James Kuma

The Evening

An evening has a shape. Know it, and you can lead it.

Between the aperitif and the last song lie eight to ten hours with very different moods. I plan them with you in advance and adjust them to what actually happens in the room.

From 6 pm

Golden hour

Drinks at low sun. Groovy, acoustic material and calm house in the background. Loud enough to feel alive, quiet enough for the first conversation between guests who have never met.

From 8 pm

Dinner

Warm textures, nothing pushes. For me the most important hour of the night — I see who is here, how old the crowd is, who is already moving and who is still seated.

From 10 pm

First dance

Your song, cleanly played in and cleanly resolved. What decides the night is not the dance itself but the transition after it: if guests do not join within the next three songs, the whole evening gets hard. So this moment is planned through.

From 11 pm

Peak time

House, hip hop, Latin, EDM, plus the 80s, 90s and 2010s. In blocks, harmonically connected, without a break.

From 3 am

Wind-down

The moment everyone sings one last time. Then it gets warm, quiet and slow. An evening should end, not stop.

Next day

The day after

Recovery brunch or pool party. If you celebrate across several days, the thread stays the same.

How we prepare

Meeting. A video call, about 30 minutes. You talk about yourselves, I ask questions, and we both notice whether it fits.

Musical concept. We set the genres, the time windows and the songs that mean something to you. Just as important: the songs that must never play. I take that list very seriously.

Running order. Shortly before the wedding we walk through the day point by point and align it with your venue and your planner.

On the day. I build up early, stay reachable and follow the plan — until it no longer fits. Then I decide by what is happening in the room.

Common questions

What couples ask about this.

How long do you play in one evening?

Typically eight to ten hours from the aperitif to the last song. We fix the exact span in the running order; extending into the night is usually possible.

Can we hand in a wish list and a do-not-play list?

Yes, both. The do-not-play list matters to me as much as the wish list — songs that carry a certain memory, or that you simply do not want, will not be played.

Do you take guest requests?

Yes, if you want that. I check every request against your do-not-play list and against the moment in the evening. A request that would empty the dancefloor is not refused loudly — it is placed later.

Do you also host?

Discreetly, yes. Announcements, handovers to the couple, guidance for guests. The music leads the evening, not the microphone.

Do you play the welcome dinner and the brunch too?

Yes. With destination weddings the multi-day celebration is the rule rather than the exception. Welcome dinner, wedding day, pool party and recovery brunch — one hand, one thread.

Next step

Tell me your date.

I reply within two working days with an honest assessment — even if I turn out not to be the right DJ for your evening.

Check my date