My Interview in Frankie Feelgood, Volume 3
JAMES BEECROFT
IS A MARRIAGE CELEBRANT, MC AND WEDDING DJ BASED IN PERTH
How did you become a wedding celebrant and DJ?
I started as a DJ. My oldest sister was a raver back in the late ‘90s, early 2000s, and she got me into drum-and-bass music, and then I just started buying records and partying, basically. When she got engaged in 2009 I said I would do her wedding, and that was heaps of fun. After that I did a few gigs over the years. In 2018 I was trying to figure out what to do, and I thought it would be fun to do the wedding thing full time. That’s when I had the idea to be a celebrant as well.
Did you have to do any special training?
I did a certificate IV in celebrancy, and that took about six months just doing it one day a week at home. I didn’t really have public speaking experience but I knew that I wouldn’t get too nervous in front of a crowd, so I just dove into it.
What’s it like playing such different roles across a wedding?
Even though they’re totally separate jobs, it all feels like one thing to me. When I first came up with the idea, I thought it would be good to be that centre for people the whole day. I think there’s something special about doing the ceremony and being the guy who brings them together formally, and then saying goodbye at the very end of the party, giving them their wedding certificate, and seeing the culmination of all the emotions and how happy they are with the day that they’ve had.
Is it ever hard to keep your vibes high?
You just gotta go out there, even if you’re not having the best day. Everyone’s so happy to be there and it’s always such a nice event that you kind of just get swept up in it and any bad mood you might have had at the start just melts away. When I get to the wedding, it’s usually me and the groomsmen hanging out while the other party are on their way. I act as though I’m getting the nerves out of them, joking around to make them relaxed, but it’s just as much to make me relaxed and comfortable as well.
What’s it like DJing for wedding crowds?
It’s a funny thing, because I got into DJing because I like music, and with weddings, I had to really, genuinely learn to enjoy a lot more popular music that I thought I was too good for before! It’s not just learning to love stuff - you actually have to admit to yourself that you like certain stuff. Turns out, I already did like a lot of 2000s R&B and hip-hop; I just didn’t want to admit it to myself because that wasn’t my identity; I was the dance music guy. But I don’t even hate “The Vengabus.” It’s actually pretty fun. And when you play something at the right time, and everyone’s faces light up and they go and grab their friend or their nanna and they drag them on to the dancefloor, even if you don’t love that song, in that moment you do lover that song. It’s a totally different relationship to music.
There can be a lot of stress around weddings - does it ever get to you?
It is a lot of responsibility. But' it’s funny, it’s such a better job than all the other full-time stuff that I used to do that my mental health is better than it’s ever been. But then, before so many weddings, I’ll just sit there and think to myself, there’s no sick day, there’s no saying “I don’t feel like going in to work today.” If you were sick you could phone another celebrant or a DJ, but I’ve never had to do that. I think when you don’t have a fallback, that takes a lot of the stress out, in a weird way.
What do you love about working around love?
What I really like is that weddings are like a microcosm of that couple: who they care about and what they care about. A few times a week, you’re right inside someone’s world, and you’re meeting their family, their friends, and you’re getting this feel for little social circles and parts of the city that you wouldn’t get a look into otherwise. You’re a big part of this moment, and you’re half fly on the wall, but you’re also responsible for the fun. And when the couple and the friends and family come up and thank you for doing a good job, it is really satisfying. It makes you feel like a bit of a hero, in the most wholesome possible way.
Are there any downsides?
I seem to attract pretty chill people - there are no bridezillas or anything. I think that comes from putting yourself out there honestly, and not trying to be someone you’re not. It’s a long day - I usually leave home around 2pm for the ceremony and then get home by about 1.30am after packing up - but it’s mostly fun. I think the biggest stress is on my lower back!
Frankie Feelgood is all about wellness, mental health, and good vibes in general - my interview was taken from a feature about awesome people who spread the love in their line of work. Head over to the Frankie site to buy a copy!
