To Hire a Wedding DJ or a Wedding Band?

Dead Man's Shoes performing at Newton Hall

The wedding music and wedding entertainment can literally make or break your wedding celebration.

The question  of whether you hire a Wedding Band or a Wedding DJ is one you will no doubt turn your attention to when choosing your wedding entertainment.

The two are not mutually exclusive. Bands and DJs can co-ordinate well together to give you a varied entertainment offering but ultimately your decision will also need to consider the cost and the budget you have available.

Start by asking yourself some basic questions and what type of entertainment suits your personal taste, your budget, the space available, the mix and ages of your guests and ultimately what you feel will work best for you and your circumstances.

Whether your decide on a Wedding Band or a Wedding DJ or both you need to ensure you get the right band or DJ or both to give you best wedding reception ever.

Here are a few factors that might help you make your decision:

• What Vibe are you aiming for: The type of music you choose sets the tone for your wedding and it's often the thing that people remember most. Think about what music best reflects your personalities and creates the ambience you want: Do you like Soul, Disco, Rock, Indie, Rock and Roll or Swing even. Your choice of music and the way its delivered by a live band or DJ affects the atmosphere. The type of music you want may well guide your decision too.

• Variety of Music: Regardless of whether you choose a band or a DJ, with a broad range of guests you'll probably be looking for a mix of slow and fast songs, as well as old and new tunes to encourage all of your guests to hit the dance floor.

• Your Budget: In the price war, DJs generally cost less, and prices vary depending on the quality of the DJ their experience and equipment and sometimes whether it's a weekday or weekend. A large band, for example, will generally be more expensive than a DJ, since there are more people to pay. There are always exceptions; well-known DJs can be just as expensive as live bands. Band prices vary by the number of musicians, the amount of time you want them to play for, day of the week and what time of year it is.
  

Blistered Molly performing at wedding at Woodhill Hall

• The Venue Space: You need to check whether the venue has any restrictions on the number of musicians and pieces of equipment you can bring in / accommodate, and whether there are any electrical power supply or noise limitations. A number of venues have neighbours to consider and some have sound limiters fitted these can really restrict the volume of the band and or DJ. Be sure you find out before sourcing your entertainment and it might bne an issue you wish to consider before you book your wedding venue.  

• To Hire a Wedding Band? A band has its pros and cons.There's nothing like a good live wedding band to get a crowd excited. A good band needs to be able to interact with your guests and encourage them onto the dance floor, paying attention to the "feel" of the room and selecting yje music accordingly.

1. Pros: You and your guests will experience the performance. A great performance can raise the excitement level beyond just the actual music thats played.
2. Cons: Bands are generally more expensive than DJs. No matter how great the band is, they can't have the repertoire of a DJ, who can keep a huge variety of music on hand. And if you want to hear a song the exact way the original artist performed it, you may not get what you want. With a band you inevitably get a limited performance time typically up to 2 hours with a break in the middle. There are generally short breing aks between songs interrupting the flow of the music.

 

• To hire a Wedding DJ. A quality Wedding DJ mixes musical styles for all ages. The songs played will sound exactly as you expect them. And, depending on the amount of equipment a DJ brings, they could take up less space.

 

1. Pros: If there are a dozen songs you're dying to hear at your wedding, it likely won't be a problem for your DJ to find each track.  DJs are generally less expensive than bands. A charismatic DJ with excellent DJing and microphone skills can really set the mood and get the party going.
2. Cons: On the opposite end of the scale, a DJ lacking charisma and personality with poor DJing skills can be a party killer.

Ideally, you will want to see a DJ or band in action before you commit so you can gauge first hand the way they dress, improvise and work the crowd. This of course may not always be possible so be sure to check out any reviews carefully and arrange to meet with them before you commit to book.

If a band sends you their songs or a link to a video, be sure the musicians you hear or see are the same musicians who will play at your reception. Similarly be sure you meet the DJ you are actually booking. There are a lot of companies acting as agents who take on bookings and hire in lower cost DJ's so they can take a cut. 

Ask for referrals from the last few weddings the band or DJ played. Consider your first dance song a test. If the band doesn't know it and is unwilling to learn it, or the DJ doesn't own it and is unwilling to get it, move on.

Tell them your likes and dislikes before you book. Know that all professionals should be open to your likes and dislikes.

Give them your personal request list, songs they must play and, perhaps more importantly, a do-not-play list.

Specifically prohibit the playing of any song you feel strongly about in your contract.

Author: Ian Conway -  Icon Entertainments Specialist Wedding & Events DJ

I'm a Multi Award Winning North East Wedding DJ and Mobile Disco covering Northumberland, County Durham, Teesside, North Yorkshire, Newcastle, Sunderland and Tyne and Wear areas.

I was voted as the Best Yorkshire and North East Wedding DJ 2020 in The Wedding Industry Awards and the Wedding Entertainer of the Year 2019 in the English Wedding Awards.

Whilst I specialise in creating amazing wedding celebrations I'm more than happy to DJ at any event or party.

www.icon-entertainments.co.uk