Last week we chatted with Victoria Taylor an Essex based bridal makeup artist, this week on the ‘An interview with’ blog series we are chatting with Emma from Aurora Pearl who owns and runs the Essex based wedding DJ business with her husband Scott.
I have worked with the team at Aurora Pearl quite a lot over the last couple of years and I have got to know Emma and Scott more personally since becoming a recommended supplier at The Compasses at Pattiswick a few years back. As they too are a recommended vendor at The Compasses we would often chat and catch up on wedding open days.
Over the last couple of years, I had the pleasure of working with the team of DJ’s from Aurora Pearl at The Compasses at Pattiswick, Hutton Hall and The Reid Rooms.
Thank you Emma, for taking the time to answer our questions, it was really insightful to learn more about the wedding DJ industry! If you’re currently looking for your wedding DJ and want to chat through your ideas do get in touch with the team at Aurora Pearl, I know they’d love to hear from you.
Essex wedding DJ ‘Aurora Pearl’ answers your questions:
TELL US YOUR STORY
The idea of our company began back at our own wedding in 2010, since then it has grown significantly and we’re so proud of our company and ethos behind it.
WHERE ARE YOU BASED AND WHERE DO YOU COVER?
WHAT SERVICES DO YOU OFFER?
The main service we offer is our DJ service, we have multiple DJ setups available, in white, black or our brand new rustic style. We have a fantastic team of DJ’s who work with us.
CAN COUPLES ASK FOR A CERTAIN STYLE OF MUSIC/GIVE YOU A LIST OF THEIR FAVOURITE SONGS?
Yes, all couples receive an online planning account – with this they can input absolute favourite songs and choose from certain genres as to how much they like or dislike a certain genre of music. Depending on the package, couples also receive a meeting with their DJ too.
DO YOU SET UP ON THE WEDDING DAY OR THE DAY BEFORE?
We set up when it is best for the couples big day and their schedule, we work with our couples to confirm the best time for this to happen.
HOW DO YOU WORK ALONGSIDE BANDS/MUSICIANS?
It is a common misconception that if you have a band then you don’t need a DJ, however, we would recommend to actually have both. This is because usually a band will do 2x 30 or 45-minute sets and music is required between the band’s sets.
This is when it’s great to have a DJ as they can read the guests and play music to keep the vibe and atmosphere going. This music can contrast or complement the music that has been played by the band, rather than just having a playlist of popular music, which may not be right for that evening.
CAN YOU PROVIDE A MIC SET UP FOR SPEECHES?
WHAT TIME DO YOU USUALLY STAY UNTIL ON WEDDING DAYS?
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO COUPLES THINKING OF NOT HIRING A DJ AND DOING THE MUSIC/PLAYLISTS THEMSELVES?
Every couple is different and has different ideas around their day and evening. However, we would suggest for couples thinking of doing a playlist and playing this for their evening to have a big think about the order of songs.
DJ’s read the guests, if something is working they will stick with that style and genre of music for longer and likewise if something isn’t working and has cleared the dancefloor, the DJ will then change the music to something completely different to try to get the guests back to the dance floor again.
Without a DJ it could have an impact on the atmosphere of the evening and become stressful for the couple, especially if they envisage a dancefloor with guests dancing throughout the evening.
WHAT ARE THE 3 BEST SONGS TO FILL THE DANCE FLOOR?
DOES NOT HAVING A FIRST DANCE AFFECT THE NUMBER OF GUESTS WHO GET ON THE DANCE FLOOR?
Not necessarily, however, it is usually good to have a ‘start of the night’ song. So if couples are not having a first dance, we’d still advise thinking about that first upbeat song that they’d like to hear being played to signify the start of the evening.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO A NERVOUS/SHY COUPLES ABOUT DOING THEIR FIRST DANCE?
WHEN WOULD YOU ADVISE COUPLES TO BOOK THEIR WEDDING DJ?
Want to see who else I interviewed in the ‘An interview with’ series? Read all the posts here.