There’s nothing more fun in the world than seeing ALL of your loved ones out on the dance floor at your wedding, busting moves and celebrating. Yep, even Grandpa, who swears he never dances! The smiles, laughs, and energy is just so beautiful and is the icing on the cake to your perfect day — that’s why I highly encourage you to select the right Iowa wedding DJ!
Your wedding DJ plays such an important role in your day, as they not only make the experience truly unique to you but they set the tone for your entire reception, ensuring you and your guests have the time of your lives!
As an Iowa wedding photographer, I’ve had the pleasure of photographing so many receptions and I see firsthand what works super well with DJs, so let me help — here are my top tips for hiring a wedding DJ in Iowa, plus, a few amazing DJs that always go above and beyond!
Best Iowa Wedding DJs
I truly only recommend wedding vendors that I know and love, ensuring they’ll offer an amazing experience for my photography clients. When deciding on a DJ, or any wedding vendor, it’s best to have a chat with them first to get a feel for their style, how they work, and who they are.
This is extra important for DJs, since they’ll play such an active role in your wedding reception — you definitely need someone who matches your personality!
Here are my two favorites that always deliver exceptional service for their wedding clients!
Marquee Events
If you’re looking for wedding DJs in Des Moines, you can’t go wrong with Marquee Events! They’re a high-end DJ, event, and sound company that does so much more than just bring the tunes!
I’m constantly impressed by the elegance of their designs (they do an awesome job with dance floor lighting and their DJ booth is stylish and blends in with your decor), plus they offer a lot of fun features for their clients.
Tyson, the incredible DJ behind Marquee, has decades of experience in the industry and founded the company with the aim of raising the bar for DJ experiences — which he’s definitely done!
Marquee can offer indoor sparklers, CO2 blast machines for amazing indoor clouds, UV/LED lighting, and dance floor confetti! Tip — the sparklers can look AMAZING for your first dance photos! Plus, if you need advice for your wedding DJ playlist, they’re super happy to give suggestions. They can also offer sound for your ceremony if that’s not already provided by your venue.
What I love is that Marquee always delivers such high-quality production value that looks professional and never outdated, plus they always put their couples at the center of everything they do. A Marquee Events wedding is always so much fun too — that’s why I always recommended them as my favorite choice for a wedding DJ in Des Moines!
Center Stage Productions
Center Stage Productions is an incredible local business owned by the talented Max — they’re the best wedding DJ in Cedar Rapids but they also service the Dubuque area.
I love that the team at Center Stage offers such a genuine client experience, listening to your needs and ensuring they go above and beyond to bring your wedding vision to life! They’ve been doing weddings since 2011 and know our local venues inside and out, so you can rest assured that everything will go smoothly on the day.
In addition to DJ services, they offer custom lighting — it can seriously transform your venue! You can choose static colors for the dinner and formalities before the dance floor comes to life as the shoes get kicked off — the lights will change colors, chase around, and really amp up your guests for an evening of partying!
Their emcee and DJ services are also world-class and the couples I work with are always so thrilled with the romantic, fun, and exciting experience that Center Stage creates. If you’re looking for a wedding DJ in Dubuque IA or in Cedar Rapids, you’ll absolutely love these guys!
Both Center Stage and Marquee also offer monogram lighting, an elegant projection of your names or wedding hashtags that you can display on a feature wall. Not only does it add a unique and personalized element to your venue, but it’s super fun for guests to take photos with!
Each DJ offers a range of wedding packages, so it’s best to have a chat with them to find out which options would work best for your wedding vision and budget. I’ll also add that popular DJs can get booked out quickly, especially in spring and summer, so it’s always best to book as soon as you know your wedding date so that you don’t miss out.
Your Wedding Timeline And Your Iowa Wedding DJ – Here’s Why They Go Together Like Peanut Butter & Jelly!
Savvy brides already know that their wedding timeline is an essential document for the day, but you might not realize how important it is to include your DJ in the process! Always keep them looped in on your timeline as they’re really the ones running the show when it comes to your reception.
A note on sunset — when it comes to Iowa wedding photography, I seriously can’t get enough of our shimmery, beautiful, pastel sunsets. I always plan to take couples’ portraits at sunset, but sunset generally occurs during your reception.
In your timeline, you and your DJ can plan what’s going to happen for the 30 minutes or so when you’re away so that your guests are occupied and you don’t feel like you’re missing out on anything.
Side note: Having some time alone at sunset as a couple is so special and is a gorgeous way to feel more present on your wedding day, allowing you and your partner to truly connect.
I say this in part because you don’t want the dance floor to kick off if you’re not there! You set the tone for the dance floor, so you want to be out there to get things going! If you leave, the dance floor might flop — which no one wants.
Reception Layout Tips
Even if you’ve already hired a wedding planner, it’s still worth being involved in the layout of your reception venue. You want to be strategic with your design and make sure everything flows well and it’s easy for your guests to get around!
When it comes to your DJ, I know many of us think back to the days of high school dances, where a DJ would roll into the gym with lots of ugly gray electronics that took up lots of space.
Luckily, wedding DJ equipment now is nothing like this — your high-end DJ will have a beautiful set-up that suits a luxury venue, so you definitely don’t need to hide them away in the corner.
This means you can position your DJ front and center, so they’re close to the dance floor–this will help the vibe and make the night more interactive — and super fun!
Best Songs To Play At A Wedding
Ok, now onto the hard-hitting questions — what’s the best wedding song list for a DJ? Whether you’re all about the country classics and can’t wait for Boot Scootin’ Boogie or you’re super excited for some romantic slow songs, your wedding playlist is yours to customize!
The party is yours and all about celebrating with everyone you care most for, so think about what songs you associate with your friends and family. Maybe an old college party song that you know will pull everyone instantly to the dance floor? Or a favorite song that’s a family tradition at events?
Sounds obvious, but if you stack your playlist with songs your guests will love, I can almost guarantee that your dance floor will be going off, all night long! You really can’t get it wrong if you throw in some current hits, classics, and songs that you and your friends all share a connection to.
Your DJ can help too, as they’re super in touch with current trends and they also know all the top hits that each age group will love — totally ok to add in some throwbacks from the 70s and 80s that you know your parents will love!
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I hope that helps you find your perfect Iowa wedding DJ! It makes me jump with joy (not even kidding!), to see couples so happy and excited on their wedding day, and I know the DJ plays a huge role in this!
If you have questions about wedding planning, your DJ, or how this all ties into your wedding photography, I’d love to hear from you! Please reach out anytime — I’d love to help you start planning your wedding photography.
