Wedding DJ Essen · Events since 2004
Your wedding between the Ruhr valley, park and colliery.
Michael Zimmermann, that's my name, and your wedding in Essen gets music from me that suits you: quiet for the sparkling wine reception, rousing from the opening dance onwards. More than 650 weddings count among my over 1450 events in 25 years. The spotlight belongs to you, I prefer to work from the background. beats per micha: Michael Zimmermann, wedding DJ, bookable in Essen and the surrounding area.
“We couldn't have wished for a better DJ.”
– Ben Kampen, wedding · Google reviewThe locations. The moments. My music.
You get exactly one shot. I had 1,450 to practise.
One banger after another – the dance floor was packed the whole night.
Saskia Neumayr
Wedding · Google review
Wedding venues in Essen
Whether you celebrate in the castle park on the Ruhr, in a former colliery hall or in a concert hall: reverb and ceiling height differ greatly, so I ask about the room first. Five addresses between the Ruhr valley and the World Heritage site: a moated castle in Kettwig, three buildings at Zollverein and a concert hall at the Stadtgarten. I coordinate setup and schedule with you at each of these addresses.
Essen offers you a moated castle in the Ruhr valley, halls and restaurants on a World Heritage site and a concert hall by the Stadtgarten. A room's acoustics depend on its ceiling, walls and guest count, so I only choose the speakers once I know your venue.
A castle hall sounds different from a colliery hall, and both different from a garden at dusk; I match the lighting to that as well. You simply enter your theme, your requested songs and all no-gos in the portal. My set-up takes about 40 minutes; to finish, I test the room while it is still empty.
The moated castle in Kettwig has belonged to the Fürstenberg family since 1831 and is now a hotel with a restaurant. On the venue's website there are eight halls and salons for celebrations with reception, dinner and dancing. Which room is available to you is something you clarify with the venue, after which I plan speakers and space for the dance floor.
The Casino is located in the former compressor hall of the World Heritage site. In the restaurant, celebrations take place for 15 to 150 guests, and Halle9 accommodates events with up to 400 guests. Depending on the party, it is decided whether we stay in the restaurant or move to the hall.
The Mine is one of the event locations of the Zollverein Foundation and advertises celebrations in front of the view of the Doppelbock, the winding tower of Shaft XII. How many guests fit in and which equipment is permitted is something you discuss with the foundation, after which we settle the set-up and power routes.
The Saalbau on the edge of the Stadtgarten is also used for banquet-style celebrations with dancing. The Festsaal measures 205 square metres, the RWE-Pavillon 412 square metres with 252 seats at round tables. Which room suits your guest numbers is something the venue will tell you; after that I choose speakers and lighting.
The hall is housed in the former gas-exhauster and compressor hall of the coking plant, and the whole site is barrier-free. The operator lists galas, anniversaries and summer parties among the occasions; whether weddings are also possible there is something you ask the venue. In a hall of this size we talk about technical requirements early on.
I took the details on rooms and capacities from the operators' websites and Wikipedia (as of October 2026). Only the venue itself can tell you about free dates and the number of guests that fit.
I provide the music for your symbolic wedding ceremony, from the entrance through the ring exchange to the exit, with a sound system that runs without a power outlet, indoors or outdoors, and I bring a wireless microphone for your celebrant.
Who I am
In Essen, couples from Rüttenscheid, Werden and Steele get married, and their guests travel in from all over the Ruhr area. When grandparents, colleagues and friends celebrate together, you need music that brings one generation after another onto the dance floor. For that I cut songs from several decades into my own edits.
You enter your wishes and no-gos in advance, and nobody notices any of it on the night. We agree the menu, speeches and running order beforehand, and if you like we go through the schedule together.
How it works
Send me the date and venue, and I'll reply within 24 hours. A video call, coordination with the venue and the set-up before the celebration follow.
Request a dateTell me the date and venue, and I'll get back to you the same day, at the latest within 24 hours. The video call doesn't commit you to anything: we get to know each other, swap ideas, and after that your quote is ready.
With the booking, the wedding portal is unlocked, a web app for favourite songs, no-gos, special moments and the schedule. About a week before the celebration, we go through the programme step by step by phone.
On the wedding day I arrive in good time, need around 40 minutes for the set-up, listen to the empty room and coordinate with the speaker, photographer and catering staff.
For the entrance, ring exchange and exit, the pieces you have chosen are played. At the reception, quiet lounge music plays, and if there is no power outside, the battery takes over.
During the meal the music stays in the background; a wireless microphone is ready for speeches, and for games, surprises and the bouquet toss I choose a dedicated song each.
The dancing begins with your requested edit, after which I watch the floor and keep adapting the set until young and old celebrate the last song together.
My services
For your wedding in Essen I bring music and equipment in the size that the castle hall, restaurant or colliery hall demands.
01Long before the celebration, you collect songs, no-gos and the schedule in the wedding portal. On the day itself I listen to the room and decide anew at every transition, instead of following a fixed script. From first contact to the final dance you have a single point of contact, and over 650 weddings help me with that. Sound system, lighting and microphones are part of my kit, no matter where you invite me.
Request a date →
02Safeguard If I cancel, an equivalent colleague from my network takes over, on the terms we have agreed.
Other occasionsCorporate event in Essen →Birthday & party in Essen →View demo portal →
Voices from real events
60 Google reviews. 100% recommendation. Here is a small selection.
5.0
Your service package
Several generations are probably celebrating with you, so I mix soul classics and current chart hits side by side. From the first conversation to the last song, the music stays in one hand.
The mood in the hall decides which song comes next; the microphone belongs to your speakers, and I stay in the background.
Add-on
LED uplights colour the hall in your chosen colour and move with the rhythm of the music.
Enquire →
Add-on
The photo station works without an attendant, puts every picture into a private online gallery and, if you wish, prints copies for your guests.
Enquire →
Recommendation
You collect your guests' phone photos through Feierblick, an external service that I recommend and that you book yourselves.
View Feierblick →
The package includes two wireless microphones, lighting effects, Pioneer or Denon equipment at the decks and speakers from RCF or Electro-Voice.
Add-on
At the retro telephone your guests leave greetings, from which I put together an audio file for you.
Enquire →I answer enquiries within 24 hours, and I'm reachable for you until the wedding day.
We discuss requested songs and no-gos at the start, and I keep the line to the venue and suppliers myself.
Open Format
I mix disco, soul, pop and chart hits in the proportion your guests accept on the night, rather than working through a list.
Set-up and sound check take a good 40 minutes, the system needs only 2.5 by 1.5 metres, and after the last song I clear everything away myself. For that, about 2.5 m width and 1.5 m depth are enough, and under normal conditions (car close to the set-up location, no stairs or lifts) the set-up takes around 40 minutes.
Outdoor
For the entrance, ring exchange and exit the music runs on battery, so you don't need a socket nearby.
Photo station, live music, uplights and audio guest book can be added, and I take care of the coordination.
Request a date →Frequently asked questions
These are the questions couples ask me most often, and if yours is missing, just give me a call.
+49 176 700 580 27In tall halls of steel and concrete, placement is what matters, so I test in the empty room to find where my speakers sound best. I set the level so that your speeches stay easy to understand. It's best if you send me photos and dimensions of the venue in advance.
Outside I use a battery-powered speaker, and in the hall the main system takes over. We agree the timing of the switch together, so you don't get silence in the break.
I start with songs that almost everyone knows and only widen the programme after that. You enter which songs belong to you and which are off-limits in the portal, where it's ready for me until the evening.
I keep it quiet for the reception, the music stays in the background during the meal, and after the opening dance it gets louder. We enter breaks for cake, games and speeches into your schedule in advance.
Yes, I then set up a small set that plays in a targeted, quiet way. A space of 2.5 by 1.5 metres is enough for me, nothing more is needed.
I book popular Saturdays from May to September early, so write to me as soon as the date is set. One day later you will know whether the date is still free with me.
Listen & Watch
Even more options
If you would like live music for the reception or ceremony, I can arrange saxophone, vocals, percussion or violin. We settle when it fits best long before the celebration.
01
Sparkling wine reception · First dance
A saxophone drapes itself over the drinks reception in the castle courtyard and grows warmer as dusk falls.
02
Party peak · energy on the dance floor
Percussion drives the beat after dessert, and the dance floor fills almost by itself.
03
Entrance · special moments
Live vocals give your celebration the shine of a concert, and once the party starts the microphone gladly passes on to the guests.
04
Ceremony · bride's entrance
A violin accompanies your entrance and turns the dinner into a festive opening that your guests will remember for a long time.
05
An evening without a break.
Live music for the reception or dinner, and then a full DJ night anyway? Through my network I can arrange a well-rehearsed band, from a duo to a quartet, with vocals, guitar, piano, percussion or saxophone. Because everything is planned by one person, there is one point of contact, one sound concept and no gap between band and DJ.
Duo to quartet · Available on request
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More sets on MixcloudHave a listen
Have a listen, this is what a wedding with me sounds like: three uncut live recordings from real weddings, but not a template evening, because your set is shaped by your guests.
Setlists
Real lists from real parties – track by track, just as they actually played.
Real set list
An excerpt from a real evening, from the opening to the wind-down. The time jumps in between are intentional; you will find the complete setlist on the detail page.
@beats_per_michabeats per micha on Instagram
Service area
I also play at your wedding in Mülheim an der Ruhr, Bottrop and Gelsenkirchen and bring the sound system myself. If you celebrate in another town in the Ruhr area, take a look at the list below.
First you tell me the date, venue and number of guests. Then we talk over a video call about music, schedule and the moments you are looking forward to most, and shortly before the celebration I call once more.
Map section around Essen with Duisburg, Bochum, Gelsenkirchen, Oberhausen, Mülheim an der Ruhr, Herne, Bottrop, Velbert, Gladbeck, Castrop-Rauxel, Dinslaken, Hattingen. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Transparency
Ballermann, après-ski, schlager hits?
A few songs here and there if it suits the mood – no problem.
But build a whole evening on them? That's not my thing.
There are DJs who can and want to do that.
There are specialists for it.
Nothing against them.
But it's not what I do.
I'm a specialist in live mixing at demanding events.
For people who understand that music is a craft.
Precise transitions.
The right track at the right moment.
Not just pressing play.
If that doesn't suit you – then I'm not the right person. And that's okay.
If it does – I'd love to.
Contact
Get in touch and you will have a celebration your guests talk about for years. I book popular Saturdays in the summer months early; in winter, three to six months' notice is usually enough.
How would you like to enquire?
Both are non-binding – you can add more details at any time.
From the blog
Honest answers about weddings, planning and music – from over 650 weddings I've played.
