Picture this. You are on your way to your reception after your wedding ceremony, and you are ready to have fun, dance, and make this an unforgettable experience. The music, and dancing will be one of the highlights of this celebration. This important choice can be overwhelming to make, so here are some tips to help you make the best decision.
Keep these in mind:
What’s your budget?
What type of wedding are you having (traditional wedding, a themed party, or a different reception completely)?
What music would you like?
Let’s look at each of these together.
how important a budget is
both dj and live band offers (flexibility and being able to work with client)
The type of party you are throwing will have a major impact on who you will want to consider for your party. If you are throwing a more standard wedding reception with dinner and dancing to popular music, a band or a DJ will work (and you can skip to the next question). But, if you are throwing a themed wedding party, or have a completely different reception in mind, then there is more to consider. For example, if you are throwing a swing dance themed party, or a Great Gatsby themed party, you will want a band that specializes in those genres as they will know the right music to play. DJ’s and top 40 bands are a poor choice for those kinds of parties as they don’t have the specialized knowledge necessary to pull off the music for that party. If you are throwing a whole different kind of reception all-together, perhaps without any dancing, then you should determine what role music will play, and then seek out bands or DJ’s that can fill that role (for instance, if you just want background music during dinner, and don’t need anyone to fill the dance floor, you could choose to save money by curating a list on an ipod - or hiring a professional DJ or band leader to do that for you - since music will not be playing a starring role).
What you are looking for in your music selections will have a big influence on a band vs a DJ as well. If you are looking for top 40 hits with classic dance songs from the 60’s to the present, a band or a DJ would fit the bill. But, if you are looking for a lot of eletronica, techno, and other dance-hall style music, a DJ will likely be your better bet as they can play that while a band would have trouble replicating that.
How your guests will react to the music is also a very important factor. You don’t want to hire any music vendor and have the floor empty. If your crowd is very much a dancing crowd, then a band will only raise the energy level even more. A DJ will have no issue filling the floor. But, if your crowd is shyer, more reserved, or less into dancing, then a live band may be vital to the success of the dance floor - a great band will know how to draw people on to the floor and get them dancing. A DJ will only have one or two people to work the crowd - a 5 piece band will have the same number of people who can work the crowd, and will have the energy of the performance going on as well. An even larger band - 10 pieces with 3 vocalists and 3 horns? You could have 6 people working the floor and drawing the crowd out, with the rest of the band still creating additional energy on stage. Knowing your crowd is vital in choosing this so your floor stays filled throughout the party.
Band vs DJ is not an easy choice, but it’s an important one. And, all things being equal, a band will bring more energy than a DJ, but rarely in life are all things equal, so be sure to focus on quality. Get the highest quality you can afford, because the music will be the life of the party. That makes the most important question one we can’t answer for you - what do I need from my music to make sure my party is one my guests will talk about for years to come? Answer that one first, and you’ll find it much easier to decide on looking for a band or DJ.