you really digging up something new?

I mean, for that, so, yeah, you just have to look at your audience and know what’s going on, but I definitely will try to squeeze something newer in. It’s funny you mentioned Adorn because we went to Iheartradio this last year and Miguel performed and I was amazed at how many kids were so excited to hear him sing that song and like that should be on every DJ’s playlist at the right time.

It’s definitely going to hit the people, our age, and then the younger people too, just because it trended on tick tock. Yeah. TikTok. Yeah. I go look at that sometimes too, but I can’t keep up cause that flows and ebbs every day too. Yeah, for sure. Well, you can look at Spotify.

New Songs

They got the top 100, but. And some of it’s not even dance. Well, it’s just stuff. Somebody has made a video too, so it can drive you crazy. Why am I looking at this? This is really not going to help me I’m listening to the new music Friday on Spotify, it’s like five seconds. Yep. That’s terrible.

But a lot of that, even when it’s slower and you don’t think they can dance to it. The kids in school, like we, this is our heavy military ball prom, dance time, that kind of stuff they like and they all sing along to it real loud. So we can’t think for us. We have to think for the audience and if it’s hitting for them, you have to like that new song by Kanye Carnival.

It sounds crazy, but of course, it’s on the request list for this dance Friday night, two or three times. They just make it interesting. Playing with the guest one, that’s what it comes down to. It’s not about me and you, it’s about them, so we have to try to remember that. I think that’s a great way to close it out.

Give Them What They Want

So is there something that we missed that you think we should have talked about Not that I can think of the main thing is just do your homework. Make sure you try to get to know your couples learn as much as you can get as much evidence to use against them as possible. Study, go back, look at everything, look closely at little details, and notes, and if they mentioned something, just make sure you make a mental note of it, write it down if you’re old like me, and, just, you know, Make sure you do your best to give them what they want.

And then of course, like you say, sneaking that classic or something that they didn’t think they were going to hear. And they were, Oh man, and that, that way you can really, really, they’ll make it even more memorable for them because you added a little spice or something that nobody thought of.

And engage a guy who told me a trick the other day. He goes around to each table saying, what would you like to dance to? And he takes, okay, now if I play that, you’re going to have to dance just so they feel comfortable with you. You feel comfortable with them. And then that helps you. And one thing I will tell everybody, if a bridesmaid or groomsman comes and asks you for a song, play it.

As long as it’s not too bad because they know them way more than you do. And they know like college days or something like that. So I had a girl, a girl would come to, Hey, the groom is a huge Drake fan, man. We played a Drake song. They had him throwing him in the air. It was one of the best moments of the night.

He was singing. Then I had another one. The groom was a Swifty. Tie on the head to the side shirt on a button and he was just screaming the song. So I always, I always try to, if a bridesmaid or a groomsman come and ask me for something, I try to make sure I get it in the mix. I love it. Great tips. Yes.

Connect with DJ JayP

So where can listeners connect with you and follow along? You can find us at Alliance Entertainment Group, on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and everywhere. We’re all just Alliance Entertainment Group or at AEGTX.com. That’s the shortest way to find us. AEGTX, which is texas. com. Want to have you do a plug too. I heard that you’re doing a little podcast as well.

So might as well do a plug for that too. Yes. Yes. We have a podcast. Another good friend of mine, DJ here in Dallas with me. Mike DJ, Mike, we have two DJs, one Mike, and we do podcasts talking to different people in the industry. Matter of fact, we got you coming on the show, but we talked to people all over the industry, you know, Planners DJs, anybody who will talk to us actually, because we just want insight.

The toughest thing has been to get brides to come on because I don’t get to anybody want to talk about. but we have a photographer’s schedule. We have a plan to schedule. We have to schedule. we’ve done Keith, Rob, everybody, all the big people in the industry. Alan Berg, you name it.

We’ve had him on the show. So go back we had episode 73. we’re loving it. if you’re going to Midwest DJ, we’ll see you up there. If you’re going to Marquee, we’ll see you there. We’d be broadcasting live from those different shows. Fantastic. Well, thanks Jeff for being on the show today.

I really appreciate it. It was good. , thanks everybody for listening. Stay tuned for next week for another interview with another wedding pro. And while you’re at it, if you could just give us a five-star, donation to your favorite listening platform like Spotify or Apple, however you’re listening.

Thanks for listening and have a great day.