band vs. dj

I am trying to decided whether or not to go w/a band or DJ. What does everyone think.

Thanks.

Also, has anyone ever heard of Nightlife(band) and Long Island Sound (DJ)????

I think it really depends on your budget since there is usually a big difference in price.
Also it depends on the type of party/wedding atmosphere you are trying to create.

You should go to some showcases and see what you prefer.

I don't know about those bands - sorry!

I think you need to decide what type of atmosphere you want at the wedding. To me, a DJ is more fun, party type and a band is more pretty, elegant type. Also take into account your crowd and what you think they'd prefer since you and FH won't be the only 2 dancing (if everything works out right ).

Totally depends upon your budget. I would have loved to have a band (FH is a part time musician) but my budget is less than 25K and I wanted to put it into things that would last more than just the day... ex. photography, rings.

I would suggest a band in a second if you can swing it financially but it can be a huge difference in price.

I am a personal fan of having bands at a wedding. I always enjoy myself more at weddings that have a good band. They add an element of live entertainment but they cost a lot. I think you should consider a band if you have the budget for it and are willing to spend the time to find a really good band (there is nothing worse than a bad band at a wedding). Also, you need to figure out if your guests are party types who will be up on the dance floor a lot. If they aren't going to dance a lot, I wouldn't spend the money on one.

My FH and I decided we would splurge on the music for our wedding, so we budgeted for a band. We also have a steel drum duo for our cocktail hour.

Check out some of the threads on this site recommending bands. We are using Skyline.

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Posted by David'sbride

Totally depends upon your budget.

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This isn't always true. We had the budget for a band, FH and I just don't want one because that's not the type of wedding we want. Budget is not always the major consideration.

This is one of those questions that really can only be answered by you. Everyone has their opinions and if you look back, these threads always tend to cross a line. ;)

With that said....best thing to do is go to a lot of showcases, figure out your budget, decide on what type of atmosphere you want, and go from there.

We only considered one band - Peter Greco - and one DJ - LI Sound.

My sister used LI Sound for her wedding and they were PHENOMENAL. Chris was just great - listened to what my sister and BIL wanted and had their guests on the floor the entire night.

Two people in my husband's family used Peter Greco and a third tried to get them but they were booked, so they went with Ken James (at the time, a sister band)...so if we were to go with a band, PG was the only one we would consider.

In the end, it came down to what we wanted - as far as versatility, atmosphere, etc - and we went with the band. Not everyone dances - a band entertains those guests as well as those who never leave the dance floor. We wanted live music for our CH as well. Plus it was the one thing my DH really, really wanted over anything else.... ;)

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Posted by Jordan
In the end, it came down to what we wanted - as far as versatility, atmosphere, etc - and we went with the band. Not everyone dances - a band entertains those guests as well as those who never leave the dance floor. We wanted live music for our CH as well.

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This is exactly what we thought. Live entertainment entertains everyone, not just those who are dancing. If we couldn't afford it, I would have done a DJ, but we went with a band...

What is the avg $$ for a band and for a dj?
thx!

Thank you to everyone who responded back to me. Its tough, but I figured I would get some feedback from everyone. One thing was so true, it does depend on your budget, but this band happened to be some what reasonable.

Where else can I find out about showcases. Since we already have our hall booked, I would really like to go to hotel showcases. However, the one last night had wedding center there, and I would rather see someone else model wedding gowns.

Any suggestions????

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Posted by ktulips

Thank you to everyone who responded back to me. Its tough, but I figured I would get some feedback from everyone. One thing was so true, it does depend on your budget, but this band happened to be some what reasonable.

Where else can I find out about showcases. Since we already have our hall booked, I would really like to go to hotel showcases. However, the one last night had wedding center there, and I would rather see someone else model wedding gowns.

Any suggestions????

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You could start with the bands on here - visit their website, see where they're showcasing. Pull up some old threads/reviews - research from there. Word of mouth...

Good luck!!

I've always preferred DJ's at weddings, I've always had more fun at those. But, what it ultimately boils down to is what YOU want. No one here can tell you which one is better because we all have different opinions. Good luck!!!

I'm going with a DJ b/c #1 it's SOO much cheaper. My sousins spent $10K on their wedding band!

and #2) they can't mess up the songs.. EVERY time I go to a wedding with a band they mess up a song I LOVE. H's parents' band messed up the words to theri wedding song!

On the othr hand, I was just at a wedding with a abdn, and hearing them play 'hey ya' was SO hilarious and fun. it defintie;y gives a different energy!

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Posted by Nautical bride

I am a personal fan of having bands at a wedding. I always enjoy myself more at weddings that have a good band. They add an element of live entertainment but they cost a lot. I think you should consider a band if you have the budget for it and are willing to spend the time to find a really good band (there is nothing worse than a bad band at a wedding). Also, you need to figure out if your guests are party types who will be up on the dance floor a lot. If they aren't going to dance a lot, I wouldn't spend the money on one.

My FH and I decided we would splurge on the music for our wedding, so we budgeted for a band.

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same here...totally agree...

I am not going to give my honest opinion but you can find out about showcases on the bands website. Our band is considerably cheap and they post their showcases on the website