Today on Wedding Secrets Unveiled!, we’re excited to bring you something new—a special two-part interview with the dynamic wedding industry power couple, The Dawsons! In this episode, Jason Dawson of Dawson Entertainment shares his expertise on all things DJing. From selecting the perfect genre of DJ to designing the ideal DJ booth, Jason’s insights will help you choose the right DJ for your big day! And don’t forget to tune in two weeks from now for our conversation with his talented wife, Nikki Dawson of Mineko Beauty!
Meet Jason.
I own Dawson Entertainment. We DJ – which is our main focus, but we also do photobooths, lighting, and things along those lines. But obviously the music is the big focus. I DJ mostly at weddings these days but I DJ nightlife events, mostly at Shrine in Foxwoods, but also other clubs in Boston. I’ve been doing that for many, many years – since the mid 2000s – so I have really seen a lot of different eras of music come and go in that nightlife scene, and really honed the mixing. I think that’s really translated well to the wedding business, because it really helps me just kind of mix in a different way than most wedding DJs you would probably see.
I love it. The day of recording, Jason’s wife, Nikki was in the studio with us. We’re actually going to have Jason and Nikki on two different episodes! We’re really going to focus on Jason’s business, which is the DJ side, and then in two weeks, you are going to hear from Nikki, who’s going to talk all about the beauty side. So out of curiosity, did you guys meet in the industry?
We met in the nightlife industry. So outside of weddings, I’ve always been involved in nightlife, DJing clubs and bars and all those kinds of fun events as well. We met at a club called Shrine at Foxwoods in Connecticut. She was serving me my drinks as a bottle server, and I was playing the tunes. And you know, the rest is history.
It’s only fitting that you guys met at the Shrine since that’s where you started your career. Do couples find you from the club for their wedding?
Yeah – that’s always the best. The couples that come from knowing that background are always like the most fun, because they’re really wanting to turn up and really party, and that’s what we’re here for.
Being a photographer at the party, I see and interact with a lot of different musicians, bands, and DJs. So I hear a lot of different styles. DJs bring their own vibe to the party and I don’t think people realize that.
There’s so many ways that a DJ can bring their own perspective to a party. Obviously, a party has to have music. Some people want to put on a Spotify playlist and that’s going to give you one vibe, for sure, but you’re not going to have that honed selecting these songs that work best in the moment – watching how people are reacting and tailoring your song choice to how those people are racing. That’s where a DJ comes in – and even a DJ who doesn’t necessarily mix is going to be able to add that next level to that song selection.
Then, there’s the DJ who is going to mix and really make sure the pacing of songs is happening at a fun, interesting place, the transitions are musical and sound good. So, that elevates things to another level. There’s also DJs who are out there being a host, getting on the mic and leading your party as an emcee. And that’s a whole different thing as well. That’s not really what I do, personally. I definitely focus on the music. But there’s all these different levels of DJ entertainment that you can come across. And figuring out which one suits you the best is maybe not the easiest thing, but knowing that there are these different levels is a good starting place.
That’s one of the reasons we’re here talking today! One isn’t better than the other, they’re all just different then figuring out what’s right for you.
You can just feel it. You like some of these things that you can’t necessarily pinpoint. What they’re doing at this moment is making me feel a certain way, and you need to identify the starting point.
So let’s talk about that. For the listeners who are thinking about having a DJ, there’s all these different scenarios and vibes that people can bring. How can someone even start to look at what their style is?
That’s a really deep question and not always easy to answer. I think if you can find DJs that have live material available to listen to, that’s probably the first and best way to identify that a DJ is going to suit your style.A few things you do have to consider about DJs and weddings – when you see a DJ at someone’s wedding, they might play a little different because that couple has given them certain songs.
I think sometimes DJs get a bad rap for sticking to the playlist that the couple has dictated. So, someone might watch a video and think, that’s not my style. Understandable. That DJ has to be very versatile and be able to switch things up for your style. The point is that I think it’s good for DJs to have a broad sense of what their styles are – so that they can share that on YouTube, MixCloud, SoundCloud – wherever they can post mixes and material for people to listen to, so that couples can really hear what the DJs are like live. It’s hard because you can’t really sneak into a wedding and hear these performers playing, so having that material online is the best way.
Let’s talk about behind the scenes. Talk to me about how vendors can help keep your setup clean.
I mean, first up, I think DJs in the last five years have really tried to elevate the look that they’re bringing to events. We want to make sure that we’re blending in, that we’re matching the style and decor of an event. Plus, we want to be proud of our setup – not that 80’s look anymore. We want people to look at us with a higher level of esteem. So, DJs are spending lots of money on all white setups so they can just blend into this all white venue. We have a few different booths that we use, like a wine barrel for wineries.
I want to interrupt you for a second – people may not realize that if you’re getting married at a vineyard, you can have a completely different setup than if you’re getting married somewhere else. So, maybe ask your DJ what the setup is and what other options you have to fit your decor, because they’re a center focus.
Yeah, we’re right there in the middle of things. We’re either in the background of some of your dance shots, like your first dance, your parent dances, things like that and we want to look better. That is the DJs goal. So, no offense, what is frustrating is when photo or video comes and they stick their black flash stand or light stand in front of our all-white setup.
Everything’s taped down nicely on the floor. We’ve done our best to just blend in and almost be invisible as much as possible – and then this black stand is right there. Or the one that always gets me is when there’s the orange extension cord that goes diagonally across the ground next to our 90 degree taped down wires. I think us DJs generally are trying to elevate what we’re bringing visually. I don’t see why other vendors shouldn’t be elevating as well.
People probably don’t think about the DJ being in their pictures, being in the center of their ballroom. I’m often asked to photograph all of the details of a reception and decor has a big price tag for weddings. So, it’s something that we’re always thinking about when placing your equipment for the night.
I totally understand that the light has to bounce off the ceiling a certain way. I get it. That’s why I carry black and white stands – so if it’s a white venue, I’m going to bring the white speakers. If it’s a darker venue, I’m probably going to bring the black speakers. There’s a way to accommodate the space and blend in. Not everyone likes that, but my ideal setup should be invisible right. So, I just try to make things blend in as much as possible.
I think this just highlights working with a professional, right? Do they have options for stands? I know I have black stands because it’s my only option but I think about where it goes and what it blends into because it’s all about the visuals. If a DJ has white speakers, I am not putting my black stand there. I’ll even put my bags behind the DJ booth because it hides it. Same reason you’re trying to be invisible.
I mean, another aspect of that is that we’re bringing scrim facades that can unfold and cover the barriers. If you’re bringing all these cases, why wouldn’t you bring some time to make that area look a little bit nicer?
Talk to me about music. I bet that people ask you about cheesy music – saying that they don’t want cheesy music. But what is cheesy music?
You know, the thing is that everybody has their own definition of what’s cheesy, and that’s what I’ve learned over DJing hundreds of weddings. Someone on a Friday might think the YMCA is cheesy but then Saturday, it’s a must play but they also don’t want cheesy music. So, what’s cheesy music? It comes from knowing what questions to ask the couple. We have a whole questionnaire asking couples about their musical preferences, but there’s definitely some standard cheesy songs. All the line dance type songs are generally thought of as cheesy, which surprises some people quite a bit, because they would not imagine going to a wedding or an event without doing a line dance.
What’s funny is line dance songs are really awesome for photographers, because everybody’s in line dancing.
For capturing that content for social media. Everybody’s out there doing a move like, putting their hands up. It’s great. But we have to know that people want those songs. My forms are detailed for that reason.
I’m glad you brought that point up, because it’s so important. If your vendor has forms, please, please fill them out. We don’t have them just to give you homework, it does help us with our job, and if you don’t do it, it really does not set us up for full success.
By the way, can we bring the chicken dance back?
That is a no.
What do you find on that do not play list a lot?
The things that are on there the most these days are hardcore rap, which is probably not gonna happen unless they requested it anyway. Heavy metal. I’ve also found Bruno Mars, Justin TImberlake and Pharrell. They have some great hits, but people feel they’re cheesy now. They’ve gone to 20 weddings in the last two years, and they’ve heard every single one. They’re like, I can’t anymore. Everything comes in waves and sometimes you need a little break.
What about songs that people say that they don’t want you to play, but are actually like very successful songs?
I guess a classic cheesy song is “Celebration” by Kool and the Gang. I think a lot of these cheesy songs can be played in a way that doesn’t come across as cheesy. If you’re the kind of DJ who is playing the song from the very beginning to the very end and you’re listening to four minutes of “Celebration”, yeah, that’s enough. No one wants that.
But if you have a DJ who’s playing just the first verse in chorus of “Celebration”, so that the older folks are like, “Oh, I love this song”, because they do, and the younger folks aren’t tired of it yet, because you only played a minute and 15 seconds of it before you moved on to the next song. That can work right and not come across as cheesy. It’s all about the pacing of how these songs are changing in the dance set.
Focusing on these individual little songs sometimes can be a little a little too much when it’s really just part of telling this longer story you’re playing. You have 70-80 songs in the dance set. Are you going to nitpick on this minute that happened that your guests really enjoyed, even though you might not have preferred that minute?
What are some of the new classic songs that you’re hearing?
The bigger songs this year include “Murder on the Dance Floor”, which is not a new song. It’s at least 10 years old but came back because of Saltburn. “I Want to Dance with Somebody” is on the downturn because it’s been such a big song for a long time. Some newer songs… ABBA is really big right now. Maybe right before COVID, it came back with a vengeance. It’s on the “must” playlist of almost every single wedding.
Surprisingly, it’s kind of like us as DJs. It’s been talked about a lot in the community of DJs that we have to always be changing our perspective on things and really letting the clients lead us a bit on some of these, because we do end up having to play songs that we originally would never have touched.
Let’s get into some practical things. Talk to me about timelines.
I guess my main thought on timelines, and I think why we kind of brought this up, is that sometimes people want their wedding to be so unique and different, which I completely understand. There’s lots of ways to make your wedding different and unique. I think design is a big way to do that. But there’s a reason that weddings typically flow in a certain way, from this event to that event to that event. There’s a reason why the first dance happens right after the grand entrance then toasts. And there’s a reason why I personally like to do the cake and parent dances at the end of dinner to lead into dancing. It’s because the overall flow of the event works very well that way.
Directing your guests’ attention in the right place at the right time is huge. You know you want to get people ready to dance after dinner. I know I always want to nap, so why wouldn’t they be? So, getting their attention directed back to the dance floor so they know something is coming.
You don’t want to give your guests too much to do. That’s something I always advise against. One venue I consistently play at, people love to explore the grounds. They’re going to go explore 25 minutes in and there will be a lull in the middle. There’s nothing I can do as a DJ, because you picked a beautiful venue.
So, if you give your guests too many things to do – a cigar bar, do you think you’ll have any males on the dance floor? No, they’ll be with the bar the duration of the wedding. You gave them permission to not dance by giving them the cigar bar. Same with a fire. People are going to be sitting out there, hanging out talking, which is great. There’s no problem with that. But if your intention is to have people dance and enjoy themselves on the dance floor, don’t give them the permission to do this other thing. Just don’t give it.
It’s funny that you say that, because another little, great nugget for the people listening is, you think you want all this lovely stuff to do, but I think they realize that sometimes they’re taken away from just the essence of just a celebration. A celebration is music and dancing and letting loose. That’s why I recommend keeping a photo booth in the reception space. People want to break up dancing, but you don’t want them to leave the space.
We have the photo booth as well. And I was really worried about getting into the photo booth originally, because I was like, “Man, this is gonna take away from the party, from dancing”, but you’re right if, if you keep the photo booth in the same room, people will use it. Photo booths are a fun keepsake. I think the nice thing that I’ve realized after having the photo booth for many years now is that it doesn’t take away from the party when it’s done right.
When it’s done right, it only enhances the party. How many hours do you recommend? Two hours is the max. They don’t want less than that, because then they don’t feel like they’re enough time. But as they go over, they lose people.
Yeah, I would say two hours. An hour and a half to two hours is kind of a sweet spot. Yeah, maybe two and a half. If you start going beyond that, it can sometimes be hard to hold people’s attention, because it’s already been a long day, right?
It’s okay to have some things, but like you said, don’t over schedule them. And what I mean by that too is don’t have a gazillion toasts, don’t have all these different things… People just want to dance. And seriously, if you spend the money on a seating area, put it inside the room.
The thing that holds up the timeline the most is at the end of dinner, you’re going around to the tables and saying hi to everybody… which is something you feel pretty obligated to do. These people are giving you gifts. There are people you love. That’s why you invited them. They’re people you want to see and talk to. There’s an amazing experience that you’re having today with all the people that you love the most around you in one room. It’s incredible. But talking to those people at the end of dinner is what holds things up the most, and those but those conversations are great. They’re fun. So, I tell people to come have their guests talk to them on the dance floor.
So we talked a little quickly about speeches but let’s dive into them now. What tips do you have? .
A lot of times it’s the fathers that can be the worst offenders. I would say they have a lot of skin in the game, obviously, and they have a lot of story they’d like to tell. So, you want to make sure that it is very clear to your toasters the amount of time you intend for them to take. Does that mean that everybody is going to stick to that? No, but if you only want them to take five minutes maximum, you better tell them two minutes, because they’ll take five minutes. If you tell them five minutes, they’re going to take 10 minutes. So tell them half the time you expect them to take, and hopefully they’ll end up where you want them to be.
Tips for Wedding Toasts
And as far as a more technical side of things, I always give the toasters a wireless microphone on a stand, because I know especially videographers appreciate having that constant distance of the microphone to the person speaking. You know the people that take the microphone off the stand? There’s many reasons why that’s a bad idea. First and foremost, when you take the microphone off the stand, then you’re holding it down by your belly. And you know what? Your belly is not speaking. The microphone ideally is about an inch or two away from your mouth. That’s the ideal distance, one to two inches from your mouth, which people are not used to.
It can be very jarring. People get up there and they’re timid approaching the mic. So then they’re surprised by how loud it is, but that’s what’s supposed to happen. What a DJ should do is try and prepare people for what’s coming, because we should know that they’re probably not used to this. So – try not to take the microphone off the stand, because then we’re not going to hear you. If the microphone is down by your belly, we’re not going to hear it. And then if you take the microphone off the stand, then they’re walking around. That really makes videographers mad because they are set up for one spot with their lights and such. So, just keep the microphone where we put it.
Listening to you talk and just knowing the industry, I hope the listeners are catching on to what really elevates you as a true professional. I also want to throw in my piece of advice: there’s something to be said about reading your speech off a piece of paper, rather than a form of technology.
Yeah, and that microphone stand is gonna allow their hands to be free to hold these things. I completely agree.
All right, so talk to me about requests. How do you feel about taking requests the night of a wedding?
My views on this have changed over time. I definitely was probably on the snobby DJ side of things for a while where I thought: “I am the king of the music and arbiter of all things that are good in what I’m gonna play tonight”, and would not take any requests. I’m actually pretty sure I have hats and t-shirts that say no requests, ha. And you know, that’s because there are a lot of terrible requests. People will come up and ask for the chicken dance. I’ve had drunk uncles repeatedly ask for the chicken dance. But, I’ve come around to the fact that we’re playing for a smaller group of people that can have a particular view and experience together. And if we’re not open to hearing what they might want, then we’re not giving our best.
Requests & wedding days
So surprisingly, I don’t actually get a ton of requests, and I think that’s because of the party that I provide. It’s a good time. I don’t really give people too much opportunity to feel like they need to ask for requests. So I’m not usually overly inundated with them. But, people will still come up and they’ll tell me it’s the bride’s favorite song or something. Okay, well, why wasn’t that on her must play list then?
But, maybe she would like it. Does it fit in the context of what she’s presented to me? Does it fit in with what is playing at the moment, or is it going to completely change the vibe that’s happening? If it’s going to completely change the vibe, then it’s not going to get played. Hands down. I’m still going to use my best judgment always with a request, but if it seems like it’s going to fit, then I’ll consider it. I’ve been surprised with some request – about how they were received and I wonder how people know these songs. I don’t even know them sometimes. But everyone in the room is screaming.
Another thing is that some of these friends went to college together and they might be requesting something the couple didn’t think of. Maybe it’s something they danced to when they were in school. I see that all the time where a song will play and then I see a group of guys that turn out to be the fraternity or high school crew. So, there’s some significance there. I can understand taking a request for that.
Okay, quick question: there has to be a difference between listening to music and dancing to music that you understand, right?
Yeah, I think that’s something a lot of couples and just people in general don’t intuitively know off the bat. And, I think a lot of couples see that as they’re filling out my form about what their music preferences are, especially for dancing. They kind of start to think about the music that you listen to in your car and you really enjoy, and you might play on repeat all week. It doesn’t necessarily mean that just because it’s great to sing to or listen to. It’s going to be great to dance to.
There’s a certain bounce and energy that dance music has. And there’s a certain reason why the top 200 wedding songs are always the top 200 wedding songs, because they’re also familiar. Familiarity is a huge part of songs helping people feel like they want to dance. There are also songs that you can dance to, but if you don’t know them, they wouldn’t incentivize you to dance. So knowing what songs are really actually going to incentivize people to dance is a huge part of what DJs bring to the table.
I don’t think we really talked a little bit about the ceremony component yet. We really focused more on the reception. Are there any tips or tricks, or anything to share about the ceremony?
DJs do play a big role in the ceremony as well. We’re providing microphones and a lot of times background music, but sometimes we’re just kind of helping amplify live music as well. We work with a lot of live string groups, but it’s really the microphone component for ceremonies that I think is most important. Talking to your DJ ahead of time about what their microphone setup is going to be helps. Is there going to be a big black microphone stand in the middle of your pictures, or is it going to be a little clip on microphones that are nearly invisible, that are going to still sound great?
I think that we’re all visual people. We talked about a lot of visual aspects of what we do and provide. I think that the microphone stand is kind of the in the ceremony aspect, what you want to avoid as much as possible, not always possible in certain situations, if it’s like too windy to have a clip on lapel microphone, those little tiny microphones don’t love heavy wind directly blowing on them.
Wrap-Up Question
What are some key points that couples should be asking their DJ when they’re inquiring to make sure that they’re working with a professional company to ensure that their wedding day is an absolutely perfect event?
Read the reviews. Whether it’s the Knot, Wedding Wire, Google or Facebook – whenever you can get reviews, read them.
Make sure that they’re active on social media. Staying active online, proof of life, helps couples know that you’re busy and working still.
Get some sense of how DJs perform live from mixes on their website or online. The best reference is someone who has seen them perform before. So if your DJ is on your venue’s preferred vendor list, that’s always a good sign.
What We Discussed
Meet Jason (2:31)
Role of DJs at Weddings (6:07)
Choosing Your DJ (10:08)
Vendor Coordination & Setup (12:47)
Music Selection (20:46)
Handling Requests (38:29)
Ceremony Logistics (46:47)
Wrap-Up Question (55:15)
Links Mentioned in the Episode
Find Dawson Entertainment at Website | Instagram | Facebook | Spotify | SoundCloud
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