Kayleigh and Emma celebrated their wedding at Mythe Barn with an Essential evening dj service built around a brilliantly varied request list.

Kayleigh and Emma start the evening

I arrived to set up ahead of the evening celebrations, with the DJ set beginning once guests were ready to move into the night. There were no added extras for this booking, so the focus stayed entirely on the music and the moments Kayleigh and Emma had planned.

The cake cutting came first. Then, shortly afterwards, it was time for their first dance. Rather than choosing a traditional slow song, Kayleigh and Emma went straight into HOT TO GO! by Chappell Roan.

Kayleigh and Emma choose a properly mixed request list

Their music choices gave the night plenty of personality. For example, the must-play list moved from Blur and Girls Aloud to Led Zeppelin, Kylie Minogue, Paramore and Earth, Wind & Fire. Therefore, there was never any need to force the evening into one particular genre.

There were also some great curveballs. Zero To Hero from Hercules sat alongside Since U Been Gone, September, Ballroom Blitz and Waka Waka. Meanwhile, You Can Call Me Al had a dedication to “Dikola”, which added another personal detail to the playlist.

The wider request list stretched even further. It included Bananarama, Beyoncé, Blink-182, Elton John, Gala, Lady Gaga, Avril Lavigne, Steps, Stevie Nicks and The Smiths. As a result, there was plenty of room to react to the room while still keeping their choices at the centre.

Kayleigh and Emma finish with Tina Turner

Towards the end of the night, the music still had a broad mix to work with. However, the final planned song belonged to Tina Turner, with The Best chosen as the last dance.

That combination summed up the booking quite well: recognisable songs, unexpected choices and a first dance that certainly did not follow the usual formula.

You can also see another evening DJ package or browse previous weddings for more examples of how different couples shape their own evening.