At DJ Services Cornwall we receive requests to perform at all type of parties so we’re going to share with you tips for successfully planning a party. Particularly we’re going to discuss licensing issues and noise restrictions and how to get around them.
We often get requests to DJ at parties ranging from; birthdays, fancy dress, themed, genres or decades at various indoor and outdoor venues. All of which are great fun for those party animals attending and myself… It’s the variety that keeps life as a DJ interesting and rewarding.
We have catered for small intimate parties where on one occasion there were only 11 people. Luckily everyone came with the right frame of mind to party and it was a great night! On the other hand, we have played in front of a festival crowd of thousands of party goers. Naturally we customise our set up and performance for each circumstance.
DJ Services Cornwall is a sister company of NWF Events and has a vast history of delivering oall types of national and international events and festivals. Over the years we have put in many, many hours of party planning. In some cases over a years worth of work has let up to a single weekend’s party. This experience allows us to deliver more than your standard DJ as we have vast experience and flexibility to deliver audio and lighting to a wide range of events.
Party licenses and restrictions
So you’re planning the party and have some questions. When do you have to turn off the music? How loud can it be? Let’s get on to a check list of considerations for planning your next party:
- Many venues have sound limiters in place to ensure guests or surrounding accommodation are not inconvenienced. These are set by the discretion of the venue.
- I have played at many a venue only to be informed by the staff to turn the music down. On some occasions this request would start as early as 9pm with further intervention during the night to turn it down further as the night progresses. It can be very difficult in some occasions to build that party atmosphere with these type of restrictions.
- All commercial premises will have an entertainment and alcohol licence stating what times these activities must cease, they are usually 12 or maybe 1am. In some circumstances and these must be adhered too, otherwise they run the risk of losing their licence. This is not the case for a private venue where no entrance fee is being accepted. That’s not to say the Police won’t be called if it is deemed too loud for your neighbours.
- Choose the size of the venue to ensure it is big enough for your needs. On some occasions we have performed at a venue that has been so large that it killed the atmosphere. It can be difficult to achieve a party atmosphere when people are rattling round such a large venue.
- Most of your chosen venues will give you the option to utilise on-site bar and food facilities. However, in the case of a dry hire venue, consideration of additional services may be required such as food, accommodation, refreshments, even accommodation. This will obviously increases your lead and planning time required.
- After securing your venue, usually the entertainment is next on the list. The sooner you book your party DJ, the better chance of securing your chosen venue and DJ. We at DJ Services Cornwall have had some parties in our diary for 18 months.
- The time of the week you hold your party and alcohol make a huge difference! While I appreciate it cannot always be achieved for numerous reasons, in our experience Saturday night is by far the best! Mid-week parties can suffer from people’s next day at work syndrome so they don’t always let themselves go. Or those who don’t drink enough alcohol to let themselves get into the party spirit. Especially the male gender who defiantly require a good level of alcohol consumption to achieve their urge to explode onto the dance floor!
Some of the best parties are fancydress and we often get into the party spirit ourselves leading from the front.