Planning
the room layout and set-up
of tables for the reception
There are many
things to consider when deciding where the tables will be positioned.
You should take these tips with you when meeting with the venue
hall management as guidelines for a successful event or Wedding
Reception.
Firstly, determine
the room capacity when there will be seating and a dance floor.
If the DJ is providing the microphone for speeches, check with the
service to see if they use a corded microphone or wireless.
If it is a corded style, then the DJ table should be located near
the head table podium. This will reduce the amount of cable
laid out on the floor and reduce chances of a tripping hazard.
Note: Be sure that they will tape all cables down for safety.
If the DJ service can provide a cordless or wireless microphone,
the table can be located almost anywhere along the side of the dance
floor area.
We must also
consider the speaker placement of the sound system. Ideally,
the DJ table should be located on the opposite side of the room,
so that the speakers are far away from the podium, thus reducing
the chance of that terrible squeal called feedback. This only
occurs when the microphone is put directly in from of the speaker,
or the mic level has to be raised up to compensate for someone NOT
talking directly into the mic (see section on microphone use age).
The DJ table
should also be located at the edge of the dance floor and
not along the back wall or behind the head table. Speaker
volume is always loudest at the speaker, and the level drops with
distance. During the dance portion of the evening, the DJ
will aim the speakers at the dance floor area and the volume will
be louder than when the background dinner music was played earlier
in the evening. Imagine anyone sitting between the speaker
and the dance floor - Don't seat your guests there, especially the
elderly!
Other areas
of consideration is the flow of traffic - how your guests and wait
staff will flow through the room. Make it comfortable for
all, and you will have a great party. If you are having your
wedding party introduced into the room before dinner, make sure
that there is enough room between the tables to allow your bridal
party to walk side by side all the way from the entrance to the
head table. Make sure that your Bridal Party knows where they
are sitting... on which side of the Bride and Groom. This will also
allow for great photo and video opportunities.
Glitter
Every table
may look great when you place glitter or confetti chips on the tables.
For a DJ though, this spells disaster. Don't put any flakes
of confetti or glitter on or near the DJ table set up area.
This stuff tracks easily, and can (and usally does) end up on the
very CD's that are being played that night. Just one piece
will cause a CD to skip.. Worst case, the piece falls off
INSIDE the player, making it totally inoperable. Please take
the precaution of keeping the skirted DJ table absolutely clean.
This will help ensure that you have a sucessful party.
Microphone
Handling Tips
These tips will
apply to corded and cordless microphones alike. Firstly, a
microphone CANNOT correct for poor usage. It only processes
what it receives. If the guest speaker has a really quiet
voice or one that is too far away from the head of the mic, we cannot
correct to make it sound great. The farther your mouth is
away from the microphone pick-up area, the less the voice signal
will be. If the DJ tries to increase the volume though the
system, he/she runs the risk of feedback... that annoying high pitched
squeal that makes everyone cringe. The same applied to all
hall/venue supplied microphones.
With proper
set up and usage, we can virtually eliminate feedback using the
type of mic's required for each application. There is a specific
pattern assigned to every mic we need to use (which helps eliminate
feedback) and with your help, will make all your speeches sound
great. Look at the sample pattern below... the shaded area
represents the location where you need to have your mouth.
If you get out of that area, the ability to pick up your voice drops
significantly. You should be talking directly into or over
the top of the microphone within about 2-4 inches for best results.
If the mic is
mounted on a stand at the podium and you swing your head side to
side to look at both sides of the room, shift your body slightly
to keep your mouth in direct line to the mic head, or your voice
will fade out making it more difficult for your guests to hear. If
you are using a cordless microphone and holding it in your hand,
please refrain from hand guestures that move the mic all over.
Instead, try to hold the mic vertically and rest the head of the
microphone on or directly in front of your chin for best results.
Before your evening gets underway, have your MC visit the DJ and
get instructions on how to turn on/off the microphone and verify
the agenda for the evening.
When
hand holding the microphone while walking around the room, be sure
that you keep your body between the microphone and the speaker.
This will also help reduce the risk of feedback which occurs when
the mic is pointed directly at a speaker. The squeal is caused
by sounds picked up by the microphone which gets amplified over
and over until it's loud enough to be heard... thus the squeal.
When a mic is pointed directly at or held very close to a speaker,
this amplification occurs very quickly. By keeping your body
directly between the speaker and the mic your are holding, this
will reduce or eliminate all chances of feedback. Speaking
closely, clearly and slowly into the mic, we can obtain the best
possible results and a great sound for your guests to hear. |
