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Hiring Your Band

The music at your reception plays an integral part of your wedding. It sets the mood, gets people dancing, and somehow needs to strike that right chord for your guests. Whether you go with a band or one singer (or a DJ), know that music will account for approximately 5% of your total budget. This figure can change dramatically, depending on the route you choose.

Band on the run.
If you’re getting a large band, for, say, a reception hall, find out ahead of time if the hall provides the sound system, or if the band brings in the equipment. Make sure all of this is sorted out ahead of time, so there are no last-minute music glitches. (Should the band have to bring in extra equipment, make sure there are no rules prohibiting the required acoustics.) Regardless, unless it’s impossible, always check out a band perform before you hire them. A disc of their music doesn’t give you the true “live” feel, or an indication of how they interact with a crowd. The same goes for a singer, even a kazoo player. Ask friends and vendors for recommendations.

Should your wedding reception be held in a small venue—say, a restaurant—a large band might be unnecessary, or even prohibited. Talk to the managers about what they recommend, and maybe opt for a quartet or a singer. Five guys jammin’ to “Stairway to Heaven” in a cozy French restaurant might take away a little of the ambience you were aiming for. Should you hire a singer, find out about any replacement should he or she become ill; the same goes for band members. Make sure all of this is spelled out in the contract.

Let the music play.
One of the main questions couples need to ask themselves is if they prefer live re-interpretations of songs they love (band or singer), or the original versions pre-recorded (DJ). If you go the disc jockey route, first make sure the one you interview will be the one at the wedding (big DJ firms have many staff members), and go over the type of music you love and hate. It’s not uncommon to give a DJ a list of songs not to play, even if requested, and the same general principle follows for live musicians: discuss what you’d like to hear in advance, and nothing will go off key.

Go Back to Booking & Hiring
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