Even though your ceremony and vows are the most meaningful part of your big day, the reception offers a time for your guests to truly celebrate with you and your groom! You and your guests will spend more time interacting at the reception than any other time during the wedding day, but most brides agree that the reception goes by way faster than they thought it would! This is why we feel it’s so important to hire a professional DJ to take care of all the ins and outs of your reception so that you and your new husband can enjoy your guests and savor the moments of celebration. After all, it’s not every day that all of the people you love gather together in one place. You want someone who will help make your reception run smoothly and keep your guests on their feet!! We believe the investment in a GREAT wedding DJ is worth it, and, thankfully, we have some amazing Lubbock wedding DJ’s. We spent a Tuesday morning at Starbucks hanging out with the guys of Delta Jamma to learn everything you need to know about booking a DJ for your wedding and WHY it’s a detail you don’t want to overlook!
How many years have you been in business? 6 Years! And plan on many more to come!
How did you get started? We had a friend who was the president of BYX fraternity at Texas Tech. Jerrod & I (Alex) were known for having just a crazy amount of music in our Itunes library and he just asked us to DJ for one of their events. That was our very first gig and everyone had a blast! The next spring, they asked us to DJ the BYX Barn Dance and we’ve been doing it every year since!
How did you come up with the name, Delta Jamma? Honestly, it was Jerrod’s Dad. He’s a great “idea” guy. At the time we were playing a lot for college fraternities and he just kind of put the two together – D. J. , Delta Jamma. We couldn’t argue- it was the best name ever for a DJ company so we went with it!
What’s one piece of advice you would give to brides or couples when planning their wedding?
Instead of envisioning single songs you want played, envision the atmosphere you want for your wedding and for your guests.
When you sit down with your DJ, it is incredibly helpful if you can describe the atmosphere you want for your reception. Also, make sure the DJ is one of the first things you book once you’ve chosen a wedding date. You want to make sure your date is still available!
What do brides need to know about booking a DJ? For us it’s a simple 2 step process, Fill out & sign our online contract, and an easy deposit of $350 to get your date locked down. We want to make the booking process as easy as possible for our clients.
What are some potential mistakes brides make when booking a DJ? You want to choose someone that is FUN! Someone who has the capabilities to be fun on and off the mic. The DJ’s energy fuels the whole party, so you want big energy there. If you’re thinking about hiring a DJ, you want someone who will go above and beyond, who isn’t afraid to help the other vendors, pick up trash, move things…
What are the 5 best songs to play at any wedding reception? What really gets the crowds going?
1. Get down on it – Kool & The Gang (grand entrance, old school, but fun and jumpy – hits all the demographics)
2. September – Earth, Wind & Fire
3. Somethin’ Like That – Tim McGraw
4. My Maria – Brooks & Dunn
5. Every wedding reception needs Beyonce, and a song you might know named “Yeah by Usher”
How many weddings do you typically DJ in a year? I would say we average about 40 weddings per year. We’ve got two lead DJ’s so we can be at two events in one evening, but we always have a second DJ with us as well. I wouldn’t go to a wedding without a second DJ! It gives the lead DJ the ability to talk with the wedding planners and caterers, or step away to ask the bride a question without having to worry about getting back before the song is over. Having the second DJ gives us the flexibility we need to do our job even better.
What would you say to the bride who says “I don’t have a budget for a DJ, I’ll just have my friend hit play on a playlist that I’ve made.” First, I’d ask if they are going to have more than 50 wedding guests, and if they are planning to do any of the traditional events like cake cutting, first dance, bouquet & garter toss, etc. If the answer is “yes,” the bride should really consider a professional DJ. You don’t want to hire a DJ who isn’t a “wedding” DJ or an “every now and then” DJ [versus a full time DJ] For wedding DJ’s, music isn’t the “only” thing – music is one of the (many) things that we do. The DJ knows how the evening should flow and guides the reception from announcing the arrival of the bride and groom until announcing the “last song” and leading guests to send off the couple.
What is something Brides are surprised about when you meet with them for their wedding?
Most brides are surprised that…
…60% of our job is coordinating the evening. Whether it’s beforehand a consultant, or during the reception on the actual night of the wedding. The flow of the evening is so important. We think of music in terms of what’s going to lead us into the next event.
For example, “what song is going to help us transition from the dancing into the cake cutting?”, or after the bouquet & garter toss, “what song do we need to play next to get the guests back on the dance floor after that break?”
What kind of music do you listen to when you’re not “working”? (Jerrod) It used to be Hipster music. I liked knowing different bands and music that other people didn’t know, but honestly now that we are full time DJ’s I really do like all the “Pop”ular songs. I’m usually listening to the iTunes top 50 playlists. (Alex) When I listen to a song I don’t ask if “I like it” I ask myself if a college age girl will like this? (laughs) But it’s true! There are a lot of songs that I don’t like initially, but other people like, and now I have learned to like those songs. You associate the reaction that people give you with that song and it makes you feel good.
Thanks so much Jerrod & Alex for enlightening us and our readers about what to look for in a great Lubbock wedding DJ!