Weddings Country Wedding..gonna work or be a bust?

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IceBurghDJ

DJ Extraordinaire
Apr 17, 2015
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Western Pennsylvania
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Just booked a wedding for April. Barn wedding. Bride wants, no, DEMANDS, only country music.

No cupid shuffle, no motown. Of course no rap or hip hop. No bruno mars, MJ, uptown funk, etc.

I have my doubts this will go very well.
 
As long as her guests love country and support her decision you have a fighting chance...

Just play the biggies (country line dances and sing alongs) and fill in the gaps with slow sets...

You might also go over the what if's of the evening... explain that from your experience...Weddings are attended by people of all ages and musical tastes... and if...in the event of multiple requests for something other than country.... would she like you to comply with the dancefloors demands or maintain the all country parameters.

Let her know that you willy be happy to do "all country" but in the event of a less than positive response by her guests... you like to prepare your clients and ask their opinions and secondary choices in advance so as not to interupt their experience during the event.

cc
 
Ever since my price moved to $1,000 and higher I have only done ONE Country music themed wedding where they wanted a lot of country. The only reason for that was because I did her first wedding, and she wanted me to DJ her second wedding, lol. Her first wedding years back was booked at like $450. The second one was booked at $1,100.

I feel like the Country music clientele are in the low budget range when it comes to weddings. I saw country requested more when I was charging $700 and below. Once I was north of $700 it declined pretty quickly

Last few years, I might get Friends in Low Places requested. I might have Luke Bryan Shake it for me requested. There might be a country song for the first dance, but it's rare that I play more than 2 or 3 country songs in a night, and that only happens at like 2 or 3 weddings a year.

I could be assuming this, and maybe I just don't get that clientele for other reasons, but that's my experience.
 
Oh, I have to add this:

I had a bride during a in person meeting tell me once "My Dad has always said that when they start playing Country Music at a Wedding, it's time to LEAVE".

...I thought that was funny. She was from Colorado, and I remember her DNP list saying "NO COUNTRY MUSIC". I think I had asked her if Country music was popular out in Colorado during our meeting.
 
Around here, it's not uncommon for 15-30 yos to listen to everything .. rap, r&b, classic rock, country, and even old disco (thank you YouTube), so I expect country to be requested a little at every event. I play a bit of older country .. Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, Garth .. newer stuff is more crossover stuff .. Florida Georgia Line, Dan & Shay, Zac Brown, etc.
 
1 or 2 country songs here and there... sure no problem. I even played beer never broke my heart and wagon wheel at my wedding in Baltimore last week... but that was it. As Steve says, most of my clientele prefer a variety of genres, with perhaps exception to a couple, but still a variety.
 
I would never have taken the job. I am not a country specific dj.

Have you ever done and ALL country wedding? I know I haven't and would have sent that job to someone who has.

It all boils down to the fact that I am not every bride's dj and every bride is not my customer.
 
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I see three scenarios.
1- They love country music and their friends and family do too.
2- They love country music, and WRONGLY THINK that their friends and family do, too.
3- They love country music and don't care what their friends and family think.

Unfortunately, the event will only go well if ONE of those choices turns out to be true.

I agree with Chris about discussing what is more important...
the type of music on the speakers, or the amount of people on the dance floor.
Just be prepared to fulfill their wishes.

Just curious, did you get the chance to discuss this issue BEFORE you booked them?
 
10ish years ago I did bridal shows and as a way to learn and engage the brides I had a survey of questions and had them fill them out. Easy stuff.

40% chose country music, 40% rock, 20% hip hop.
I'm rural here remember, 2 of our HS's have 'tractor day' where the seniors drive their tractors to school. We do have an FM radio station - FroggyFM (all country).

So playing some country music isn't at all unusual. ALL country..that's a bit different.

Big 'hits' at dances (school, wedding) are country girl shake it for me, wagon wheel, house party by sam hunt, colt ford goes over well, Cotton Eyed Joe - 2 HS dances ago had 100 plus doing it (all in time too). Flops at weddings (requested...3 people dance). Usually I do country for a few slow songs.

The Git Up by Blanco Brown is THE song, well, second to Old Town Road by Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus. I've played it THREE times a HS dances.

Ever since my price moved to $1,000 and higher I have only done ONE Country music themed wedding where they wanted a lot of country. The only reason for that was because I did her first wedding, and she wanted me to DJ her second wedding, lol. Her first wedding years back was booked at like $450. The second one was booked at $1,100.

I feel like the Country music clientele are in the low budget range when it comes to weddings. I saw country requested more when I was charging $700 and below. Once I was north of $700 it declined pretty quickly

Last few years, I might get Friends in Low Places requested. I might have Luke Bryan Shake it for me requested. There might be a country song for the first dance, but it's rare that I play more than 2 or 3 country songs in a night, and that only happens at like 2 or 3 weddings a year.

I could be assuming this, and maybe I just don't get that clientele for other reasons, but that's my experience.
 
Did a wedding at the Fez, B&G wanted rap - ONLY. I explained to them...and no, the groom was having none of it. He was a PITA. When they and the bridal party left the floor I'd change and everyone would come out...only to have the groom come up and MF me "I told you what to play MF, so do it"...

NOBODY was happy - not the bridal party, not the guests and not me.

Hopefully this one goes better.

it's mid-april, in a barn...no heat in the barn, so we'll see how long folks hang around.

I would never have taken the job. I am not a country specific dj.

Have you ever done and ALL country wedding? I know I haven't and would have sent that job to someone who has.

It all boils down to the fact that I am not every bride's dj and every bride is not my customer.
 
I've done plenty of weddings for young couples that only want country. I can give you some tips and songs if you'd like. I have a feeling that this couple knows their family and friends and what they want. Sure you'll get a few people that want something not country but you can play with that.

Here's the key, there are several types of country. Do they want Bro-Country (Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Thomas Rhett),traditional country (Randy Travis, Garth Brooks, Joe Diffie), Red Dirt Country (Josh Abbott Band, Kacy Musgraves), something in between (like Zach Brown that dips into it). Do they want to two-step, country swing, line dancing?

Don't look at country just as one single style of music but as a genre that has different sub-genres and what people want. Trust your client.
 
They want old country...shania twain, garth they tell me.

To ME that's not OLD country...that would be Patsy, Hank, Loretta, etc.

Apparently she, didn't meet him, just her, mom and younger sister, she has a very very very limited music experience. And is strict about it.

Hopefully she drinks a lot at her wedding...LOL

I've done plenty of weddings for young couples that only want country. I can give you some tips and songs if you'd like. I have a feeling that this couple knows their family and friends and what they want. Sure you'll get a few people that want something not country but you can play with that.

Here's the key, there are several types of country. Do they want Bro-Country (Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Thomas Rhett),traditional country (Randy Travis, Garth Brooks, Joe Diffie), Red Dirt Country (Josh Abbott Band, Kacy Musgraves), something in between (like Zach Brown that dips into it). Do they want to two-step, country swing, line dancing?

Don't look at country just as one single style of music but as a genre that has different sub-genres and what people want. Trust your client.
 
Did a wedding at the Fez, B&G wanted rap - ONLY. I explained to them...and no, the groom was having none of it. He was a PITA. When they and the bridal party left the floor I'd change and everyone would come out...only to have the groom come up and MF me "I told you what to play MF, so do it"...

What happened at the pre-event meeting? If someone wants all rap or all country, etc,... I simply tell them, I am not your dj. I would never want to go through a night like that.

I hope this one goes better for you.