PW Guide Article: Buyer Beware:

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I have to disagree on this... yes, it is important but not to the point to say, "If corners must be cut however, entertainment is not the area to compromise.".  I have read several brides having had sucessful weddings with minimal DJ expenses or just using an iPod and someone to man the player... I think it depends on your personal priorities...

I used an IPOD after the guitarist left without a problem. He played during the ceremony and cocktail hour. All our first dances were also via the IPOD.

As a wedding planner I've seen the iPod used at a reception and while the music was great (handpicked by the B&G) it left no one there to make crictical announcements. What happens then? Its left up to the Wedding Coordinator who has limited control without a microphone. It makes he/she look unprofessional as they run around screaming at the top of their lungs trying to corral  people who are "obviously" celebrating.

That may be the case at a large wedding, but ours was very small and we had no such problems at all.

I have to agree with meoc, I don't agree that entertainment is an area that shouldn't involve compromise. I'd happily cut corners on entertainment if it means I can have a better photographer or a nicer venue... and I did. We asked a friend to be our DJ and he used my iPod for the music. We asked an uncle to act as emcee and make the necessary announcements and everything flowed quite well.

I attended a friend's wedding (well over 100 people) where she and her DH used a laptop with iTunes and some rented speakers and audio equipment. She asked a friend to act as the emcee and it worked wonderfully. The bride had set up separate playlists for each part of the evening. The friend announced the wedding party and certain special parts of the evening like specific dances. The evening flowed just fine and it saved them a lot of money.

If a DJ isn't in the budget, an iPod with some rented equipment can work really well, as long as someone is there to make important announcements. In the situation that luv2plan mentioned, it was bad form for the bride & groom to assume that the coordinator would act as the emcee. They should have had someone else doing that.

 

I agree with the pp...it all depends upon the wedding.  If you're doing the more expected, traditional route, than by all means get a good DJ.  We chose to trim the budget by using mixed CDs we burned ourselves and played on the banquet hall's booming sound system.  We downloaded our favorite tunes (legally, btw) and made 5 mix CDs that took from from dinner to toasts to full-on dancing.  Total cost?  About $70 for all of the downloaded songs and blank CDs.  We hired a flute and guitar duo to play the ceremony and cocktail hour.  They brought their own sounds equipment.  Best $600 we've ever spent.