You send your wedding DJ a playlist with 84 songs. It includes the song you want for your first dance, a few tracks you love cooking to, and the one your college friends still know every word to. To you, the difference is obvious. To your DJ, they’re all on the same list.
A short music brief gives each song a job. It tells your DJ which tracks belong to a particular moment, which ones are there to show your taste, and how much freedom they have once people start dancing.
Give the important moments their own list
Start with the moments that need a specific song. Those might include the wedding party’s entrance, your walk down the aisle, your first dance, and the last song of the night. Send a link to the exact recording. An acoustic cover can have a different intro from the original, and a live version may take longer to reach the part you want.
If the timing matters, describe what should happen and when. “Start at 0:42 when the doors open” gives the DJ a cue they can rehearse with your coordinator. For a first dance, decide whether you want the full track, a fade after a particular section, or an invitation for other guests to join you partway through.
If your DJ is also making introductions, send names in the order they’ll be announced. A short voice recording can clear up a pronunciation that’s hard to put on paper.
Separate the songs you’d miss from the songs you like
Imagine the wedding is over and you’re on your way home. Which songs would you be disappointed you never heard? Put those on the must-play list. Give the DJ a little context when it helps. “Play this while my cousins are still here” is more useful than finding out later that they left before the song came on.
Use the rest of your playlist as a guide to your taste. Pick a few examples for cocktail hour, dinner, and dancing. If you like a song for its energy but would be happy to hear something similar, say so. That gives the DJ room to follow what’s happening in the room while keeping the music recognizable as yours.
Tell the DJ how to handle requests
Your do-not-play list can include specific songs, artists, or categories. If you want to skip choreographed group dances, say whether that applies even when a guest asks. If you want clean versions, say whether that applies all evening or during certain parts of the reception.
It also helps to say what the DJ can do with requests. You might welcome anything that fits the mood, give two people permission to make special requests, or ask the DJ to decline requests altogether. Agree on that before the reception so the DJ can handle an awkward request without sending someone to find you.
Describe how you want the night to change
“Upbeat” can mean a jazz trio at cocktail hour or a packed dance floor at 10 p.m. Give the DJ a picture of each part of the evening. At dinner, you might want guests to hear the person across the table. When dancing opens, you might want a few songs both generations recognize before the DJ moves into newer music.
If you have a strong preference about announcements, include that too. “Please cue the key moments and keep the mic quiet during dancing” tells the DJ what kind of presence you want in the room.
A sample music brief you can adapt
| Part of the evening | What we’d tell the DJ |
|---|---|
| Ceremony entrance | Use the acoustic recording we linked. Start at 0:42 on the coordinator’s cue when the doors open. |
| First dance | Use the original studio recording. Fade at 1:45. We’d like to finish the dance together before guests join us. |
| Cocktail hour and dinner | Soul and mellow pop are good starting points. Keep dinner at a level where guests can talk across the table. |
| Opening the dance floor | Start with songs both generations will recognize. Move toward newer pop and dance music once the floor fills. |
| Must-play | “September” by Earth, Wind & Fire. Our extended family knows it, so play it early in the dancing set. |
| Do-not-play and requests | Skip choreographed group dances, even if requested. Other requests are welcome if they fit the room. Use clean versions throughout the reception. |
Send the brief in whatever format your DJ prefers, then review the cues that involve someone else. If the coordinator opens the doors, the DJ should know how that signal will reach them. If the photographer needs to be in place for your first dance, give them the same cue. Once everyone has those details, the DJ can spend the evening paying attention to the people on the dance floor.