Wedding Band or DJ?

hothostie  Hey rb2b...we are having a band and would def remend it! We love our music and the most important thing for us is that everyone is dancing to every song that is played and go home feeling that they had an amazing boogie!! They arent cheap if you really want a good one but I am prepared to make cut backs else where (no favours, DIY invites etc)! They usually play CD music on when they have a break so they wont be any slience!

I went to a wedding recentley and im ashamed to say but the DJ was awful, the atmosphere was dull and he played the ketchup song and the cheeky girls ! Looking around the room and seeing bored faces would kill me! Not good, this is after the bride and groom had given the DJ a song list as well! If you have a DJ that has got a great rep and you have seen him before then thats great but if you have your heart set on a band then go and see some playing gigs and see how the crowd respond....it's excuse to go out! lol

ecca75  we really wanted a band, but the local band i wanted dont do weddings.......boooooooo..... we met at one of there gigs....... they play oasis, the who, beatles, northern soul,ska, punk,wella, the jam all the stuff we love...... then the place we having are do have a dj and the dont let n e one else do it....... so now i'm in a panick....... i dont wanna want any shite played, then people said well you have to cater for other people......... do i hell, most of our mates like the same stuff and i'm defo not playing back in the summer of 69, cos my cousin likes it,,,,,,,,,,,,,,... so i'm doing a play list for the dj, dont know if he will play all the songs we want but, if he dont he will have a very angry drunken bride to contend with, if the music aint right i think it will proper spoil our day........ i know it's petty but thats how it is......

mrsclarke15_08_10  we are having a live band and they are playing till 9:30 after that they have a play list which i've helped put together which will be played, they've also been excellent and have sorted out a meal time play list for me too so i can have that in the background while people eat

mrscoe2b  i would say have both if you can afford it.i think a band if they are good will have everyone on the dancefloor!same with the dj.one thing we are doing to make sure the right music is played is by having "ask the dj" cards where people can write what song they want playing and hand it to the dj!

elodiesmummy  We are having a DJ recommended buy our venue. He plays everything and anything you want
My H2B likes rock/heavy metal. My his frial grandmother and the 4 under 3's may not enjoy a rock band lol.
With a DJ we can please everyone xx

missmaxine  my uncle and cousin are djs (from durham, if your up there i can give you his details) but i dont want to have them djing because i dont think theyll have as much fun, i was thinking of borrowing his ipod with stereo speakers then anyone can choose a song. its also alot cheaper that way.

maria77  hi everybody were having both as my h2b's brother is in a good lively band so we thought so the band members can also enjoy themself we'd have a dj besides who could play good old party tunes so everybody's tastes in music are catered for.. xx

rb2b  Thanks for all the replies, i am thinkin more an more along the lines of using a band and we can just have a playlist of songs in between that we can choose

rach3  im having a band the are playing from 7pm till 1 am.

annie_t  we having a disco but we have a singer whoms doing the first hour (while disco sets up and we talk to them)

x

lf1975  I would love a band but they are so expensive. We looked on the internet for ages but couldn't find any that we thought would justify the price. If anyone does know of any in the midlands please let me know (covers/indie stuff...... pretty much the same stuff that @ecca75 mentioned!)

debbieandjaysbigday  I am very lucky as I'm getting the best of both my H2B is in a band and they want to do an hour set after our first dance & daddy dance and later for the rest of the reception we will have a dj. During the day/wedding breakfast our dj is sorting out background music to play whilst people eat but it can be paused whilst the speeches are done etc...

mrscoe2b  @lf1975 I went to school with a band you would like but we are in Leeds so not sure if cost of travel would be too much with a band and their gear.saying that they are an unknown band who have been playing together for years as a hobby so wont have high wedding prices.the are called double yellow lines or DYL.i will look into it for you-facebook is ace!

lf1975  @mrscoe2b Ooooh thanks very much. We're about 1 hr 45 from Leeds so yes, will depend on travelling. Thanks x

mrscoe2b  I sent a msg on fb but still waitin for reply.x

rosies  We're having a band playing from 8pm til midnight. I've seen them play at my cousin's wedding and they were incredible...had the whole room on the dance floor all night! They're providing a playlist in between and after sets for a bit so no need for a dj... money saved!
we're using Under the Covers. underthecoversband.co.uk
make sure you ask about dance lights and dance floors...

pinkcharms  we are not having a dj or band (money) so just having a play list keeps every one happy.

ourbigday  We are having a band - we have seen them play at pubs tons of time and people always dance
But the majority of the gigs they do are weddings so I can't wait and I trust that they will get people dancing! If anyone wants details, let me know, they are based in Essex

wannabeeplanner  @ecca75 my partner is a booking agent and has a lot of bands that play what you want. Depending on your budget i'm sure he could sort one out for you.

To everyone in general... i think bands are always the best bet as long as you're careful what you choose... i think people are more willing to dance to music that's actually there than a cd, plus they can actually work out cheaper than DJ's. I mean, a good ska band always get everyone dancing, everyone loves MADNESS!

chairsontheroof  We're considering a band but we're waiting to hear from our venue to see how they recomend we organise it all. The band say they need an hour and a half to set up so they would prob need to set up before the wedding breakfast as its all in the same room. This means we're a bit pushed for space. What do ppl reckon about putting a band up high in the "minstrels gallery" type balcony bit of the hall? Do u think they would be too out of the way and it would make the atmosphere strange? At the early stages of decision making about this really!

katiedarlin  we are having a ceilidh band who also do a dj set so we can chop and change as the atmosphere indicates they will play from 730 till 1130 with breaks where they have a computer play list.
a wedding i went to recently asked all guests to provide one song they would dance to and they got a close friend to mix the ideas and just did an ipod disco it worked really well
if you have a only a band they need to be able to play a large mixture of songs then if nobody is dancing they can change the set to improve matters
if you can afford it i would go for both

lou81  hey were thinking of doing both aswell cus a live band cant play the old classics very well but the band we are having are brilliant

rb2b  @chairsontheroof - hi yeah I personally think it would be a little out of the way, I think people would prefer to be able to dance and watch in front of the band myself, but its hard to say without seeing your room, if its better for space that way then go ahead

alisonf  @jezibella83 started this thread and asked:
Hi girls, I want a live band at our wedding but my h2b wants a DJ. What are you having and why?

Any more views??

clairemugford  we are having a live band xx

cheexy  we're having a band, iv never been to a wedding where theres been a dj and i found that everybody was up dancing
x

littlemissshowoff  We're having a band as well.

leeann86  I'm having both, 2 piece band and dj afterwards £600 and the band are amazing!!! Well happy with the price!

dinzinelli  @rosies Just had a look on there website, they look great! How much are you paying, if you dont mind me asking?
xx

jennieq  We are having both.. luckily the bestman is in a band so they are going to play for a bit then having the dj after x