The day you exchange vows is an unforgettable occasion, and an integral part of that special day is crafting an unforgettable wedding celebration. Focusing on essential elements that leave a lasting impression on your guests, such as the music they hear and dance to, can greatly enhance the success of your event.

Meeting everyone’s musical preferences can be quite a challenge, especially when it comes to Greek weddings. Typically, a blend of Greek music styles like paradosiaka, modern Greek, and zeibekika are integrated alongside popular party tracks that are widely enjoyed.

As a wedding DJ with over 15 years of experience, Andy Kay, has seen first-hand the evolution of Greek music entertainment.

A second generation Greek Australian, Andy Kay, boasts a portfolio of hundreds of weddings he has planned music for, both across Australia and in Greece. Photo: Supplied/Ministry of DJs

“Traditional Greek music in weddings should never be lost, and we respect that,” Andy tells Neos Kosmos.

“What we are noticing however is our modern couples are moving away from the traditional 5,7- or 10-piece Greek bands and are now opting for a fun vibrant party involving DJs (without losing those important Greek elements to the music).

“The music we listened to when attending weddings as kids (with extensive songs and playlists) are slowly dying and being replaced with the cool vibrant sounds of your Argiros, Pantelidis and Kiamos to name a few,” he explains.

A second generation Greek Australian, Andy credits his traditional upbringing for falling in lοve with music and its potential to help celebrate the most important moments in our lives.

“My initial exposure and interest into Greek music and the ‘glendi’ came from early childhood, where my parents used to entertain friends and family at home watching music VHS tapes from the bouzoukia in Greece.

“This generated my thirst and passion for music and entertainment and led me to save my pennies and buy my first DJ decks over 20 years ago and never looked back since.”

Andy is the Events Director at the Ministry of DJs, a boutique entertainment agency, with expertise in providing Melbourne and Sydney’s finest DJs and musicians for events large and small.

“Music is such an important part of a wedding, and our mission is for all our couples and their family and friends who attend a Ministry of DJs wedding to walk out of the reception at the end of the night and say to themselves ‘I’ve had the time of my life!’,” says Andy (first from R). Photo: Supplied/Ministry of DJs

When it comes to weddings, their mission, he explains, is “to ensure couples have the time of their lives and to dance their socks off on our dancefloors.”

Andy and the team at the Ministry of DJs have experience in mixing Greek sets with non-Greek party tunes that work well on dancefloors and keeping everyone engaged regardless of their background.

We asked Andy of Ministry of DJs…
…What are your top 5 wedding songs guaranteed to get everyone on to the dancefloor?

Greek

Non-Greek

*To listen to Ministry of DJs’ 50 Non-Greek wedding hits of all time click here

But what they love offering in their services, is incorporating live instruments to accompany the DJ of the event to bring that modern flavour.

“We have a great team of Bouzouki players and Percussionists/Touberleki players as an example, that add that ‘wow’ factor to the entertainment and music.

“We also find that one of the best things about incorporating live elements is that they sound amazing incorporated over Greek and non-Greek music.”

The Ministry of DJs team has a fleet of musicians (including saxophone players like Georgia pictured here with Andy) ready to add that live element to your event. Photo: Supplied/Ministry of DJs

Delivering a successful Greek wedding party, Andy says, comes down to “blending quality music that everyone loves with high-energy live mixing of favourite songs from all generations people can sing and dance to.”

This requires professional DJs who prepare adequately but also know how to read a crowd and adapt accordingly.

“We are fortunate to have some of the best Greek DJs and musicians in Melbourne and Sydney on our team to help deliver this,” says Andy.

“They feed off the vibe of the crowd and have the ability to switch between paradosiaka and party music depending on what the crowd wants and responds to.”

Ministry of DJs clients Georgia and Andrew at their wedding party dancing Zorba. Photo: Supplied/Allume weddings

Wedding preparations can be filled with stress, but the team at Ministry of DJs understands their worth in the end. That’s why they prioritise direct communication with clients, aiming to understand their desires and requirements for the wedding celebration.

“No wedding is ever the same and we go above and beyond to ensure couples receive the celebration they deserve,” says Andy.

The process of planning a party unfolds as follows: Once a booking is confirmed, our team reaches out to engage in a conversation to couples regarding “your ideal wedding ambiance and atmosphere.” We delve into details such as musical preferences, theme choices, target audience demographics, overall atmosphere, and more. This comprehensive discussion allows us to identify the ideal DJ that perfectly suits the unique preferences of each couple.

“This is my favourite part of the wedding journey as we find out more about what is important to our clients and how we can deliver on that,” says Andy.

“The final step is for our couples to chat with their superstar DJ before the big day to ensure everyone is ready to party! We also assign a dedicated and experienced event manager for all couples, who is with them every step of the way to ensure everything is simply perfect.”

If bouzouki is what’s calling you, the team at Ministry of DJs will make sure a player is there for your special day. Photo: Supplied/Ministry of DJs

We asked Andy of Ministry of DJs…

…What are the Dos and Don’ts when choosing music for a Greek wedding?

Do add a live Greek element to your wedding if you can, to add that ‘wow’ factor (non-Greek guests also love it!)

Do not assign extra-long brackets for Greek music (20 – 25 min brackets are ample). We find anything more than this and you tend to lose the crowd. Greek music should be played based on genre (i.e., one bracket Paradosiaka/Traditional and later on in the night one bracket of zeibekika as a guide)

Do have fun when choosing your music for your special day. An example of this is assigning a separate song for each of the couples for the bridal party entrances.

Do not forget to add the Zorba in your ‘must play’ list – everyone loves it regardless of where you are from!

Do trust your DJ on the night. Their job is for you and your guests to have the time of your lives! They are trained at reading the dancefloor and keeping the energy levels up all night.

Do not forget to ask the venue if it’s ok to arrange a tray of shots for when the zeibekies come on (you’ll thank us later)

For more information on the Ministry of DJs and to get in touch with them, use one of the platforms listed below.
Web: www.ministryofdjs.com.au
Insta: @ministryofdjsentertainment
Email: info@ministryofdjs.com.au