Why genre blending, tempo arcs and minimal mic use matter more than you think

Weddings are full of moments that deserve the spotlight. The Ceremony. The speeches. The grand entrance. But once the dancing starts? That spotlight belongs to the music.

I've DJed thousands of club nights across 14 countries, and what those nights taught me is this: people dance to the beat, not to a voice. That's why I rarely use the mic once the dancing is underway.

The real magic of a great wedding isn't what songs get played. It's the atmosphere those songs create. And here's what I've learned: the atmosphere is what your guests will remember long after they forget the setlist. The more people dancing, the better the vibe. A packed dancefloor lifts everything, the energy, the joy, the sense that something special is happening. And that flows directly from how the music is woven together.

The Club DJ Difference

Club nights train you to read a room in real-time. They also teach you how to mix tracks creatively, not just within a genre, but between them. That's what I bring to weddings. But there's a skill here that's worth unpacking. Mixing within a single genre is often far easier than mixing across genres. Most R&B tracks have similar structures and predictable energy patterns, so they flow naturally into one another. But indie tracks? They resist mixing, the structures are less consistent, and indie audiences actively reject abrupt transitions. Rock and Roll from the 50s & 60s presents its own challenge: the beat is far less consistent than modern music, and since the beat is central to mixing, each transition requires careful thought. That's why moving smoothly from garage to disco to Afrobeats to indie singalongs isn't just about having good taste in music. It's about understanding the architecture of different genres and knowing which tracks will work as a bridge between worlds.

How Tempo Arcs Actually Work

A great night on the dancefloor follows a tempo arc. It usually starts mid-tempo to warm people up, builds into a peak, dips slightly for breathers, then rises again for a second wave. But here's what many people don't realise: this isn't just about the BPM number on a track. Consider two songs with virtually identical tempos: "Crazy in Love" by Beyoncé and "Regulate" by Warren G. Similar BPM, utterly different energy. One is explosive and propulsive; the other is laid-back and smooth. If I simply chased the tempo numbers without considering energy, jumping from high energy to low energy and back again, the set would feel disjointed. Even guests with no knowledge of music production would sense something was off. The arc also changes completely depending on the crowd. An event dominated by R&B has a completely different journey than one built on rock and indie. You read the room and adjust. And crucially: you can't just keep increasing tempo forever. People need to breathe. Those dips aren't failures, they're opportunities. They're the moments to switch genres, bring in a different era, maybe draw a new set of guests onto the floor who've been waiting for their moment.

Three Songs You Should Never Interrupt

Not all sacred songs are the obvious ones. Sure, "Mr Brightside" by The Killers has its power, but so does "Livin' on a Prayer" by Bon Jovi, "Wonderwall" by Oasis, or "American Pie" by Don McLean. Many guests will refuse to accept these being mixed out mid-sing-along. They own these moments. Let them build. Let them breathe. Let them explode. Some of my most important learning has come from understanding why certain tracks demand protection. Often it's not about the song's structure at all, it's about what the song means to people. That matters.

What Happens When You Use the Mic Too Much?

When someone grabs the mic mid-dance set, here's what happens: The beat stops. The flow is broken. The energy on the floor drops. Even a short announcement can cause dancers to step off the floor. Multiply that by a few interruptions, and suddenly your party has become a stop-start affair. The dancefloor churns. People lose their momentum. Think of the mic as a spotlight. And spotlights during dance sets break immersion. Do you want your guests to be in the music, or looking up, waiting for the next announcement?

Managing Requests Without Killing the Vibe

I absolutely welcome requests. In fact, I encourage couples and guests to make them, just not necessarily on-the-spot mid-dance. Here's how I handle them:

Must Play: Songs that are non-negotiable for you as a couple.

Play If Possible: Tracks you'd love to hear if the moment feels right.

Dedications: Songs you want dedicated to certain guests.

Play Only If Requested: Tracks you'd rather not hear but you'll relent if one of your guests requests it.

Do Not Play: The hard boundaries.

This system lets me honour your preferences and keep the party flowing. If someone asks for a request during dancing, I'll often say, "Love that idea; let me find the perfect moment to drop it." Because it's not just about the song. It's about the moment.

The First Dance Doesn't Have to Be First

Your first dance doesn't need to happen when dancing begins. In fact, it rarely does. The 'first dance' doesn't mean the first time anyone hits the dancefloor, it means the first time you dance together as a married couple. At most weddings, I'm playing music for at least 30 minutes before we get to the first dance. Sometimes people are already dancing. Last Friday at Oakley Court, I had a wedding where dancing started around 7:15pm, but the couple were too busy socialising then, and so they waited and did their choreographed first dance at 9pm. Why? They wanted to be in exactly the right mood, to feel the peak energy of the room, the confidence that builds from a packed, joyful dancefloor. By waiting, we didn't just play the right song. We created the right moment.

Reading the Room: The Real Skill

Mixing is only part of the story. The real magic is reading the room, and this is where thousands of events have taught me something that's genuinely hard to put into words. Reading the room isn't just about the music. It's about reading the people. I'm watching the body language of guests on the dancefloor, those at the bar, those standing in groups chatting. I'm keeping mental notes of anyone who hasn't been on the floor yet. I'm picking up hints from posture and movement about what people are feeling, both positive and negative. Some guests will never dance no matter what plays. Others will only dance to specific genres or eras. But if you're paying attention, you can sense the shifts. You notice when energy is dropping. You feel the moment when people are ready to be surprised by something new. You develop an instinct for when the room is ready to peak. Is that energy shift obvious to the untrained eye? Not really. It's something I've developed over thousands and thousands of events across the world. But it's the difference between a dancefloor that stays packed all night and one that empties halfway through.

Pre-Wedding Planning: Where the Magic Begins

I meet with every couple at least once before the wedding day. With some couples, it's three or four times, depending on what services they've booked. But the crucial conversation happens at our final meeting, usually about a week before the wedding. That's when we go deeper into the must-plays, the artists you dislike, and the songs you'd prefer not to hear (though you might accept if a guest requests them). It's at that meeting I get to understand the why. There's almost always a reason for not wanting something, though I'll admit, not all reasons are completely rational, and that's perfectly fine. 😊

When Your Preferences Meet Reality

Here's the conversation I always have with couples: "If your playlist isn't working and not many people are dancing, how would you like me to react? Would you prefer I stick rigidly to your musical preferences regardless of whether people are dancing? Or would you like me to read the room and start playing music that I sense will get people moving, even if it's genres or tracks you're not keen on?" Most couples answer the same way: a great atmosphere first and foremost. Let me give you a real example. At one wedding planning meeting, the groom told me he didn't want "Mr Brightside" played because he was fed up with it being overplayed. I asked if he wanted me to tell people the song was banned. He said yes, unless it was one of his close family. On the night, his best man requested it. I told the groom what had happened and asked what he wanted me to do. He said, "Yeah, go on, stick it on." Ten minutes later, the entire room was jumping up and down. The groom and his best man were in the middle of a circle of guests belting out every word at full volume. The moment was more important than the music.

There's No One Right Way to DJ

There are many different styles of DJing, and none is right for every guest or couple. Some people genuinely love the old-school "personality jock" who talks between every song and rarely mixes tracks together. They find that energy infectious and fun. On the opposite end, you have club DJs who rarely use a mic and might not even have one. Both can create amazing nights. Both can also create terrible ones. Here's what I've noticed: when couples sit down with me and I mention that I don't use the mic much once everyone is dancing, many let out a visible sigh of relief. They tell me the last thing they want is a DJ cracking corny jokes between every track. But I also know there are couples for whom that's exactly what they want, and I may not be right for them. The couples who work best with my style are those who want the music to flow, the atmosphere to build, and the night to feel inevitable rather than interrupted. If that's your vision too, we'll create something special together.

Final Thought

The best parties don't feel interrupted, they feel inevitable. Like the night just happened to be perfect. A packed dancefloor all evening. Guests whose energy never dips because the music never stops making sense. A moment, maybe a first dance, maybe a guest request at exactly the right time, that your guests talk about for years. That's what I aim for. Seamless energy. No churn. Big moments, no ego. Your guests won't remember every song. They'll remember how they felt. And if the music flows right, if the dancefloor stays packed, if the night builds and breathes and peaks exactly when it should, they'll feel like they were part of something magical. Let's create that together. Book a no-pressure chat to plan your day and music.