What You Don't See: The Work That Happens Before Your Wedding Day

One of the questions I get asked most often is:

"So... what do you do during the week?"

It's a fair question.

From the outside, it probably looks like I spend my weekends performing at weddings and have the rest of the week off.

The reality is very different.

When you book a professional wedding musician and DJ, you're not simply booking someone to turn up and play music.

You're booking months of planning, years of experience, and many hours of preparation that all lead to one goal: making your wedding feel effortless.

In fact, I estimate that around two-thirds of the work I put into each wedding happens before I even arrive at the venue.

For a typical seven-hour wedding, I'll usually invest around 20–25 hours preparing behind the scenes.

Here's what that week actually looks like.

Long Before Wedding Week

Preparation starts months before your wedding.

We'll chat about your ceremony songs, first dance, timeline and the kind of atmosphere you'd like throughout the day. If you've asked me to learn a special song, I'll start working on it well in advance so it feels polished and performance-ready—not something I've rushed together the night before.

By the time your wedding week arrives, most of the big decisions have already been made.

Now it's all about refining the details.

The Week Before

Planning & Communication

This is when I:

• Finalise your run sheet and music selections.

• Confirm timings with you and your venue.

• Coordinate with photographers, celebrants, planners and other suppliers where needed.

• Make any last-minute adjustments so everyone is working from the same plan.

  
  

Music Preparation

Every wedding is different.

During the week I'll be:

• Rehearsing your ceremony songs.

• Running through live acoustic sets.

• Refining DJ playlists and transitions.

• Making sure every key musical moment feels natural and unhurried.

  
  

Equipment Preparation

One of the biggest compliments I can receive is when couples don't notice the equipment at all.

That's because everything has already been tested before I leave home.

That includes:

• Restringing guitars.

• Charging batteries.

• Testing microphones and speakers.

• Preparing backup equipment.

• Updating software and firmware where required.

  
  

The goal is simple: when your wedding day arrives, everything should just work.

Continuous Improvement

Even after more than 600 weddings, I'm still learning.

Whether it's refining my performances, researching new equipment or improving my lighting and DJ programming, I always want each wedding to be better than the last.

Wedding Day

By the time I arrive, most of the work has already been done.

I usually arrive around two hours early to set up, soundcheck and make sure everything is ready before your guests arrive.

From that point on, my focus shifts entirely to you.

Reading the room.

Working with your timeline.

Adjusting to the unexpected.

Making sure every important moment lands exactly as it should.

After the final song, there's still the pack-down and drive home—often making it a 12+ hour workday.

Why It Matters

Hopefully, you'll never notice most of this work.

That's actually the point.

You shouldn't have to think about microphones, timelines, batteries, backup equipment or whether the music will start at exactly the right moment.

You should simply enjoy your wedding.

If everything feels effortless, then I've done my job.

Final Thoughts

Great wedding entertainment isn't just about what happens on the day.

It's everything that happens beforehand.

The planning.

The preparation.

The communication.

The experience.

Because I only accept one wedding each day—and a limited number each year—every couple receives my full attention from the first enquiry through to the final song.

That's what you're really booking.

And that's what makes the difference.

Reviewed and updated by Josh Sperring. Josh is the founder of Sperring Entertainment and has performed at more than 600 Melbourne weddings.

Last updated: June 2026