The formalities of the wedding ceremony have taken place, you have enjoyed your first meal as a married couple in the company of your family and friends and hopefully laughed at the speech by the Best Man. And then it is time for the evening reception and the party to start, very often to include dancing to music played by a DJ.
DJ Geoff Grove has become a familiar face at Layer Marney Tower, playing at many wedding receptions over the years. Geoff is not just experienced but also passionate about providing that perfect atmosphere for any celebration, whether you are wanting to hear retro tracks from the 80’s and 90’s or current club classics. Nothing is too much trouble!
We had a chat with Geoff about his experiences at Layer Marney Tower.
How long have you been a DJ?
I have been interested in electronics from an early age and in 1979 I built my first disco setup from scratch when I was just 13 years old! I started to DJ at football presentations while still at school and would enlist the help of someone to transport me to gigs.
I was really into Soul, Jazz Funk and Disco music and still love playing it today.
I worked as resident DJ for the Hannover Golf Club (now known as The Rayleigh Club) for two years, covering all their functions. I then took over at Quilters in Billericay, playing a mix of Garage, House and Soul every Friday and Sunday night. Over 12 years I did roughly 1,000 gigs.
Currently, I DJ at private parties across Essex and run an agency of around 8 DJs who I know I can trust to provide an excellent reliable service at a sensible price, if I am already booked.
My aim is to keep everyone engaged and for the whole evening to be an outstanding success; I always “play to the audience” and “play for a reaction”.
When do you set up?
If you wish, I can set up in advance of the evening reception and then provide music throughout the Wedding Breakfast. I will also supply a stand and microphone for use during speeches, so that all speakers are clearly heard by all.
Do you offer anything different to other DJs?
I offer a unique optional package of reportage photography, which you can tailor to suit your needs. I enjoy photography as a hobby and am perfectly positioned to get a “Birdseye view” of the dance floor. Many wedding photographers leave after the first dance but I can continue taking photos throughout the evening. All photos are supplied on a memory stick, posted directly to you. I can also make a web link so all guests can view and share the photos on social media, at a lower resolution.
Wedding guests are given the option to request their favourite track
Have you played at any unusual or amazing venues? (Other than Layer Marney Tower!)
Many…Highclere Castle (known to many as Downton Abbey); The Shard in London; a Steam Boat on the Norfolk Broads; Boat party on the Thames; a Barge in Maldon, Essex; a converted underground railway station near Canon Street; Millenium Hotel, Mayfair; Hilton Hotel, Park Lane.
Geoff went on to tell us about unusual and fun wedding ideas he had seen at previous weddings:
Wedding couples will very often write a playlist and e-mail it to me, including the chosen slow dance. Often, this will include two slow tracks to give your official photographer more time to capture that perfect shot.
Another idea to help your DJ and personalise your wedding reception music is to print out song request slips. One of my favourites was an image of a cassette tape, where the space on the “label” was where guests wrote down their favourite tunes. The slips were placed on the tables or bar with pens, during the wedding breakfast or evening reception, for guests to fill out and hand to the DJ.
While DJing at Layer Marney Tower I saw something unusual and fun. For the place names, the bride and groom used photos of all their guests which they had painstakingly collected from Facebook. They printed the photos, (without names), and placed around the tables. It caused a lot of laughter – not least as some of the photos were not perhaps that flattering, or showed funny or old pictures of guests!
At another wedding, the place names were made from bars of Dairy Milk Chocolate and doubled up as favours. The wrappers were personalised with each name; they even made one with my name on it!
I was particularly pleased with the photo I took of one wedding couple walking through an archway of guests with sparklers – the effect was really good.
We have enjoyed chatting to Geoff and appreciate his input! If you are looking for a friendly, flexible and personal service from an experienced DJ, why not contact DJ Geoff Grove for a competitive quote.
All photos supplied and credited to Geoff Grove.
DJ and Reportage Photographer Geoff Grove
Telephone 01702 200800 or email: Geoff
by Karen Brand – Wedding Coordinator and DJ Geoff Grove
