Choosing wedding entertainment is a very important part of your wedding planning process. Your guests may not remember the theme of your wedding centrepieces, the type of cars or even the design of the cake. The last memory of your wedding for you and your guests is having the most important people in your life having fun and dancing with all the new friends that they have made. If you don’t plan your wedding entertainment properly, your guest’s last memory will be how the wedding ended at 9pm!
Band or DJ?
There are advantages and disadvantages of having both. The pure sound of Live music with a wedding band can really bring a great buzz to your reception but will be more expensive than a DJ, and most bands stick to a set list.
A Wedding DJ can only play pre-recorded tracks which means that their sound isn’t as good as a live acoustic band, but the DJ can play any type of music, take requests and works out less expensive than a band.
Band & DJ package
You can have the best of both worlds with live music from the band and disco music with requests for your wedding. The live band can play the first half of the evening (from after dinner until the evening buffet), and the DJ can play the final half of the evening (from the evening buffet to the close of the bar).
Once you have decided this, there are so many questions: A swing band? A cover band? What type of DJ?
Vision & Theme
To avoid becoming overwhelmed consider your vision and theme for your wedding reception.
Close your eyes & imagine it. Talk it out. Different visions and themes call for different music: a swing band would be perfect for a Vintage themed reception, while a great cover band has something for everyone and Ceilidh band would be great for a Traditional Irish / Scottish themed reception.
Make sure that your wedding DJ has had experience, can take requests and has a good quality sound and light show. As with every industry there are good ones and bad ones… The bad ones are cheap and you certainly get what you pay for. So make sure the last thing that your family and friends remember is that great DJ that finished off your day with a bang!
