Day #15: Why Would You Want An MC (Master of Ceremonies) For Your Wedding?

From Erik Michaels and June Hoffman of Megasound


First and foremost, one reason in particular you want an MC is so that you have someone responsible for actually providing all of the necessary announcements, playing music throughout the reception, and actually "running" (facilitating) the details of your reception from start to finish. There IS a difference between an MC and a DJ; and this is a very important difference. A "DJ" is a disc jockey. DJs will be able to play music for your reception and many will be able to "feel out" the crowd by playing music your guests want to dance to. However, just because someone knows how to "DJ" an event does NOT mean that he or she knows how to "MC" an event! Your wedding is not a backyard party, so there are many things in a wedding that a typical DJ may not understand that are part of his or her job for your wedding. An MC realizes that he or she is representing you and that he or she is responsible for making certain that everything goes according to your plans so that you can relax and enjoy the festivities.



Many people have talked about using an Ipod for a wedding. Ipods are great for personal listening pleasure, but will not function well as a DJ OR MC. Likewise, some DJs are also not suitable for weddings. There are many different types of DJs, such as radio DJs, nightclub DJs, and karaoke DJs. Make certain that the DJ you select for your wedding is a wedding DJ and familiar with the role of being an MC. Selecting another type of DJ for your wedding may provide you with music, but will you and your guests be impressed with the results of your reception AFTER the fact? Will you feel that you received value and service for the money you spent? The best advice I can give you is this: Do not hire your wedding MC/DJ based on price alone. Keep in mind that this decision will affect the outcome of your reception more than any other element. Therefore, it won't make any difference how much or how little you spent if you aren't happy with the service provided.

One last difference and another reason that you really want an MC for your reception over "just a DJ" is the passion an MC gives. We (at Megasound) are very passionate about what we do and we care about our brides and grooms (and they are more than just “clients”). We want to know about YOUR wedding so that we can make it the way you want. We will be honest with you if we think something may not work the way you want it to, but we will still do it your way if you choose. This will give you peace of mind, knowing that everything is under control and taken care of for your big day of celebration!

If you want to know more about MCs and your wedding, give us a call TODAY!

Day #12: Questions to Ask a Potential DJ

from Erik Michaels and June Hoffman of Megasound

Here are just a few questions to ask when interviewing disc jockeys for your wedding reception in Fort Wayne or other areas.


-How many years of wedding experience do you have as a DJ (disc jockey)?
-How are you different from other disc jockeys?
-What type of attire do you perform in?
-What types of planning assistance do you give before the wedding?

Check out Megasound's “Key Questions” page for additional information and questions for prospective DJ’s!

"I Gotta a Feeling" About this Song

by June Hoffman of Megasound

The Black Eyed Peas’ song “I Gotta Feeling” is already filling the airways (as well as two recent television commercials). This hip, shout-out song would make a great selection for any bride and groom’s grand introduction song.



“I Gotta Feeling” is the 2nd super-charged dance selection from the Black Eyed Peas’ E.N.D. album. The first hit (Boom, Boom Pow) packs the dance floors at many recent Fort Wayne wedding receptions.

“I Gotta Feeling” will bring your guests to their feet whether you have your wedding DJ play it for your intro or some time after the traditional dances. This song offers some great beats for any type of wedding reception. Happy dancing!

How Long Should You Hire a Professional for Your Wedding Reception?

from Erik Michaels of Megasound

As a bride, this question will come up while planning your wedding. How long (how many hours) should I hire you for? At first glance, this may look like an absolutely ridiculous question. However, there ARE certain questions you will want to ask yourself before making this decision. The first question is how long have you rented your reception hall for? If you only have the hall rented for 5 hours, it would be silly to pay your MC for 6 hours.

The second question you will want to ask yourself concerns your guest list and the type of atmosphere you wish to create during your reception. Does your family like to dance? How about your friends? Will you be expecting 100 guests or 500? If you have a large guest list, you will want to have your MC on hand longer than if your guest list is small. If you know that your family or friends love to dance for hours, or if you are holding a cocktail hour before dinner, you will want your MC for longer than if you simply want background music for your entire reception.

Most receptions last 5 or 6 hours (and occasionally even longer), and hiring your DJ/MC for your entire event is generally considered preferable to hiring them for 3 or 4 hours and having them set up during your dinner or not show up until dinner is over. Unless there are certain reasons your reception is shorter than 5 hours (such as an early afternoon reception), you should probably hire your DJ/MC for at least five hours so that they will be ready to perform your introduction when you and your wedding party arrive and still be able to play music for open dancing for a couple of hours at least.

Keep in mind that most receptions don't actually get underway until the wedding party arrives. On average, for most weddings, the dinner and traditions take about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. This leaves, on average, 3 to 3 1/2 hours for dancing PROVIDED the wedding party arrives right at the beginning of the reception. More often than not, the wedding party is later than originally expected due to photos taking longer than expected, travel arrangements (such as a limo or trolley) arriving late, the ceremony starting late, and/or a variety of other unexpected situations (including weather, road construction, and traffic patterns). I can count the number of four hour receptions I have been hired to perform over the last ten years on one hand, and even then, several of those ended up hiring me for an additional hour during the reception (a much more expensive proposition than booking the extra hour to begin with).

One other suggestion I have to help with your overall reception plans is to make sure that you have your photographer hired to cover the first three hours of your reception so that they will be able to get pictures of all of your traditions as well as some of the open dancing. Recently, a bridal couple only had their photographer hired for the first two hours. Had their wedding party arrived at the beginning of the reception, this would have been just fine. However, they did not arrive until an hour after the reception started. This meant that the couple had to hire their photographer for an hour of overtime that night to cover the additional time. Planning ahead to allow for unintended situations and delays is always a good idea. Whether it is for your DJ/MC, your photographer, videographer, security, bartender, or any of the other professionals, hiring them for just a bit longer than you actually need will allow for a more relaxed atmosphere during your reception instead of having them rush around trying to get everything accomplished within the time frame allotted (and pushing everyone in the process).

Musical Inspiration for Your Wedding

by June Hoffman of Megasound

You can find a lot of inspirations for your wedding reception music. These selections should be a springboard for different ideas on a wide variety of music. I hope that these help make your special day an awesome celebration!

Cocktail/Dinner Music Selection – “The Way You Look Tonight” by Frank Sinatra

Classic Slow Song – “You are so Beautiful” by Joe Cocker

Funky – Retro Tune – “She’s a Bad Mama Jama” by Carl Carlton

Wedding Cheese – “The Chicken Dance” by the Emeralds

Sizzling Dance Floor – “Krazy” by Pitbull featuring Lil Jon

“Couples Only” – “Lucky” by Jason Mraz featuring Colbie Caillat

Let me know if you need other song ideas for your wedding reception. We can brainstorm ideas to find those artists and songs that will work best for you.

Flip-side Song Suggestions for Your Wedding Reception

by June Hoffman of Megasound

Here are some more song suggestions to ignite your musical genius. These song ideas are just the beginning for you to create some great moments for your guests to enjoy at your wedding reception.

Most experienced wedding DJ/MC's will be able to help you with the song selection process.

Cocktail/Dinner Music Selection – “Beyond the Sea” by Bobby Darin
Classic Slow Song – “A Kiss to Build a Dream On” by Louis Armstrong
Funky – Retro Tune – “Boogie Shoes” by KC and the Sunshine Band
Wedding Cheese – “Shout” by the Dynatones
Sizzling Dance Floor – “Fire Burning” by Sean Kingston
“Couples Only” – “Halo” by Beyonce

Always enjoy the music that you select for your wedding reception. Let me know if you need help creating an exciting music list for your reception.

Song Suggestions for Your Reception

From June Hoffman of Megasound

Creating a fun and meaningful reception playlist may seem a daunting task. Weddings are comprised of traditions and celebration and a wide array of guest ages. The following song suggestions will hopefully spark your musical genius and assist you in adding entertaining options for all guests to enjoy at your wedding reception.

Another helpful hint: utilize your DJ/MC's skills to help in the song selection process.

Cocktail/Dinner Music Selection – “Fly Me to the Moon” by Frank Sinatra

Classic Slow Song – “At Last” by Etta James

Funky – Retro Tune – “Play That Funky Music” by Wild Cherry

Wedding Cheese – “YMCA” by the Village People

Sizzling Dance Floor – “Boom, Boom Pow” by the Black Eyed Peas

“Couples Only” – “Kiss me Thru the Phone” by Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em featuring/Sammie

If you need help creating your wedding reception play list, drop me a line.

What Kind of Attire do YOU Think is Appropriate for Your Wedding?

by Erik Michaels of Megasound

Today I am going to discuss a bit about DJ/MC attire at weddings. I realize that some DJs don't want to wear formalwear because they are afraid of being mistaken for a wedding party member. This is a lousy excuse not to wear a tuxedo or formal dress. Any performer "worth his/her salt", so to speak, should look the part. If the wedding party can wear tuxedoes and formal dresses, then why wouldn't a professional DJ/MC want to look his or her best also? Of course, obviously there are some DJs who either AREN'T professional or don't want to be confused with being professional. This is unfortunate for those of us who actually care about what we do and want to do our best at every wedding.

Since a wedding DJ/MC will be representing the bride and groom, he or she should want to put their best foot forward as to his or her appearance. Perhaps I am a bit old-fashioned...but I have seen other DJs perform weddings in shorts or jeans and a T-shirt. Setting up equipment in that type of clothing is fine, but actually WORKING in that apparel just didn't seem right. I suppose I liken it to seeing my doctor at the beach in a swimming suit. That apparel is fine for the beach, but I don't think I would want to see him WORKING in it.
Here at Megasound, we allow our clients to have the final say in our performance attire. However, unless otherwise specified, our DJ/MCs perform in formal apparel and our assistants are required to wear standard business outfits. Our clients hire us to perform their wedding, not play volleyball in the backyard.

Will Megasound be Around for MY Wedding?

from Erik Michaels of Megasound

Megasound has been in business continuously since 1985. Many DJ (disc jockey) companies come and go, but you will not have to worry whether we will still be in business the day of your wedding. We are committed to excellence and our clients.

It is true that many so-called DJ companies are not operating legally within the community which they serve. Most of these "moonlighters" do not carry insurance and offer very low prices. Once again, one usually gets what one pays for. A DJ who doesn't insure himself puts YOUR wedding at risk. If his equipment gets stolen, he is likely to contact his clients and cancel on them.

Megasound is also locally owned and operated right here in Fort Wayne, Indiana. We are not part of some franchise or any other company, so there is no risk of our company pulling up stakes and moving operations to some other location.

Why Should I Worry About Sound Equipment?

AKA…What good are signal processors, signal enhancers, and 30-band equalizers and why would I want to hire a DJ/MC who uses them for my wedding?

by Erik Michaels of Megasound

Do you want crystal clear sound at your wedding? Yes
Or would you prefer the sound like at your local drive-thru restaurant? No
You do want your guests to be able to easily understand all the announcements.

A professional DJ/MC is going to invest in components which will make their equipment sound the best that it possibly can.

Signal processors improve sound quality by preventing that “distortion sound". It is similar to that choppy, nasty sound that happens when you turn up the volume too high on your car stereo. A signal processor limits voltage and helps "even" sound out when the disc jockey turns the volume up too high or screams into the microphone. A signal processor makes the sound produced crystal clear at ALL volume levels.

Signal enhancers correct phase and equalization to produce a more intelligible sound. The manner in which they operate isn't as important as the end result: BETTER SOUND. Any performer who really cares about their sound should be interested in utilizing a signal enhancer to improve the overall sound quality.

A 30-band equalizer is similar to the bass and treble controls on your stereo system. The bonus for you is that 30 different frequencies are affected instead of only two. Filtering out unwanted signal "junk" improves sound quality. Keep in mind that most Fort Wayne DJs and MCs perform at many different locations throughout the year. Being able to "fine-tune" their system allows them to correct frequency differences caused by varying environments. A qualified DJ/MC should adjust the sound based on a reception hall’s size, shape, and interior wall texture (carpeting or concrete). Utilizing a 30-band equalizer allows maximum flexibility by providing far more "points" of adjustment than simple bass, mid range, and treble controls.

A DJ/MC who utilizes these types of components in addition to the standard amplifiers and speakers, obviously cares about their sound QUALITY. This is very important for your wedding, as high quality sound will make your reception much more enjoyable for all who attend. No drive-thru loud speaker sound for your wedding!!