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CLIENT RESOURCE — This planning guide is provided for booked DJ Bryan Hoover clients.

You’re Booked. Now Let’s Plan an Amazing Wedding.

Thank you for trusting me with your wedding. This guide explains how we’ll plan the entertainment, what I need from you, and what you can expect from me along the way.

Don’t feel like you need to do everything today. Your online planner is designed to grow with your wedding. Add information as you make decisions, come back when you need to, and don’t worry about making everything perfect.

1. Your Online Event Planner

Your online event planner will be the main place where we build your wedding reception together.

  • Build your wedding-day timeline
  • Select songs for special moments
  • Request dance music
  • Create a Do Not Play list
  • Build your wedding party Grand Entrance
  • Provide pronunciations for names
  • Enter information about toasts, blessings and activities
  • Share important details I need to know

Your login information is included in the booking email I sent you.

TIP: You don’t have to complete the planner in one sitting. Save your work and come back as your plans develop.

2. Building Your Timeline

Don’t stress over the timeline. Start by putting the events in the order you’d like them to happen. If you don’t know exactly what time something should happen, leave the time blank. That’s something I can help with.

As we get closer to your wedding, I’ll review the timeline and help make adjustments based on your reception, dinner service, photography, formal events and other factors.

For any event involving a specific song, please include the song title and artist in the comments. For example: First Dance — “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran.

3. Choosing Your Music

This is where we get to have some fun.

You can use the planner to select music for important moments such as your Grand Entrance, First Dance, Parent Dances, Cake Cutting, Bouquet/Garter Toss, Anniversary Dance and Last Dance.

You can also request songs you’d like to hear throughout the night and tell me what you absolutely DO NOT want played.

Want to Build Your Own Playlist?

Absolutely!

If you’d like to create your own music playlist for Cocktail Hour or Dinner, feel free to build it in Spotify and share the playlist with me.

To help me keep everything organized, please name your playlist using your wedding date and last name.

4.11.11 Hoover

If you’re creating separate playlists, label them:

  • 4.11.11 Hoover COCKTAIL
  • 4.11.11 Hoover DINNER

Have a lot of dance requests? You can do the same thing. Instead of entering a large number of individual requests into the planner, create a Spotify playlist and name it:

4.11.11 Hoover DANCE

Then share the playlist with me.

One important difference: If you build a Cocktail Hour or Dinner playlist, I’m happy to use it as the soundtrack for that portion of your reception. Your DANCE playlist works a little differently. Think of it as a way to show me the songs, artists and styles you want to hear—not necessarily a playlist that I’ll play from beginning to end.

Once the dancing starts, I need the flexibility to read the room, mix your requests together and adjust the music based on what’s happening on the dance floor.

Think About Your Entire Guest List

You know your guests better than I do. If you’re inviting 125 people and 50 of them are over 50 years old, we probably shouldn’t spend the entire night playing music only your closest friends recognize.

That doesn’t mean we’re turning your wedding into a car cruise. It means we’re creating moments throughout the night where everyone feels included.

Grandparents. Parents. Aunts and uncles. Friends from college. Your wedding party. And, most importantly, the two of you.

The best wedding dance floors usually aren’t built around one generation or one genre. They’re built by bringing everyone together.

4. About Line Dances…

Don’t rule them out automatically.

Some couples hear “line dance” and immediately think: Absolutely not. But here’s something I’ve learned from hundreds of weddings: some guests simply aren’t comfortable walking onto a dance floor and dancing by themselves.

When everyone suddenly knows what to do, those same people may finally get out of their chairs. That doesn’t mean we need an hour of line dances. It means sometimes the right song at the right moment can get another group of guests involved.

We’ll decide what makes sense for your wedding.

5. I’m a Mixing DJ — Not a Playlist DJ

This is an important part of how I perform. I’m not going to press play on a predetermined list of songs and let it run for four hours.

I mix. I watch your guests. I pay attention to what’s working—and what isn’t.

Some songs might play almost entirely. Others may only need the part everyone knows before I transition into something else. If a song fills the dance floor, I pay attention. If something clears it, I’m not going to stubbornly keep playing the same type of music because it was on a list.

Your requests give me the direction. Your guests give me the feedback. My job is to bring those two things together.

That’s why no two weddings I perform are exactly the same.

6. Let Your Guests Request Music

Your planner gives you the ability to let guests submit song requests before the wedding. You’ll receive a special guest-request link and password that you can share with family and friends.

Guests are limited in the number of requests they can submit, and you’ll be able to review what they’ve requested.

And yes… you can delete them.

So if Uncle Bob submits five songs that absolutely aren’t happening at your wedding, you’re still in control. Guest requests can also give me valuable information about the people who will actually be on your dance floor.

7. Building Your Grand Entrance

Your Wedding Party Sheet tells me exactly how you’d like everyone introduced. Please enter your wedding party in entrance order.

More importantly, help me pronounce their names correctly. If there’s even a small chance I could pronounce a name incorrectly, give me the phonetic pronunciation.

Anthony Cyganovich — “Sig-an-o-vich”

I’ve learned over the years that getting someone’s name right goes a long way. I’d much rather ask beforehand than guess with a microphone in my hand and a room full of people listening.

8. Wedding Activities & Details

The planner will ask you several questions about your reception, including guest count, toasts, blessings, cake cutting, bouquet/garter toss, anniversary dances, special announcements and other activities.

You’ll also see questions about your wedding ceremony. If I’m not providing ceremony services for you, simply leave those sections blank.

If there’s something unique you’re planning that doesn’t seem to fit anywhere in the planner, tell me about it. I want to know.

9. Don’t Worry — We’re Going to Review Everything

The planner is a tool. It does not replace communication between us.

If you’re unsure about something while planning, email, call or text me. During the week of your wedding, we’ll have our final planning call. Please plan for approximately one hour.

  • Your timeline
  • Introductions
  • Name pronunciations
  • Special dances
  • Music
  • Toasts
  • Reception activities
  • Special circumstances
  • Questions
  • Last-minute details

By the end of that conversation, I want both of us to know exactly what we’re doing.

Your online planner will lock shortly before this meeting. This prevents changes from being made without me knowing about them. If something changes after it locks, don’t panic. Just contact me.

10. What You Can Expect From Me

You’ve hired me to DJ your wedding, but my responsibility doesn’t stop at playing music.

Throughout the reception, I’m also paying attention to the flow of the evening. I’m communicating with you and coordinating with the other professionals involved in your wedding so we’re ready before important moments happen.

Before I announce a First Dance, I want the photographer ready. Before we begin speeches, I want the people giving them ready. Before we cut the cake, I want everyone who needs to be there prepared.

And when it’s time to dance, my attention shifts to your dance floor.

My goal is for you to enjoy your wedding instead of spending the night watching the clock and wondering what you’re supposed to do next.

11. Payments

Your booking email and client account will contain your specific balance and payment information.

Your final balance is due no later than two weeks before your wedding. You may also make payments before then at any interval you’d like.

If you have a question about your balance or would like to make a payment, simply contact me.

12. After Your Wedding

There’s one final favor I’ll ask from you.

If you feel I’ve earned it, please leave a review.

Reviews are incredibly important to my business. When another couple is searching for their wedding DJ, they can’t experience their wedding before they book me. They can’t see how I handled your Grand Entrance, hear how I mixed your dance floor, or know how I helped keep everything organized.

They have to trust the experiences of the couples who came before them. That’s where you come in.

After your wedding, I’ll send you a link where you can share your experience. There is absolutely nothing you need to do right now.

My responsibility comes first: I need to earn it.

One Last Piece of Advice

Enjoy this.

There are going to be spreadsheets, seating charts, payments, phone calls, RSVPs and probably a few unexpected problems along the way. But you’re planning a celebration.

You don’t need to become a wedding DJ. You don’t need to know exactly when dinner should end. You don’t need to know whether your First Dance should happen at 6:42 or 6:47.

That’s why you hired professionals.

Use the planner. Tell me what matters to you. Ask questions when you have them.

And when your wedding day arrives… be present and enjoy it. I’ll take care of my part.

— Bryan Hoover