Band Vs. DJ

Music can make or break a wedding celebration. It's the heart and soul of a reception and can send your guests home with happy feet - or pained grimaces! The fact that you want to hire a talented band or fleet-fingered DJ is a given. Finding one is a matter of polling friends, surfing online, shopping around with fine-tuned ears, and making a move quickly -- top talent can get booked up to a year in advance. What type of entertainment suits your personal taste, budget, space allowances, guest demographics, and killer dance moves best? Keep an open mind, and consider these issues to start your search.

Vibe
The type of music you choose can set the tone of your wedding ans solidify a theme. And remember, it's the thing people most often remember. Think about what musical genre best reflects your personalities and inspires the ambience you want to create: Groovy funk or subdued string quartet? Swanky swing or kick-off-your-shoes-and-sweat zydeco? The way the music is delivered - by live band or DJ -- also affects the ambience. The type of music you choose may dictate the choice too -- big band sounds are generally best live, for example.

Variety
Are you a little bit country, while he's a little bit rock and roll? Regardless of weather you choose a band or DJ, be sure they play slow and fast songs, and old and new tunes to encourage different sets of guests to hit the dance floor.

Budget
In the price war, DJs generally cost less, and prices vary depending on equipment requests and whether it's a weekday or a weekend. A 12-piece band, for example, will generally be more expensive than a DJ, since there are more people to pay. (There are always exceptions; celebrity DJs can be just as expensive as live bands.) Band prices vary by the number of musicians, the time you want them to play for, day of the week, and what time of year it is.

Space
Don't get your heart set on a 8-piece salsa band before you check whether the reception site has any restrictions on the number of musicians and pieces fo equipment you may bring in, and whether there are any electrical power supply or noise limitations. For example, a landmark reception site may not allow you to use large speakers. Ask these questions before you start scouting bands.

Band
Pros: Live music is, well, live. You and your guests will experiance the pleasure of a performance. Anything can happen to raise the excitement level, from an infectious horn-section interlude to a moving solo.
Cons: Bands can be more expensive than DJs. Also, no matter how great the band, they can't have the repertoire of a standard DJ, who can keep a huge variety of music on hand.

DJ
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. Also, DJs are generally less expensive than bands. A DJ with a charismatic stage presence and excellent emcee skills can really set the mood and keep the party going.
Cons: On the opposite end of the spectrum, a DJ with a less-than stellar personality can be a party killer. Also, improvisation is tough if, say, your dad is dragging behind tempo on the father dance or your nieces and nephews decide to crash the chicken dance.

All in all there is a lot to think about when making your choice. I hope this information helps you a great deal!

information gathered from theknot
www.jenniferbyrdevents.com