Paulo Machado
DJ
When the right music meets the right soul, magic is born. Paulo Machado is that kind of DJ. His story with music and the dance floor began almost two decades ago — during his university years, when a housemate “infected” him with the pick-up decks fever. What started as party nights eventually became, in 2015, a life mission: to be the invisible architect of emotions on one of the most important days of a couple’s life.
His first wedding — humble, improvised and filled with nerves — was a leap into uncertainty. Borrowed speakers, borrowed lights, and a trembling heart. But the right song played, the dance floor filled, and the couple — Pitbull fans, according to him — danced. From that moment on, Paulo understood it wasn’t just a set. It was responsibility. It was devotion. It was creating memories that last a lifetime. Today, with more than 600 weddings brought to life and a truly multicultural repertoire (he has played for 38 different nationalities, in ceremonies ranging from Indian, evangelical and Buddhist weddings to gay weddings and deeply multicultural unions), Paulo masters something many consider unpredictable: energy. He believes there is no automatic formula for a vibrant dance floor — but there is one infallible ingredient: connection. Connection between the DJ, the couple, and the guests.
His secret? Reading the room. It’s not the “right” hit that guarantees a party — it’s empathy, the sensitivity to understand the environment, the culture and the moment. With this approach, he has created celebrations where the dance floor never sleeps, the party never fades, and joy spreads effortlessly.
But for Paulo, being a wedding DJ is not just playing music. It’s managing energy, orchestrating emotions. It’s knowing when to soften, when to lift, when to make space for tears of joy or bursts of laughter, when to guide the celebration with delicacy or intensity. It’s ensuring the dance floor reflects the couple’s soul — and that, in the end, everyone leaves with a light heart and tired feet from dancing.
For couples looking for more than just “party music,” Paulo offers true presence, real availability, and total dedication. Because for him, a wedding is not just another event. It is the promise of a night where everything — sound, soul, hearts — comes together to celebrate love and life with intensity.
If you’re looking for a DJ who not only plays music but reads people, transforms nerves into energy and a ceremony into a celebration, the right name is Paulo Machado. He’s not just the one who fills the dance floor — he’s the one who reminds everyone what truly matters.
We are pleased
to present…
Music for those
in love…
Paulo, how did your journey as a DJ begin, and what made you choose the wedding industry in particular?
Well, my path as a DJ goes back to my university days (almost 18 years ago now), when a housemate who was a DJ passed the “bug” on to me. The wedding world appeared in 2015 by pure chance — and it ended up being the right path.
What was the first wedding you ever played, and what memories do you keep from that moment?
Ana and Romeu’s wedding — very good memories from that day. I was invited by a friend who often joined me on nights where I was DJing and who happened to be a guest and friend of the couple. I remember it well: I borrowed practically everything — speakers, lights, booth, microphone. I was shaking everywhere; I’d never done anything like it. I also remember the couple were huge Pitbull fans, ahahahah…
How many years of experience do you have, and what has changed the most in your style over that time?
I’ve been in the wedding world for 10 years now. I’ve played over 600 weddings with all kinds of particularities. As far as I recall, I’ve played for more than 38 nationalities from literally every continent in the world. I’ve done gay weddings, Buddhist weddings, evangelical weddings, Indian weddings, and so on.
For you, what makes a dance floor truly work? Why?
Great question, Rute. There’s no magic formula (you’ll hear me say this more than once), but above everything, I highlight the connection between the couple, the guests and the DJ. Because without connection, we lose the very reason why we’re there, right?
What was the most memorable wedding you’ve ever played, and what made it so special?
I hope my couples don’t read this — we don’t want jealousy, ahah. Some of them were undoubtedly very special to me (they know who they are). But I’ll highlight 20/09/2025 — my Nisa and Gonçalo. They are, without a doubt, the couple I became closest to (and you’ll notice I get close to many couples). Today we’re friends who visit each other’s homes. They know my wife, they know my children. I think that says a lot about why it was so special. And if you ask, “Was it a HUGE PARTY?” It was — absolutely. It had a transcendent intensity and duration, which brings us back to the previous question: the connection I mentioned.
Do you have a guaranteed “crowd-filler” song or genre that always works?
Once again, no magic formula! It depends on who you have in front of you. There are always a few cards that almost always work. Many people would say “Danza Kuduro,” “I Will Survive,” “Gimme Gimme,” “Freed From Desire,” etc. And yes, they all work — but try playing any of those at a typical Nigerian wedding. It won’t work. Just an example. The real winning card to fill a dance floor is and always will be the famous “reading the room.”
When you’re not working, what inspires you or recharges you as a DJ?
Sorry, but here I won’t escape the cliché ahahah. My wife and my children, without a doubt. Just yesterday we turned our living room into a nightclub using some of my lighting equipment. You should’ve seen the kids dancing with so much joy while Diana and I “kept life going.”
Paulo, what’s your philosophy when it comes to bringing a dance floor to life? What do you want guests to feel?
“Either it is, or it isn’t.”
“If you’re going to do it, do it well.”
“I either aim to make it INCREDIBLE or I don’t do it.”
These have been some of my mantras forever. So, if I’m there, I’m not there out of obligation — I’m there because I want to be, and I guarantee I will give everything I have. As for what I want guests to feel: I want them to feel I am there to create the couple’s party for them. I want them to understand that beyond being the DJ, I’m also their energy manager — because if you think about it, it’s me, through the songs I choose, who controls how they spend their energy. Which is actually a great topic for us to explore later, if you’d like.
Do you have any tricks or techniques for turning shy guests into enthusiastic dancers?
The atmosphere. Let’s go back to Filipa and João’s wedding (20/05/2023). The “trick” is creating the environment. Their guests were not used to having a “sunset party” at weddings, and that was the first time when — once again, thanks to connection — EVERYONE danced in broad daylight (for almost 3 hours). Normally, darkness is an excellent ally to help even the shyest people loosen up. Add good lighting and the right music, and you’re halfway to creating a HUGE PARTY.
How do you select music for a couple with very different tastes?
Honestly? I don’t know! I know that doesn’t sound great, but usually I allow myself to “merge” with them, and once I do, I just know what will work. Some moments lean more toward the bride and her friends, others toward the groom and his friends, others toward family, etc. Since we’re always influenced by the environment around us, the party becomes everyone’s, regardless of whether you’re playing more for one group or another.
What makes you feel most fulfilled at the end of a wedding night?
I could easily answer this with videos or photos. I’ll choose one moment that means a lot to me: the end of Margarida and Luís’ wedding (18/06/25), when we literally ended up inside the booth hugging each other and crying our eyes out while all the guests were gathered around watching us. I think they all understood the real connection that existed between us.
What was the most emotional moment you’ve ever experienced as a wedding DJ?
Let me step aside from the question a bit, because I keep a very special gesture from 2020 close to my heart. Rita and Jorge got married on 11/01/20, and we had arranged that I would meet them at their home a few days later to settle the remaining details. When I entered their house, the dining table had around 20 people — and I was welcomed with a standing ovation. I think I didn’t cry out of embarrassment, but to this day I get emotional every time I remember it.
Do you have any future plans you can share with us?
Of course I do. I plan to always remember where I came from, what shaped me, and who helped me grow. I plan to continue carrying my couples with me, always avoiding the “wedding factory” label. But to answer your question directly: maybe soon (I don’t know if in 1 or 2 years) we’ll witness a revolution in how all DJs relate to each other. We’re already doing it on a small and early scale — time will tell whether this really is the path.
