Indeed.
I find that weddings are MUCH more stressful and harder on the DJ than a club gig. Weddings are all about maintaining the relationships and coordinating with the other stakeholders at the event - the Bride & Groom, the banquet captain, the photographer & videographer, the wedding coordinator (if any), the venue manager, and others (depends on the event and venue). The DJ MUST actively manage all those relationships through the event. Sometimes the DJ is driving the schedule, sometimes the schedule is controlled by someone else - you need to be flexible and willing to go with the flow. Sometimes the different people have different and conflicting goals - and that often falls on the DJ to mediate.
The music at a club tends to favor a narrow set of genres with a deep dive into the music. There is also a relatively narrow age range present in a club - and at least everyone has some expectation of what the music "should be." The music at a wedding tends to span several generations of popular tunes. The typical wedding reception audience includes grandparents, parents, the B&G and their friends, and (sometimes) young(er) kids. It can be a real challenge to offer something for everyone.
In (almost) every case, the DJ will also be MCing the wedding reception. STRONG mic skills are needed. This is "public speaking" but at the next level up...you are "hosting" the event. You are the official spokesperson for the B&G and need to represent their style and energy level to the audience. That requires that you build a relationship with the clients and learn something about their tastes. At a club gig, mic time is typically much more limited - announce the drink specials, tip your bartenders & waitresses, blah, blah, blah.
The load in/out of the PA (& lights) does require some degree of knowing what the !@#$ you are doing. Mobile DJs do not get to turn up 10 minutes early and plug into the club mixer or dropping a USB into the CDJ. That additional time needed to load in/out, setup and teardown is part of the job, and part of the paycheck.
In both cases, if you understand the role of the DJ, there are challenges and opportunities to really shine. And there is pride in any job done well. Given that my paychecks for a wedding are typically 5x to 10x the size of my club paychecks...any hole that is left by "artistic freedom" I feel like I'm giving up at a wedding is easily filled in with cash.
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