Amy and Becca found me through the Alt Wedding directory, while looking for a DJ at fairly short notice after an unfortunate cancellation - luckily for me, they got in touch and this ended up being the first wedding I played as a supplier in my own right (i.e. not for friends who already knew I’d turn up and do a decent job for them!)
After swapping a few emails, I met Amy and Becca over video call to find out everything I could about their musical tastes. We reflected on their fondest memories centred around music – including their days at Durham University, where they first met and fell in love. We talked about their soft spot for early noughties emo, rock influences and the pop-infused choices that would appeal to a wider selection of guests. Becca was keen to pay respect to her Irish background and gave me a clear instruction to play the correct version of Galway Girl – and I was delighted to oblige!
The happy couple spent their wedding day surrounded by friends and family at St Chad’s College in Durham – an absolutely stunning venue in the heart of the city, opposite the beautiful cathedral with the same name.
By last summer my little old car was showing signs of slowing down, so plagued by thoughts of my engine falling out on the A1 I bought breakdown cover and set off with around 6 hours to spare before my planned arrival time. With an afternoon to kill I enjoyed a run in the sunshine to explore the beautiful sights of the city - what an amazing perk of travelling for weddings! It also gave me the chance to take a sneaky detour past the Cathedral grounds and College to work out where I needed to be. After a quick shower and spruce it was time to head to the venue – free from car drama and feeling fresh.
I don't think I've ever seen anyone vacuuming confetti from a lawn before, but that's the kind of maintenance that a high-quality wedding venue requires - kudos to the dedicated staff for all their hard graft (yes, we did enjoy a verse of I Want to Break Free as I unloaded).
I met the lovely wedding coordinator Darryl soon afterwards, and managed to catch a sneak peek of Becca and Amy’s amazing looks which not only made them shine as individuals, but also complemented each other beautifully. Becca’s ethereal headdress and the beading details on Amy’s gown were such brilliant touches (not to mention an epic choice of platform sneakers!) I got to work setting up in the bright and open courtyard space, with speakers and uplights provided by local company AV Unit. I especially loved being in front of a twinkling birch tree as it meant I had very little to do to make the space look pretty as a picture.
Becca and Amy had carefully chosen an all-female dream team of suppliers for the evening, with photography from Jules Barron and videography from Laura Baker. They were both delighted to see a woman prepping to get behind the decks, and I felt instantly at ease meeting them both. They were so warm and kind, and full of words of encouragement for me and my business. I especially appreciated Jules’ heads up to play a Chappell Roan song early doors, as being a rusty millennial I had no idea who she was. Thanks to the University Wi-Fi I managed to get the track lined up in time, and it went down a treat*.
Photos by Jules Barron Photography
Not only was this my first official Rave the Date wedding, but it was also my first booking for an LGBTQ+ couple. I believe deeply in the right to marriage equality for all, and as a supplier I have a role in supporting people to express their individuality, identity and orientation in any way they choose on their wedding day. It's really important to me to gain trust from people identifying as LGBTQ+ as an inclusive supplier and ally, so it meant so much that Amy and Becca put their faith in me to DJ for them on their special day.
We started the evening with a father-daughter dance to Tiny Dancer by Elton John, before Amy and Becca took to the floor for their first dance as a married couple. I’ve been told that When You Say Nothing At All by Ronan Keating has a special (if a little tongue-in-cheek) significance for them, which is something I love about first dances – the song you choose doesn’t need to reflect your overall taste if it has important meaning to you! Amy and Becca also carefully chose the song to play afterwards, when the rest of the party joined them on the dancefloor - we kicked things up a gear with Accidentally in Love by Counting Crows and the joy felt in the room was palpable.
My brief for the evening was simply to create for a fun party playlist, and I think we nailed it thanks to the inspiration the nearlyweds shared with me – predominantly from songs they enjoyed with their friends at University. I have to say that seeing every single guest jumping and singing along to Darude’s Sandstorm was the moment I realised I’ve made the right career move! I’m very lucky that one of the guests captured the moment on video and it’s something I will continue to share far and wide for a very long time.
Photos by Jules Barron Photography
We closed the festivities by recreating the end-of-the-night ritual from Becca and Amy's favourite University haunt (which I don’t remember the name of, sadly, but I’ve heard it was a cracking party) – I knew I would be playing ‘That’s Amore’ by Dean Martin but didn’t realise that pretty much all of their guests would still be standing strong at midnight, arm in arm in a huge circle around the newlyweds for a singalong! What a truly special moment to witness, and a testament to the incredible friendships and family bonds that this pair have around them.
Thank you Amy and Becca for a truly memorable night, and I wish you every happiness for the future!
*I have since fully educated myself on Chappell Roan and I am OBSESSED.
MY FAVOURITE TRACKS FROM THE NIGHT:
Pink Pony Club – Chappell Roan
Beating Heart Baby – Head Automatica
Monkey Wrench – Foo Fighters
Timber (Feat. Kesha) - Pitbull
Wake me up before you go-go – Wham!
We are your friends – Justice vs Simian
Chop Suey! – System of a Down
Dancing in the Dark - Bruce Springsteen
I’m Shipping up to Boston – Dropkick Murphys
Loco in Acapulco – The Four Tops
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