Couples take over the entertainment

For some, MP3s give more brides and grooms freedom, saves money

Grandma gets Glenn Miller, and yes, you too can download ‘‘The Electric Slide.”

‘‘We had the folder for dinner with background music and then there was the dancing music,” said Danielle Turner of Bowie, who brought an iPod to the Bahamas for her wedding to husband Rob in the summer of 2006. ‘‘Before we came in the wedding coordinator just pushed the button.”

A search of the discussion boards on theknot.com and weddingbees.com shows that the term ‘‘iPod wedding” has come into vogue in the virtual wedding planning world, with couples having widely divergent views on relying on a MP3 player versus a hired disc jockey or a band.

Those in favor like the freedom to pick every single song, preferring the flow of their own playlists to the control of an emcee.

Others are concerned about technical difficulties and leaving guests in charge of musical — and event — transitions.

With wedding costs often a major source of stress, some couples, such as the Turners, go the do-it-yourself route with music just to cut costs.

‘‘It was strictly a financial decision,” Turner said.

The cost for a disc jockey at the resort was $2,000 for two hours, and even the charge to rent speakers was prohibitive.

So the couple loaded up their playlists, packed some speakers and with the push of a button, had no trouble keeping the music playing — for free.

Apple’s iTunes provide pre-set wedding playlists — ceremony, first dance and reception — for download at about $75 apiece, but most couples enjoy the opportunity to pick and choose from their own CD collections and online music libraries.

‘‘It’s really not that serious. It’s literally just button pushing,” Turner said.

‘‘If you’re trying to do special songs I guess that could be tricky, but I’m not sure why that should be either.”

Some professionals are still concerned about whether the ‘‘iPod wedding” is the best approach, especially on a day when planning is so important. The Washington Chapter of the American Disc Jockey Association has an article called ‘‘The Truth About iPod Weddings” on its Web site, calling them ‘‘fraught with peril.” An accompanying video shows an actual wedding where relying on an iPod — and a groomsman to run it — led to problems.

‘‘The DJ is the only way to control what’s happening,” said Ed Beres, Director of Sales at Martin’s Crosswinds in Greenbelt.

‘‘If you go and program an iPod to play this list of songs you’re really not going to have someone there to mix it up.”

Turner, like many brides on the message boards, was more concerned about having someone else in charge of the music.

‘‘I was more worried when we were thinking about having a DJ, whether they’d play the right thing,” she said. ‘‘I never once worried that the iPod wouldn’t work.”

Hiccups can happen with any electronic equipment, so couples should make sure that a venue has all the correct connections for the iPod or laptop.

The sound cutting out in the middle of ‘‘Daddy’s Little Girl” could make for an unwelcome wedding memory, so a backup source of music isn’t a bad idea.

Diane E. George of Covenant Weddings in Clinton, said that while she’s worked with disc jockeys who used iPods, so far no couples have run their own.

‘‘I can see it working for a less formal wedding,” George said, adding that she has not yet worked with a bride who cannot afford a disc jockey or a band, but for those on a budget it could be a workable choice.