What Works Best For Your Wedding Entertainment
Having a hard time choosing between a DJ versus band?
It might sound obvious, but your reception music is an essential part of your day and cannot be overlooked. We all know that music has the power to make or break a party. Good music boosts the mood, engages your guests, and ultimately determines how your guests will remember your wedding.
The first step for deciding on who to hire for your musical entertainment is always to think about what type of music you want. Will you have more of a cocktail hour crowd and want more background music? Is Latino music, hip-hop, or even K-pop more what you are looking for? Or maybe you are looking for your popular wedding dance music that everyone knows? Deciding what type of music is imperative before you begin your search. You never want to hire a DJ or band without being certain they are knowledgable in your preferred genre.
To help guide you along, we have created this guide that goes through the pros and cons between DJs and bands; hopefully helping you make the best possible decision for your dream Key West wedding.
Pros to Hiring a DJ for Your Wedding
They Are Generally Less Expensive
In every aspect of your wedding planning, your budget most likely crosses your mind. And hiring your musical entertainment can be a large part of your budget.
Generally, a DJ costs significantly less than a band. But, obviously, this varies greatly depending on experience, equipment, travel fees, and add-ons such as lighting. A band, depending on the size, can cost up 3-5 times more than a DJ.
Wider Playlist
A professional DJ has tons of experience playing for different crowds at various events. Most of them are not limited to certain genres. Hence, they know how to read a crowd and adjust their music accordingly. They can easily change their soundtrack with little warning and play anything, from pop to reggae to k-pop.
They can easily take your requests if you’d like to change your music selection and don’t need as much forewarning or planning.
More Flexible Within the Timeline
How long will your reception last?
If you’re planning to end your reception later in the night, then a DJ is your best option.
Professional DJs typically work into the night and still know how to keep the party going. A band may only be able to play for that long while taking breaks in between. So, consider your wedding timeline before you sign on the dotted line.
More Flexible With the Setup
DJs require less space than live bands since they don’t need to set up a drum kit, amplifiers, or other large instruments. Therefore, they can fit into smaller venues or areas within a larger venue, which can be helpful if you have limited space.
DJs can also adjust their sound levels to match the size and acoustics of the venue. This means that they can provide music that is loud enough to get people dancing but not so loud that it becomes overwhelming or disruptive.
Pros to Hiring a Band for Your Wedding
Can Really Create a Great Party
Are you looking to have a unique music experience? Well, bands can always help create a totally elevated, completely memorable night.
Find a band that matches your taste in music and look at some of their covers. Many bands like to get creative and add many instrument sounds to the song or unique voice notes.
Your guests will surely enjoy the reception after a stunning band performance. All you have to do is find the right band that represents you.
Get a Personalized Experience
If you’re hoping for a personalized experience, then go for a live band. A live band can add personal touches to your wedding reception by engaging with your guests and creating an electric atmosphere.
They Guarantee Hype
A live band will certainly lift the moods of all your guests. Especially if we’re talking about pop bands, they can bring a high level of energy to your reception, which can be infectious and get everyone on the dance floor.
Plus, who can forget a wedding with a unique performance?
Cons on Hiring a DJ
It’s Expected
We are in NO way saying hiring a DJ is bad. It most certainly is not but it is the common choice. And while this really isn’t a con, it could be if you are looking to design a truly unique wedding.
Less Personal
DJs play pre-recorded music that removes that personal touch a band may bring. Moreover, a DJ’s performance highly depends on their skills and experience, so if they can’t hype a crowd, then your guests will lose interest. That being said, a really good DJ can still create a personal experience and most Key West DJ’s know how to hype a crowd… so this shouldn’t be an issue.
Cons on Hiring Bands
Less Flexible With the Timeline
Compared to DJs, bands require more breaks between songs as they can only play or sing for a short time without needing a break. They should all come with DJ equipment to play music while they are on break, but you need to make sure of this and know that the timeline does break up the reception some. You’ll also need to make sure your wedding planner can work with the timeline and that there are no gaps in the evening.
They Need a Larger Setup Place
A band can have many people, plus their equipment like drum kits, cellos, guitars, speakers, and whatnot. Bands almost always require a more extensive setup for all their equipment and instruments. Which means you need more space.
And in terms of an outside wedding with bands, you must have a tent and extra precautions. If it happens to rain, the inconvenience and difficulty of moving the band is unfathomable.
May Have a Limited Range of Songs
Most bands stick to a particular genre, so hiring one may limit the choice of switching between different genres.
Besides, most bands need to prepare for songs before performing, so random song requests may be tricky to play.
Get the Best of Both Worlds?
If choosing between a DJ and a band is too hard, and the budget can accommodate the two options, why not go for both? It’s your wedding; you’re allowed to make it work however you see fit! We’ve seen DJs at cocktail hour and then a band at the reception, band at the rehearsal dinner and a DJ at the wedding reception, or even a band for the first few hours and then a DJ for the after party… the options are truly endless and can be taylor-made for exactly how you want.
Check out our directory of local vendors – including DJs and bands!
Pin This!
