With last Friday’s feature article on the best wedding dances, we started thinking about music. After all, it’s one of the most important aspects to making a great party. Sure your reception is more than just a party, but it can still be ruined without the right music. We thought we’d get some advice from an expert so that you don’t end up with an empty dance floor!

Mathew Hornbeek, Founder of Loud DJs

Mathew Hornbeek is the founder of Loud DJs, Los Angeles and Ventura County’s premier disc jockey service. In the five years since his company opened, Loud DJs has grown to be an empire in the Southern California DJ world.

PROPOSAL: Thanks for taking your time to answer our questions, Mathew. Could you start by telling us about your role in the wedding industry?

MH: My job is to provide music and order to a wedding—or any event, whilst localizing “chaos” to the dance-floor and keeping worries away from a stressed Bride and Groom’s most special evening… all with style and class.

PROPOSAL: What first got you interested in being a DJ?

MH: I first became interested in DJ-ing in high school. A friend of mine was having a birthday party in her backyard and couldn’t afford a DJ. She gave me a call and that weekend I arrived with a surround sound system and a desktop computer to play some music at her party.

Prior to that day, I had never considered being a DJ but I’ve always been interested in music, I produced my first song, myself, when I was twelve and already had a large music collection. Not terribly long after that first gig I began amassing equipment and experience by doing friends’ parties, and soon friends-of-friends, and so forth.

PROPOSAL: How was Loud DJs formed?

MH: Loud DJs started in its earliest stages in 2005 as a side project while I went to college and worked for another much larger disc jockey company. I hired two other DJs to perform at events. By 2007, all three of us were busy with events back-to-back solely for Loud DJs. We continue today and take those years of hard work and experience with us.

PROPOSAL: What about the way you work is different from other DJs?

MH: As I’m sure all of our past clientele would agree, we really can mix music. I’ve seen a lot of mobile DJs and found that most are less disc jockeys and more announcers.

Don’t get me wrong, being able to keep an event smooth and organized over a microphone is a talent that requires loads of experience and confidence, which is something we bring to every event.But we find few mobile DJs that really shine in smoothly mixing music.

I suppose the talent of mixing and remixing in all the ways you would expect in a downtown Hollywood club is something we provide that many others do not. Every Loud DJ is an experienced master of ceremonies and disc jockey. Each of us regularly performs at clubs across LA County and Ventura County.

PROPOSAL: What would be helpful for a bride and groom to know or have in mind before they were to consult with you?

MH: Some couples have their wedding extensively planned out prior meeting with us which can never hurt, and some haven’t really thought it out yet. Either situation is fine with us, in fact, we are very happy to help out a couple with some direction and professional advice in organizing their wedding. While we are DJs and not wedding planners, we do know heaps of insider information and can help suggest great vendors in the area.

PROPOSAL: When faced with a bride and groom who don’t have their reception style planned out, how do you guide them into determining the style of their event as far as music is concerned?

An experienced DJ will have a natural ability to read crowds fairly well..."

MH: An experienced DJ will have a natural ability to read crowds fairly well, even on the spot. Every decade had its own unique style of music and culture attached to it and so observing the various age groups at a wedding can give me a good estimation of the music they like.

There are also a few tricks we have involving neutral dance songs, and seeing who taps their feet, bobs their head, etc. Also, I usually will ask the couple a bit about their family’s background beforehand, which may contain some clues, or ask a guest at the party who they like. But of course, as I discuss with almost every bride and groom, music selection always turns out best received when it is eclectic.

Oh, and if the whole family is present, Grandma may not want to dance to 50-Cent, so I suggest saving it for later!

PROPOSAL: What was one of your most fun experiences while working with a bride and groom?

MH: To be honest I have fun with every couple. If I didn’t feel a distinct connection to the clients I work with, I probably am not the right DJ for them. I work to see people smile when their favorite tune comes on, or the look on parents’ faces while they watch their children make a big step in life.

But of course, there are those couples that certainly stick out in my mind as absolute riots. I seem to get a lot of those! To give you an idea, the first wedding Loud DJs ever performed had a very elegant, spiritual ceremony, pulled off beautifully. But just to throw everyone off-track, the bride and groom had me play “Cotton-Eyed Joe” as the recessional song.  They locked arms and whirled down the aisle while laughter erupted. The night continued in that fashion from that point onward.

PROPOSAL: What was one of the most challenging or unexpected things that happened during one of your jobs?

MH: The most challenging issues usually occur as a result of poor planning. I had a wedding last year where the day of the wedding the couple had me change important cue songs for various bits of the wedding and rearranged the order of certain events. This was a fairly complex wedding already so this was certainly challenging and unexpected.

Of course, we accommodated everything and the night went very well, but remember, accommodating any change at a wedding means that the right people have to be in the right places at the right time all according to a new schedule.

Every vendor and individual hired at a wedding and the wedding party need to be up to speed on things, and even with small last minute changes there need to be a lot of people notified. DJs play a big part in the organization of a wedding and often getting everyone in the right spot is up to us.

PROPOSAL: Have you ever faced a bride who turned into her altar ego?

MH: No bridezillas yet, but I have seen my fair share of stressed-out couples. I even once saw a bride get so stressed out that a doctor was called out to the event.

PROPOSAL: Any new and exciting ventures on your horizon?

MH: One of the things that we’re just starting to get out in the world is the new “Level III” package which is a full concert-level lighting and sound set-up. We bring gigantic speakers and a 20-ft trussing system covered in lights and lasers for the discerning client that wants a club wherever they so desire.

Additionally, this year we’re planning on starting another Loud DJs in Myrtle Beach, SC, and taking bookings for mid-March, June, and early August to start things out. We should be issuing more details in by the beginning of March.

PROPOSAL: Where can our readers find out more?

MH: You can find our site at LoudDJs.com, which is a website that we proudly designed ourselves and keep very up to date.

PROPOSAL: Well, good luck with the new “office”! Before we let you go, do you have any other advice for brides and grooms that will impact their big day?

MH: The biggest piece of advice I can give to clients is to ask questions to people that work in the industry. Vendors, including us DJs, work day in and day out on special events and weddings. Talk is cheap and asking a few questions to an experienced professional could save you lots of time and maybe even some cash.

Other than that,relax. It’s a big day, so get ready to enjoy it!

Well said, Mathew. And thanks again for taking the time to answer our questions!

Make sure to check out more about Mathew and Loud DJs at www.louddjs.com!

Check back next Tuesday for another interview with a Wedding Pro!