There is only one December 31. Every bar, banquet hall, and private host in southeastern Michigan wants that same night, and there are only so many DJs to go around. This year it lands on a Thursday, so a lot of people get a long weekend to celebrate.
If a New Year's Eve party is on your calendar in Port Huron or anywhere in St. Clair County, the time to book your DJ is now, while the date is still open. December is too late to start asking.
The date goes first, and it goes fast
Most party dates have some give in them. A birthday can move a week. A company party can land on a Friday or a Saturday. New Year's Eve cannot move. It is December 31 or it is nothing.
That is why venues and hosts book this night earlier than any other party date. By December, the good DJs have been spoken for since fall. I get calls every year from people who started looking two weeks out. Some years I can help them. Some years I cannot, because one DJ can only play one party that night.
So ask about this date first. Once your DJ is set, the rest of the planning gets a lot calmer.
Midnight is a moment you plan for
A normal party builds toward a big finish and then winds down. New Year's Eve builds toward the middle. Midnight is the biggest moment of the night, halfway through the party.
I plan the night around that. The last hour before twelve matters more than any other hour. The floor needs to be full when the clock turns, and the music in that stretch has to reach everybody in the room, the young crowd and the grandparents alike, because the countdown is a moment the whole room shares at once.
When the countdown lands on a packed floor, the room goes off. The first song of the new year should be the biggest song of the night, and I pick it ahead of time with that job in mind.
The party past midnight is its own party
Here is the part people forget to plan. When midnight passes, the night is still young. Guests who paced themselves early are ready to dance now. The energy in the room gets looser.
A DJ who planned the night like a normal four hour party runs out of road right when the room gets going. I plan for a long night from the start. I hold songs back for the late stretch on purpose, big songs I could play at ten and choose not to, because they will do more work at twelve thirty.
Tell me up front how late your party runs. A room that ends at one and a room that ends at two are different nights, and I build them differently.
What to tell your DJ before the night
Tell me where the party is and what the room is like. A banquet hall in Port Huron, a bar downtown, a house out in the county, each one needs a different sound setup, and I bring what fits the room. Tell me how many people you expect, and tell me if there is a hard end time at your venue, because that shapes the last hour.
Send your must play songs and your do not play list ahead of time. If a song is on your do not play list, it never gets played. That rule does not bend for a request from the floor. Send any special plans too, a toast at midnight, a balloon drop, a short speech from the host. I work those moments into the flow so nothing stops the night cold.
A lot of these crowds are mixed ages, with kids up late and grandparents in the room. I play clean versions as my standard, so nobody has to worry about what comes out of the speakers when the whole family is dancing.
Lighting is worth a thought too. Uplighting in your colors is an option you can add, and on this night a room with some color on the walls feels like an event instead of a regular night out. I will tell you plain if your room is small enough to skip it.
Ready to claim the night
December 31 in St. Clair County will belong to whoever planned it first. If you are hosting a party this year in Port Huron or anywhere in southeastern Michigan, I would like to play it.
CHECK YOUR DATE. Head to the Start Planning page and tell me about your party. I will let you know right away if your date is open.
