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I wanna rock and roll all night!
That is the theme for our wedding entertainment. I want it to be a party. I want people on the dance floor the entire time. I want to shake my groove thang and fist pump to Journey’s Don’t Stop Believin’.
My dilemma was how to go about making this happen. I love live music, but a DJ can play anything we want. So, like the little organized wedding maestro that I am, I sat down and made a list of the pros and cons of both.
Live Band
Pros
Cons
DJ
Pros
Cons
So what’s a bride to do? Band or DJ, DJ or band…
Argh, the great internal debate rages on!
What form of entertainment are you having at your wedding? What were your deciding factors? Which one should I go for? I’d really like to know!
We are going with a band. My sister had a dj to save money and it sucked! And it’s not too much more for a band. You just can’t beat the atmosphere of a live band. Our band that we are considering will play the iPod whenever we would like so essentially we’ll get the best of both!
DJ for us.
1) There’s zero room for a band in our venue.
2) Some of the most important songs, esp. the father daughter dance - I doubt any band is going to know.
3) Cost. Our DJ is only $895 for five hours.
Why don’t you just bring your IPOD and use that to cover what the band can’t?
We used an iPod and had our own playlist. We picked the music we wanted and put someone else in charge of being the emcee. It was GREAT and people were on the dance floor ALL NIGHT LONG (I’d like to think our music selection played into that!).
We used an ipod for the dancing and it worked out perfectly. We rented the audio equiment (speakers, mixer, and wireles mic). It was delivered to the venue a few hours before and my husband the groomsmen learned how to use it. It took some time to make a perfect playlist but at the end of the night there was a spontaneous sing along to journey - don’t stop believing! someone grabbed the wireless mic and passed it around for the sing along. Depending on you audience it can be really fun to be in charge of the music rather than have a stranger. And in answer to a question we got asked a million times, a groomsmen announced the first dances etc and that worked out perfectly. I highly recommend the ipod reception! Also we had a guitarist/singer for the ceremony and cocktail hour so I felt like we had the cool live music vibe for part but great dancing music for later. Hope this helps.
FI used to play in wedding bands but he’s not in touch with anyone from that phase of his life anymore. As much as I would have loved a band, cost won out and we are having a DJ. We were able to meet with him and confirm that he wouldn’t be like your example above first though 
we are actually getting both plus mariachi. our family is sponsoring the wedding and they wanted everything. mariachi for food time, live band for the rest of the night and when they take break the dj.
We have great friends so we get both. My fiancee’s parents are friends with an amazing band who’s had singles on CMT and we have other friends who just bought a DJ set so we get the best of both worlds and non of the cons I’m so excited!
We’re going with a band as well. I’ve been to a number of weddings in the past few years (six just this past summer!), and the bands are always better. You really have to shop around though, because even though a lot of DJs can be juvenile (love that picture), some bands can be jerky too. Look for bridal showcases that feature bands - there are several in my area (Northern NJ), I’m sure you can find them everywhere.
Band all the way! Did anyone see this article in the New York Times about the Dexter Lake Club Band? They sound amazing!
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/01/fashion/01band.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=dexter%20lake%20club%20band&st=cse
We’re going with a DJ, but I searched long and hard to find one that I liked. She DJs weekly at a local club, and her taste in music is very similar to mine. She’s not your typical cheesy wedding DJ, and I’m super excited to be working with her. If you decide not to hire a band, don’t fret - non-cheesy DJs do exist! 
We went with a DJ for the cost-effectiveness (and because I love hearing the original versions of songs!). GL!
This is the great debate between me and my FI. He is dead-set on a band and I want a DJ because I feel like, with a band, you are never 100% sure what you are going to get. We went to a wedding recently and the band was TERRIBLE and it just ruined the whole vibe. He has asked for very little in the process, so we are going to ultimately go for the band, but his parents are paying for it and he has to do all the work and make sure that the band is rockin’ or else I’m having the marriage annulled jk. maybe.
We have about 30 songs that must be played at some point during our wedding and we are on a tight budget, so the DJ won.
But there will be a live music element that my Mister doesn’t know about yet
This was a big decision for us as well since our venue is kind of small and we wanted a lot of specific songs played. We almost went with a DJ, but my Mom suggested the band we ended up booking and since she is paying, we let her weigh in and she was all for the band.
We are happy with the decision, but I would have also been happy with a DJ.
We’re hoping to do both - like when the band takes a break, we’ll have a DJ play the songs that the band can’t play and stuff.
BAND! It was the only thing my FI insisted upon.
Most bands will let you come and listen to them play an event so that you can preview what their style is… I found this much more helpful than the sound clips on the band’s websites!
FI and I have a thing for live music, and we both knew that we wanted a band from the beginning. I know that DJs are supposed to be cheaper, but to me they are also less quality (usually) so you get what you pay for. With this in mind, we were determined to find a band to bring class and fun to our event without being too expensive. We did a LOT of research and web searching and even put out a Craigslist ad. We looked at real bands, wedding band, and even high school band groups, but eventually we went with one of the first options we found: Collage Music. They are a group of professional musicians who play a lot of different events. The best part about them is that each member plays multiple instruments, so we have the same four people playing classical music at our ceremony, light jazz for our cocktail hour, and swing music for the reception. A total of six hours for $1500 and they will learn up to three requested songs for free!
we had a band and though u are right they cant play everything but they were incredibly awesome and each and every one of our guests had a blast and were very impressed!
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Mrs. Trail Mix, New York Age and Occupation: 26, PE Teacher Fiance's Age and Occupation: 27, MBA Student Engagement Date: March 2009 Wedding Date: June 2010 Venue: Tannery Pond at the Darrow School About Me: I'm a country girl who somehow found herself living in the Big Apple and loving every minute of it. I'm planning a rustic, country-chic wedding in my hometown in upstate New York and it's going to be a Party with a capital P. White wine, flea markets and running keep me happy and my friends, family and fiance are my world. I'm a little bit crafty, a little bit crazy but mostly just crazy in love.
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