To prepare your wedding in Paris successfully, take care with the lighting at dinner, hand coordination to a point person, send your music to your DJ, open the dance floor before midnight and keep the bar, the photobooth and the DJ close to the dancefloor.
As DJs who specialise in Parisian wedding entertainment, we support you in preparing your wedding with these 12 planning tips, so that everything goes perfectly from start to finish. If you have not yet booked your supplier, start with our guide to finding a good wedding DJ.
Organisation: how can you delegate so you can enjoy your day?
1. Delegate and involve your witnesses
Preparing a wedding in Paris can be a real challenge, and you will not be able to handle everything. Entrust small tasks to your loved ones and your witnesses:
- Opening the venue
- The decoration
- Paying the suppliers
- The instructions
They will be happy and proud to take part in organising your wedding. Your schedule becomes lighter, and their involvement adds a personal touch to the event.
2. Appoint a point person for coordination
If you have not hired a wedding planner, appoint a point person, often a witness, to coordinate your suppliers: the caterer, the DJ and the other vendors. They also gather your loved ones' requests (technical needs, microphones, special music for a surprise) and liaise with your Parisian wedding DJ. You will enjoy your evening more, because it goes by very quickly.
Also give our address [email protected] to your witnesses: they may need it for a specific request to your DJ. Our tips for communicating well with your DJ will help you prepare these exchanges.
Atmosphere and music: how do you set the tone for the evening?
3. Create an enchanting atmosphere with soft lighting
The lighting level in venues is often too high. To create a magical atmosphere during dinner, combine candles on the tables with the LED spotlights of the Ambient Spotlights option offered by your DJ. For a marquee wedding, the dimming option also lets you dim compatible chandeliers or string lights. Both options let you adjust the light, personalise it and bring intimacy to the dinner thanks to a soft, hushed atmosphere.
Dimmed lighting creates an intimate, hushed atmosphere, ideal for an elegant wedding. See also why you should not overlook lighting.
4. Choose upbeat music for your entrance
Your entrance into the dinner room, after the drinks reception, is a key moment. To set the tone, opt for upbeat music for the couple's entrance and walk around the room past the tables, just like at this prestigious wedding. Your DJ can reuse this track as a short jingle during the speeches and surprises.
To make your choice, use our personalised interactive questionnaire, which contains Spotify links to playlists selected by your wedding DJ.
5. Limit song requests from your guests
Asking your guests for songs on the invitations may seem like a good idea, but it quickly becomes a headache. Too many suggestions may not match the atmosphere you want and may frustrate your guests. An experienced DJ knows what works and what does not. To share your favourite tracks, we recommend that you send us two playlists on the music platform of your choice:
- A short playlist: around twenty "must-play" tracks for your DJ to play.
- A longer playlist: it inspires us and lets us discover your musical tastes.
To define your styles, see how to choose the music for your wedding. You can add a blacklist of songs to avoid. Our article on the mistakes to avoid in a wedding playlist will help you prepare these lists.
6. Keep a good pace throughout the evening
A successful evening has no dull moments. With your witnesses or point people, and on your DJ's advice, make sure the moments follow on smoothly: nothing is worse than guests waiting a long time without knowing what to do.
Ideally, the dance floor should be opened by your DJ before midnight, while energy is still at its peak. The earlier you get the dancing started, the more guests you will have on the dance floor, and the longer the party will last: wedding parties that go on until dawn are often those where the dancing starts before midnight. Prepare this moment with our ideas for first dance songs.
Layout: how should you plan the room around the dance floor?
7. Place the drinks and the photobooth near the dance floor
At the end of the meal, have the caterer set up an open bar or a drinks buffet right next to the dance floor. This keeps guests from drifting away and the party lasts longer. Book our Photobooth to capture the festive moments, and have your DJ place it near the dancefloor: your guests will move easily from one activity to the other.
8. Set up the guestbook next to the photobooth
Place the guestbook table near the photobooth and add a sign inviting your guests to stick their photos in it. This small detail will leave you with memories from throughout the evening.
9. Set up the DJ as close to the dance floor as possible
Let your wedding DJ set up the booth near the dance floor. This creates a direct connection with the guests, for more energy and emotion. Do not isolate them on a mezzanine, for example.
10. Adapt the seating plan to your guests
Avoid placing the tables of older guests near the dance floor, the DJ or the speakers: they generally prefer a quieter spot. Bear this in mind in your seating plan, and read our article on sound levels at a wedding.
If the caterer needs to clear the first tables to free up the dancefloor, it is easier to ask the younger guests to get up. In that case, make sure the chairs are not left around the dance floor, so as not to encourage guests to sit down.
11. Plan a dance floor of the right size
A dance floor that is too large can break the intimacy of the evening. A smaller but cosy space is more conducive to dancing and encourages collective energy.
On the night: enjoy your wedding
12. Be the stars of the dance floor
The ceremonies are over, the pressure has eased: it is your wedding party, so have fun! As the newlyweds, you are like magnets for your guests. The more you are on the dance floor, the livelier the dancing will be.
Successful wedding preparation in Paris with Jour Précieux
Preparing a wedding in Paris requires particular attention to every detail. To make sure you forget nothing, continue with our wedding planning checklist for Paris.
A question about your evening? Write to us at [email protected] or have a look at our wedding DJ packages. We will be delighted to help you.
