In Conversation With Melbourne Wedding Dj’s: Sonder DJ’s
Step into the enchanting world of Sonder Dj’s, where co-founder Tim’s DJ journey began in 2008, sparking connections through music. Specialising in weddings, Sonder Dj’s crafts unique experiences by tailoring each performance to the couple’s desires. Elevate your special day with Sonder Dj’s, where music becomes the heartbeat of unforgettable moments.
Can you start by telling our readers about your journey into the world of DJing? What inspired you to pursue this career path, and why weddings in particular?
Our co-founder, Tim, started DJing at private functions in 2008 and was instantly drawn to the connection it facilitated for so many people. Tim has always felt he has found a balance between accessible music and music that creates special moments.
This eventually led him to performing at weddings, where he also lent on his career in event management and client service to develop a unique, personalised approach to servicing couples.
What sets your wedding DJ services apart from others in the industry? How do you create a unique and memorable experience for each couple?
Every single performance is catered specifically to the couple and their guests. We also understand that not every couple will know exactly what they want, so we guide them through the process, making it smooth and easy, and ensuring music is one less thing they have to worry about.
Our personalised approach to weddings is shared amongst all our performers, who also feel honoured to make sure everyone is having the best time, on what can be the most important day of people's lives.
We are not fussy about what sort of music we play, it’s your special day and we will play whatever makes you happy. As a boutique agency, you’ll get caring and friendly service, and only deal with Claire or Tim, before directly being connected with your performer.
We can also help with music for the ceremony, provide custom first dance medleys or mash-ups, and record snippets of the set from the evening so couples have something to relive.
How do you work with couples to customise the music and ambiance for their wedding day?
Everything we do is about making the music a reflection of the couple, so no request is too strange or doesn’t fit within our scope. We take their favourite songs and styles and pair them with music we know gets the crowd going (and make sure any disliked songs are omitted!).
A lot of our couples want a point of difference for their day/evening and have been opting for some unique musical styles for pre and post-ceremony drinks. We’ve had our performers play everything from italian jazz to acoustic country music, as well as familiar love-themed favourites, lounge and deep house.
We’ll also make sure any of the couple's special songs become key moments on their night, and that they are played at the right times.
Weddings can be incredibly emotional and high-stress events. How do you manage the pressure and ensure everything runs smoothly on the big day?
Once we have worked through the music brief with the couple, we handle all relevant comms between the venue and event planner/manager to ensure no extra stress or work is put on the couple.
All of our performers are experienced professionals and have experience working in events beyond just performing. We provide training to each performer, to reinforce their experience and ensure that people can trust in great entertainment and customer service wherever Sonder is involved.
What equipment and technology do you use to provide a top-notch audio and visual experience at weddings?
The aesthetics of a wedding are so important to a lot of people, so we make sure our equipment looks the part.
We provide sleek and clear sounding column speakers, alongside powerful but compact DJ equipment. We can also provide white speakers and decks, and various types of DJ booths to compliment different colour schemes. With our beautiful gear, we’ll make sure that we are part of the environment and not overpowering it.
Many couples have diverse musical tastes and guest lists. How do you handle a wide range of music preferences and keep the dance floor packed all night?
Our performers are experts at reading a room, and watching how the crowd is responding helps inform them as to what they play next. This ensures that the dancefloor kicks off at the perfect time, and will stay full until the last song. They are also well versed in knowing what songs all ages will enjoy, so that time on the dancefloor can be shared by all.
We really listen to our couples when they tell us about the age and cultural demographics of their guests, so we can strike the right balance of music throughout the evening.
Can you share some of your most memorable moments or stories from weddings you’ve DJed?
It is never lost on us how special it can be to have older family members at weddings, and sometimes to acknowledge the absence of important people as well. Music is such a beautiful way to bring people together, whether their physical beings are with us or not.
One of our bride’s fathers had recently passed away and that his favourite song was “Spirit in the Sky” by Norman Greenbaum. Playing that song to a full dancefloor was something truly beautiful, and her fathers presence and memory was felt by all.
The other times that really move us are when people are walking down the aisle. Often couples will book a DJ for the ceremony, and it’s always a pleasure to take on the task of timing music down the aisle, leaving every guest able to entirely focus on the proceedings.
What advice would you give to couples who are in the process of selecting a wedding DJ? What should they consider when making this important decision?
Make sure you feel a good connection with your music provider, you want to feel understood and comfortable to ask any questions and make any requests. Don’t let anyone tell you what you should and shouldn't do, it’s your special day!
In addition to DJing, do you offer any other services or packages to enhance the overall wedding experience?
We can provide almost anything and anyone when it comes to wedding entertainment. We have a roster that includes acoustic duos and solo vocalists, sax and piano players, drag queens, celebrants and photographers.
As mentioned, we’ll cater to any request and have provided everything from custom first dance mash-ups and medleys, to sound effects for speeches, music for walking down the aisle and wedding party entrances.
Lastly, what do you love most about being a wedding DJ, and what do you hope to bring to every couple’s special day through your music and expertise?
What a privilege it is to be a part of these special events. As a performer at a wedding, we have the opportunity to use music to create shared memories that will last forever.
Sonder is a word that means “the profound feeling of realising that everyone has a life as complex as one's own”. We are consistently struck with moments of Sonder at weddings. Through all the craziness of life, we end up together at weddings to connect and celebrate love, and music helps facilitate that.
Sonder DJ’s can be found online at sonderdjs.com.au or on Instagram at @sonder_djs
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