Why Your DJ Needs a Floor Plan

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What is a wedding floor plan?

When planning for their wedding, most couples understand the need for a schedule, and if you haven't built one yet, our guide on how to plan your wedding timeline is a great place to start, but they never really think about a wedding floor plan, other than possibly to assign seats during the reception dinner. But a wedding floor plan is just as crucial as your schedule in terms of helping the set up and execution of your ceremony and reception.

Your floor plan is what allows you to visualize how all the available space at your venue will be used. It concerns where and how big the dance floor will be, where the bar(s) will be located, and where the musicians, DJ, photo booth, buffet line, gift table, and every other aspect of your event will be situated.

The floor plan is especially important for a number of key people involved in your wedding. Your venue or event space will want a clear idea of your layout so they can provide the correct number of tables and chairs, understand any special gear required, such as audio or lighting equipment, and more.

Your wedding coordinator will need a floor plan so they can envision how to schedule the evening, and make sure all of the important elements of your ceremony and reception are where they need to be. Your various vendors and service providers need to know where they will be setting up, and where they can store gear when it's not being used.

For all these reasons, it makes a lot of sense to have both a digital and printed version of your layout available. You can email this out to concerned parties and have it on hand during the walk through and the actual set up.

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What is included on a good wedding floor plan?

The following are some key things to highlight on your floor plan:

Mark where all the power outlets are located. When possible, try to have shorter runs for cords and cables. This makes set up easier and helps to avoid tripping hazards.

Make it clear where your lights and speakers will be set up. If you're planning on adding uplighting or event lighting effects to your venue, this is something to go over beforehand with your DJ or AV person.

Leave room for fast lanes, which are the action areas where catering and servers can enter and exit from. This includes access to the bar(s) and dance floor.

Every venue will have restrooms and smoking areas, as these are major touch points for any wedding.

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How to make sure your wedding floor plan is done right

To make things easier for your vendors, not only should you have staging areas mapped out, but also a timeline for when each vendor will be using those areas. Stagger the set up times of your caterer, DJ, band, videographer, and photographer so they won't be getting in each other's way. When possible, hiring one company (like DJ Cutt Entertainment) to do multiple jobs will streamline the set up. You can also review our full list of recommended vendors to find trusted professionals familiar with Portland-area venues and beyond.

With all these details to keep track of, it's a good idea to do a site walkthrough a few days, or even weeks, prior to your actual wedding. This gives your vendors and coordinator a chance to check out the venue in person and work through potential problems ahead of time. Another pro tip: see if you can stage gear at your venue the day before. This will make the set up on the day of much easier.

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A Great Floor Plan Sets the Stage for Everything

A wedding floor plan may not be the most glamorous part of wedding planning, but it's one of the most important. When every vendor knows exactly where to set up and when, the day-of experience becomes dramatically smoother for you, your team, and your guests.

Think of your floor plan as the foundation that makes all the magic possible. Once it's locked in, you can focus on the details that make your reception truly special, like cold sparks for a jaw-dropping grand entrance or a dancing on clouds effect for your first dance.

Book DJ Cutt Entertainment for Your Oregon Wedding

DJ Cutt Entertainment has more than ten years of experience helping to plan and execute weddings in venues across Oregon and Vancouver, Washington. Whether you need music, AV, MCing, cold sparks, photo booths, or all of the above, our team of wedding experts is ready to help. Get in touch today for a free consultation.

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