DJ Or A Band? Wedding Music Hire Options You Need To Consider

Weddings can overcome a lot of things. Bad weather. Bad Best Man speeches. And there’s enough old wedding photos to prove that weddings can easily overcome bad hair styles. But one thing that can’t be saved is a wedding with bad music. Music can literally make or break your wedding. It is the difference between having everyone up on the dancefloor or staying table-bound talking to their other halves.

When it comes to your wedding music it can be difficult to decide on what to have. Personal preferences sometimes have to give way to the mood of the mob. But sometimes people don’t know what’s good for them. So should you book a DJ or a wedding band? Here’s some things to consider:

If you’re going to go with a band, it should not be your band. Sorry, but if you can’t get other people to book you for a wedding, then you shouldn’t book you for a wedding. John Legend was once a wedding singer, and even he didn’t sing at his own wedding. So just don’t do it.

If you haven’t been to see many pub bands then take it from us – there is nothing like a live band to electrify the masses. It doesn’t matter if their rock, blues, jazz or fool, once you feel that live beat, you need to move your feet.

Some would say that you should cater for guest demographics but we think that’s just plain wrong. None of our friends had ever been to a blues club, heard a blues band or even listened to blues on the radio, but when we unleashed a blues band on them at our wedding reception, they lost their minds. It’s still the number one thing that everybody talks about ten years on.

Budget is another important aspect to consider - $1500 is the average, but if you want quality, you’ll be looking closer to $3000. What do we mean by quality? If you have an experienced band they know how to read the room, when to pick it up and when to take it easy. They also know that it is the bride’s night, not theirs so they support the night rather than be the night. Also, if the band knows their stuff, they won’t even need to take requests which is the stuff of nightmares for DJs.

Some wedding band specialists can also play Master of Ceremonies for the night, but the better the band the less likely this is, but don’t worry. MC is a great gig to give to any of your friends and they don’t have to be Billy Crystal to do a good job.

Finally, a word of warning. There are some large agency businesses in the capital cities that have a band night at a local pub where engaged couples can come along and listen to 5-6 bands play a few songs each. You may see a band, love them and book them. For some of these agencies, you are booking that band “type”, not necessarily the actual band and so a different band that plays that music will show up on the night. Try and take out the middle man and go to gigs of band styles you like and after the show, proposition them and get a card. You won’t be the first and the band will be flattered.

On the DJ front, you’re getting a more vanilla experience, but last time we checked, a lot of people like vanilla. DJs can offer a balance of musical styles for all ages. The songs played will sound exactly as you want them to, encouraging sing-alongs and improvisation.

On the logistics side, a DJ usually takes up a lot less space if your venue is small. DJs are generally less expensive than bands and a good DJ with stage presence and excellent skills can really set the mood and keep the party going.

A definite thing to watch out for is DJs who try to trot out the same old tired tunes that worked last month and last year. Yes, a few of the latest hits should work their way into the night but DJs have access to thousands of songs in their catalogue, so you can definitely flavour the night to your taste. Ask to review their catalogue beforehand and not only create a hit list, but also a miss list that is not to be played under any circumstances.

If you decide to go with a DJ you need to be strict about your attitude towards requests. The bride and groom have a lot of things to handle on the night and the last thing they want to do is to have to cross the dance floor to tell their cousins to stop requesting their favourite K-Pop tracks. Alcohol and rejected music requests can be a bad mix so make the policy obvious from the beginning.