band vs. dj?

[janinegirly]

i''m still trying to find a band, and hearing that people use DJ''s a lot more these days. Has anyone heard this? I always thought I''d like a band since it seems more classy etc.

 

[TravelingGal]

I liked having a DJ, as I am not a fan of bands. However my wedding was not about class.

 

[labbielove]

Date: 1/8/2007 2:00:17 PM
Author: TravelingGal
I liked having a DJ, as I am not a fan of bands. However my wedding was not about class.

I agree (i.e. our wedding won''t be about class ,

That''s not to say a DJ = not classy,
We very much want people to dance so opted for a DJ. Ummmm plus it was at least 1/5th the price of a band, at least around me.

If I could afford to get a good local dance band (which we can''t) I might have gone that route, but we''re talking at least $3-5K,
With that being said, I know folks have gotten bands for much less. I am still feeling the guilt for the photography budget we blew so for us a band wasn''t an option.

 

[janinegirly]

i didn''t mean to imply that a DJ wasn''t classy, just a different vibe. DJ''s are more fun I think, but bands add an extra touch. The price is probably the biggest deterrent (3-5K for a band, yikes), but I wasn''t sure if the trends were changing for other reasons. Our wedding is at a historical inn in an old town, so for me a band would make more sense, but..DJ just seems so much easier!

 

[sumbride]

We''re going with a dj, but I have a question for those with bands... When the band is taking a break, who plays the music? I''ve been to weddings with bands and in between sets they had recorded music, but I can''t remember who was in charge of playing it. Do you have to hire somebody to do that too? Bands aren''t going to play the whole night, no matter how much you pay them.

 

[TravelingGal]

The reason I do like a DJ is that you can mix it up a lot. We did 70''s, 80''s, 90''s, current. It''s hard to find a band that can mix it up and do it WELL.

 

[jcrow]

we had a band, but they played all of my favorite music and a WIDE range too. people were actually amazed that it was them singing and not a dj!
i''m glad we found what we did b/c i like a band but i also love certain types of music and sometimes only a dj can provide that.

 

[labbielove]

The other thing about a DJ that I was afraid of is the Cheese-factor- you know, the DJs that think the crowd wants to hear them rather than the music.
Then again, you do want some interaction with the crowd, so it''s a fine line.

I guess that could also be true for a band, but somehow I''ve seen a lot more "cheezy" Dj''s than bands.

One word of caution if you do go the DJ route, make sure you know who Your DJ will be- I''ve had friends who signed with a company, dealing with one DJ and then on the day of some stranger shows up and assures them "it''s ok we have your list and info" but for us we want to know who''s going to be there.

 

[Pandora II]

I organise a lot of Balls and Gala Dinners for my the political party I work for, so have hired quite a lot of bands.

So far all of them have played a 2 hour set and then provided a dj system afterwards. This works out much cheaper than hiring two seperate things.

It may be different here in the UK, but I would try asking if they do both.

The other thing I have found is really important is controlling volume levels. People like to be able to talk to each other so it''s important the band isn''t too loud. Older people get especially uncomfortable with this. I haven''t found it prevents people from having a good time on the dance floor either!

 

[jesterjigger]

We''re having a jazz band that is simply wonderful. They''re also providing a trio to play during cocktail hour. For us the band will use their sound system to play music during their breaks. We said we''ll bring an Ipod with a playlist made up, but they also have their own music in case we forget. BF plays sax and clarinet and has been in jazz bands for the last ten years, and our wedding reception is in a restaurant themed after a French farmhouse during WWII with lots of old military memoribilia, so it''ll fit the theme well. Plus our friends aren''t big clubbers to begin with. The other nice thing about the band is that the lead singer will announce the wedding party, cake cutting, etc. We can also choose to have them play our first dance and stuff, or they can play a cd, depending on what we choose. They will also arrange any song we choose for $50, and give fiance the music. Finally, fiance gets to sit in and play the sax if he wants to.

 

[diamondlove]

We are having a band but it was a difficult decision. I love that ''extra touch'' a band provides to an event but there are some music that I enjoy that just won''t be the same with a band rather than the original singer being played by a DJ. However, I figured that live music will be entertaining to both dancers and non dancers whereas people who don''t dance usually go home once the DJ starts to play. I think a band makes an event feel a bit more formal.

I think DJs are more common these days as most weddings I''ve attended recently all used DJs. It''s a fun and less expensive alternative so it really is up to you and your fiance.

Our Band is a variety band so they will play a wide assortment of music which is the best compromise if you are torn between a band or a dj. Also, our band will be playing for 4 hours with a few fifteen minute breaks. During these breaks, they will play a cd of whatever music we''d like (or a cd we put together for them to play) so this way we still get some of the songs we''d prefer hearing from the original singer.

HTH!
Diamondlove

 

[TravelingGal]

Have any of you ever seen it where no one is really digging the band, and when they put on their "intermission music", people start getting into the groove and get down on the dance floor...only to clear out again when the band comes back on? I''ve seen this and it is sad!!!!

 

[anchor31]

I was hesitant to have a DJ as well as I prefer live music but couldn''t afford a band, so I was pretty worried about that... But J and I found a singing duo last weekend and we''re thrilled. They sing just about anything from the 50s up, have great voices and they gave us a very good impression personality-wise. They''re also cheaper than some DJs we met, and the cocktail hour is included (although I''m not sure if they''ll be able to do it as the cocktail hour is on the terrace...). When they''re on break, they have recorded music.

Maybe that''s another option you could consider?

 

[firebirdgold]

I went to a wedding this summer with a band and another with a dj manning an ipod the couple had filled. I really prefered the dj. Noone really danced at the first wedding except out of politeness for the couple. But at the second wedding people of all ages were dancing the whole time and it made a huge difference as to how enjoyable the wedding was!

 

[tanyak]

Date: 1/8/2007 2:00:17 PM
Author: TravelingGal
I liked having a DJ, as I am not a fan of bands. However my wedding was not about class.

Hee! Same here.

But seriously, I think it depends on your crowd and the music you want to hear. I had a DJ and people were on the floor the entire night, but one of the hightlights that I remember was when the DJ spun on old-school hip-hop double play of "Bust a Move" and "It Take Two to Make a Thing Go Right." Nearly everyone jumped up. Really, our music spanned so many genres - hip-hop, 70s soul, salsa, funk. It''d be hard to get all of that from a band.

 

[Jas12]

It''s all a matter of taste and opinion I think. Just b/c you have a DJ does NOT guarantee a good mix of music. I have been to some weddings with sad, sad dj''s and others that are great. Choose your music wisely.

I too struggled with this decision--i ultimately picked a band b/c I know the talented members and know they can play a range of music. Also, a wedding i went to this summer with a band was by-far the most danced at event (and i went to 5 weddings this summer in total for comparison). There is just ''something'' about live music....

Despite all this I think in the end, it has to do with the people at your event...

 

[dani13]

We are having a band. FI and I are HUGE fans of live music, and yes, bands are very expensive, but we figured it was a priority to us, we really felt the live music would just add so much more to our reception. But again, that is based on preference and what your priorities are.... we just never considered a DJ at all.

We searched high and low for a band that had excellent range and could sing basically any kind of song from jazz to R & B to funk, and it took awhile to find one, but we did. I would say though that we are the most excited for our band- no regrets spending that $$ at all- I am sure it will be worth it!

 

[AChiOAlumna]

We had a live band as the lead was friends of my FIL.

In our reception ballroom, we shared a wall with another reception (in another room) who used a DJ. I felt bad, but many of the guests of the other reception began leaving and trying to join our reception because they liked the music our band was playing more than the DJ...

Fortunately, we had a guard who made sure our guests were the only ones admitted to our reception (cuz we also had an open wine/beer bar)...