Momina & Austin contacted us less than four weeks before their big day looking for a wedding DJ at Rothamsted Manor to take care of their evening reception: So we had a lot to organise in a short amount of time! Their celebrations were going to span several days, including a Muslim wedding over the weekend, followed by the traditional white wedding celebration at Rothamsted Manor on the Monday.
Planning Their Wedding DJ at Short Notice
I (Angela) sent over a quote and some initial information promptly. They replied to say they’d like to chat through everything in more detail, so we scheduled a video meeting at the earliest opportunity.
We always like to have a face-to-face or video chat before clients book. It gives everyone a chance to make sure we’re a good fit. The meeting went really well — they’re a lovely couple — and we felt confident we could deliver exactly what they were after. They clearly agreed, as they confirmed the booking shortly afterwards. Within a week of first getting in touch, they’d signed the contract and everything was confirmed.
Once that was in place, I sent them the login details to their private planning portal. There, they could fill in all the finer details of their day. I left that in their capable hands to complete over the next week or two.
Personal Touches for a Memorable Reception
During our meeting, Momina mentioned they had peacock colours in their wedding décor, so Steve decided to surprise them. As part of his preparation, he programmed a short, peacock-colour-wash sequence for their first dance.
Before the big day, I emailed Rothamsted Manor and the couple’s photographer, Eddy Fisher Photography to touch base. I sent our documentation to the venue; made sure we were all working on the same timeline; and generally introduced ourselves. This was something both the venue and the photographer found really refreshing and appreciated.
A few days before the wedding, Steve had one final phone call with Momina & Austin. This is something we always do — just to double-check everything. Steve also answers any last-minute questions and reassures the couple that everything is in hand.
As I don’t attend events with Steve when he is DJing, that was the end of my involvement in Momina & Austin’s big day — so I’ll hand over to Steve for the rest.
A DJ’s Perspective: Wedding Reception at Rothamsted Manor
Events with a smaller guest list often make me nervous — especially in a multi-room venue like Rothamsted Manor. With just 56 guests in total, and it being the third day of celebrations, this was a triple threat. I needn’t have worried.
The layout at Rothamsted Manor is ideal. While the bar and wedding breakfast were held in other rooms, the music from the party room could be heard throughout the venue without being overpowering. It struck the perfect balance.
Small guest numbers can sometimes make it harder to build energy on the dance floor. At weddings, people frequently want to catch up with friends or chat with new acquaintances. Also, not everyone is a dancer — so DJs often have to work that bit harder. Luckily for me, one particular guest (Austin’s brother, I believe) was determined to make sure everyone had a great time!
But let’s rewind a bit…
Setup and DJ Set at Rothamsted Manor
I was booked as the evening wedding DJ at Rothamsted Manor for this wedding. The layout at this venue doesn’t lend itself well to DJing all day, so that would have been an unnecessary expense for the couple.
I arrived in the afternoon during the wedding breakfast and set up quietly in the designated party room whilst they were eating. Momina & Austin chose our white starlit DJ booth as their preferred option to match the white starlit dance floor they were having.
Things kicked off at 6:00pm with background music while guests transitioned into the evening celebration space. The formal start came with Momina & Austin’s Grand Entrance. After a brief introduction from me and a round of applause from the crowd, I hit play on their chosen track. This was “Woman” by Doja Cat.
First Dance
With a little organisation from me, we followed their Grand Entrance with the bouquet toss. Amusingly the music they chose for this was “Girlfight” by Brooke Valentine. Then came the first dance (again with an appropriate announcement from me): “In Case You Didn’t Know” by Brett Young. During the first dance, I used the custom wash lighting I’d programmed. It featured subtle wash lighting in the podiums & moving heads projecting white stars slowly moving around the room.
As pre-arranged with the couple, I invited guests to join them halfway through the first dance. This led straight into the first big party track of the evening: “I Gotta Feeling” by Black Eyed Peas: a tried & tested way of getting things going (depending on the crowd).
Momina & Austin wanted to start with a bang. It worked!
A Packed Dance Floor
This is where my new best friend came into play. Austin’s brother knew exactly what tracks would get their crowd moving. “Cotton Eye Joe” was a particular favourite. Together with the couple’s excellent advance requests, and my selections to keep the vibe going, we filled the dance floor. It was busy, energetic, and fun all night long.
Participation dances like the Cha Cha Slide aren’t everyone’s cup of tea , but they went down brilliantly with this crowd. Each one filled the dance floor. Some rockier tracks, from the likes of Green Day, The Killers, and Wheatus, also hit the mark.
Before I knew it, it was 10:50pm. We closed the night with “Wonderwall” by Oasis, followed by a leaving arch (again, organised by me) to “This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)” by Natalie Cole. That gave Momina & Austin the perfect opportunity to say goodbye to all their guests… and, just like that, the night was over.
Then it was time to pack down and head home. I suspect I’ll still get nervous about small guest numbers — but maybe not quite as much now.
Being part of Momina & Austin’s big day as their wedding DJ at Rothamsted Manor was a real pleasure, and one we won’t forget.
What They Said…
“The experience was brilliant and I couldn’t fault it, there were lots of forms to fill out but it made the experience incredible and well worth it.
The music selection was so varied and played so well to the crowd with the transitioning between songs played perfectly and songs were played in such a good order, really cant fault the performance.”
Finally, here are a few snaps of the evening that Steve took from behind the decks…
