Entertainment has always been and will continue to be an important part of the wedding reception. Your entertainment should make your big day complete and should provide your guests with a lasting impression of your special day.

To assist you in making a decision on your wedding entertainment Bookourwedding.com have interviewed DJ John Mc Connell in which he has kindly offered to share his expertise with all you future brides/grooms to be.

As John will tell you DJs will never go out of fashion. They should allow for a wide-ranging choice of music to suit everyone, right from the very young to the very old.

Interview with DJ John Mc Connell

Bookourwedding.com
How long have you been in the business and have you played at many weddings before? Tell us about yourself?

DJ John Mc Connell
I have been a professional DJ now for 14 years and have entertained 1000s of guests at evening receptions. I have always loved music from a young age...my first record was Heart of Glass by Blondie. I do have a very wide ranging taste in music.

Bookourwedding.com
How did you get into the wedding music game and why should someone choose you over another DJ?

DJ John Mc Connell
I have held several DJ residencies (clubs and hotels) in my career and for me it was natural to progress to wedding entertainment as I have an outgoing personality, a good sense of humour and weddings are more enjoyable to do as you can involve the guests and create a good atmosphere. I am a very modest person but here goes:I am chosen over other DJs for lots of reasons: I put a lot of effort into what I do, I always offer advice and guidance to Brides and Grooms if needed, I'm experienced, professional in every way, a good communicator, honest, friendly, approachable, realise how important your wedding entertainment is and above all I love what I do.

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On average how much does it cost for a wedding DJ?

DJ John Mc Connell
Any quote given should be based on the length of time the DJ will be required to play for including travel and setup time. This is a difficult question to answer as prices can start from as little as £75! (A BARGAIN!) My definition of a bargain is "something you don't need at a price you can afford" and what you don't need is some inexperienced amateur systematically ruining your wedding party. The more expensive the DJ the better he or she should be. The old adage is certainly true "You get what you pay for". People generally remember three things about a wedding 1. How beautiful the Bride looked 2. How nice the ceremony was. 3 The entertainment.

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How much of deposit is required and when is final payment due?

DJ John Mc Connell
This will depend on the individual DJ, deposits can range from £50 to 25/50% of the quote given. The final payment is normally made 2 weeks prior to the event or at either the start of the evening reception (so the Best man doesn't spend it at the bar!) or at the end.

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How many hours does a DJ play for and would you expect to begin/end at a particular time?

DJ John Mc Connell
This will depend on a lot of factors including the experience and record library of the DJ. In my experience a typical DJ can/will only play for 21/2 hours without starting to repeat songs. As I have an extensive music library, most of my wedding bookings last between 4-5 hours,I could technically play all night. The starting time of a wedding reception usually begins between 7-8pm or later depending on whether you have a band (more equipment to set up) or DJ or if the wedding has run late (speeches etc.)

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Can you provide the full nights entertainment or is it always necessary to have a band also?

DJ John Mc Connell
This is down to personal choice and budget, some people don't want bands for economical reasons, restricted play list, taking breaks and the time lost when disassembling their equipent to make way for the DJ.The majority of my bookings regularly require me to provide music and interactive entertainment for the full wedding reception.

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What kind of music do you play?

DJ John Mc Connell
My music will depend on the guests at the wedding reception. I always play popular floor filling songs from the 1950s to present day including a few waltzes/jives for the more mature guests if present or songs for the children. Being able to keep a dancefloor busy is not pot luck but down to experience (this is where my club experience comes in as it's not just about playing random songs as anyone can play a cd!).

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Would you be happy enough to accept and play requests for the guests?

DJ John Mc Connell
Absolutely, I always announce that I accept and play requests WITHIN REASON, for example I was once asked to play Iron Maiden's song "Bring your daughter to the slaughter" I politely declined the request. Unfortunately not all DJs have common sense or good judgement.

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What are the most popular songs requested?

DJ John Mc Connell
Considering my average wedding lasts between 4-5 hours there would be far too many to mention here but I will happily advise Brides and Grooms on musical content if required. Any DJ with a preprepared play list will at some point be in for a very big shock!

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What currently is the most requested song for the first dance??

DJ John Mc Connell
Requests do vary from couple to couple but my most requested song is "From this moment on" by Shania Twain.

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Have you ever had any strange requests?

DJ John Mc Connell
Yes. I've done many different weddings for Brides and Grooms from different religious and geographical backgrounds including countries such as Northern Ireland (you don't say!) Greece, Romania, Scotland, Republic of Ireland and Australia. One memorable request was La Bamba by Los Lobos for the first dance! It actually worked out very well as the Bride was a professional dancer!

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Some wedding DJ's seem to play the same songs at every wedding. Is there a particular repertoire (inc. The Mavericks - Just wanna dance the night away and Neil Diamond - Sweet Caroline.) Or can a couple ask you to play anything they want?

DJ John Mc Connell
Some wedding DJs will play the same songs at every wedding for many reasons including... not having a wide range of music, inexperience or just sheer laziness. Any good professional DJ will take account of the guests at a wedding and select popular music as appropriate. There are some songs that will always be suited to wedding receptions.

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If I was to provide you with a list of songs for the entire night would you be able to play these?

DJ John Mc Connell
Depending on what the songs were I'm sure yes but not a good idea from experience. As a general rule leave the music choice to the DJ, what the Bride and Groom may like your guests may not. Although there's no harm in playing a couple of the Bride and Groom's favourite songs.

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Do you incorporate any games with the music to get the crowd involved?

DJ John Mc Connell
As a personality DJ I have numerous unique interactive entertainment acts/games for willing guests that create a good atmosphere and a good honest rapport with the guests - nothing rude or inappropriate for a wedding reception.

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Have you any special lighting effects with your equipment?

DJ John Mc Connell
Yes, I have several colourful projected lighting effects pointed at the dancefloor not at your guests! A wedding reception doesn't have to be lit up like a nightclub.

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Do you do karaoke at weddings?

DJ John Mc Connell
I've considered this and in a word NO. My view is that there is a time and place for karaoke, not at your wedding reception. The night goes in very quickly and you could do without your families competing to out sing each other!