Music!

We're having a band that also act as a DJ in between their sets. It's the biggest expense of our wedding but OH is a music buff and a decent band was the only thing he has wanted any say in!

Band! But that's only cos my brother's band are doing it for free...otherwise it would have been waaaaaaaaay out of our budget!

All the best weddings I've been to have had a live band. But that's just my personal experience. There's all sorts of things to consider and you know your 'audience' better than anyone!

*is* doing it for free. Sorry. A band is one thing. Damn you grammar.

Yeah OH was quite keen on a band. Woowoo, where did you find yours?

It's through Warble, they have bands for all budgets and styles. I'm guessing they're a bit pricier than getting a band independently but after many hours trawling the internet, an agent seemed the easiest way!

I'll have a look on there, thanks

Going against the grain I much prefer DJs over bands so that is what we are having.

I'm a DJ fan. Ooh, especially when it does karaoke too, and all for the budget price of £140!

I danced half my evening and I know I wouldn't have done with a band.

Hi Helybel

It is a tricky decsion because as you say there are pros and cons of any evening entertainment choice. You have to think about, amoungst other things: cost, space, guest numbers, guest ages and any volume limits your venue has.

I've written a short article which outlines the benefits and drawbacks of a DJ, band and singer: http://blog.theweddingsinger.uk.com/2012/11/wedding-dj-vs-wedding-band-vs-wedding.html

Hope this helps!

James

We're having a DJ - I think it suits the venue better and it's included in the price and there's other things we'd rather spend the money on than a band personally. Also not seen or heard any bands that we would have liked so have stuck with the DJ

We're having a dj, was originally going for a local band we knew, but getting a great dj for half the price, and I think you can't go wrong with a good dj as everyones loves the original versions of their fave songs Also the one we're going to book seems really good at getting people up to dance and also doesn't talk too much which we like!

2 piece band, £600.00. more as back ground music and atmosphere tho I imagine people may have a bit of a boogie at some point. I love live music and our band are brilliant (is biased of course).

As Skeppers says it depends on what you want from your reception, we have a smallish pub for ours so a disco wouldn't really work (and isn't our thing in any case).

We are having a band, it felt more suited to our venue and we love live music. I also agree that DJ's are great too though as you get the original version of the songs and can cover a wider range of music styles.

There are pros and cons for both....it comes down to personal preferences. Two major things to consider that I've actually witnessed in recent years is:

1. a fantastic band playing all the right tunes in a room far too small with no dance floor left for the gusts to get up and boogie!

2. an equally fantastic band...playing the wrong type of music genre for that particular crowd.

With a DJ you do have the opportunity to have all genres covered and most have thousands of songs to hand. Saying that, I'm quite anti using the resident DJ.... how do you know he's the right style for you? Are you sure he's not the resident DJ just because he's within their budget? If a package includes a DJ it's best not expect a well experienced wedding professional (they tend to be priced from £300 to £1000 and venues aren't willing to pay that).

Here's a story that'll make your hair curl...... one Saturday night a call comes in from a hotel.... are we free?.... if so, can you get down here immediately, but you need to tell the bride and groom that you had van trouble hence that is why you are late. Apparently they managed to book someone who was willing to lie for them and cover up the fact they'd forgotten to book a DJ!

Whether it's a band or DJ, deal directly with them and insist on a contract. If possible, view the band performing and meet a potential DJ. They become a large part of your evening so it's important that you get on with them and trust them to take care of things.

Sandy sounds - I can understand what you're saying about concerns with a resident DJ buti don't think its fair to say it means they're unlikely to be professional/experienced?! There's always bad stories for bands/DJs of any kind bit I've been to a wedding who used resident DJ and they were great. With our venue, we've spoken to other couples, almost all have used the resident DJ as he knows the venue and has good feedback and theyve all been happy. Don't think its always the case to say its a bad idea, just that you should do your research into the resident DJ, like any other wedding decision.

Neither (well sort of neither) - had a Ceilidh band as there's not really a "period" attachment and I didn't want "loud" modern music as we only had the one room (+ bar) and the older generation would have rebelled. I did cause major chaos in the dress (and with my total lack of knowledge of left vs right!)

Sorry...I didn't explain it very well. What I meant to say is if using the resident DJ, check them out, meet with them etc. A DJ's style varies so much and what suits one person might not suit another. I know I've got a very distinctive style that wouldn't suit many of the brides on here. I use the mic a lot and get on the dance floor with the guests..... that's why my clients book me but I know that would drive some people nuts.

I was speaking very generally about venues. Being in the business we see things and practices that the public don't see. I was just advising to check things out and not just accept on face value. My bestest DJ friend is a resident DJ at two hotels and he's brilliant.... but I also know of hotels charging brides for the so called resident DJ then calling round to find the cheapest person with a rig! (ie taking a substantial cut)

I do Ceilidh with my disco and that's half the fun! One day I'm going to take sticky notes along and put left and right on someones shoes!!

Depends upon your mood, style and theme...I would prefer band for soothing mood and DJ for rocking mood.

Just to back-up what Sandy says, there are some fantastic resident DJs out there but it is a VERY common practice for venues to take a cut from what you pay for their resident.

So you're potentially paying £300 for a £150 DJ. I've even heard of venues taking a bigger share than the DJ!

There's nothing wrong with booking a resident DJ but see them in action if you can, if you can't get plenty of recommendations - have they got a Facebook page with lots of comments from happy clients? Meet them, talk to them on the phone, and compare what else you could get for the same money on the 'open' market.

James