please don't stop the music

Okay so photography is done! Woo hoo! Now on to the next vendor - the DJ. Survey says people remember two things about weddings - the food (The Venetian has a great reputation for their catering) and the music.

I don't think I ever really hesitated in my decision to have a DJ over a band. Nothing against bands or singers - heck, my father is a wedding singer - but I think I'd prefer to have the original version of the song with the original artist. Plus, not to sound too bridezilla-ish but I have this fear that my guests will spend the whole evening watching the band perform instead of watching me and Gianfranco share our first dance. My mother says the guests won't do that, but I know I tend to focus on the band at weddings so who's to say guests wouldn't do it at mine?

So now I'm all about the music. Researching the different DJ companies, inquiring about their prices, attending their showcases, etc. And once again, I have a clear vision of what type of package I'm seeking. Sometimes I wish I were a simple bride who didn't care about lighting or plasma screens. Life would be so much easier, not to mention CHEAPER!

I've always been a music person. When I was little, I used to sing Paula Abdul songs to my Jordan Knight poster. When I was in Junior High, I kept my stereo on all night long with a mix tape handy in case a good song came on the radio. When I was in High School, I contemplated starting my own CD mixes, called Mood Music, which would have been comparable to the iPod Playlists of today. In college, I was known for having the largest music collection of all of my friends and I was always the first to know the latest song on the radio. My first and current job deals a lot with music/radio research and one of my bosses calls me the "Golden Gut" for my uncanny ear for pop hits.

Anyone who knows me will agree that I am slightly dramatic. I know my good friends are screaming, "Slightly?!!?" at the computer screen right now but I don't want to scare of any readers who DON'T know me! But part of that dramatic side is this ridiculous notion that my life is a movie and my music is the soundtrack. We've had our wedding playlist selected for months now, even before we got engaged, so you can only imagine how picky I will be about finding the right DJ.

Here is what I'm looking for (in case you know a DJ or ARE a DJ):

1. Plasma Screens. That is number one on my list because of the emotional, dramatic, sentimental images I plan on displaying during the evening. I'll probably need to leave tissue boxes on each table.
   
2. Italian Music. I'm marrying a man named Gianfranco. That's just his first name. We'll need Italian music and we'll need a lot of it. I'm leaving the fiance in charge of determining how experienced prospective DJs are with Italian-American weddings since I have no clue.
3. Intelligent Lighting. This actually isn't so much a criterion (criteria is plural) of mine as it is my mother's. I dont know, maybe it's because of her disco dancin' ways that she wants all different colored lights flashing while she boogies but she is determined to have this crazy thing called "Intelligent Lighting" at the wedding. I do wonder why it's called "Intelligent" though. Will it flash with the beat of the songs? Will it announce my entrance into the ballroom? Will it spell out "Congratulations" on the wall? We shall see!
   
4. A normal emcee. Don't laugh because living in the Northern NJ/NYC area makes this request hard to find. I don't want Sonic the Hedgehog announcing the "Fatha/Dawta" dance or asking guests to please join us on the "dance flaw." I don't want a fist pumper or MC Hammer to narrate my wedding. I just want a classy guy who tastefully keeps the party moving.
   

I don't think that list is too long, is it? I've just begun my research and we have our first appointment next Tuesday. I doubt I'll spend as much time on the DJ search as I did on the photography search but only because there are fewer DJ options from which I can choose.

Once I select a DJ, I will then work on my DO NOT PLAY list. Kinda like the DO NOT CALL list, only listing songs and not involving telemarketers. But don't worry, there will be a separate entry on that and I'll definitely be requesting songs that you, the readers, hate hearing at weddings.

Any tips or advice for me as I begin my quest for the perfect entertainment? I'd love to hear them...