Just Press Play Productions not only wants to provide you with great Bose Speaker Systems and Great Service but also the Tools to Help you put YOUR music together for YOUR Wedding. Below are several topics for you to review:

Just Press Play Productions not only wants to provide you with great Bose Speaker Systems and Great Service but also the Tools to Help you have a SUCCESSFUL PARTY! 

Hiring a professional company to provide your speaker rental is a must.  Many people think they can just bring speakers from home, buy the speaker box at Costco or Sams Club or just plug into the speakers at the venue and they will be good.  Although all of these alternative options will provide sound, it may just be noise and not good sound.  

What Just Press Play provides above and beyond these options is:

Bose Speaker Systems that have been providing sound for successful parties for 15 years.

The ability to control the volume easily for your music players and mics.

The ability to connect more than one player so you can have a backup!

Professional setup to make sure everything is set up and connected correctly.

Sound Check.  To make sure your music players sound great.

Delivery and pickup.  This means one less thing you have to worry about on your party day.

Check out our previous Music DJ Tips which cover Your Music, Your Players, and Music Programs

THE BEST LOCATION TO SET UP...RIGHT NEXT TO THE DANCE FLOOR!

If you have tables between where you want us to set up and the dance floor, you might have guests complaining it is too loud.

Also, when planning your seating arrangements, make sure people who will be most disturbed by loud music are not the closest to where you want the speakers set up.

Our Bose Speaker towers will disperse sound at 180 degrees from the speaker tower.  This means we can basically set up just about anywhere in a square or rectangle room.  If the room is "L" shaped, it's best to have us set up in the corner of the "L" so the speaker is facing down both sides.  

The speaker towers will not go around corners or into another room that is separated by a doorway.  If you need sound for this type of space we recommend adding on an additional speaker system.

 Make sure there is an electric outlet close to where you want the speaker system set up.  We have long extension cables (50 feet) but if they have to go across doors or long distances they can be dangerous and unsightly.  

Setup. 

Be sure access to the room is available at least an hour before people are going to show up.  We will also require a table to set up your players on.  If one is not available, let us know we have one for rent for $10 with a table cloth.

IMPORTANT!!!!  Be sure you have your music players to us at least 30 minutes after our scheduled setup time.  This is important because we connect your players to the speakers and make sure your players are set up properly and sounding good.

Pickup. 

Be sure that there is at least 45 minutes of time for the equipment to be packed up at the conclusion of your event.  

Be sure to tell Just Press Play as many details about your event in advance.  This way we can help you with a more successful event.  It does not always mean it costs more, it just helps us set up the equipment so it works for your event the best. 

If you have not hired Just Press Play's MC/Soundman service then you will need some help from some friends and family to run the show.  Here is what we recommend for those designated people...

• Make sure the designated person(s) responsible for operating the players are there no later than 30 minutes after arranged setup time.  
• Make sure the designated person(s) will be available during the event to turn on and stop the music and turn on the microphone when needed.  (Note: More than one person can be designated to do these duties but both need to be there at the time of setup.)
• Appoint someone to make general announcements so your guests are aware of what is happening. 

This is covered in-depth in the "Your Music" section, but here are the basics...

• Make playlists, lots of playlists, a playlist for every event during your event. 
• Choose at least 20 songs for each hour of your party.
• If you are concerned about the space between songs, you can edit most of this out in iTunes.  And/or use crossfade if available.   
• ​Be sure the songs you acquire are from good reputable sources, iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, Yahoo, etc.  Usually, if you pay for the song you are going to have better quality.  Remember we are amplifying your music.  So if it sounds a little fuzzy or weak we will be amplifying it at least 300 times louder.

This is covered in-depth in the "Music Players" section, but here are the basics...

• We recommend a laptop as your main source and a portable player as your backup.  
• Make sure you have a backup.  You can have your music backed up on a phone or another device.  Most helpful if the device you have as a backup is either set up with the main player or can be accessed quickly.

Many customers decide to save as much money as they can on the speaker systems at their wedding. And instead of spending a couple of hundred dollars with Just Press Play, they decide to do one of the following...

• Use the speakers at the venue.  Many venues have a speaker system built-in.  Realize, most of these speaker systems are like the ones you hear at the grocery store.  What you didn't notice any sound at the grocery store?  This is exactly the problem. If you go this route, test the speaker system, try and play dance music through the speaker system. Keep in mind, others are going to try and do this and could possibly blow out a speaker before your wedding. It's pretty hard to replace a ceiling speaker in a day assuming the venue even realizes it is blown.
  
• Borrow speakers.  Be sure they are powered speakers, if not, you will need an amplifier to power them.  You will also need the ability to connect your music players to the speaker system as well.  If the powered speakers, or amplifier, do not have an input you will need a mixer to connect to the amplifier or speakers.  As you can see there are many different things to consider and prepare for.  At Just Press Play we have a hard time getting customers to just bring a laptop because they have so much else going on they forget.  Imagine trying to get all the audio equipment as well to your wedding?
  
• Purchase a speaker system. I have seen these at Sams Club and Costco and I assume you can find them in other places too. They run about $50 - $100. Very portable, have the ability to connect your music player, and often even have a cheap microphone or the ability to connect a microphone. The downside, probably only good for weddings of 50 people or less.  And, it's one more thing you have to worry about bringing and setting up.

With any of these options be sure to TEST THEM!  Take your music player and plug it into the speaker system.  Turn the music up as loud as you can.  Each guest while talking is about 3 watts of sound.  You need to be able to surpass that.  If you have 50 guests talking that is 150 watts.  If you have 100 guests talking that is 300 watts.  If you know how many watts the speaker system is, then you should know if it will be loud enough.​

SALES PITCH...

All of these options do not include delivery, setup, and pickup.  Some of them might not include a microphone and a microphone stand.  Most of them probably do not give you the ability to connect to more than one music player.  

Just Press Play's Basic Speaker Rental for $225 includes all of this. Consider this option before wasting a lot of time and concern over these other options. 

We see this more than just about everything else.  Remember the magic number is 20 songs per hour.  If you have at least 20 songs for each hour of your wedding you will be in good shape.  

This is a close tie with not enough music.  IT's YOUR WEDDING!  HAVE A BACKUP DEVICE!

We recommend a laptop as your primary device.  They generally have better sound cards in them and they are more reliable.  Then you can have a tablet or a phone as your backup.  Keep in mind the backup needs to be at the DJ table.  It's not a good backup plan if we don't have instant access to it.

And then be sure all your songs are downloaded on both devices.  Relying on the venue's wifi is never a good idea.  Bringing your own hotspot is an option, but again you are relying on cell phone service.  With the songs physically on the devices, this means a lot less for you to worry about. 

We see this a lot.  The music players arrive last.  A Groomsman or Bridesmaid is responsible for bringing them, but they are late getting to the venue.  

Suggestion:  Bring the music players with the decorations.   If you think about it, the music is just as much a part of the decor and the setup of the space, so bring them all together! 

It's hard to get married, get introduced, have your first dance, etc., and press play and make the announcements.  Find some volunteers. 

Notice I said VOLUNTEERS, plural.  One helper is great, but that means that person does not enjoy themselves at all.  Pick a few volunteers so they can take shifts.

I know they call it a DIY Wedding, but that does not mean the bride and groom do it all themselves!

SALES PITCH:  Just Press Play offers an MC/Sound Man Service for $30 an hour.  Many customers hire this service to make announcements and help keep the flow going and manage the music.  But many use this service just to have our staff on-site to help with any issues that might come up.  For a 5 hour wedding, this is only a $150 additional charge.

It's really hard to work with only one playlist.  Consider breaking it up.

• Ceremony
• Cocktails
• Dinner
• Specials
• Fast Dance
• Slow Dance

Making multiple playlists is really important.

To avoid people just sitting down at your wedding, be sure to pick the right songs.

#1 Rule: Pick songs that will make you run to the dance floor!

Your guests came to celebrate your special day. They did not come to dance.  They will do what you do.  If the bride and groom stay on the dance floor when the dance music starts, the dance floor will be packed!