Band or DJ for your Wedding?
Straight off the bat, I will say my vote is for a live band (sorry DJ friends!) – I’ll share why below…
A few questions to consider:
- How big is your guest list?
- Do you want classic wedding songs or the Top 40?
- What is your wedding vibe? Black Tie? Casual? Formal?
- How much interaction do you want from the music(ian)?
- Is your guest list the dancing/party type?
LIVE BAND
Pros
- More personal interactions
- From experience, I’ve never seen an empty dance floor; in fact, it’s always PACKED
- Classy, nostalgic, timeless, clean, and popular wedding songs through the ages
- Very interactive; they dance, they get on the dance floor, they pump up the crowd
- Hire for cocktail hour as well as reception
Cons
- Can be more expensive
- Not as easy to request songs (this could be a pro if you don’t want guests requesting songs)
Each of the above 3 photos are from weddings that had live bands, let’s now move onto DJs…
DJs
Pros
- A wide variety of music to choose from
- Hire for ceremony & cocktail hour as well as reception
- Can get the dance floor bumpin’
- Less expensive (usually!)
Cons
- Can struggle to get people on the dance floor
- Music can get dirty if you’re having a kid-friendly wedding
- If guests requests songs, the mood can quickly be killed
So, should you hire a DJ or a live band for your wedding?
Mostly, it comes down to the questions I listed at the beginning. Most black tie weddings have a live band – they seem to fit the vibe best, but I’ve also seen them at a casual tent wedding in a cherry farm. So, you have to ask what will get the crowd on the floor; do you already have friends who you know will tear up a rug and won’t need much of a push, or do you need something more interactive to keep people moving? Typically with a smaller guest list, a DJ will suffice otherwise it gets awkward if there’s as many musicians as there are guests. All in all, here are my concluding thoughts: every wedding I’ve been to with a live band has had a PACKED dance floor and they keep the music clean & fun. There are amazing DJs, which I’ll list below, but they can also be a hit or miss – some DJs don’t know how to read the crowd and find out what songs will get people dancing.
Wedding Bands
DJs
