Spotify or DJ for Your Wedding? (And How to Do Both—the Right Way)

So you're getting married, and you're wondering, “Do we need a DJ, or can we just use Spotify for our wedding?”

Take it from me, a wedding DJ with over 14 years of experience: yes — you absolutely can use Spotify. In fact, in certain (rare) cases, you should.

Let’s talk about when Spotify actually makes sense, and when a real DJ can make the difference between “a decent party” and “literally the best night ever.”

When a Spotify Wedding Makes Perfect Sense

Not only can you do a Spotify wedding — you should, if you meet the following criteria:

✅ You’re mainly doing background music and speeches.

✅ You’re not planning a huge, high-energy dance floor that runs all night.

✅ You or your guests are happy with a chill, steady playlist vibe from start to finish.

✅ You’re comfortable renting and managing the sound system yourself (or appointing someone who can be trusted with that responsibility—for the entire wedding).

If that sounds like you, then a Spotify setup is a great way to go.

Spotify is perfect for:

• Ceremony music and cocktail hour ambiance

• Dinner playlists that set the mood but don’t overpower conversation

• Speeches and first dances (just queue them properly ahead of time)

You can even use Spotify’s built-in “DJ Mode” — but results may vary, lol.

The Gear You’ll Need

If you’re doing your own music for up to 100 guests, here’s what to rent from Long & McQuade — perhaps my favourite company in the whole world. I've been renting and buying from them since day one (14+ years ago) as a DJ in Calgary.

🎵 Recommended setup:

• 2× Yorkville YXL12P powered speakers

• 1× Yorkville YXL15SP subwoofer (optional, but makes a huge difference for dancing)

• 1x Shure BLX wireless mic for ceremony & speeches

• 1× small mixer (e.g. Behringer Xenyx Q802USB)

• 1x Yorkville LP LED 4X (compact, all in one dance floor lighting fixture)

• XLR cables, power cables, speaker stands, and a power bar

💰 Estimated weekend rental cost: around $200-$300 total. 🎵 For smaller weddings (80 or less), where there won't be a dancefloor:

• 1x Yorkville EXM8 battery-powered speaker (light, compact, easy to move anywhere)

• 1x Shure BLX wireless mic for ceremony & speeches (note: wireless mic receiver needs a power source. We use a battery station (like the Jackery 300)

• 1x Speaker stand and a power bar

• 1 aux cord, or use Bluetooth (I always use cords, Bluetooth can be silly)

• That's it! Relatively easy to set up, for a casual laid-back wedding with no dancefloor
  

💰 Estimated weekend rental cost: around $70.00 total

The Human Factor (Don’t Skip This)

Here’s the part most people forget: Someone still has to be in charge.

You, the bride or groom, will have a thousand other things to think about — you do not have time to babysit a sound system for up to 10 hours. That's a job!

So, appoint someone who knows what they’re doing. They know how to hook up and monitor the sound levels for all the equipment I mentioned above. Maybe your cousin who’s good with tech. Maybe a trusted friend who is also a DJ. They can absolutely do it — if they understand the information in this blog post. And (crucially) if you can trust them with this important responsibility. They can't hammered / bored and neglect their duty to keep the day flowing and the party going.

Lighting: Take it to the next level

A little lighting goes a long way toward making your setup feel professional. You can rent wireless uplights from a few stores in Calgary. They're not cheap, but they're way cleaner and quicker to setup & adjust compared to standard corded uplights.

Set them to warm, soft ambient light during dinner, then switch to color-changing mode for the dance. It completely transforms the room and helps everyone feel like it’s time to celebrate.

Or, if you’d rather not deal with any of that, we can handle everything for you. Our Elegant Wireless Uplighting includes full setup, color sync, and adjustments throughout the night — warm white for dinner, vibrant color wash for dancing. Booking us means that you can actually relax, cut loose, and enjoy the day you've been planning and imagining for years.

About the Playlists

If you’re going the Spotify route, you'll need really good playlists. Well, you've come to the right place. I’ve published over 25 hand-picked Spotify playlists — and that number keeps growing.

They cover pretty much every vibe and moment you can think of: retro classics to get the night started, sing-alongs, group dances, slow dances, chill background music — literally the best songs from every genre put into neatly organized playlists. You can find them all on my Spotify profile. They’re made for real weddings — not generic playlists thrown together by algorithms.

When It’s Time to Hire a DJ

If you want a dance floor that stays full, if you want smooth transitions between every part of the day, if you want someone who’s already handled hundreds of weddings —then it’s time to get a DJ.

When you hire us, you’re not just hiring someone to press play. You’re hiring someone who knows how to:

• Read the crowd and adjust in seconds

• Nurture the energy through dinner, speeches, and dancing

• Balance volume levels perfectly so everyone enjoys

• Coordinate with planners, vendors, and venues without missing a beat

• Save the day with a backup plan if equipment fails or plans change on the spot
  

A great DJ doesn’t just play music — they know when to play each kind of song. And if you ever want to make a request mid-party? Please do.

You, as the couple, can always come up and ask for anything. We’ll play it immediately, no questions asked — it’s your wedding.

We'll filter the requests from your guests, or just stick to the list you provide, it's all up to you.

"I'll just get my cousin to do it" VS "Let's hire a really good DJ who lives and breathes weddings." Up to you :D

In the End

If your wedding is low-key, more about conversation and connection — go ahead and do a Spotify setup. If you want seamless flow, pro sound, and a dance floor that just doesn’t quit...if you want to have an epic dance party that you and your guests will never forget— then let's get in touch.

The music matters. It’s what ties everything together — the ceremony, the dinner, the dance, the memories. If you'd like to know more about how we can make your day unforgettable, check out our weddings page. No matter which way you go, we hope your wedding is best day ever!