Band or DJ?!!!

It depends on what you are after really, and if your venue allows bands, ours doesn't so we are going for a DJ. Thinking about it I have only been to 1 wedding where there was a band playing, and the only reason there was a band as it was the grooms ?.

One thing to bear in mind, some venues even if they allow bands have noise limiters in place and if the band get too loud the power to their equipment cuts out.

We still have to find a DJ though, ha, one thing still on the to do list.

I'm for band all the way. Me and my partner love live music we love a wide range of music but most music we like just sounds better with a band. It's each to their own. I've been to two weddings one with a band and one with a dj. The one with the band the floor was just jammed packed at all times. The one with the dj was just an empty dance floor. But I guess this could happen with either. This is what I most worry about is that no one will be on the dance floor!!

Same here, and it was my brother I really enjoyed it, but as they were quite rocky, I think some of the older guests found it a bit much. You gotta consider size of venue - a band can be very in your face if the room isn't that big, whereas a DJ can be more 'backgroundy' if needed.

This was one of our priorities for our wedding - getting a band who will ensure the dancefloor is kept busy all night. It is my worst nightmare (other than H2B not turning up, or me falling over my dress) that there will be no one on the dancefloor.

We've got an excellent band, who allowed us to come and listen to them rehearse. They do lots of the Christmas party seasons at the big hotels in the area so are well used to getting people up and boogie-ing. they will do 2 x 1 hour (ish) sets, but also provide a DJ set in between, so there should never be a real break in the music.

The cost for a band was rather more than a DJ, but for us there was no question of cutting back and we had booked the band before we had booked most other things.

I did go to one wedding years ago, where there was a superb DJ - he really worked the floor well, and had games for guests included for something a bit different. It was the only time I had ever seen everyone enjoy a DJ wedding, and if I could guarantee that, then I might have gone for it, but as this particular wedding was 20 years ago, and I can't even remember who it was who was getting married, it was never really going to happen, but if you do have a good recommendation, or know a DJ's work, then it can be really good.

I think it depends on your budget. A great DJ is better than a poor band.

Very well said ?

Hello.

This is definitely a dilemma as a band and a DJ offer quite different experiences. I play in a group that combines both of these though. We're a duo of percussion and saxophone that play live with a DJ to give the live experience whilst also covering all the popular dance music styles. If this is something you're interested in please get in touch or check out our website to see us in action.

Www.sticksandlicks.co.uk

I personally prefer a DJ, which is what we had.

I've been to 2 weddings with bands, one was incredibly loud and the last one was ok, but the singer just couldn't pull off some of the songs she sang.

We've booked a band and they're also going to do the music between sets so we didn't have to bother with a dj.

X

I agree that you can get some very poor bands and some very good Dj's.

We certainly wouldn't have booked anyone we hadn't heard, seen, or at least had a trusted recommendation from a close friend. One band we were given details of from the venue we are booked into, said that we couldn't see a playlist, go to see them play, or anything like that - their answer was "we know what works you will have to trust us".....urm, for £1400 of my hard earned cash, Nope, I don't think so!

The band we did go with, again recommended by the venue, said that we could go and watch them rehearse, so we could see them in the raw so to speak. They were amazing in the rehearsal room, so we were more than happy to book them for the wedding - cheaper than the other band too! Our third band to consider were a band we had seen at a friend's wedding and who are also booked to do our work Christmas party, so again we knew it would have been money well spent.

So, its a big amount of money if you don't feel comfortable with it, or if you get a crappy....so the main thing is do your research!

We've got a band to perform during the wedding breakfast (backgound so not as loud as if they were performing for the evening) & a dj for the evening

I think it's a very subjective thing ... For me a band was the only way to go and I booked ours before the venue even! You get what you pay for and our band is not cheap ours is triple the cost of a DJ but whether I go to weddings with bands the dance floor is packed .... Not so much with a DJ. There is something about live music that gets people up without the need for a slightly desperate sounding DJ encouraging or cajoling people to join in and even if you don't join in there is entertainment in watching a band perform. However a good DJ will always be better than an inexperienced not very good band and you must be picky and see them perform .. Our band is very accessible ... Facebook, website and quick email response ... Their customer reviews are fab ... I know exactly what I'm getting ... I don't think you can get that with a DJ unless they are recommended.

Just have a good look at the set list of the band to make sure they can handle a wide range of styles and do them justice, a good band should be able to play most genre's and do faithful enough versions to keep your guests entertained. On the other hand if you're looking for perfect 'soundalike' versions of all your favourite RnB/Dance songs then a DJ is your safest bet.

Everyone has different taste in music and the atmosphere at wedding parties is usually dictated by the wide range of ages who attend. Be careful not to alienate your guests by requesting just two or three types of music, that's a recipe for an empty dance floor and a very forgettable evening.

Or get a band that offers a DJ service, most do!