Hiring a DJ for a Mixed-Cultural Wedding Reception

Hiring a DJ for a Mixed-Cultural Wedding Reception

It is commonplace in today’s world for couples to belong to different cultures. Naturally, both cultures should be incorporated into the wedding ceremony and the reception so as to make all the guests feel, not just welcomed, but included in the festivity.

However, I have frequently listened to clients over the years say that they attended a multi-ethnic wedding during which the DJ played the music of one culture only. Instead, my clients want all of their guests to feel included in the festivities. Curious, I ask these clients why half of the guests sat out most of the reception. The commonest reply is that the DJ belongs to one of the cultures represented at the wedding, and played the music of his or her culture in order to get good reviews and clients from the culture he or she works with regularly.

If you ask yourself how to prevent this situation from occurring at (and thereby spoiling) your upcoming wedding, the easy answer is to get a culturally neutral DJ. Here is the reason: Most culturally mixed weddings are split in thirds; that is, 1/3 from the bride’s cultural group, 1/3 from the groom’s cultural group, and 1/3 from other cultures. A neutral DJ will try to satisfy everyone, and not attempt to curry the favor of one group at the expense of the other guests. Also, a culturally sensitive DJ will encourage the bride and the groom to create a list of music that will satisfy the tastes of all the guests, and then balance the play of the different kinds of music throughout the evening. The result will be a wedding reception fondly remembered by everyone.
By Robert Hawkins