There's a lot of talk out there about iPod weddings, and I'd like to offer my input.

The short of it is this: just hire a reasonably priced professional wedding DJ.

The longer story is that I love iPods. I own multiples and have been using them since they came out, when I converted my entire CD collection and quit using those heavy chunks of plastic whenever possible. In fact, I think that it's silly for a wedding DJ to carry around all that extra weight if there's no need. However, an iPod is just a tool.

When someone tells you to "just plug your iPod in" for your wedding, the question is "to what"? If you own a $4000 PA system with crystal clear sound then that's a good start. If not, you can just rent one; an adequate one can be rented for several hundred dollars and a really good one for more. Of course you need someone willing to be a sound tech/roadie, haul it to the venue for you, set it up, and operate it for you. Hopefully you don't plan on ruining a friendship over free labor, so you should pay them something. Multiple wireless microphones, for an additional cost, would be nice so the guests can hear your ceremony vows and your Best Man and Maid of Honor can make toasts during the reception, perhaps someone would like to do a reading or play an instrument, maybe sing a song during your unity candle. Of course everyone wants to hear the prelude and ceremony music. Oh yeah, that means more money for another PA system for your ceremony, (surely you don't want your guests to wait around while the same sound system is being set up and sound checked twice?) plus more time and a lot more effort from your friend who is now working really hard for you as an AV tech and roadie.

But wait, what about on-site coordination with your other vendors so that everything runs smoothly? Your tired friend (who by now probably just wishes he were a guest who could relax and have fun like everyone else) needs to change out of his jeans and t-shirt so he can appear presentable to the public. Perhaps a nice suit and tie or even a tux so he can provide some direction for your event and use a microphone appropriately to make announcements and keep your other guests informed. Sort of like an emcee or master of ceremonies. But wait, that means he had to meet with you beforehand to create a schedule or timeline and then insure that the effort put into wedding planning results in successfully executed event coordination.

Speaking of insurance, you'd better have some! Liability insurance for events in Arizona is required, with liability amounts typically in the range of a million dollars. Medical bills and property damage can be expensive! If you think that's not an issue, think again. The person who creates the trip hazard that breaks Grandma's hip or starts an electrical fire that burns the reception hall to the ground is liable, and in your iPod wedding, that's you. But that's ok, you can purchase a single use insurance policy that covers your event for a few hundred dollars, so you're not in trouble when something bad happens.

Later, when the house lights are down and folks are dancing, it would be really cool to have some dance lighting- not coffee cans and colored paper; those don't look good, but intelligent lights that move to the beat of the music and provide dynamic, modern visual effects. There's another significant investment for a little extra fun.

You know, that's a lot to worry about on your wedding day. Perhaps it would be better to find a quality Phx AZ wedding DJ who will do all of this for you for a reasonable price. There's a lot out there but most of them charge too much, which may be why you were thinking of using your iPod in the first place. If only you could find a DJ/MC/Event Planner and Coordinator/AV Tech/Roadie/Insured Professional who was all this in addition to having great rates...

And we're back to where we began - you could just hire a reasonably priced professional wedding DJ!