June weather in southwest Colorado is often sunny and hot, but can also be cold, windy and rainy, so planning an outdoor wedding can be tricky. Jorgenson Music had a wedding DJ gig in mid-June 2022 at a beautiful outdoor location just outside of Durango. At 6:00p.m., just as the guests were seated and the ceremony started, dark clouds blew in and a heavy rain began that lasted on and off for hours. The wedding ceremony was moved inside a small wood shop of the father of the bride while we traced power cords to troubleshoot tripping breakers at the private residence. By the time the ceremony was over, the dance floor lights were on in the tent and the party was on!
A Unique Venue For A Summer Wedding
The property at the private home featured a river and island (at right in the image above) where the wedding ceremony took place. This is where being an audio production company rather than simply a wedding DJ is beneficial – our years of experience setting up audio at live outdoor shows means we have the equipment to adapt to these kinds of logistics where there are multiple locations that need microphones and sound.
We placed the DJ tent behind the tent-covered dance floor and across the river from the island ceremony location. Two sets of speakers were used for this event, with the forecast for rain taken into consideration. The main dance tent had no walls so we used our extras to provide protection for the audio equipment on the dance floor.
One pair of large speakers were placed inside our black DJ tent facing the ceremony across the river; a second set of speakers were inside of the white dance tent and included large subwoofers for deep bass that allows the guests to feel the music without being blasted with loudness.
Beautiful Wedding Weather, Until…
If the wedding ceremony had taken place two hours earlier it would have been a hot, dry event. But sometimes things happen to make incredible memories!
The little river island where the ceremony took place is accessed via a lovely arching bridge. The wedding music included an internationally renowned Chilean violinist who would stand under the blue tent on the island.
After setting speakers and hanging the dance floor lights, Brad Sumpter, our Jorgenson Music audio engineer, performed a pre-ceremony sound check with the ceremony violinist. We use a digital mixer that allows us to connect to our audio system remotely.
The father of the bride used a wireless mic to welcome the wedding guests so even those in back row could clearly hear his words over the sound of the flowing river. As he spoke, the front of the storm hit with full force, bringing heavy wind and rain. The wedding party that was facing the guests and the house witnessed the top half of a large cottonwood tree blow over as lightning began to flash and thunder boomed!
This is one of the last pictures of the front tree in the very center of the photo – the top half blew over in the storm that started just as the wedding ceremony was beginning! The large trunk crashed across the driveway and collapsed the gates, but thankfully all of the guests were at the ceremony so no one was injured. The decision was made to delay the ceremony so guests could seek shelter from the storm.
The tables that had been set out and decorated for the reception were drenched in rain as everyone scrambled to seek cover and move things inside buildings.
Many wedding guests hid from the rain under the dance floor tent while Jorgenson Music staff traced extension cords to troubleshoot tripping breakers that were preventing the lights and audio equipment from functioning.
When it was determined that the rain would not let up, the ceremony was moved to the father-of-the-bride’s wood shop, but it wasn’t large enough to hold everyone in attendance so some guests remained in other areas, including the wet dance floor under the tent. Thankfully the problem with tripping breakers was identified so the lights were on and we were able to bring back audio just as the ceremony ended.
Let’s Get This Party Started!
With a playlist that spanned many genres and generations, the wedding party and guests danced for hours! We created a custom first-dance mash-up song that surprised guests and kept everyone excited. As more than just a wedding DJ, Jorgenson Music audio production works to ensure the event runs smoothly and guests are happy.
Our lighting setup makes it feel like a private dance club! A lot of people had a great time dancing in the 20×20 tent!
More Than Just A Wedding DJ
The large speakers we use at events don’t need to be cranked louder to carry good, crisp sound. Having an audio engineer on-site as the wedding DJ ensures that even at a distance from the tent, guests could clearly hear announcements about special dances that were happening, or even dance at the bar area 30-yards across the lawn!
When other DJ companies try to pump out words and music to a crowd without adequate speaker and amplifier size, the sound must be cranked up, which blasts out anyone close to the speakers and causes distorted and muffled sound the farther back you get. We pride ourselves on exceptional audio production and bring professional equipment that provides acoustic quality. Your guests will see, hear and feel the difference that Jorgenson Music brings to your event.
Contact Jorgenson Music to learn more or to book your wedding DJ, event emcee, or live-music audio engineer!