04/02/2026
I recently met with a couple I’m DJing for soon, and they told me about a wedding they went to a few months ago.
The couple getting married wanted something different to the usual ‘wedding music’, and had made this clear to their DJ when they’d met.
They were huge Gang of Youths fans, and wanted a mix of that vibe with some older and newer dance bangers - like PNAU, Disclosure, Fred Again, DJ Seinfeld, Daft Punk, that kinda thing.
But when it came time to kick off the dancefloor, their DJ just started playing all the typical stuff they’d asked him not to - Baby Got Back, the Nutbush, ABBA, etc (there’s nothing wrong with having this at your wedding of course - but it’s not for everyone!)
The guests weren’t into it, the newlyweds really weren’t into it, and the dancefloor was fading fast.
A few guests went up to the DJ, and asked him to play some Gang of Youths for the newlyweds, and he told them “no, I don’t take requests.”
I can understand a DJ thinking they know better than any one guest - it’s kinda their job. But it’s also their job to read the room!
There’s a long list of popular songs that work really well at most weddings. But there’s nothing more important than listening to what a couple wants for their wedding, and knowing when it’s time to play something different.
The purpose of taking (some) requests isn’t to make the requester happy, it’s to make the wedding better - and it’s a wedding DJ’s job to know a good request from a bad one, and to admit when a random guest had a good idea for what to play next.
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