We're starting a new series here on the Snyder Entertainment blog: Answering one FAQ! This will make it easy for you all to know what our team is all about, and the way we operate.
Our first FAQ within this series is one we get pretty frequently, so you may have the same question!
Can guests make song requests during a wedding or event?
The short and simple answer to this question is yes! It's your event, and of course you or your guests can request a song if the mood strikes. However, it's important to know that the logistics of everyone treating a DJ like a personal jukebox doesn't pan out well in every event setting. You must remember that not every guest will have ideal musical taste. Some requests may not fit in with the atmosphere of your event. Our DJs here at Snyder entertainment work hard to create a playlist that checks all of your boxes, to hopefully keep you and your guests on the dance floor making memories, instead of fretting about particular songs that may or may not be played! Here are just a few things that our team of DJs does to prepare your perfect playlist.
Planning
When you work with us, there is a level of pre-planning that comes before your event. You will have the opportunity to share which songs are important to have played before the big day comes. Some basic demographic information about your event is also collected so your DJ can plan appropriate music accordingly.
Creating different Moods
Any good party has a playlist that drives the different moods of the evening. There is a time for music that strikes emotion, such as a first dance. There is also a time for music that will get everyone out on the dance floor. Relying on your DJs expertise to create arcs of musical style throughout the evening can prevent you from feeling like your event is lacking anything in the song department!
Multiple Genres
Along the same thread as including different tempos and styles of music throughout your event, you also will find different genres of music represented. When a room responds well to one song, that signals to the DJ that similar songs should be queued up soon. Our DJs have multiple categories of playlists to pull from that ensures all of your guests will have fun dancing, and leave feeling like their favorite types of songs were played.
To summarize, our DJs aren't going to tell you that you can't make requests. But, if guests start throwing out songs that may not mesh well with the atmosphere of the event, they may have to say no. The job of the DJ is to make sure that the music helps things flow smoothly and the dance floor stays full!
In the spirit of fun, we've collected some of our craziest requests our DJs have gotten in the middle of events, just to drive the point home a little harder that not every guest request is a good one!
Snyder Entertainment DJ's Craziest Song Requests:
The craziest request I have gotten would have to be "I'm on a Boat" by The Lonely Island -Jay Psanis
I’m sure there were crazier ones than this, but my first ever event, one guy asked me to play Highway to Hell because “that’s exactly where marriages go”. -J Clark
Let’s just say Big Pimpin at a Bat Mitzvah by the girl's father. -Kam
I got a request for George Strait in a night club. -Chase Akers
A 7th grade girl asked me to play Reign In Blood by Slayer at a middle school dance once. That one was pretty wild. -Chase Crosslin
My weirdest was actually two requests. I had two weddings that were about a week or two apart. At both weddings, I had a drunk uncle come to me at about 10pm. Right when I was in the middle of Lil’ Jon, Kendrick Lamar territory and even though these were two separate weddings they both asked me to play “Tied To The Whipping Post” by the Allman Brothers. So completely random and so not a dance floor song and especially not at that time of the night. They argued for several minutes that this request would absolutely pack the dance floor. They were so eerily similar, too. I felt like I was in a episode of Stranger Things or Twilight Zone. -Brad Ford
So, there you have it! Our own team of DJ's craziest song requests. We would love to work with you at your next event to make sure you have the perfect playlist to suit you and your guests. Get in touch with us to learn more!