Over the past 25 years, we have worked with thousands of amazing couples across the world. When making this blog we kept our Hindu couples in mind. Half of the Hindu weddings we DJ are with both the bride and groom being Hindu. Some of the weddings we do are mixed or fusion weddings where one person is Hindu and the other is not South Asian (White, Black, Hispanic or Asian). A few weddings each year will have a Hindu (Gujarati, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Marathi, Bengali, Rajasthani, Punjabi, etc) marrying another a person that is South Asian but is from a different religion (Christian or Muslim).
The entire wedding weekend is built around a lot of fun events including the sangeet (or garba), baraat and reception. People often forget about the actual wedding ceremony. Ten years ago, this was the number one service people would call us back on to add to their contract. We knew it was needed and would tell our couples to add it at the time of booking, but they would often say no. Most couples now know that they need it and book it with their initial contract. Some still question the need for it. This blog will tell you why you need a DJ for your Hindu Wedding Ceremony.
Why you need a DJ for your Hindu Wedding Ceremony
Here is a short 1 minute video of a few of the hundreds of Hindu weddings we have been a part of.
1) Background music
Picture the groom's side having a great time at the baarat, like below, and then walking to your mandap area.
They can't walk into a quite room. You will need some kind of wedding related background music. North Indian weddings usually play Shehnai, South Indian weddings usually play Nadaswaram, and fusion couples will usually play bollywood instrumental music. You need the DJ to play the right music and adjust the volume throughout the ceremony. It never should be loud but the volume will fluctuate throughout the ceremony.
2) The grooms entrance to the mandap
This is not long but needs to happen at the right time and the correct volume. Here are some song suggestions for the grooms entrance. Fill out the form on this page and we will send you one suggestion for all of the songs you need for your entire wedding weekend.
3) Bridesmaids/groomsmen entrance to the mandap
The DJ needs to be paying attention to the ceremony and know when when the priest is calling for the bride. Not everyone has bridesmaids and groomsmen enter the mandap. But if you do, here are some suggestions. The bride should have her own song.
4) The brides entrance to the mandap
This is one of our favorite moments of the weekend. When the bride enters, everyone stops what they are doing and happily watches the bride enter. Its almost like everyone wants to say "aww" at the same time. We have suggestions for entering your mandap on a song with lyrics or with music only. Check out both to find the best choice for you. Most brides pick songs and some pick instrumentals. Fill out the form on this page and we will send you one suggestion for all of the songs you need.
5) The Vidai/Bidai
Hands down, the absolute worst part of our job. Worse than sleepless nights. Worse than missing occasions with our loved ones. Worse than being hungry and not being able to get food. Worse than being outside for a wedding in the cold or heat. As a good DJ, you want to see people celebrate and have the best time of their life. Making people cry isn't what we signed up for. But it's a part of the job, and we will put our big boy pants on and push through it. Here are some suggestions to help with the tears. On a side note, do this right after the wedding is done and you have taken pictures at the mandap. You will look your best and the staff can start setting up the reception sooner. If you need a DJ for your wedding, reach out to us here.
6) Microphone for the Priest/Maharaj
This is needed so everyone can hear the person speak, it can get recorded for your video, and they can explain to everyone whats going on. We first started doing Indian weddings 25 years ago. at that time the ceremony would be 6-8 hours long. Now they are about 4 hours. Fusion couples have it down to 1-2 hours. No matter how long it is, you will still have the same key moments and needs.
A wedding is the happiest moment in your life and you should have vendors that you love. Over our 25 years of bringing joy to couples, the DJ Riz Entertainment team has been a part of thousands of couples' dream wedding weekends. Given these points, if you would like to talk about music and lighting for your wedding contact us here. Check out this short video from some of our recent weddings.
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