Thanks to recommendations from couples on The Knot
Michael Lancaster is a multi-talented musician and wedding DJ based in Golden, CO.
Michael is a seasoned professional musician, mix master DJ, and classy MC, and musicians definitely make the best DJs!
Michael can provide everything Live Music, DJ, MC, Sound Equipment, Lighting, and Expert Consultation for your event. 1-stop full event package.
As a DJ, Michael is dedicated to the art of mixing and mashing up music to elevate the dance floor energy for a super fun celebration for all. As your MC, Michael will run your full event, custom-tailored to your vision, so you two will worry about nothing on your wedding day. The guitar would add a touch of class to your event, and Michael performs a vast variety of styles, both vocal and instrumental. Bagpipes are a unique touch that will transport and grace all of your guests.
Choose whichever service(s) best suit your unique event.
With over 2000 weddings experience and personally at your service, Michael has all of the know-how to play his part in making your wedding day absolutely wonderful.
While Michael is not performing, he has earned his Bachelor's Degree in Music from the University of Colorado at Denver, where he is currently on the faculty teaching music and guitar, and he also runs his own recording studio where he composes and mixes music for film and video.
Michael looks forward to playing his part in making your wedding day absolutely incredible, custom-tailored to your vision, and a dance party to remember!
Michael is honored to serve you and guarantees the highest standard of quality, excellence, and professionalism.
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Michael is a very versatile and highly sought after musician, teacher, and DJ. He has been a full time professional for 20 years. Michael performs at 275 functions a year live music and DJ, he teaches 30 private bagpipe and guitar students a week, is a Lecturer of music and guitar at the University of Colorado at Denver, and runs his own recording studio where he composes and records music for film, video and commercials.
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Reviews
4.8
out of 5.0
32 reviews
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Review Summary
This AI-generated summary is a snapshot of this vendor's ratings and feedback.
Michael is highly recommended as a wedding DJ and guitarist by multiple reviewers. They describe him as professional, talented, and easy to work with. Michael's communication and flexibility are praised, as well as his ability to keep the dance floor lively and cater to different musical tastes. He is commended for his creative transitions and for providing a stress-free and fun atmosphere. Overall, reviewers highly recommend booking Michael for weddings.
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Katie O
5.0
10/23/2023
Michael was the best decision we could have made for the wedding! His communication was incredible. He helped us think through things that we hadn't even considered and really made the schedule as smooth as could be. He was able to accomodate for our ceremony that did not have a power source. We even had our generator go out during the reception and he didn't hesitate to keep the vibe going. He started up his battery powered speakers and many guests didn't even realize the power was out. Michael was on board with our creative song choices and made them crowd pleasers. Majority of our guests complimented the DJ choice because we had the best dance floor ever. Thank you Michael for everything!!!!!
Andrew S
5.0
3/25/2023
Michael was awesome and I would recommend him to anybody! He was very easy to work with, flexible and accommodating throughout planning, and he did a great job on our big day! He kindly learned a guitar song for us for a very reasonable fee. I can't recommend the combination of his acoustic guitar and DJ skills enough. Amazing value and awesome to have both skill sets in one person. He also MC'd our event. On the DJ side - he doesn't just press play, he was mixing songs together, doing cool transitions, and helped us have a rocking dance party that our guests still mention to me. 5-stars for sure!
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Martha B
2.0
12/09/2022
I was so hurt by this DJ. The communication was poor. It will forever be a sore spot for my special day, he was very disappointing.
The bagpiping was a nice addition, many guests enjoyed it. Our sincere thanks to him for standing in the very cold weather in his kilt.
As far as the playlist, my fault for not pushing back more when he kept saying everything looked great without any questions. It was confusing because he initially said we should build the playlist ourselves if we wanted to specify all the songs for the evening. He then said that wasn’t necessary, but the playlist that we spent hours compiling wasn’t played. We would have been receptive to more of an open dialogue on what he thought would work best. Instead it felt like he disregarded what we asked for and just played a bulk of song that he felt like playing.
We had made a list of songs for dinner time that we loved and he played other songs, including songs I hated. What was wrong with what we requested?? During the reception he showed that he had built what appeared to be our whole requested playlist. What doesn’t make sense is why he played so little of it and why he didn’t communicate with us more if he wasn’t going to play more of it.Were we supposed to go up and request songs that we did want to hear one by one?
Our guests did enjoy dancing to what he played. However, if for example he felt that a lot of our songs were not going to be crowdpleasers, then I really really wish we would have had more of a conversation about it and discussed it more. It would have been nicer to build a list that he thought was a crowd pleaser, that we would have also had to buy in on.
Catie B
5.0
9/29/2022
Whatever you do, you HAVE to book Michael as your wedding DJ and guitarist. Michael played live guitar for our garden ceremony which was such a beautiful touch. Michael then was DJ for the rest of the night. He made sure that the timeline rolled smoothly. He sends a detailed email to you before the wedding to finalize the type of songs you want for the ceremony/cocktail hour/reception. He followed my list but was also extremely creative and played music along the same lines as what we liked. He also was able to cut and remix our first dance song as well as help my dad with a song he sang to me during his FOB speech. At the end of the night, my husband and I did one last dance just the two of us once everyone left. Michael stayed longer in order to let us have this special moment. He made the wedding so stress-free and we were very grateful for his professionalism and expertise! You will be in great hands with Michael!
Ryli M
5.0
9/12/2022
Michael is the most talented and professional musician you could hope to work with. He made our wedding day less stressful and so much fun. He played bagpipes, acoustic guitar, and was our DJ. Best decision we made. Hire him!!
Evan V
5.0
7/19/2022
Michael was flexible, upbeat, and creative. We enjoyed his remixes and ability to stay punctual when our coordinator was not around. He’s great!
Josh & Joanna C
5.0
7/12/2022
We booked Michael to play guitar for our ceremony and DJ our reception. We couldn't be happier with our choice. Michael is a consummate professional and talented performer. We highly recommend Michael to ensure the tone of your wedding or reception is on point and that your guests have a blast!
Jeannette N
5.0
4/10/2022
Michael Lancaster was fantastic for our wedding. We did primarily DJ’ed songs and then acoustic guitar during dinner. He did transitions very well and kept people dancing all the way to the end of the event! Highly recommend him.
Kellie W
5.0
10/12/2021
Michael was phenomenal to work with for our wedding! He provided guitar, bagpipes and DJ services to help make our day super unique and special. We heard countless rave reviews from our guests about how much they loved the music all night! Michael is incredibly talented and was able to keep the dance floor busy all night and successfully created a fun, upbeat atmosphere for guests of all ages. We HIGHLY recommend him to anyone in need of DJ services!
Alexis A
2.0
9/01/2021
My now-husband and I originally booked Michael Lancaster for our 2020 wedding in Denver. As with many weddings that year, we had to postpone and he informed us that he was unable to accommodate our new date. While Michael’s contract did state that “deposits are nonrefundable,” due to the worldwide pandemic, we felt it was somewhat unfair for him not to consider even a partial return of our $525 deposit. At a time when many other companies and contractors were showing compassion and forgiveness due to the unforeseen circumstances, Michael stood his ground and kept our money. We had a poor experience working with this vendor and wouldn’t recommend.
Brittany S
5.0
2/28/2020
We can't recommend Michael enough! We had a Sunday brunch wedding and he played the guitar during our "mimosa hour" and did the DJ set for the reception. Having him play the guitar was such a nice touch. He was professional, made the perfect playlist for our day, and kept things moving on time. Book him!
Danielle T
5.0
1/20/2020
When I was looking for a DJ for my wedding at Spruce Mountain Ranch, I sent an inquiry to Micheal and he didn't email me or send me a generic response. He called me that same day to explain his services and ask me how he could make our day great. Not only was I very impressed by his professionalism and how easy it was to complete a contract, but the quality of his services was OUTSTANDING. Micheal played acoustic guitar for our ceremony, including a custom rendition of "You are my Sunshine" for my walk, played bagpipes for our exit, and DJ'd our reception. He was on time and required no assistance from us. He even provided up-lighting for the ceremony space which was above and beyond what we expected. All of my guests told me over and over how great the music was and everyone was up and dancing from cocktail hour to the last song! Micheal is a true musician and a rare find. I give him my highest recommendation!
Laura S
5.0
5/13/2019
Michael was our DJ and played classical guitar at our wedding. During our ceremony and during dinner Michael really set the tone by playing the guitar which was such a magical addition to our already perfect day, he was also a trooper because we were married outside with falling snow in about 20 degrees. We’ve gotten so many compliments from friends and family remarking about how talented he is playing the guitar. In addition to his live music skills he was the exact DJ we were looking for and did a great job MCing and helping keep everything on schedule! We wanted to have a DJ who would keep the dance floor full all night long and he did not disappoint. He did an amazing job of playing music for each generation that we had at our wedding. Michael was so responsive and put any worries about the wedding at ease. He provided AV equipment during the ceremony and lighting at the reception. I highly recommend him to anyone looking for live music and a stellar DJ.
Camille V
5.0
5/10/2019
The bagpipes are what made our wedding special and different than most others. Our guests were telling us that the bagpipes sounded so good it gave them chills. Michael was also the DJ for our reception and he was wonderful. He picked smart song choices, was open for requests, was very in tune with the crowd and followed our schedule perfectly. Couldn't recommend him more! Thank you Michael!
Aubree C
5.0
4/06/2019
We always knew we wanted the bride to walk down the aisle to Duane Allman’s “Little Martha”, but we never thought we’d be able to find a guitarist that could recreate Duane’s singularly beautiful rendition, so we were initially resigned to playing a recording despite having a preference for live music. But then we came across Michael Lancaster in our search. From his website, Michael’s rendition more than matched Duane’s original.
We dug a little deeper to discover that Michael not only was an adept guitarist, but that, coincidentally, he had also been the bagpipe instructor to The Best Man when he was a kid growing up with the groom. So, we knew it was meant to be and booked Michael then and there for our wedding.
The pleasant surprise was just how much we appreciated Michael’s full repertoire in addition to Little Martha. He performed “Bron Yr Aur” for the rest of processional, but you could’ve been forgiven for thinking it was Jimmy Page plucking the strings (and the same goes for Eric Clapton’s “Signe” for the recessional). Then, Michael continued through the cocktail hour, song after song each more mellifluously beautiful than the last, providing the perfect ambient backdrop to the revelry we were all enjoying.
Michael’s contribution was not limited to his performance; he provided valuable technical equipment (lavalier and standing mics, speakers, etc.) that amplified both the ceremony and cocktail hour, all while helping us have one less thing to keep track of ourselves.
If you want the perfect soundtrack for your wedding, hiring Michael Lancaster is our highest recommendation.
Barbara J
5.0
8/16/2018
Adding a bagpiper music to our wedding ceremony was a wonderful touch. Michael is a true professional and his music is lovely to hear.
Nicole N
5.0
4/20/2017
The instant I booked Michael, I knew my wedding day would be unique and personal. He had the quickest response time out of all of my vendors and it was always a treat hearing from him with ideas about how to make my soundtrack my own. He provided sound equipment for his guitar set for the reception, along with a mic for the officiant as well, which was extremely helpful. Walking down the aisle to the sound of bagpipes was magical. It was everything I had hoped for. Michael was also awesome with our guests, as everyone was eager to express their compliments, both for the pipes during the ceremony and the guitar during the reception. Having the guitar was perfect for our intimate lunch setting, as our guests didn't feel like they needed to fight the music to talk to each other (as they would have with a DJ). One of my guests even told me she forgot he was there and thought that we had been listening to a recording! Phenomenal, phenomenal talent and one of the most memorable aspects of our wedding day. Thank you, Michael!!
Shana B
4.0
10/14/2016
Michael did a great job on the guitar and bagpipes for our ceremony!
Melanie T
5.0
8/17/2016
Michael played guitar during the pre-ceremony / processional and bagpipes for the recessional at our wedding in July, 2016. He also provided equipment for our officiant and readers/singers during the ceremony. Needless to say it was all absolutely flawless! Being the bride, you dream of everything going perfectly, but of course, it rarely does. Having Michael work so professionally and courteously gave that aspect of our big day the perfection we hoped for. One thousand percent recommend!
Alyssa D
5.0
8/23/2015
michael was the easiest vendor to work with and his music was absolutely beautiful for outdoor wedding ceremony! He was very helpful in providing all the microphones for our officiant and even provided an electric amp when our space didn't have any power outlets! Very professional and so glad we had him play on our big day!
Natalie S
5.0
7/28/2015
Michael played his guitar during our ceremony and cocktail hour. He did an amazing job! He really knows how to play beautiful music!
Kelly K
5.0
11/02/2014
Michael Lancaster payed guitar for our ceremony and for hors d'oeuvres at our wedding and was wonderful to work with. He was very responsive and extremely helpful when we were planning and was able to give great advice. His music was beautiful and was exactly what we were hoping to hear for ceremony and hors d'oeuvres!
Emily L
5.0
10/15/2014
We found Michael using Gig Master and fell in love with his guitar playing. He coordinated with us to create a playlist while our guests were sitting down and played our chosen songs during the processional. Michael also learned our favorite song to play for our recessional to further personalize our ceremony. He helped make sure our ceremony was everything we dreamed of!
Synge M
5.0
10/10/2013
A great communicator, true professional and saved our wedding!!!
Because of rain, our wedding was fraught with a great many snafus. Michael not only did preceremony music, but also our sound. Perfect!
And as our timeline got completely away from us, he ended the ceremony with pipes again as our cellist had to depart. He was a perfect person to work with.
Laura M
5.0
9/24/2012
Michael did a great job! We loved him, he even posed with us for a picture after.
Rachel M
5.0
8/27/2012
I contracted Steve Emmerson through Michael Lancaster. All my communications were done through Michael and I had some unique music I wanted. It was clear that Michael relayed all the information to Steve; they both did their homework. Steve himself is an excellent bagpiper! Our officiant messed up and asked for music during the wrong time and Steve made up for his slack. Also, I had my wedding on top of a mounatain and there was torrential rain right before the ceremony- the gondola was even shut down because of the lightning. Steve arrived early and met me at the bottom of the gondola. Apparently his day job revolves around researching weather patterns and he arrured me (and helped keep me calm) that the rain will soon leave and I'll have clear skies for my sun-set mountain wedding. He was right! More importantly, he's a great bagpiper!
Amy G
5.0
8/15/2012
We had Michael play both guitar and bagpipes. He played guitar while guests were arriving, and then bags when the bridal party and my father and I walked down the aisle. Then during the ceremony, he played more guitar, and as we were walking back down as husband and wife, he played the bagpipes once more. It was magical and he did an amazing job!!
Chelsea W
5.0
7/22/2012
Michael Lancaster was our ceremony musician. We only asked for guitar. It was raining before and during the ceremony, and he was a great sport about it. He is very talented and did a great job during the ceremony. I would recommend him to anyone.
Nikki W
5.0
9/18/2011
Michaels bag pipe music was wonderful. He was so determined to do his job that he rode his bike to my wedding to make it through the stand still traffic.
5.0
5/02/2011
Michael was a pleasure to work with for my mother's Celebration of Life service -both professional and sensitive. Several people commented to me on what a beautiful job he did playing guitar.
Stefanie V
5.0
10/14/2010
Fantastic musician. Very friendly and easy to work with. Can't say enough good things about him.
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Bagpiper/Guitarist/DJ- Michael Lancaster
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