Silence is Golden - the newest trend hitting wedding d-floors

September 4, 2023 In Ivory Inspiration, Latest Posts, Most Popular By Jo Betz

Silence is Golden – the newest trend hitting wedding d-floors

Photo: Ashleigh Haase Photography

Looking to inject some memorable fun into your day while embracing the newest trend hitting wedding dance-floors? Meet Silence is Golden – a Melbourne business taking the wedding scene by storm with their silent discos.

If you’ve never attended a silent disco before, let us explain what they’re all about. Silent discos are where people dance to music listened to on wireless headphones, removing the need for a loud speaker system, which means noise restrictions do not need to be factored into your day, a common problem for many wedding venues.

We sat down with the brains behind this fabulous concept, Josh who is a full-time DJ and co-founder of Silence is Golden to get all the details about silent discos and the fun that can be had on your big day.

Photo: Ashleigh Haase Photography

You obviously witnessed some pain points that were experienced at weddings – what were they, and how does Silence is Golden solve them?

Removing the need for speakers and using headphones for your dancefloor solves three main problems that I saw as a DJ at weddings every week.

Noise Restrictions

The first and most obvious is the all-too-common council enforced noise restrictions. The more venues I went to the more I realised how many are in residential areas and had these restrictions all night (not just after 11…. all night!). It’s also confusing for couples as nobody really knows what 80 DB or 90 DB sounds like (it’s too quiet for a dancefloor). So what does this all mean? The party vibe at your wedding could be seriously affected if you are in one of these venues. I’ve been to too many weddings where the couple has asked me to turn it up but you’re already at the maximum level for that venue.

Music Diversity

I think it’s fair to say that almost all weddings will have people of all ages as guests who are likely to have broad tastes in music. Even if you have a really skilled band or DJ the reality is they can only play one song at a time. With a silent disco you have three channels of music. Imagine this… You create a playlist for your parents and their friends, a playlist of country bangers for your family from Bendigo, add a third list of current hits for you and your mates. Everyone’s happy and can dance at the same time to what they want to dance to!

Inclusivity

Ever been to a loud party but you want to have a conversation with a friend you haven’t seen in ages and you have to shout over the music? Do you think there are older guests at your wedding who might enjoy a coffee and piece of cake while you and your mates hit the dancefloor?

A silent disco creates a super inclusive environment at your wedding. For those who want to party they can chuck on headphones. For those who want to relax and chat they can! This is also a game changer if any of your guests are neuro-diverse and can have sensory overwhelm.

Can you explain exactly what Silence is Golden is and how it exactly works?

When you set up a silent disco you are actually setting up a local radio station.

We set up three transmitters which beam out three channels of music. Any music source you plug in will be beamed out, whether this is a pre-recorded DJ mix, a playlist or a live DJ.

As a guest you put on a headphone and have control over which channel you listen to and how loud with your own channel switch and volume control.

When would be the best time for a couple to introduce a silent disco into their celebrations?

Silence is Golden has got your dancefloor covered! For most couples this will be the last 2-3 hours of their wedding. However, this does not remove the need for traditional speakers as you will need background tunes and a mic for speeches. Most venues will have a sound system and a mic. If they don’t you can hire a speaker and mic from us!

Want to kick off your silent disco with a bang – this is how you do it!

Any wedding DJ will tell you the best way to kick off your dancefloor is to start it with your first dance. Get all your guests up out of their seats and around the dancefloor and then they can join you on the d-floor straight after you take their breath away with your moves! Well with a Silent Disco its no different. As your guests make their way to the dancefloor we will hand out the headphones (but the tunes haven’t started in the headphones yet). Your first dance song will play through traditional speakers. This way you won’t be wearing headphones in your first dance photos.

Then as soon as you finish your dance, the attendant from Silence is Golden will kick off the tunes in the headphones! Boom, everyone chucks on headphones and you’re ready to party.

Pro Tip – keep your background tunes going even once you have started the silent disco. That way it isn’t completely silent for those without headphones on.

Does this remove the requirement for a DJ/live entertainment for a reception? Or could you combine both?

Does it remove the requirement for DJ Live entertainment? – Yes

Silent Discos are so much fun and can be run completely standalone.

Because you can use the venue speakers or hire a speaker and microphone from us for background tunes and speeches there is no need to hire a DJ or band.

Can you combine both? – Yes

We love the idea of live music for background tunes at your wedding however you cannot transmit a live band through the headphones. A DJ however, can plug straight into one of the channels.

For couples worried that a silent disco won’t bring the vibe they’re chasing for their dancefloor, how can you reassure them this won’t be the case?

For anyone worried that a Silence Disco is a bit lame and not a party vibe has clearly never tried it. Silent disco originated at music festivals in the UK. Hundreds of people jamming to big name DJs. I can tell you from experience that more people will dance for longer compared to a live band or DJ and here is why (keep in mind, I’m a DJ);

Don’t like the song you’re listening to? Well just change channel. With a band or DJ if you don’t like the tune, you are likely to leave the dancefloor, get another drink and maybe sit down to chat. But this just doesn’t happen with a silent disco because of the three channels.

Another massive factor is the FOMO (fear of missing out). If you don’t have headphones on and you see a whole bunch of people dancing, you want to know what they are listening to. So, you go over and chuck headphones on. Next minute you’re dancing too!

We imagine hosting a silent disco will save $$ for the couple, is this a more budget friendly option and why?

Most definitely. The price of great wedding DJ can range between $1,500-$3,500 and bands will be even more depending on how many musicians are in the group.

A silent disco can be super affordable for elopements and micro weddings with our packages starting at $600 for a 10-headphone event.

For an average size wedding of 90 people the price is $1,100 and for a large 200 person wedding the price is $1,400.

(*prices quoted above are for 2-hour silent discos and subject to change. For current pricing please check www.silenceisgolden.com.au*)

Does Silence is Golden do all the set up and packdown of the headphones etc?

We sure do. Included in our packages is a disco attendant who will setup, run and pack up your silent disco. You don’t need to lift a finger.

Do you only do weddings? Or is this something people could book for engagement parties and hens parties etc?

We are wedding specialists but sure thing! We can do any event which is setup in the one location.

Ultimately we walked away from our conversation with Josh feeling excited about the concept of silent discos and here is why.

you celebrations can last longer and not be impacted by noise restrictions
it’s the perfect volume for all your guests and is an inclusive experience
a silent disco can be held anywhere!
the set-up looks good and is an interesting focal point for your guests
it keeps your guests dancing longer and harder as they have complete control over what they’re listening to
it’s cost effective
it provides non-stop entertainment for everyone

We’re so impressed with this new wedding offering and cannot wait to see it in action on wedding dance floors in the seasons ahead, to organise your own silent disco get in touch with Silence is Golden, and if you still need convincing of how fun and fabulous a silent disco is see some action shots below!