From Bands to DJs: Choosing the Right Wedding Entertainment
The type of entertainment you hire for your wedding plays a major factor in whether your guests will give your wedding day a thumbs up or thumbs down. In this blog, we will look at how to choose the right wedding entertainment to ensure your big day gets rave reviews.
Consider Your Guest List for Wedding Entertainment
Most guest lists include varied age groups, which can make it challenging to set the right tone for your entertainment. Music preference is very personal. However, today, it's not unusual to find teens and twenty-somethings embracing unexpected band favourites from 1970s heavy metal to current chart-toppers.
You'll also find a lot more people in their 40s, 50s, and beyond embracing surprising bands and performers. This can make it easier to find a happy medium for your entertainment. If you have a less diverse age group, it's even easier to choose a band or DJ that will appeal to the majority of your guests.
However, larger weddings can make it difficult to focus on one specific era or genre. In this case, focus on a DJ or band that caters to a wide variety of musical genres, so there's something for everyone.
Is there a logical theme for your wedding entertainment?
If your wedding plans are based on a specific theme or style, it can be a safe bet to use that as inspiration for your wedding entertainment. For example, a sophisticated wedding all about glamour lends itself well to a jazzy wedding band, while a rustic wedding is made for toe-tapping country music.
If you have a quirky wedding theme based on an obsession you share as a couple, such as rock 'n roll or goth music, then your wedding entertainment might call for something unique like a rock 'n roll jukebox, or a cover band for The Cure.
Infusing Your Personal Tastes Into Your Wedding Entertainment
Your wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime event that allows you leeway to focus on your personal preferences. While not all couples feel comfortable thinking outside the box or breaking with tradition when it comes to their wedding decisions, wedding entertainment certainly presents an opportunity to express your personality.
Just keep in mind it could prove risky, depending on what that taste entails. For example, a love of easy listening jazz might be easier to take by most guests as it fades into the background, whereas an obsessive love of punk is more "in your face" and likely to pose a problem.
Another way to infuse more personality into your wedding entertainment is to have a general form of entertainment, such as a wedding band or wedding DJ, after dinner, and hire a “headliner” that makes a short appearance before dinner. This might include a band performing a customized song, a cultural dance, or something more off-the-wall, like a Cirque du Soleil-inspired performance.
Many couples create their own specialized wedding entertainment, such as singing a duet together or performing a dramatic ballroom dance.
Tip: If you want your guests to get up and dance, be sure to lean heavily into music with a lively beat mixed in with some romantic slow dances.
Wedding Band vs. DJ
Once you get a feel for the type of music you wish to include, you can start considering whether you prefer a wedding band or DJ. There are pros and cons to both:
Wedding DJ
Most DJs are pretty flexible, allowing you to customize your music.
DJs tend to be more budget-friendly, unless they are in high demand.
DJs can take requests, allowing guests to be more involved and engaged.
DJs are usually a "solo act" requiring very little space to set up.
DJs are often more comfortable acting as an MC and making announcements throughout the reception.
Wedding Band
As performers, bands are usually far more entertaining than wedding DJs.
Bands can help keep guests engaged.
Guests tend to view a wedding band as a premium form of entertainment, making them more suitable for high-budget weddings.
Wedding bands are more expensive.
Bands tend to offer a “what you see is what you get” type of entertainment, with a special style of music and performance and with very little room for special requests.
Some bands do take requests or are flexible in the songs they perform.
Ask for Referrals for Wedding Entertainment
Recommendations can help you find engaging performers. Have you attended any recent weddings where you felt the entertainment really stood out? If so, ask the couple for contact information.
If you aren't sure where to start, strike up conversations with friends, family, and co-workers and ask if they know of any wedding entertainers. Another great resource is your venue and vendors, such as your florist or baker. They know the industry and can recommend DJs and bands to expand your options.
Reach Out to Wedding Entertainment Candidates
Make a short list of wedding entertainment candidates so you can research their experience and suitability. Before you speak to anyone, be sure to search for demos or live performance videos online to get a feel for their performance style.
Ask people who refer an entertainer if they have a video to share. Your research will rule out anyone who doesn't suit your taste. Now, you can start reaching out to the remaining candidates to ask the following:
Are they available on your wedding date?
Do they take wedding gigs, and do they have wedding experience?
How much do they charge, and are there any additional fees you should know about, such as travel expenses, meals included, drinks included, etc.
How flexible are they? For example, do they take requests, will they accept tailored song selections, and do they only offer one specific musical style?
How much space do they need to set up?
Can they provide referrals backed up by video?
Are they open to accepting a “do not play” list?
How loud is their equipment?
Are they comfortable making announcements or emceeing?
Do they have some sort of backup plan if bad weather or illness prevents them from attending the wedding?
Do they require a deposit, and if so, how much, and is it refundable?
Do they have a cut-off date for refunds if you have to cancel?
The DJ or band that satisfies most of your questions will be the right choice for your wedding entertainment.
Contact the Wedding Venue Specialists
Château Le Jardin is your ideal wedding venue, ready to help you make the best decisions to ensure a flawless wedding day. Click here to learn more. You can also call us at 1-888-529-8573 or book a consultation online.