discoTECH tips to help make your decision process easier

• The music on your big night, or for any milestone event, is simply one area that you should never compromise on. We have had much experience with relatives or friends offering to DJ, or provide the music via an ipod. It is not a good idea. The music at your event, especially your wedding, is the most important aspect of the night, apart from the actual ceremony. The music will make or break the success of the night. If guests don't like the music, they will leave early. With an ipod or jukebox, you have no control over the music content, and this means that songs which are not appropriate for dancing, or for a wedding, will be played. Relatives or friends sometimes make the offer to 'help out' with providing the music then, close to the date, change their minds when they realise the pressure it will place them under on a night they would rather just enjoy. Unless your friend/relative is a professional DJ, don't make this mistake. We often get calls, at the last moment, to provide a DJ due to these issues.

• If a significant number of guests are from overseas, or even just more than a few hours drive from Auckland then it is likely that they will want to catch up with other friends and relatives that are present. This means that there will be lots of talking and therefore, less dancing. This is especially true if it's the Bride & Groom that are coming back to New Zealand. In extreme cases there may only be talking and very little dancing.
  If there is the possibility of this happening at your wedding please let your DJ know, and discuss the best way to handle the situation - options include:
  Brides & Grooms organising with the DJ to switch to background music (and therefore a lower volume) more suitable for talking and catching up, whilst still having a vibrant and celebratory atmosphere.
  Some Brides & Grooms on the other hand want their DJ to be vocal in encouraging people to get up on the dance floor. It is easier if we can tell them that there is an after-wedding get-together as this means that there will be ample opportunity to talk in relaxed surroundings where there is no DJ trying to get them to dance. You may also want to consider leaving the present opening till then.

• Some people are less interested in dancing than others - be it because they are self-conscious about their ability to dance, or just that they don't enjoy it very much. The more of these types of people there are amongst your guests the harder it will be to get people dancing.
  Other factors that will effect the more self-conscious dancers are large, empty-looking dance floors, and competent, showy dancers. If there are even only a couple of people amongst your guests who are proficient dancers (such as Rock 'n' Roll or Ceroc dancers) they will usually be very quick to get on the floor and show off their moves. Whilst this is great fun to watch it can be a little off-putting for the less proficient dancers who feel uncomfortable about being compared with the "good" dancers
  If a dance floor looks particularly large, then the more nervous dancers will be slower to get up on the dance floor. A dance floor doesn't have to actually be big to appear big - a high ceiling can give a false sense of size. A large dance floor can be made to look small with the clever use of pot plants, tables, and other furniture around the edges.

• No matter how enthusiastic your guests are, if the room is very hot, or very cold then people are less likely to dance, and if they do dance it will be for less time. The heat can be due to unexpectedly hot weather, or just poor or non-existent air-conditioning. Also some venues have noise control issues which require that certain doors remain shut during the dance.
  If these doors are also the principle sources of ventilation at all other times then there needs to be alternative temperature control available such as air-conditioning - or even just a fan. Likewise, if the area for dancing is too cold (for example, it is outside) then some form of heating is recommended. Generally speaking venues are very good at keeping guests warm so a cold dance floor is a relatively rare occurrence - but if your wedding is in a marquee, or a converted barn, or similar, then, almost regardless of the time of year, allowances should be made for appropriate heating. Remember that even in high summer it can be very cool by 10:00pm, especially if you are by a large body of water or on an exposed piece of land.

• If you choose to open your presents on the night please be aware that this will virtually guarantee that the dance floor is empty for that time. Your guests will almost always be interested in seeing your response to the gift(s) they have given you. If people leave the dance floor for extended periods like this it can be very hard to get them back on the dance floor.
  Any other activity that will draw people away from the floor will have a similar result. The longer people are away from the floor, the harder it will be to encourage them back onto the floor after the activity is over.