Glos/ Bristol Brides/Hibs Entertainment

Hi there...

as regards bands and musicians in general we've got a price guide on our website which you can find here:

http://www.tonhauser.com/rubbersoul/Weddingarticles_Cost_of_a_live_band.html

There are also some does and don'ts and some other info which you may find useful if you've never hired DJs or Musicians before.

http://www.tonhauser.com/rubbersoul/Weddingarticles_Home.html

Which you go for is up to you of course. The DJs will say have a DJ and bands will say hire a band which isn't particularly helpful. It's down to your budget and your taste.

I hope this might help

best

Tony

Rubber Soul

Hi Kirsty Smith

I know what you mean about each to their own but right now we are very swings and roundabouts so gathering information is a must. I will deafinately keep you updated when (if) we ever make a decision.

Tony

thankyou for the links they are deafinately going to help me start my research, I like gather much information and then distilled it down unil I find an answer and guidlines to work in. (hmm drifter wonders if she now sounds like a tatal geek, nerd)!

x

If you've got the budget.....I say have both. But what I hate to see is bands saying they can do the DJing as well (I'm not referring to those few bands that do team up with a professional DJ, but more the ones that let the sound man press play and think its djing)

If you go for a 'package' of combined band and DJ there's no provision for choice and taste. By sourcing separately, you can choose your ideal band,.....and your ideal DJ. Like bands, there's no two DJs the same and we all offer slightly different services and styles.

A few weeks ago I met up with a couple who'd decided to interview 4 other DJs in my area before choosing. When they came back to me I asked them how they got on. They said that all the DJs they interviewed seemed really good, but they preferred my style (although I was the most expensive). To me this couple had the right idea.

Me back again.....

I've just had a look at the links Tony provided. There's some really good advice on there for booking a DJ, but there's one misleading point I did notice. Tony mentions booking a member of the National Association of DJs (NADJ). What a lot of people don't realise is that there is no criteria for joining this association apart from having PLI(public liability insurance) and PAT (portable appliance tested) equipment. So anyone from the bedroom DJ to a professional can join. On the other hand, members of the wedding DJ association (WDJA) have to pass a high criteria to be accepted and have to abide by the constitution and a code of ethics.

Sandysounds

Thankyou for the information, when we get to some vague point of having a clue I expect we will iterview/ meat several bands or DJs depending on what we go for.

although finding some in are aea would probably help.

x

Ah - Thanks SandySounds - I Didn't realise that - I'm going to investigate and update that page then.

Cheers

Tony

Hello my dear!

How's things? I've not been on for ages. I've just had my last really big wedding this year, Pittville Pump Rooms, so have now got free time to hitch! Did you sort out your hairdresser?

I've always found unless they are a really good covers band that people do prefer to dance to disco's. There is an amazing band called Duke, who comprise of two beat boxers and a guitarist and they always get the crowd jumping! https://myspace.com/dukeofficial although they are at the higher end of budgets. I would be careful about having a themed band such as swing or Rat Pack as they are very personal and I've seen some weddings go a bit flat. Stick with what you know people will dance to. ALWAYS go and see them play somehow. Discos are very reliant on how well the DJ can gauge the crowd. My wedding yesterday had a strong african contingency, so they found lots of Congolese music and then followed it up with some Reggae which went down brilliantly even with the English and French in the crowd. They knew what to do and when and the dancefloor was packed ALL night. Infact they booed when they had to stop! The company I use is Surround Sounds and they cover a massive area, but they really are an amazing company with very professional equipment http://www.surround-sounds.co.uk/

Ruth

x

Our Hotel is supplying us with a dj who will only play a songlist provided by us. So we know we'll like what he plays. And it's not costing us a penny more than the overall cost of our meals! x

Ahh Hello

bit of a delayed reply, have been busy moving all weekend, and I haven't hitched much lately as I was away fr 3 weeks but not moving is done and i have just relaised there is something stupid like 10 and a half months til we get maried I must make a return to organising.

so ruth thankyou for the input on bands vs discos I think that are one concern with a band is indeed it's personal taste, so unless we find ones that run a disco as well we might not go down that route.

We are considering possible a mix of a disco and a chilidh but not sure if people will think chilidh is too much like school.

Hmm hairdressers haven't found one yet, tried out vanillia a month or so ago but not in love with it s going to keep looking, did you have a recamendation in cheltenham my hair needs a good colour and general sorting out.

How was your last big wedding of the crazy season? I bet your glad for a little quiet time.

Bailey_wailey

lucky you having the entertainment all sorted, sometimes I wish we had gone for a more inclusive venue especially when i look at the long list of things to organise we still have to do.

Sure it will all be worth it in the end though