DJ vs. Band and how to find the best!

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Permalink Reply by Creative Elegance Weddings on April 21, 2010 at 1:57pm

Try searching the American Association of DJ's. They will have will have DJ listings in your area.
http://www.adja.org/

Nicole
Creative Elegance Weddings

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Permalink Reply by Caren Jeanty on April 22, 2010 at 10:27am

Hi Kristen

I would advice you to attend as many bridal shows as your schedule will allow so that you can listen to bands/dj live.

Two bands my couples like very much is Union and the in-house band at the Florentine Gardens

You can also go to the American Disc Jockey Association to find reputable DJ's http://www.adja.org/

Caren

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Permalink Reply by Bob Holl Entertainment on April 22, 2010 at 11:38pm

Hi Kristin, Congratulations with your wedding plans!
Below are a few points from my web site to consider that I would like to share with you.
While Planning a Wedding...

* 80% of wedding couples will hire a DJ/ Entertainer for their wedding reception.
* During wedding planning, brides say their highest priority (other then the church/minister) is their attire, followed by the reception site and food/caterer.
* Wedding reception entertainment is among the least of their priorities. Within one week after their reception, almost 80% of brides say they would have made the entertainment their highest priority!

After the Wedding...

* Almost 100% say they would have invested more money on their entertainment!
* Over 80% of guests surveyed said what they remember most about a wedding was the entertainment!
* A national Wedding Magazine recommends investing at least 10% of your wedding budget for entertainment.
* Over 70% of all brides say they would have spent more time choosing their entertainment!
I would be happy to answer any questions you may have!
Good luck! I do travel and am Located in North Central Wisconsin! :)
Bob Holl
www.bobhollentertainment.com

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Permalink Reply by PWPEventPlanningDesign&Boutique on April 23, 2010 at 11:44am

Congratulations! you should look into Dj's with Live enhancements - it's the best of both worlds!

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Permalink Reply by Elle Musique on April 23, 2010 at 12:01pm

Ask your vendors for recommendations (especially your photographer!) If you have hired ceremony musicians, they are also a good resource. Call local music stores or teaching studios. Also try Gigmaster (http://www.gigmasters.com) - DJs and bands from around the country book through it.

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Permalink Reply by Global Photography on April 24, 2010 at 5:30pm

In my experience - not a DJ but as a photographer have been active at a lot of weddings - if you are going to hire a band then you will need a DJ/MC to guide your guests through the night and play music during the band's intermissions that can be up to 1/2 an hour long. If I were you I would attend a few local bridal shows and meet with a few different DJ's and bands until you find one that is right for you.
- Los Angeles Wedding Photographer

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Permalink Reply by Soulful Engagements on April 28, 2010 at 2:56pm

We hired a band for our wedding. They played continuous live music for our reception by staggering their breaks so that there was always a musician playing, never a CD. The band leader also acted as our MC and did all of the announcements.

Most of the bands in our area held showcases where we could go listen to them play, without having to attend the chaos of a bridal show. Others we saw were local bands that regularly played at bars/clubs in the city. A lot of the bands we looked at were recommended by girls on my local Knot message board.

I wrote a blog post about the pros and cons of hiring DJ vs Band, you can check it out here.

Hope this helps!

Stephanie
Soulful Engagements

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Permalink Reply by Dave Austin on May 15, 2010 at 8:53am

I've written on this topic and advised brides for a number of years. Being a DJ, I naturally lean in favor of a DJ. However, there are pros and cons for each. DJs are usually less expensive ($500 up) than a band ($2500 up) and a DJ is more flexible to changing situations and can respond easily to music requests. A professional DJ can bring years of experience to your event and his/her advice can often prove quite valuable. The sound of a live band is great. On the downside, bands have a limited number of songs they know and the band's volume may prove to be a problem. A DJ will have thousands of songs by the original artists and can easily play guests' requests and control the volume. Also, bands are made up of a number of members, all of whom must arrive on time, set up a lot of equipment, etc. The DJ will likely bring only one or two assistants and has much less equipment. Bands will likely take breaks (it's required if they are union) while a DJ will be on the job from start to finish. I'm not knocking bands in any way - I used to play in them.
A band can be great if you're planning a large event. For smaller affairs, you may want to opt for a DJ. It's not unheard of for some events to have both a DJ and a band.
I note Bob Holl cites some survey statistics in this discussion which are worth considering. In far too many instances, brides become so caught up in selecting clothing, food, flowers, etc., they overlook the fact that the entertainment dertermines the success of their affair. When surveyed afterwards, the one thing guests remember is the entertainment - good or bad. They likely can't remember what they ate, the table decorations, the colors, etc. They can, however, tell you if they had fun at the wedding.

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Permalink Reply by Travis Harger on June 3, 2010 at 1:08pm

Hampton Roads Virginia has a variety of really good bands - I really think that a good band is really worth it over a DJ. A band has a much better ability to get the party going! Also if you're getting a band make sure you get a good lighting package to go with it.

Ask your wedding planner for advice on a good band.

TRAVISharger.
www.pikemediaresource.com

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Permalink Reply by Shiny Orb on June 11, 2010 at 8:03pm

Have you found your DJ or band yet? If you need more leads, you could try the Wed Connect. Once you've entered some information, they will email you a list of compatible leads. It's pretty anonymous and low pressure, considering you only need an email address.

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