As a Wedding DJ in Clare, I play in the Armada Hotel in Spanish on a number of occasions throughout the year. The views from this hotel are absolutely amazing. The hotel is set right on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. Someone told me once “if you fell into the water your next stop was Boston”. On a clear day, no matter where you look there is always something new to see. A credit to the hotel, each time I visit they are always adding something new or making improvements to the function room. Always striving for perfection and re-inventing the wedding wheel. I think it’s great! No matter how many times you visit there is always a new feel!
Wedding DJ in Clare – The Music:
The Bentley Boys Wedding Band started off the night with a great mix of music. Having setup at the start of the evening with the band I was able to watch them play and see what worked best with the guests. With a 2 hour set I was able to include a lot of music and a great mix too! The wedding couple hadn’t requested anything specific so I was free to play to the crowd. I started with some rock n roll and 80’s numbers. This kept the floor full from the time the band finished. These kind of songs are universal to both young and old. It is a great way to start the night. I then took it into the disco age with some 90’s and 00’s anthems. At this stage of the night (1.30am) the guests had the floor packed for over an hour. I changed from the 90’s into some chart – Nicki Minaj, Rihanna, David Guetta all went down a storm.
I had one or two guest requests for some more cheesy numbers and so as to not tire them out too much it was a great time to bring them out. They are a little slower than what I was playing and so it gave guests a chance to rest before the big finish. Team Bride and girls a chance to dance their heels off to Peter Andre, Backstreet Boys, Five and Westlife. Now, it was Team Groom and boys turn to have their fun. Ac/Dc, Ram Jam and Under Pressure had them all throwing mad shapes on the dance floor. Who doesn’t love a bit of mosh pitting at a wedding?
Towards the end of the set I got everyone back up with a few more from the 80’s and finished on some sing along songs with the Bride and Groom. It was a fantastic way to finish the night with the wedding couple and all of their family and friends.
Here is what the couple thought of the night:
“I cannot praise Paudie highly enough. He was so entertaining and had everyone on the dance floor from start to finish! His setlist was brilliant and he really made the night. He was so professional to deal with and wanted to accommodate us in whatever way he could. So many of our guests asked us about him the next day! Thanks Paudie!”
The success of the night really hinged on two things – the awesome guests and the fact I was there and setup while the band were playing. I was able to pick out exactly what was and wasn’t working for a full 2 hours before I ever started. I try as best as I can to cater the music to the guests on the night. I am never afraid to change it up and see what happens. I always welcome suggestions prior the date from a wedding couple and requests on the night. But, there is no substitution for being there early and getting a sense of the crowd. The demographic, ages and general way the crowd are interacting with the band.
DJ – Setup:
Another upside to doing this was the fact there was no disruption later in the evening trying to bring in more equipment. For anyone getting married in the Armada or knows the layout, all the equipment comes in by the side of the bar, crosses over to the stage area and from there it is setup. Personally I prefer to play on the left hand side of the stage as you look up rather than the right. I think it is a better place to play from. Thinking about all of that, imagine a situation where people are getting drinks at the bar, the band are playing to a full dance floor and a DJ tries to start rolling in more speakers and lights for the night. No matter how much the DJ tries it is going to cause some upset and hassle for the hotel or band. I am there and bring in all of my equipment at the same time as the band. This is also the time the hotel are moving tables from the floor and getting it ready for the night. Doing all of this at the same minimizes the disruption during the night. Guests will only see one set of equipment coming in. Any table that may need to be slightly adjusted to make space, again, is all done at the start of the evening. I have done it this way for many years and hotels are happy to see me arrive on time and am ready to go as soon as the band finish.
If there is no band I still arrive for the pre-arranged time and it takes on average 40 mins to setup all the equipment. I do setup the speakers first and will have some light background music playing within 15 mins of loading in the equipment. This will help the time pass as I setup the rest. There is an option for an early setup but generally it is not needed for a full evening or after band DJ set. As mentioned above, a hotel usually needs time to move tables etc from the dance floor so I can normally setup during this time. It is nice to give guests a few mins break after the meal too before the 1st dance.
Below is a video from an Armada Hotel Wedding. It was a great night from start to finish. The floor was filled to capacity for the night.