Band or DJ which to choose for your wedding

Music: One of the major components of your wedding day. This will keep the your guest celebrating with you and everyone on the dance floor. The purpose of the DJ or Band is to read the party and keep it going. That is their main goal, second goal is to keep the timeline on schedule. Last goal of the wedding is to be the MC, announce when the cake is being cut, first dances, dismiss tables, and all other important events. Those are their main goal. Once you decide which type of music to go with, making sure that they are on board with the three main goals will ensure a smooth and fun filled reception. 

Now, choosing between band or dj.  Below I have listed the pros and cons of each from a wedding planners point of view. Each has their own perks, it really just depends on the atmosphere you are trying to convey for your reception. Enjoy! 

Band/dueling pianos:

Pros:

Live music, so much fun it is like a concert just for your family and friends! 

Customized to the couple, this is so sweet. It gives the couple a chance to show their personalities more. 

Prepicked songs, so no surprises on requests. You know that weird song that cousin Jane loves and she plays requests it at every wedding and it becomes a mood killer... yeah none of that :)

Limited requests = no awkward moments when no one is dancing

Hardly any structured dances (chicken dance, wobble, cha-cha slide, etc)

Leader of the band, keeps the reception going. 

Cons:

Sometimes timelines are not a top priority.

The sound system may have troubles keeping up with the space. Just make sure they do a sound check the day before if possible, so there are no surprises.

Limited song choices, so hot hits from the radio or random not top 100 may not be a choice.

Often a bit more expensive than DJ.

Take up a lot of space for their gear.

 

DJ

Pros:

Compact, doesn't take up a ton of space and can easily fit into a corner with a table.

Often includes a lighting package or monogram that can be projected.

Can play your slideshow through their system. 

TONS OF SONGS to choose from. And if they do not have it, they can get it ahead of time. 

Cons:

Can often be set in their ways and how they want to structure the reception, not very customizable to couple. If you want to switch things around by all means do so, otherwise they will go with what has worked in the past.

Will play any song requested unless told otherwise. 

Now the hard part, making the decision. Talk to your partner and get input from the bridal party if you are having troubles deciding. Ask your planner for their input and recommendations. 

Cheers to planning! 

Note: whichever you choose make sure you have a set time for them to take a break and have a meal setup for them. Tip is not required but if they go above and beyond your expectations then absolutely tip. Also depending on how you feel about alcohol, make sure you stress that to them as well. Nothing is worse than having a MC being sloppy drunk while trying to get your reception going.