Reading the Room, Adjusting the Playlist, and Guiding the Energy: Skills Your New Jersey Wedding DJ Needs to Have

00:00 Welcome to We Love That For You, a wedding podcast with personality, perspective and plenty of heart. We are Chris and Jackie from Lime Line Entertainment and we’re here to help you plan your best day ever without the stress.

00:14 Well, welcome back to another episode of We Love That For You. today we are sitting down with Joe and just to remind our viewers, the best weddings don’t have one level of energy all night long.

00:25 They have the right energy at the right moments. so today we’re going us it down and chat with Joe. When it comes to your wedding DJ, your DJ is helping shape the experience from start to finish.

00:36 They’re reading the room, adapting to the crowd, and creating an atmosphere that feels natural for every part of the celebration.

00:43 That’s something Joe has built his reputation on, his ability to understand the room and create the right vibe at the right time, helps couples feel present, guests feel engaged, and the entire night come together naturally.

00:56 So this is your chance to get a feel for who Joe is, how he approaches a wedding day, and what it would be like to have him helping shape that experience for you.

01:06 Oh, that was so nice. Welcome, Joe. Thanks. Welcome, Joe. Thanks for coming. That was nice. That was really cool. Thanks.

01:12 For couples meeting you for the first time, how would you describe yourself in about 30 seconds? Personality. We want to know your personality.

01:19 I am, I mean, I’m here because I fell in love with music very early on, you know, so I just, I don’t know if that’s a personality trait, but that’s why I’m here.

01:31 I really, you know, it’s just, I feel like that’s such a gift to be able to give that to people, and I love the fact that we get to do that for wedding.

01:39 But that, I mean, but that’s, again, that’s one side of me. I like to have fun. I like to, you know, be with friends.

01:46 I like to, you know, be in environments like this, So it’s very like true to who I am so yeah, it’s a little bit about me But what do you love so much about music?

01:55 How does it? How does it hit home? I don’t know. It’s when I was a kid You know, I don’t know.

02:01 I just I fell in love with it. I had a Walkman although yeah, I’m not that old, but I don’t know that wasn’t I had a little walkman and but my mom I remember she got me there were like two CDs I like really loved it.

02:13 One was it was called pure funk Yeah, I was like a compilation album of I want that album I play it probably all the time Like the song I’m gonna look it up today brick house.

02:25 Oh fun. You know, I love Staying alive like stuff like that. You know, but I just loved that it was real goofy But and then there was one called millennium hip-hop and that was like late 80s hip-hop, so it was like on DMC Oh, these are really great albums to have to start with.

02:43 Right. It was really good like introductory albums. So like, I don’t know. My mom was probably just like, you know, didn’t know who I wanted, but like, try these out.

02:51 And so I just fell in love with that. How old were you? I have eight. Yeah. Something like that. Oh, and you know what?

02:59 She had a cassette of r****** to light. And it was the, I love this story. 14 minute version of r****** to light.

03:07 Oh, know. I remember being in the car, let’s think to that, and wanting to remember every line of Every lyric.

03:15 So, I have that. Oh, that’s so fun. Which is fun. But yeah, so I don’t know, man, I mean, it’s just one of those things.

03:22 I fell in love with hip hop very early. You know, my dad liked the Beatles, too. And so, rock and roll was, he like Beatles, Bruce Springsteen, Elvis.

03:32 He loved Elvis. Oh, my mom was a big Elvis fan. Yeah, huge. So I just, I don’t know, I connected with it.

03:39 I liked to dance. I really liked to dance. I danced for a long time. Oh, fine. So, you know, it’s an emotional thing.

03:46 It’s an nostalgic thing. It’s a communal thing. Yeah. We just share it together. Yeah, awesome. I love that. I think that we can have a whole conversation about, like, first albums.

03:57 Oh, we’re in, like, first epic albums. Like, what did you put in? And we had a tape player. So my mom had a few different albums.

04:07 She had like the Madonna album that had like a virgin on it. We had Michael Jackson albums, but my mom also had a record player.

04:17 So like all the ones that you used to gravitate to, or like my first set of CDs when I got my first, what did they call those?

04:24 The tower. Yeah, it was like a unit, you know, like had the speakers and had to tape player, a CD player, or radio.

04:32 Oh, yeah, like your first boom box. Yeah, but it wasn’t a boom box. It was like the big, the big unit for like your bedroom.

04:39 I don’t know why I’m drawing a blank one. Sorry, I’m sorry, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. But I remember everything. Yeah, and it got a new conversation.

04:47 It, you know, I mean, it becomes one of those things to like, I liked to collect CDs and I was, I mean, I grew up in the digital age.

04:54 I didn’t have to, but it was like, I still liked it. I still, there was something nostalgic about the fact that like I used to have them and hold them.

05:01 So I actually, I got back to doing that recently, which is kind of fun. So yeah, there’s just a, I don’t know.

05:07 Are there still selling CD players? Is there something else? Well, I mean, I like, I still, I make them digital.

05:13 Like I put them on my computer, but like, yeah, yeah, yeah. It’s so, I mean, I have a record play that I collect those too, but there’s something about holding a physical CD.

05:21 And I don’t even know what it is. People say that and I try to, like I don’t even know what it is, but yeah, you’re right.

05:25 I mean, it’s just looking through the book, reading the lyrics, looking at the artwork. work. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It’s yours.

05:31 You own it. Yeah. Yeah. It’s all connected. We’re getting super sidetracked. And I’ll reel it back in in a second.

05:37 But it’s a great conversation. When I worked at the bowling alley in my teams, we had a DJ that would come in on Saturdays and Sunday afternoons.

05:46 And you might have heard of him. He DJs at DJs, DJ John Frugeo. He used to come in with crates of CDs, crates.

05:54 And it would take him at least four or five trips to the car to bring his music in, and I just think it’s so interesting to look back at how far we’ve come.

06:05 Could you imagine if you guys had to come in with like five or six crates of CDs? Well, I’ll tell you what.

06:09 And have them indexed and know exactly where everything is. That is technically how I started. Yeah. Yeah, because when I was a kid, I had a friend that I grew up with and his dad was a professional DJ.

06:24 Yeah. And he was still on that. He was still using CDs at the time, it was right I think probably on the on the cusp of when everybody was switching to digital Right, so for me that also, I mean I talked about like my mom and dad what they gave me, but that Couple of years.

06:40 I was probably in like seventh grade when I started. Mm-hmm of Actually having to physically go through the CDs and find the song on the album what track it is like and I just learned So much through that process So I’m really grateful for that, you know, to have to do that.

06:57 And now, you know, like, I could be working as an assistant with one of our DJs or something. And, you know, you just look through their library and it’s just songs that are titled Weird Things and whatever.

07:07 I can’t figure out somebody else’s library. Like, it’s not really going to happen. But that, to be able to stand in front of somebody’s either record crate or CD crate is, it’s really cool.

07:16 It’s a really, really cool experience. Yeah. Nostalgic. I love that. Cool. So that brings me to ask you like how did you get into DJing like where what was that start like.

07:28 Yeah, so it was that It was he asked me to come on board my friends dad when I was young and he literally was just like You know, I’ll pay you to help me carry stuff.

07:39 Let me do whatever like he’s like an assistant I started as an assistant. Yeah exactly that and we were doing only private parties.

07:46 We were doing like communion parties sometimes weddings school events, things like that and I just, it was so much fun and I was with my friend too.

07:55 So it was just cool to have that but it was such a dream at the time. I don’t know I think, I don’t know how it happened, I think he knew what liked music or I don’t know he just needed an extra hand.

08:05 Well you probably spent a lot of time with your friend at their house and he probably kind of saw it.

08:11 Yeah, so yeah that was it. I just did that and then it was like I think senior year of high school, I bought my own equipment, I’m sorry to do my own things.

08:22 My first gig was, do you know really for life, it’s a fundraiser for, it’s a great money for cancer. It’s very familiar.

08:30 My high school used to do it all the time, and it was a, you stay overnight, the whole bit, and you just walk and have fun and whatever.

08:38 There was a DJ that was supposed to do it who dropped out, and my teacher knew that I was like, can it be a DJ or whatever, and she was like, do you want to do this?

08:46 And I was like, of course, yeah, absolutely. And I downloaded a hundred things. It’s a 12 hour event. Wow. And I was like, I’ll do it.

08:53 I’ll do it. I’ll do it. So I did it. That was my first gig. Yeah, that was your first gig.

08:58 Yeah, yeah. It’s like a marathon. So it was great. It was cool. And so I’m like, all right, my mom has this Disney CD.

09:04 I’ll do a Disney hour. I was like, it was like, I was just collecting from everything. Yeah, really cool. So you were having to pull, you were having to pull it off the CD and onto your computer kind of thing.

09:14 I spent like three days doing that. Yeah, like making a lot of it for myself. Yeah, that’s awesome. Yeah, for 12 hours.

09:20 Yeah, yeah, it was really cool. That’s cool. So yeah, again, getting back to learning a little bit more about you, outside of weddings, what do you enjoy doing?

09:30 What do I enjoy doing outside of weddings? Well, I just got back from a three-day silent meditation retreat. I’m kind of on that wave, so it might surprise anybody.

09:41 No, I don’t know. I just, you know, I like to be outside. I like to rub my bike. I’m like, you know, it’s a yoga exercise.

09:49 Yeah, yoga, you like hot yoga, right? I like hot yoga. Yes, and it’s kind of like hot yoga in here right now.

09:54 I know, I don’t think we have an air conditioner in here, but you will open the door. Maybe I’ll open the door.

10:01 Yeah, that’s not so good. Yeah, no, I just like stuff like that. I like to talk with friends and have a good time.

10:09 And take care of your body, which is good. We like that, too. All right. So let’s talk weddings. What is it about weddings in particular that makes this more than just a job for you?

10:23 For me, it’s very sentimental. I really like, I’m sure you feel this way in some way, but when you start with the ceremony, we don’t always get to do the ceremony, but when you do start with the ceremony, even when we get there and we’re rushing and we’re, you know, setting up and trying to make everything

10:43 work. The moment I’m there with the ceremony, I just feel like I’m a part of something that’s really, really special, that, you know, you don’t get by doing some other kinds of events, which could be really nice too, but you’re emotionally vested.

10:57 Yeah, and I even started, I don’t know, I, again, I started getting sentimental at one point. Like, I really like when you are watching, like, the speeches, let’s just say, like, I started thinking recently like oh they’re using my microphone like how many times people have spoken these words into my

11:13 microphone or through my speakers like I just that’s really nice you know so I just like that I like being a part of it and of course like getting people to dance and getting them to have fun and you know being able to provide something that I that you know I is I think is innately a skill that we have

11:30 I to be able to share that I think is really really nice So I I love that yeah, yeah, I feel like you know I feel like I know that you’re pretty much like an empath like we are like So like being I don’t know if this is how you feel But like I feel like I vibe off of the energy of a wedding day We’re

11:49 like yeah, everyone’s there filled with so much love. Yeah, like it’s almost like it’s almost like riding a high when you’re at work Yes, you know, have you have you cried during a ceremony?

11:59 I’ve cried during ceremonies I cried during speeches, I cried during parent dances now that we’re both parents. I’ve cried through everything.

12:07 I’ve had to hold back to one time, as it doesn’t happen often, but one time I was about to do introductions.

12:14 Yeah. And something hit me that was so nice, like they just, whatever, it was the family, the vibe, and I was like, you guys are really special, thanks.

12:23 Like I just, Yeah, honestly. I just had to hold it back, but yeah, that’s when the energy in the room is like that, it’s hard to hold that back.

12:33 Oh yeah, definitely. I’ve been like shooting things and wiping tears and thinking about him doing his father, daughter, all the things, all the things.

12:44 Or I mean, I’ve been part of some extremely emotional speeches. Like I feel like I’ll cry if I talk about it right now, but like one of my brides lost her best friend like months before the wedding.

12:56 And what this groom did for her, like after all the speeches were over I was I was sobbing then I was sobbing watching their documentary video because they got videography with us and I could and he’s posted it since then it could sob every time I think about it.

13:14 It’s a it’s a place that can actually be really healing I think for people in that way that they get to express these tragedies that have happened or these gifts that have happened like a new child has been born like something like all that comes out at these things.

13:26 It is, yeah, it’s such an emotional die. Yeah, it’s a very special die. Yeah, it’s nice to be a part of that.

13:32 Oh, let’s talk about raging now. Let’s go on. No, so that leads to the next question. Like when you’re behind the booths and you’re like scanning the room and you’re doing your thing and you’re organizing things, you’re coordinating things, like what are some of the things that you’re paying attention

13:45 to that you feel like most people wouldn’t even realize you’re paying attention to? Yeah. So for me the first song I play is a test.

13:57 How do you respond to this? And then every song after that is basically the same. But I don’t like experiment as much with the first song, but I want to see did that, did everybody rush to the dance floor?

14:11 I mean, or did they have to be prodded a little bit. It’s just, I mean, I don’t think I’m saying anything that any DJ wouldn’t say, but I’m feeling out like how are they responding to these little things.

14:24 So that’s really it. I mean, it’s not any more profound than that, but my eye is on at the whole night.

14:28 And you’re cues, you’re looking at like body language and things like that. Yeah. And who is like, who’s the leader of the pack out here?

14:36 Like, if I can get them to dance and usually, I mean, if it’s like, if it’s the bride and groom, then great.

14:41 Like, thank God, because if I could just, but like if it is this one table or this one person, and I could play something that it seems like they’re responding to, then how do I do that?

14:52 So it’s sometimes it’s a little more direct than looking at everybody, you know? Yeah, that’s a good approach. Yeah, I think so.

15:00 Look at the party starter out there. Yeah, I mean sometimes it is. Or motivator. How do I make this table happy?

15:06 Sometimes it is like one group of people. They’re just so much fun. They’re ready. That everybody just feeds off of their energy.

15:13 So like I’m playing the game with them. Yeah Yeah, so the the trick is just invite all the people that are ready to rage.

15:20 Yeah Yeah, so at the end of the night like what is a successful wedding look like? I mean, you know it when you when you’re there like everybody can feel it, you know, I I I think I’m not a couple of them are coming to mind right now like when you’re like like, oh god, I just knew it, like it was so 

15:39 good and you just can’t wait for the like, to talk to the bride and groom. Because you know, I know they’re gonna say it was great and whatever, but yeah, I mean, if everybody’s out there having a good time, you know, it doesn’t seem like, I like when this is, I just like when everybody comes together

15:57 , like there was that one, it’s on my team member page, but like there’s just this last moment of like, everybody standing together.

16:05 And it’s cool if there’s like the little Charlie Brown thing on stage where everybody is standing in different places that’s fine too like little groups But when everybody like when you see that Around them then you’re like, oh, that was great.

16:17 That was great Like there was something very communal about that so that for me that’s that’s what I think and I think that the bride and groom would really I mean or the I should say the newlyweds would really be You know would really appreciate that yeah, mm-hmm cool that everybody there came together

16:31 So when let’s talk about your approach and how you personalize a wedding day for your couples, like walk us through like what couples can expect from your final planning call and like, what do you focus on as far as questions go to just get to know the couple and really personalize that day?

16:52 Yeah, the final call that we do is typically about a month to three weeks before before the wedding, but sometimes I talk to them beforehand, there’s plenty of people that want to get to know me beforehand, which is great.

17:03 So anyway, that call that we go through their wedding planning forum, they have already filled out every detail, most details that we could think of that would happen throughout the night, the timeline, the what songs they want for each thing, each part of the night I should say.

17:18 And, you know, we just hammer that all out, and I offer my suggestions if they ask, I ask if they want my suggestions, and I’m there to give them reassurance that we have a handle on this.

17:33 We’ve communicated everything, like let them know, I’ve read this, I know what is going to happen. And, you know, if there’s any final questions that they have, and usually that there are, there’s some things maybe they didn’t think of or I didn’t think of.

17:47 So we just have to build that bond beforehand. And maybe there’s things I can’t answer. or maybe there’s things I say, you need to speak to the venue or whatever.

17:57 And so it’s just a way of really creating a relationship and getting to know them, getting to know their vibe.

18:03 And I write all that down. I feel now. Yeah, because I am like they sounded like they might like this and they want whatever, like little personality things.

18:13 I just try to, so that I can remember on the day of what might work and stuff like that. So it’s just getting to know one another.

18:21 It’s just building a relationship. Like hearing out what their top song choices might be or feeling out their cocktail or vibe and just kind of under or dinner vibe and just understanding what their music personality is.

18:36 Yeah, I mean nobody wants to show up at their wedding and go like, oh, I haven’t even talked to the DJ.

18:41 Yeah, no, like you know, so it’s just building that relationship and making sure that they know what they asked for will be.

18:50 Yeah, giving them the confidence. in that third day is gonna be personalized, love it. So one concern that couples have sometimes is that they don’t want an awkward dance floor or they don’t want things to feel forced.

19:05 So what’s your approach to preventing that? Preventing the awkward dance floor? Well, I would say, I play really good music.

19:15 So it’s time to worry about that. No, well, no, I mean, yeah, to some extent it’s like, Yes, we’ve built this skill set to some degree that like, yes, I can say with confidence I have a general sense of like what will work and what won’t work or even if I haven’t really dug into the music like, for example

19:33 , somebody asked me to play K-Pop recently and I’m not personally big into it, but I did a bunch it like I was like, I got to find, I got to like, and I wasn’t, you know, if I look at the top charts, I’m just going to be like, it’s on the top, but I don’t know if it’s going to work like, so I have to

19:48 apply my year to it. And it worked. So I was able to find a couple that really worked. So that’s one angle.

19:55 But the other thing is, like, I have to pivot. I have to, you know, keep my eye on the crowd and see what’s working, what’s not working.

20:02 And, just, you know, I just would encourage people to like create an environment that will allow their guests to have as much fun as possible.

20:13 so if you’re the newlyweds, be out on the dance floor. Invite everybody out, help us out a little bit. And usually that’s not a problem, but yeah, I just think, I don’t know, I don’t run into a lot of awkward moments anymore, I’m glad to say.

20:31 Yeah, that’s good. But it happens, there’s dips, there’s things like, of course, awkward moments might be when two people are on the dance floor because everyone else is having dessert.

20:40 Yeah, okay, but everybody’s having desserts, So I’m not really upset about it, but if you consider that an awkward moment, then I guess that just adds to the flow of the night Yeah, it’s fine people need to It’s like a wave like people need to ebb and flow.

20:52 Yeah, I gotta go get a drink Yeah, they gotta come back. You’re not gonna get a dessert and then they gotta come back I call that a little more than the awkward moment.

20:59 Yeah, yeah, so I don’t know I don’t know what another awkward moment would be I used to have them more, but I don’t Yeah, so it’s yeah, yeah know, I mean, that’s really what it is.

21:12 I think that it’s just the not. Yes, I don’t think that you’re going to have awkward moments as long as you’re reading the room properly, you know, like you said, and you know, you have diversity in your set, you know, and you just have to expect those ups and downs because that’s just how an event naturally

21:30 unfolds and you need to know what to do during those ups and downs. Especially if the couple wanted made a lot of things at their wedding.

21:39 I mean, we’re talking about a four hour reception where you might have a photo booth, excellent, but a lot of people are gonna be at the photo booth.

21:44 Yeah. Might have Venetian, what do you call it? Venetian hour for the dessert. Oh yeah. If that’s the case, they’re not gonna be on the dessert.

21:50 They’re gonna be on They’re gonna be on the dessert. So like a couple of slow songs at that point. Which is all totally fine, but if somebody’s worried about a lull, then they have to consider that those things will create lulls on the dessert for.

22:02 Yeah. So what is your philosophy when it comes to balancing what the couple wants versus what the guests are responding to.

22:13 Oh, yeah. Yeah, I have this conversation with a couple on the phone last night, actually. It’s a question that comes up a lot.

22:19 Like, you know, I just try to offer my guidance and say, you know, I’m going to try to play these songs that you guys put on the most play as best as I can.

22:30 If people are not responding to it, I try to ask them the question, didn’t want me to pivot, because I would, my instinct would be to pivot, but some people are like, no, no, this is music that me and this small group of friends really want.

22:46 And so, I just do what I’m here to do. So all I could do is offer my suggestion. Well, you asked them the question you put it in their hands, so I was like, that’s my philosophy.

22:55 Yeah. I think that’s a good way to handle it. It’s just letting them know and understand that you’re going to read the room, you’re going to respond, they’re going to play with the guest respond to, but you also want to honor their requests.

23:09 So which direction do you want me to go in? Right, right. And I have the conversation with people a lot about requests about if people come up and request, what are you going to do?

23:19 And I’m like, you tell me, I don’t know. That’s what she’s subject to. It is. Sometimes it’s good, and sometimes it’s not good.

23:26 That’s what I said on the phone last night. I was like, if they give a good request, I go, help me out.

23:31 Great. I love it. There’s a lot of time people give requests I’m like, that’s the one, yes, I needed to hear that, good.

23:37 And there’s other times where I’m like, sorry, I don’t think so. Yeah, you know, save that later. Yeah, you know, so but, you know, but sometimes it’s the newlyweds that don’t want you to take requests.

23:52 Right, it depends on who it is, yeah. So I’ll, if that’s what they want, then that’s what I’ll do. I’m here to serve.

23:58 I’m a humble servant. I always think about, so we started our career in and out of bars and we were at Johnny Max and we Chris would DJ at Johnny Max every Friday night, sometimes every Saturday night.

24:13 But sometimes at like random too. So I don’t know what this was probably like a Wednesday speed dating night. But we had this really great regular who would come in all the time.

24:22 He’s just, he’s just a happy guy. I think we called him happy Dave. He was happy Dave or IPA Dave the Dave came in one time and he was like Chris If you play what is it Steve Winwood what was the song higher love higher love this place is gonna light up light up Chris goes you got it Dave and he went

24:45 up there and played I knew that it wasn’t gonna light I knew that it was like seven o’clock on a Wednesday night at Johnny Macs Yeah, yeah, like it wasn’t like peak hour or anything But that’s the time you take a guest in the place, you know, so I was like if I play this song It’s really not going to

25:04 affect anything that’s happening. Yeah, that’s the time you take the request Yeah, let’s let’s just have some fun with Dave and then we I threw it on and then he was like singing He was singing as long as long but he was the only one so when he said they were gonna light up He was talking about himself

25:21 . He was talking about himself Now it comes on on like the radio and I’ll take a picture of it and I’ll be like, you know what I’ll make this place light up?

25:29 And I’ll send it to Chris. I had a guy, there was a bar, like a country club or whatever I used to DJ at and it was only like disco and freestyle.

25:36 Like that’s all I did all night. One guy would come up to me every week, every Friday he would hand me $20 and say, can you play Fireball by Pitbull?

25:42 And I’d say, yes, of course I could do that. So I made $20 a week from playing Fireball by Pitbull.

25:47 Not a back pedal. I used to do that to John Frugeo at the bowling alley. I’d walk by him and I’d be like Billy idle dancing with myself.

25:56 Yeah. He’d be like Jackie Goaway. He’d probably hate it, yeah. Every single shift, he did Saturday, Sunday, both cosmic afternoons.

26:05 And I’d walk by him and be like, Billy idle dancing with myself every time, and so he played it. Well, the other thing that he watches is him.

26:13 The other thing you gotta look out for is like when people do say that thing, the happy Dave said where they’re like, everyone’s gonna like this.

26:18 People do that at weddings a lot, but like, no, you don’t understand, everyone’s gonna like And I’m like, I don’t think that you do this for living to you.

26:26 No. No. This is a different environment. This is a very different environment. I had that happen to me at events before, like at weddings where no, you have to play it.

26:38 I know. I make the whole family loves it. Yeah. And then you start to notice like 10 seconds into the conversation that this person is completely intoxicated.

26:47 Right. Yeah. Yeah. But I know why you think that this is going to work really well as a kid if somebody said that to me I’d be like, oh, are they going to it’s going to work short like, you know, right away.

26:59 No, I know. I know. Okay. So speaking of leadership style, how would you describe your MC style to a couple who’s nervous about things feeling cheesy or over the top?

27:11 Yeah. Yeah, it does come up a lot. Well, I would say that personally, I’m not a huge microphone guy, I do get on the microphone, I do the introductions, I do all the formalities that I have to happen.

27:26 As far as when the music is playing, I do more rely on the music. I do let the music speak.

27:33 And lately I’ve been learning from some of the other DJs that we have on board, like ways to integrate it a little bit and like I learned, I’m always learning.

27:45 But I, but and so, you know, I play around with it. I do. But I just, it’s not, I don’t like cheese.

27:54 So I told you know what I mean? So like that’s, I think probably why I shied away from this for so long.

27:58 But there are plenty of people who could do it and not sound cheesy and I give them a lot of credit.

28:03 I haven’t totally learned how to do that yet. So I do let the music speak more, and I’ve found a lot of success in that.

28:08 So I don’t know. I mean, I just, people do worry about it, but what we do, I line my two, is we do give people the option.

28:16 Do you want me to be on the microphone more? And I’m happy. I am happy to do it. I just, you know, if somebody was, We plop it in tastefully.

28:25 I would, if somebody said, do you, I’m going to go tasteful. Yeah, of course. Yeah. So I’m going to be off the mic a little bit more than me, some guys would.

28:33 But yeah. people appreciate. That’s been my experience, but we do want it to be tasteful. We do have a couple that say, like, no, I want like, you know, hands up, hands up, like this kind of stuff.

28:42 And, you know, it’s great. It’s great. So I’m trying to learn a little bit more how to be that guy.

28:47 But, yeah, and do it tastefully at the same time. So, yeah. And going back to personalizing their day for them.

28:53 100% 100%. So on a wedding day, how do you help keep everything running smoothly without it feeling rushed or stressful?

29:01 Like, timeline throughout the event. There’s so many formalities going on. How do you work a straight all that? Yeah. Well, the first thing I do is we show up with plenty of time and we get our things handled that way.

29:12 We’re not rushing. But then, you know, everything is worked out. We talked to the Mator D’s beforehand. We talked to the staff.

29:20 You know, the timeline, oh, and not, by the way, not just day of, but I mean, this is coordinated beforehand.

29:27 We’re talking about these things. And if I feel like Like there are, you know, we have a final phone call and someone says, well, we want to do this and then we want to do this and we need time for this.

29:37 I will give my suggestion and say, you know, I’m here to prioritize the dance floor for you guys. Not that that’s what I’m here for necessarily, but that’s something that I would want to offer you is to that we have a lot of dance floor time because it’s just the most fun.

29:51 And you know, if I see that too many things are like getting in the way of that, I’ll just offer my suggestion.

29:56 There are times when that’s what people want and they want to pack a lot into a four hour of reception.

30:03 Okay, that is okay, but if you want a good, I mean, what is it usually an hour and a half to two hours of dancing, then you need to make room for that?

30:13 I don’t know if I answered your question exactly. I think that might have been, I don’t know, I mean, yeah, yeah, that’s, that’s, that’s, Get there early, prepare, keep everything organized, keep all the details in the timeline organized, Yes, review at the timeline with a couple bar to the day.

30:27 That’s it. And then offer your suggestions, offer your advice, and what kind of music do you naturally gravitate toward when you’re building a party?

30:38 So my personal preferences or what would I, like, when you are, like, let’s say you’re DJing your dream wedding and you’re building a party, or should it just be like?

30:51 No, we can do dream wedding. I’m not perfect about that. Do a dream wedding. Yeah. It’s little different. I was just saying, we can do what?

30:58 You normally find yourself doing on a regular basis. Yeah, no, because when you say dream wedding, a couple of recent weddings come to mind.

31:06 Of course. Oh, perfect. This what I want. Exactly. And for me, I know that you’ve sent a couple of clients my way because of hip hop.

31:15 I gravitate towards hip hop, like I said before. or the old stuff is great. Like I grew up on like 80s and 90s stuff, but like I think I’m very comfortable with like my generation.

31:26 Like if I am DJing for people in their 30s or something. So like the early 2000s and no, I would really say like yeah, that early 2000s and pop is like some of the most fun I’ve ever had at weddings.

31:38 So that’s, I mean, that’s me. But I also really like disco like I said before that would be a dream for me to have like a disco hour.

31:48 And, and house music like classic house, like Rhythm Up Before. Like, you know, like the show me love kind of stuff.

31:54 Like that, I gravitate towards that. Even a little bit more than EDM, but I like EDM too, but like something about that era is like really cool to me.

32:02 So, but that’s personal preference and I like pop and I like EDM and pull that too. So yeah. Yeah. What are a couple of your favorite like classic house songs?

32:10 Classic house. I really like, oh my god, I’m like, but follow me. I really like follow me. Mm-hmm. I’m not talking about, I like show me love.

32:20 I like 100% pure love. Okay. That was a good one. That’s a great one. I like that. That’s a really good one.

32:25 yeah, I like some of that. I haven’t thought about that song in a long time. Yeah. I don’t know if it counts, but I’ve been playing groovies in the heart a lot.

32:31 It’s a little housing fight. It’s fun and funky and everything. That’s really fun. Yeah. Little hip hop, well, everything in that.

32:38 So that’s like a good, like, sing along, throw it in really really quick. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That’s awesome. Awesome. So if we dropped into one of your dance floors at peak energy, what would that feel like?

32:47 I think I have an idea. Yeah. I would be curious to hear. It’s, I mean, not necessarily music wise, like what would it feel like?

32:58 Like could you describe the dance floor at peak energy? Kind of. I think it it would feel like a lot of surprises.

33:08 Like it would feel like a lot of like, oh, oh, like I like when I get people looking at me like, like that, kind of confused, and I’m like, what?

33:16 And they’re like, you know, and I’m like, all right. Like, do we have these weird moments? Yeah, that’s cool. You know, it’s like when a joke is so funny that you don’t laugh, you’re just like, huh, it’s like these kind of moments where people are like, this is nice.

33:28 But yeah, no, I like that. It’s surprising, it’s, you know, but like, it’s fun. It’s not to center myself so much because you just, like, have to be in it with them.

33:38 Like, no, like, they’re dancing. Like, and so it’s super smooth. It’s surprising, it’s energetic, and it’s just, everyone having, like, such a good time.

33:48 That’s really it, yeah. Keeping people on their toes. Yeah, yeah, that really is, like, such a major part of it for me.

33:53 I think that’s so fun. Yeah, people love that. Part of fun of being on the dance floor is not knowing which way the DJ’s gonna go.

34:01 Right, and then having them, like, blow your mind. And it’s a balance because they have to know the music. I mean, you can’t be so experimental and surprising that they don’t know it.

34:11 But if you do strike that balance of like, you haven’t heard this in a while, have you? Like, that’s really fun, that’s it for me.

34:20 And then what song always hits when the moment is right? You have like that one song that you’re like, I know it’s going to work every time.

34:28 I guess that really wouldn’t be a thing, but I’m not a DJ, so you know. Oh, it’s 100% the thing, it’s 100% the thing.

34:33 It’s, so I love, I will survive, because everyone knows it, everyone loves it. It’s melodic, it’s beautiful, it’s funky, it’s everything.

34:46 The one I gravitate toward that, I don’t know if a lot of other DJs play it, but I play Shake It by Metro Station all the time.

34:53 You know what I’m talking about? I don’t know. Yes. Do you know what I’m talking about? Yes, early 2000s, I do it in alt-rock sets, That’s all that’s not like super alt-rock, but it makes sense to do it there.

35:02 Oh shake, shake. That’s it. I just, I actually just cut up a video of me and the kids making tie-dye t-shirts, so that’s all.

35:09 Oh, good. It’s a sing along. It is. I don’t know why I couldn’t figure out what it was. And people seem a bit surprised by it.

35:16 I regret even saying it out loud because it felt like a secret for so long, just to me, but I don’t know.

35:20 People will probably do it. But the other one, the other one, I feel, you know, I feel cheesy playing this sometimes Because like you would hear it at every wedding.

35:30 But when you play, yeah, by usher. Yeah. What do you hear every time you drop that beat? And I hardly ever mix it in.

35:36 I just bang it in because you Yeah, that’s it. Every scene is so reactive. So you don’t want to mix it in because you want that reaction.

35:46 That’s exactly right. Yeah, that’s exactly right. so that’s that’s the one that’s I don’t care. I’ll play that at every wedding because and old people Old people, sorry.

35:55 Older people like it, too. The older generation. It’s cross-generation. It is. Everybody likes it. And it’s funny because when I was a kid, it was like, that’s krunk music.

36:03 That’s, you know, whatever it’s like. No, that’s super mainstream now. Super mainstream now. Super mainstream. Absolutely. Yeah, that works all the time.

36:10 Yeah. What do you think couples are really hiring you for beyond just music? You know, thinking about this as like an entire experience?

36:19 That I’m really handsome. them. Yeah, that’s what I was thinking, right? Beyond music. It’s the beard in the glasses, maybe.

36:28 Yeah. What are they hiring me for? Well, I mean, I do think, you know, I really do like it when people call before they hire to get to know me.

36:42 It lets me know that they have an intention that they’re looking for something in particular. So I don’t know. I mean, you gotta ask them, I don’t know what they are before I hope they like my personality I hope they think that I’m gonna you know Command the like that I have a certain level of confidence

36:57 . Mm-hmm. I think that that’s probably it. Yeah I’ll be That I have enough experience and that I have that I’m reassuring enough that yeah, that the night’s gonna go well I think it’s that I think it’s Yeah, that’ll be a team player, you know that I’ll work with the venue that I’ve worked at a lot of

37:11 these venues You know stuff like that. So yeah, so it’s very professionalism experience professionalism is in confidence. Yeah, and I’m good looking.

37:20 I don’t know. All right. So besides the fact that you’re good looking, yeah, we’ve already established that. What do you want your couples to feel when they look back on their wedding?

37:35 When they’re talking about Joe five years from now, and they’re wedding five years. Besides the fact that you’re handsome, they will definitely remember that.

37:44 Well, when they look back, if they have, you know, if they’ve had the full experience, which is all on, you know, there’s more players than just me there, of course, but if they’ve had that full experience of like the love in the room that we were talking about before, they’re going to look back with

38:02 all the sentimentality of it. But, you know, they’re going to look back at the dance floor and they’re going to be like, that was crazy, That was great, like I didn’t expect that, you know, and, you know, knowing that it could have went a different way and it didn’t and hopefully they just have no regrets

38:19 . So, I mean, I’ve just, I’ve had a lot of really great conversations with people after the wedding and felt so just happy to, you know, have given them that.

38:30 So yeah, I think they’ll look back and just say we had a fantastic time, which is, you know, everybody had a great time and what a gift was to give all our friends and family that.

38:39 Yeah. Which is all you could ask for. Yeah. That’s awesome. Yeah. I’m really grateful to do what I do. Good.

38:45 Yeah. Yeah. That’s nice to see here. Cool. Well, as far as some advice for our couples, what is one mistake you see couples make when they are planning their entertainment?

38:57 A mistake that they make, I guess it would be a little bit about what we said before of like Like like planning a little bit too many things inside of what they want to do over stuffing Yeah, yeah, cuz it’s only four hours long.

39:10 Right. I mean, yeah, that’s the thing. It’s like Maybe people just don’t see it because they’re not out there as much as we are but like yeah for us There’s not a lot of time.

39:18 It’s not it goes it goes by like that So that’s it. I mean, I don’t know. I think like have some faith in the DJ if you And the photographers and everybody, like you know, if you’re gonna hire them, like have some faith that they’re gonna do what they do.

39:32 Yeah. And do it well. And choose, choose, do you want more dancing? Like what’s your balance? If you had like a balance in front of you, where do you wanna put your time and energy and effort?

39:46 Do you wanna put it into the dancing side or do you wanna put it into the formality side? Right, right, right.

39:52 Because I’ve participated with a lot of weddings that have had a over-stuffed reception and it just goes by so fast.

39:59 Yes, I know. And the only other thing I would say is ask a lot of questions. Ask questions. Don’t think that you have to do everything alone.

40:09 I think a mistake would be to not ask. Yeah, to not ask, to not put yourself out there and just be curious about all of this.

40:19 Ask the opinions of your professionals. Yeah, yeah, yeah, 100%. I agree. And then what’s a piece of advice you’d give to a couple who wants an amazing dance floor?

40:31 I know everybody says this, but be out on the dance floor. It’s you, and it is. It the one, though, like be out there because everyone’s gonna follow you.

40:38 They’re gonna, you know, they want you, they want to be around you. If you’re out the photo booth, they’re gonna be at the photo booth with you.

40:42 Yeah, they’re gonna follow you around. You know, which also is great, but like, yeah, but if that’s the thing, if you want a great dance floor, then yes, be out on the dance floor.

40:49 You are the celebration. Yes, that’s it. So that is the answer for sure. All right, we want to now describe your dream wedding to be the DJ yet.

41:00 What is the energy feel like from start to finish? So dream wedding start I think we talked about that. I guess we kind of did.

41:07 Yeah. Yeah, do you want to I’ll I’ll I mean I’ll do it. We can also get brief overview start to finish the dream I’m wanting, honestly, again, and it’s not just all about me as a DJ, but it is, if I notice that kind of love in the room, that there’s just certain ceremonies, I mean, we’ve talked about

41:28 it before, but there really is just an energy and you can feel it. That it sets the tone and it sets the tone for everybody in the room, including myself.

41:36 So that’s the dream. and then the intros to the reception are really hype. Everybody’s having fun. The wedding party comes out super hype because that means a lot.

41:49 People don’t realize that but that means a lot when they come in like that. Sometimes people come out and just wave, which is fine, but you know, the real dancers, that’s great.

41:58 That’s a dream and just, again, just the best music, the music has to be like, if you let me do my thing And if you give your request and I can tailor in what I want, weave in what I think is going to work, you guys are going to have a great time.

42:16 And every time that that’s happened, it’s been a dream wedding for me. So that’s it. Yeah. Sounds good to me.

42:23 That’s it. Yeah. Everybody trusting everybody. Exactly. Exactly. Yeah. So that would be kind of what makes a wedding unforgettable in your eyes, is it a night like that?

42:31 Yes. Very cool. All right. All right, rapid fire questions for Joe if, you know, you were planning your wedding right now.

42:41 Okay. First look or no, first look. I don’t know. I don’t know her. Well, I guess it wouldn’t matter, right?

42:49 No, mean, if you thought about it, like if you thought about your wedding, would you, are you a traditional guy or are you not a traditional guy?

42:58 That’s a good way to put it. I would, would you want to shave that surprise for later, or would you want to get your photos done and spend more time with her throughout the day?

43:10 Oh, okay. Well, if I say this, it’s gonna sound like I don’t wanna spend time with her, but I would.

43:13 No, no, no, I think both of them are so, what’s the word I’m looking for, but both of them are so meaningful in different ways.

43:21 Yes, yes, yes. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to wait, too. Yes. It’s just a matter of preference. I think I would wait.

43:27 I think that’s a nice thing. I’ve seen enough viral clips of guys being like that I would yeah, I think it’s nice.

43:33 Yeah, well I mean, you know, it just it has to make sense for you as a couple. So that’s the thing like Maybe I’ll change my mind one day.

43:40 You never know you just never know So keep an open mind exactly Would you read personal vows or traditional vows?

43:48 Would you write them or would you go traditional route? Oh? I would write them. Yeah, yeah, I could see you as writing them sure and what would be your introduction song?

43:58 What would you come into your reception room to? Oh, Yeah. 14 minute version of r******* delight. Oh, yeah. The whole thing, right?

44:08 That’s awesome. Guys, we are doing a really long introduction, right? Yeah, yeah. Might do our first dance in this song.

44:15 R****** like would be a good one. karaoke. Yeah. I I I just do it. Oh my God. It’s just one of those things.

44:23 It’s tough. It’s something, it would have to be my personality. Something by Jay-Z, like public service announcement, like something like that.

44:31 You know, I don’t know. It’s something like that. You know, it’s so fun. I love that. Would you go with a big wedding party or just a few close people in your wedding party?

44:42 A few close people. Yeah. Although if I had more friends, I’m sure I would say the opposite. Yeah. It’s a matter of close friends, even when I think of the wedding entirely, I think of a small kind of thing.

44:56 That’s more of my life. You got to think about who else is bringing what kind of energy, too. You want to bring really good positive chill energy for that day.

45:06 Yeah. How about cutting in the middle of the party or off to this side, or not at all? we do it.

45:14 I like it. You like the cake cutting? I like the cake cutting. Yeah. what would be your last song of the night?

45:20 I know. We talked about this. You’re like, I have no idea. You know what? Wait, I have, I do not that I, it wouldn’t be, well, okay, you would need like a last song.

45:30 But what I really like what people do. Have you guys seen this a lot where people clear out the room for the last, like 10 or 15 I used to share one last dance, I think I would do that.

45:41 Have you done that a lot lately? I did it technically once someone asked for it and they decided not to do it, but I was like, oh, you guys gotta do it.

45:51 So beautiful, I love that. Like, it’s such a nice thing. It’s like one last song or one last dance. Like a slow song.

45:58 I just, it’s a moment. It’s a last dance. Yeah. Have you done it, Chris? I’ve done it several times. I haven’t done it in a while.

46:04 Yeah. What’s it like to try to clear the room a little weird honesty? Yeah a little weird It’s it’s definitely tough, but it’s easier when the couple preps all of their gas for it Oh, like let’s them all know.

46:17 Yeah, let’s let them all know DJ is gonna ask you to leave so get out Yeah, well the venue’s gonna have to take care of it too like everyone’s gonna have to so But I did I did do it once where I was like all this Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, it is really nice if it’s done properly If everybody respects

46:33 the fact that, you know, the bride and groom put in a request to have a private last dance, and they respectfully leave rather than linger and just ignore what we’re, you know, requesting.

46:46 But I never saw that problem. I don’t know, maybe you should have run into that problem. Yeah, where I have had you ask multiple times, several times for guests to please exit the room, just so that the bride and groom can enjoy their private lessons.

47:03 It is weird, because usually people can linger for a little while, so it is weird to have that, so I get that, I get that, that wouldn’t be.

47:10 Yeah, I’m just curious, like how it’s accomplished, because we get asked about it once in a while for photography. And it’s usually a matter of like, well, do you want to extend your, your photography coverage for that long?

47:27 Oh, because you would have to go because then I’d have to stay to the end. But then I always suggest which is something that I’ve seen some of the guys on our team do before is like during cocktail hour when they come in to see the room and to take their ballroom shots, having the DJ play, you know, 

47:45 either their first dance song or just another significantly important song for the couple and let them have that moment during cocktail hour while the room’s empty.

47:55 It’s all set up and untouched and then they have that moment instead. Then we can capture that. You don’t have to pay for extra coverage for it.

48:04 If it works, if everything works, I find that to be a very beautiful, very beautiful thing. Yeah, that’s fun. I love that.

48:11 These last song questions, when I do get married, it’ll be one of those questions I think about for months. Yeah, I will.

48:19 Yeah, over it for a while. God, it’s going to kill me. Yeah, it’s just a matter of vibe. Is it like, what kind of vibe you want at the end of the night?

48:27 And it’s so funny because as we talk about all this and we say, like, you know, trust the DJ release control, I know I’m going to have a lot of problems with that.

48:33 Yeah. Yeah. So I am, but there’s certain moments that you should personalize. Of course, not into the night song is that should be completely personal to you and we make that personal for all of our couples.

48:45 Yes, yes. If they want it to be. Right. Oh, 100%. Oh, yeah. Anytime, any last song, any I, you know, and I try to build my way there.

48:52 Yeah. You know. But I was super picky for our wedding. I was very picky. And I had not nearly as many years of experience in weddings as I do now when we planned our wedding.

49:03 Yeah. And I was like, as soon as the doors opened up for cocktail are here. Play this song then this song then this song then this song.

49:10 and ask me if I remember if it was played in order. No, right. 12 years later, no, I have no idea.

49:15 I do know that the first song was played that I wanted, and that’s it. And it’s same thing for ceremony.

49:21 Like I made the ceremony list, and didn’t hear any of it. Like I didn’t hear any of it. Right now, right now.

49:28 I mean, not ceremony, but like the prelude when everyone’s sitting down and waiting for it to start. But I was very picky about the music, and I really had no clue.

49:39 Yeah. Yeah, looking back, it’s like really. Yeah, all I know is we had a really, really good time. Yeah, right, and that’s it, that’s it.

49:47 In the totality, that’s all that matters. Yeah. And like the specific moment songs, like the cake cutting song. I’ll remember that forever, the last song of the night.

49:55 I’ll remember that forever. What song, we did our recessional too. I’ll remember that forever. Like, what was your cake cutting song?

50:02 Oh, God. Have you ever seen Dumb and Dumber? I know, I haven’t. Oh, okay. Now, you’ve never seen the movie Dumb and Dumber?

50:07 Joe, you need to go home tonight, we’re going to watch that movie. It’s a song in Dumb and Dumber when who’s on the date together, it’s, they’re on the date, right?

50:19 And they’re having the snowball fight. Yeah, Jeff Daniels, and he’s on the date with, I forget the character’s name. Yeah, and it’s called, if you don’t love me, I’ll kill myself.

50:29 Yeah. But it’s like this, like, it’s really good, it’s like, it’s so fun and boppy, yeah. And it was just, I don’t know, it just seemed like it just seemed really funny.

50:44 He was our DJ for the moment, you know. It just seemed really funny for the moment. Yeah. You know, it took a movie song that, sorry, we don’t have to come much longer, but I never saw this movie, The Wedding Singer, but you’ve never seen that, oh my god, but what’s the song?

51:00 You know the song I’m talking about, it’s a slow song. I’ve played it at two weddings recently. Oh, yeah. I don’t know.

51:03 Close to you. that he sings on the plane. Yeah, I don’t even know. But you’re all with you. Rolled with you, rolled with you.

51:09 That’s it. You gotta watch that too. I would like to. Yeah, that was really beautiful. Oh my God, two really good movies that you have got to catch up on.

51:16 That’s like a minute and 15 seconds long. Yes, I know. Well, there you go, loop it. It was for one of them, they did it as a processional song.

51:23 Which was really nice, yeah. Yeah, cool. All right, last question, late night snack. Yes or no, and what would it be?

51:29 Late night snack. Bolly Yogurt would, No, no. I mean at your wedding. A Bolly Yogurt. You’re gonna send people home with bowls of yogurt.

51:40 I’m bringing my own yogurt and making the snack the way I eat it at home. Late night snack at the wedding?

51:45 I guess the, You have you ever seen that? Where everybody grabs a snack on the way out? Yes. We can do that personalized bowls of parfait.

51:52 That’s, It’s going to be really boring. It’s going to be, Parfait is not boring. Oh I agree. You can do so much with a parfait.

52:01 I mean, the side bowls is a business. When you guys renew your thing and you do your crunchy granola, you know, I think that’s what’s gonna be there.

52:09 Renewed vows. Joe’s gonna hand out yoga mats also. Loom free, sugar free snacks. Yoga mats, but at the wedding, I don’t know, I like when they do the, like, tell our ham, like.

52:21 Yeah, sometimes you mean pork roll? I guess. What is it, pork roll or tail or ham? Oh, they did they sent those home with us at the end of that one wedding up in Sparta, and I took one and I took one bite and I was like I’m not gonna eat that.

52:37 Sometimes I save them for breakfast. It wasn’t good. It was it was actually Taylor ham. It was not It’s not worth roll.

52:46 All right cool. Well It was really great having you here Joe If you guys DJ for their special day. Yeah, right?

52:59 I don’t know. Yeah, he’s here. We love him. I mean, take a chance. Well, thanks for joining us. Yeah, thanks for listening.

53:13 And wherever you are, whatever you are planning, we love that for you. Thank you so much for hanging out with us today.

53:20 If this episode was helpful, make sure you follow or subscribe so you don’t miss what’s coming next. We love hearing from you, so if you have a question, a planning struggle, or an episode idea, email me at Jackie at LimelightEntretainmentNJ.com.

53:34 There’s a really good chance your question becomes a future episode, and if you’re planning a New Jersey wedding and want vendors who truly care, you can find us at LimelightWedding.com.

53:43 And remember, wherever you’re planning and whatever you’re dreaming, we love that for you.