Throwing a big party

[cbags05]

Getting married in June and we're going to do all the music ourselves at the reception using a laptop. I have a decent grasp on home theater setup, but providing a quality listening experience for 200 people is something I need a little education on. If it doesn't go perfect, oh well....better than paying a DJ $500.

I've got a friend who plays music semi-professionally, so he may have all the equipment I need...still have to talk to him. But I thought I'd get some info from people here before I go to him looking dumb. What equipment will I need to entertain 200 people?

 

[mazersteven]

I'd just hire the D.J. and not have to worry about that part of the wedding. The entertainment can make or break a wedding. Spend the cash.

 

[superstar]

Getting married in June and we're going to do all the music ourselves at the reception using a laptop. I have a decent grasp on home theater setup, but providing a quality listening experience for 200 people is something I need a little education on. If it doesn't go perfect, oh well....better than paying a DJ $500.

I've got a friend who plays music semi-professionally, so he may have all the equipment I need...still have to talk to him. But I thought I'd get some info from people here before I go to him looking dumb. What equipment will I need to entertain 200 people?

If your friend has all the equipment (speakers/amp/cables/lighting/mic/etc) then all you need is a good sound card and a decent software based mixer or an ipod type mixer

GEMINI ITRAX IPOD DJ MIXER

The software based it's easy to use at an affordable price.

 

[stratman]

If I were you, I'd pay the DJ, on your wedding day the last thing you want to worry about is entertaining 200 people. Trust me, I've been through this. It's better to pay. Start saving the money now.

 

[markw]

ditto Mazersteven and Stratman

Real friends don't make their friends work at their weddings, particularly when there are two hundred guests.

Hire a DJ

Or, pay your friend the going rate. Real friends don't take advantage of their friends, either.

 

[Slats]

If your really desperate to do it without a DJ

rent some Mackie powered monitors http://www.mackie.com/products/sazseries/splash.html

small mixing console

and a music source of some sort.

 

[mazersteven]

Hey the way I look at it is this. Just go file for a divorce now. You blow this wedding, thats where you will be anyway.

 

[cbags05]

I honestly don't trust a DJ's song choice. All I've heard is horror stories about DJ's not playing what they are asked to play and PLAYING what they are asked to NOT PLAY. I'm a music snob and would rather set my playlist how we want it and just hit play. He's one of my best friends and is in the bridal party. If I thought for one second that I was taking advantage of him I would just forget it. We have an MC that is going to do introductions and hold things together. He's very capable of clicking a mouse, which is not much less than a moderate DJ would do anyway. $500 extra for honeymoon or a DJ? I choose more for the honeymoon.

Anyway back to the original topic. I should just be able to plug the Laptop into the mixing console directly if I have a sound card right? Is there a need for an amp? How many total Watts is necessary for 200 people.

 

[davo]

Personally I would go the DJ. I know from experience how hard it is to keep the crowd happy. I DJ'd my sisters engagement and I thought it would be easy. I picked all the songs that I thought were good and burnt them to cd. I even gave a copy to my now brother-in-law to make sure that everything was sweet, which it was.
Problem is, my music taste and my brother -in-laws music taste are not the same as everyone else's music taste at the party. Soon people were going to their cars to get cd's of their choice to be played because the dance floor was not so happening. And I thought I had pretty good idea of party music
Obviously just not wedding type party stuff.

A DJ should be able to stick pretty close to the style you want while at the same time been savy to the mood on the dance floor.

Believe me, you dont want to screw this up. It will be the perfect rebutle for her for a long time to come!!

Good luck.

 

[masak_aer]

Hire a DJ. It's not worth your time wasted on prepping all the hookups and stuff. I've been there.

 

[ninja12]

Hire the DJ. Tell the DJ what kind of songs you prefer and make sure the DJ has them. The last thing you want is for your set-up to malfunction on your wedding day. You will be spending time trying to fix that than spending with your new bride. That would not be good. BTW, did I say "Hire the DJ". In case I didn't, HIRE THE DJ. There's an old song an one the lyrics in the song say "Last night a DJ saved my life from a broken heart". Hint Hint

 

[superstar]

Anyway back to the original topic. I should just be able to plug the Laptop into the mixing console directly if I have a sound card right?.

Yes, you should be able to just hook up the laptop to the receiver/mixing console.

Is there a need for an amp? How many total Watts is necessary for 200 people

It depends on the speakers and the mixing console/receiver, some come with a built in amp. You might need it/might not. Test it out and see how loud you want it.

 

[mazersteven]

It depends on the speakers and the mixing console/receiver, some come with a built in amp. You might need it/might not. Test it out and see how loud you want it.

This chart will help you pick speakers. I recommend Active speakers.

http://www.mackie.com/products/speakers/index.html

 

[abefroeman]

Let me be the first to say don't hire a DJ.

I recently got married and we followed everyone's advice on the ceremony. it "went fine" but it wasn't "us". you want (and your girl really wants) to have a special day. so do what ever YOU want to make it special. (by you I mean both of you)

As for the sound. talk to him about connections to the computer, he probabaly has the connections himself. Just make sure you work it out in advance and do a test run.