What makes a good band for a wedding party
Discussion
Its my job to book a band for our wedding party next year. I know what bands I like, and I know what bands my wife likes. But that's not necessarily the best way to choose for a party that will be very mixed in ages, backgrounds and music tastes.
How do you choose a band for a wedding party that's in quite a small venue with around 60-80 guests.
Help appreciated as I cant really afford to get this wrong.
How do you choose a band for a wedding party that's in quite a small venue with around 60-80 guests.
Help appreciated as I cant really afford to get this wrong.
I had a band for my wedding who were great, everything from 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's, 2000's etc
However, my younger bro recently got married and asked the band a year in advance (i.e when they were booked) to see whether they could do an Eminem track. This was outside their comfort zone, but they learnt it and pulled it off and it was a highlight, the dance floor was just bouncing before, during and after that track.
Disclaimer: they're about 30, so lots of 30 somethings really getting into it. It was a great effort, but if 70% weren't in the 20-40 bracket it might not have worked
However, my younger bro recently got married and asked the band a year in advance (i.e when they were booked) to see whether they could do an Eminem track. This was outside their comfort zone, but they learnt it and pulled it off and it was a highlight, the dance floor was just bouncing before, during and after that track.
Disclaimer: they're about 30, so lots of 30 somethings really getting into it. It was a great effort, but if 70% weren't in the 20-40 bracket it might not have worked
rufusgti said:
Hashtaggggg said:
get a decent DJ that can adjust his music to the audience.
Or a band who may be appreciated by 25% of the guests, and cannot adjust and adapt to the audience.
I definitely want a band. I have never been impressed with a wedding DJ.Or a band who may be appreciated by 25% of the guests, and cannot adjust and adapt to the audience.
That’s what all the grooms say.
I have perhaps 1000 weddings under the belt.
There is nothing worse that a wedding evening going wrong because the band is too noisy, cannot adapt etc. All the guests sitting down and the groom looking awkwardly at his new wife.
Also they will do perhaps 2 half hour slots, how do you fill, the downtime?
Hashtaggggg said:
Yep
That’s what all the grooms say.
I have perhaps 1000 weddings under the belt.
There is nothing worse that a wedding evening going wrong because the band is too noisy, cannot adapt etc. All the guests sitting down and the groom looking awkwardly at his new wife.
Also they will do perhaps 2 half hour slots, how do you fill, the downtime?
Its what the wedding venue host said. She said an evening only party needs a band. Most do dj sets between sets. Your idea that a dj would adjust to the crowd etc, ive never seen it. Most dj's play what they like, they dont carry what they dont like. Most bands are probably the same though. Anyway I'm no expert so appreciate all input.That’s what all the grooms say.
I have perhaps 1000 weddings under the belt.
There is nothing worse that a wedding evening going wrong because the band is too noisy, cannot adapt etc. All the guests sitting down and the groom looking awkwardly at his new wife.
Also they will do perhaps 2 half hour slots, how do you fill, the downtime?
rufusgti said:
Most dj's play what they like, they dont carry what they dont like
We had a DJ arranged by the venue, didn't meet him til the day, but he told us to email him a list of music we and our friends liked, and he played it.So we had Nirvana, Faith No More, Black Sabbath, Hanson, Steps, Take That etc..
Of you're not going to have a band, then you don't need a cheesy dj, just a Spotify playlist and a decent PA. That way you get exactly the music you want without some knob thinking they're important.
If you need lights buy some cheap stuff off ebay and bin it afterwards
I may be biased as my band played at my wedding so we got exactly what I wanted!
If you need lights buy some cheap stuff off ebay and bin it afterwards
I may be biased as my band played at my wedding so we got exactly what I wanted!
I asked the same or similar question on here 10 years ago. Someone recommended this lot.
http://www.the-a-listers.com/
They were amazing, played two good sets and adopted the music to suit the evening. They even learnt a version of a song we wanted which they then incorporated into their repertoire.
I personally prefer bands, there was plenty of discussion before we chose that route and the majority of weddings I have been to have had a better evening with a band than a DJ. I have seen some good wedding DJs also bad.
Just try and see either first live or with a personal recommendation.
http://www.the-a-listers.com/
They were amazing, played two good sets and adopted the music to suit the evening. They even learnt a version of a song we wanted which they then incorporated into their repertoire.
I personally prefer bands, there was plenty of discussion before we chose that route and the majority of weddings I have been to have had a better evening with a band than a DJ. I have seen some good wedding DJs also bad.
Just try and see either first live or with a personal recommendation.
We've played at a couple of weddings. We have a fairly eclectic setlist an will run through it with the couple before hand. Will learn something for them if needed.
We generally play for 2.5 - 3 hours which is enough and the crowd always engage (especially as they are all hammered by the end).
There has always been a DJ as well though so I guess the couple get the best of both worlds.
I would say though that a professional wedding band (we are mainly pubs, friends parties etc) will cost you well over £1k for the evening.
good luck.
D
We generally play for 2.5 - 3 hours which is enough and the crowd always engage (especially as they are all hammered by the end).
There has always been a DJ as well though so I guess the couple get the best of both worlds.
I would say though that a professional wedding band (we are mainly pubs, friends parties etc) will cost you well over £1k for the evening.
good luck.
D
rufusgti said:
Its what the wedding venue host said. She said an evening only party needs a band. Most do dj sets between sets. Your idea that a dj would adjust to the crowd etc, ive never seen it. Most dj's play what they like, they dont carry what they dont like. Most bands are probably the same though. Anyway I'm no expert so appreciate all input.
It suggests a lack of experience of either, that's all. There are great wedding bands out there, and great wedding DJs- there are also plenty of poor examples of both.I co-own a mobile DJ business that predominantly caters for weddings, and part of our service involves a lengthy discussion with the bride & groom (preferably face to face) regarding;
-their personal music tastes
-makeup of the crowd
-specific songs that mean something to them (other than the first dance)
-anything for the 'must not play' list
In addition we discuss colour schemes with the couple so that we can tailor our lighting (computer programmed) to suit for first dances, along with floor-directed lighting gobos etc. The point it, this entire meeting/discussion takes 30 minutes tops or a couple of emails, yet I do not understand how someone could rock up to DJ a wedding without having gone through this process with the bride & groom!
Consequently come the big day, we are fully equipped to cover all of the above (with multiple technical redundancies), and outside of the specific requirements we will play a huge variety of music (subject to specific 'do not play' requests)- covering everything from Motown to the latest dance hits.
The key part to this though is the ability to read the crowd and adjust what is being played accordingly- something that is only learned through experience. It also requires an understanding of the different phases of the evening, and an appreciation that people will respond to different styles of music differently depending on whether it is 7pm and they are queuing for a drink having just arrived, or it's 11pm and they are several pints in and wearing their tie around their head.
For us, arriving at the event with some 30,000 songs, having had detailed discussions with the bride & groom prior to the event, and an ability to read the crowd and play a huge variety of genres as needed, there is a pretty good chance that everyone attending will hear at least few tracks that they will love and hopefully be inspired to get up and dance to- from your teenage cousin Susie right through to your auntie Nora.
Bands can be exceptionally good (we DJ'd the intervals for one in particular), but you are very much fixed to that style of music. Granted they might well play a huge variety of songs, but their sound will be largely dictated by their vocalist and the instruments they have turned up with. If you happen to like that particular sound, you're in for a great time. If you don't (as happened to me as a guest at a wedding this Saturday just gone), you are likely to be sat down all evening with a drink in your hand as they wail out the obligatory Valerie cover in whatever style their band plays. All the while your teenage cousin Susie is wondering when they will get to dance to the latest Calvin Harris hit, and the bride's auntie Nora is wondering why the sound engineer is looking at her blankly when she asks if they can play her favourite Jim Reeves song.
In my opinion, if the numbers are small and you know everyone there is going to really dig that style of music then a band can work. Otherwise, you tend to be catering to a few and ignoring the many. Granted it is 'your' big day so you want to do what you will like, but I would not have a band for the evening at my own wedding for the exact same reasons that I would not have a DJ playing nothing but trance/house music all night (as much as I would personally enjoy that!). And I say that as someone who has DJ'd alongside some superb bands.
To sum up (all in my opinion of course);
-A great wedding DJ will be able to cater to everyone
-A great wedding band will still only be able to cater to those who like the sound of that band.
Perhaps the best bet is to have a combination of both- that way people get to hear some great live music, but people still get to dance to their favourite chart hits in between.
The band I am in does quite a few weddings and our set is exceptionally varied, but we do always ensure that the couple know what we play and we also ask for requests. We offer our own DJ service, so can really tailor the night to the needs and wants of everyone. But I would say that you simply cannot beat the live energy a good band will offer. Have a look at this website for bands in your area. We are on here and get quite a few bookings via them:
http://www.freakmusic.co.uk/
Good luck!
http://www.freakmusic.co.uk/
Good luck!
I know we've done things back to front/non standard as we got married after 21 years together earlier this year (very small wedding only 2 witnesses) and are having the 'night do' soon, six months afterwards.
We booked a great wedding band months in advance, who then let us down a few weeks ago. Instead we managed to book a band we've seen play before at three parties, so we know their set list well and have to accept that we will know pretty much exactly what they will play. At least most of our guests won't have seen them before though. They have also accommodated my own band, so we can do a short set before they play. That was important for me and something not many wedding bands would be able to fit in as I accept it's an unusual request.
We've made provisions for the few older guests to have a quiet area to chat if the band is too loud for them, and anyone else too for that matter. Pretty much all the other guests should enjoy the music (at least the Pro band anyway
) as we know them well enough. I guess with a typical wedding, maybe the couples won't know each other's friends and family as well as we do though. It's not like the band will be playing all evening anyway, so there will be quieter background music in between too.
Since we didn't have the usual 'wedding breakfast' part, we're providing free drinks for the night do, so if the guests don't enjoy the music, they can at least get merry at our expense. The main thing is that we all get together and enjoy the night; the music is secondary really, but hopefully the majority will enjoy it rather than having a DJ trying to appeal to everyone or worse, playing only what they like.
Based on this experience (so far) I would recommend choosing a band that you are sure will actually turn up on the night(!), make sure they have public liability insurance as some (most?) venues will insist on it. Also our venue is insisting that all electrical equipment is PAT tested too, showing in date appropriate stickers.
Due to the last minute change of the band I also had to arrange the hire of the PA: There was an amazing amount of other tat that they could rent out (such as 'LED lit Mr& Mrs sign' for something like £250 per night
). I guess there must be a market for it, but again, thanks to having been together for such a long time I don't have to suffer that 'If you really love me...' rubbish.
If anything else comes up once I've had the do, I'll try to remember to post back here.
We booked a great wedding band months in advance, who then let us down a few weeks ago. Instead we managed to book a band we've seen play before at three parties, so we know their set list well and have to accept that we will know pretty much exactly what they will play. At least most of our guests won't have seen them before though. They have also accommodated my own band, so we can do a short set before they play. That was important for me and something not many wedding bands would be able to fit in as I accept it's an unusual request.
We've made provisions for the few older guests to have a quiet area to chat if the band is too loud for them, and anyone else too for that matter. Pretty much all the other guests should enjoy the music (at least the Pro band anyway
) as we know them well enough. I guess with a typical wedding, maybe the couples won't know each other's friends and family as well as we do though. It's not like the band will be playing all evening anyway, so there will be quieter background music in between too.Since we didn't have the usual 'wedding breakfast' part, we're providing free drinks for the night do, so if the guests don't enjoy the music, they can at least get merry at our expense. The main thing is that we all get together and enjoy the night; the music is secondary really, but hopefully the majority will enjoy it rather than having a DJ trying to appeal to everyone or worse, playing only what they like.
Based on this experience (so far) I would recommend choosing a band that you are sure will actually turn up on the night(!), make sure they have public liability insurance as some (most?) venues will insist on it. Also our venue is insisting that all electrical equipment is PAT tested too, showing in date appropriate stickers.
Due to the last minute change of the band I also had to arrange the hire of the PA: There was an amazing amount of other tat that they could rent out (such as 'LED lit Mr& Mrs sign' for something like £250 per night
). I guess there must be a market for it, but again, thanks to having been together for such a long time I don't have to suffer that 'If you really love me...' rubbish.If anything else comes up once I've had the do, I'll try to remember to post back here.
The Dan Band: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cc-BSxo_fmA
Edited by olimain on Wednesday 7th November 12:52
rufusgti said:
Its what the wedding venue host said. She said an evening only party needs a band. Most do dj sets between sets. Your idea that a dj would adjust to the crowd etc, ive never seen it. Most dj's play what they like, they dont carry what they dont like. Most bands are probably the same though. Anyway I'm no expert so appreciate all input.
Was a long time ago, but we had a DJ.A good one will 100% adjust to the audience's likes (and play a mix of music, as others have said for a good wedding band).
In many cases you'll have pre-teenagers through to elderly relatives, a good DJ will get them all up and dancing at some point, as will a good band, but the problem I've seen is that the bride and groom get in a band they like the style of and no-one gets up (and just grumble that they can't chat to their friends and relatives because they're too loud!).
Whichever route you go, make sure the music is a mix that will appeal to a wide audience which (frankly) is likely to mean a fairly inoffensive mix of hits unless you just want to listen to your own favourite and sod everyone else
M
No idea where you are OP but these guys are superb...
http://www.thevanz.co.uk
Or if you just want a singer (again first rate)...
http://www.theweddingsinger.uk.com
king need you tonight
http://www.thevanz.co.uk
Or if you just want a singer (again first rate)...
http://www.theweddingsinger.uk.com
olimain said:
The Dan Band: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cc-BSxo_fmA
I fking need you tonight Edited by B17NNS on Wednesday 7th November 15:35
Having played in bands semi professionally for the last 30 years near as damnit, I think that people assume they have an idea of what they like and what they don't like. However, in reality (and from my experience), if you do a good job, put energy into it, people will get up and dance. My current band plays a wide range of stuff, the oldest song being In The Mood by Glenn Miller and the newest is Get Lucky by Daft Punk, so a pretty broad spectrum. I am always amazed at the response In The Mood and some of our 60s rock and roll gets, with crowds aged 10-80 getting up and dancing. Do a good job and the crowd is on your side, no matter if you are a DJ or band. Do a bad job and you will have the longest set of your life.
As a 33 year old man I've been to many weddings over the last few years as my family and friends of a similar age have all been getting married. Seen some great bands, some great DJs, and of course, some crap, and many in between.
Personally, we had a DJ for our wedding. I wanted a band, but (good) bands cost a lot more, and weddings are expensive. Fortunately I have a good mate who is a DJ and was happy to listen to what my wife and I liked as well as definitely don't like. Plus as he was already a mate, who knows my taste and my wifes, he fitted in the rest quite well, read the crowd etc etc.
Definitely don't just stick a spotify playlist on or similar.
I think that a good wedding band is probably one that knows they are a wedding/event band and have carved out their style based on the fact they'll be playing events with toddlers and grandparents in the same room and a happy couple.
The two most memorable ones as bands each had their own little quirks and hooks to get people engaged. One of them had a big box of percussion instruments they handed out towards the end of the night in a few numbers, everyone got involved. Earlier on they had also spent a bit of time getting everyone changing a few of the outro lyrics to popular songs to "CATHERINE AND JON! CATHERINE AND JON!" etc - the name of the couple. Hard to explain, it all worked well.
The other band came and did a degree of choreographing the audience - and what started out as everyone doing a bit of a march across the floor to Pretty Woman, they morphed it into the Ghostbusters theme tune. Amusing, probably wouldn't work if they were a pub band playing a set down at The Kings Head on open mic night, but definitely right for an event where everyone knows everyone. They had a big box of inflatable props like guitars and wigs, think they knew it was a wedding with a fair number of kids but of course by the end of the night my mate's 92 year old grandma was dolled up like Elton John and dancing with the bass player of the band.
Whereas I've been to weddings where yes, the band just played their standard set and whilst technically a great band, were absolutely more suited to a pub/gig event where they wanted people to listen, rather than dance, with a few token shout-outs to the bride and groom but little else. And we're talking nearly all exactly the same music being played by both bands, a reasonably standard mix of hits from the last 5 decades.
All the bands I've seen do seem to supply their own music/dj for when they're having a break
Personally, we had a DJ for our wedding. I wanted a band, but (good) bands cost a lot more, and weddings are expensive. Fortunately I have a good mate who is a DJ and was happy to listen to what my wife and I liked as well as definitely don't like. Plus as he was already a mate, who knows my taste and my wifes, he fitted in the rest quite well, read the crowd etc etc.
Definitely don't just stick a spotify playlist on or similar.
I think that a good wedding band is probably one that knows they are a wedding/event band and have carved out their style based on the fact they'll be playing events with toddlers and grandparents in the same room and a happy couple.
The two most memorable ones as bands each had their own little quirks and hooks to get people engaged. One of them had a big box of percussion instruments they handed out towards the end of the night in a few numbers, everyone got involved. Earlier on they had also spent a bit of time getting everyone changing a few of the outro lyrics to popular songs to "CATHERINE AND JON! CATHERINE AND JON!" etc - the name of the couple. Hard to explain, it all worked well.
The other band came and did a degree of choreographing the audience - and what started out as everyone doing a bit of a march across the floor to Pretty Woman, they morphed it into the Ghostbusters theme tune. Amusing, probably wouldn't work if they were a pub band playing a set down at The Kings Head on open mic night, but definitely right for an event where everyone knows everyone. They had a big box of inflatable props like guitars and wigs, think they knew it was a wedding with a fair number of kids but of course by the end of the night my mate's 92 year old grandma was dolled up like Elton John and dancing with the bass player of the band.
Whereas I've been to weddings where yes, the band just played their standard set and whilst technically a great band, were absolutely more suited to a pub/gig event where they wanted people to listen, rather than dance, with a few token shout-outs to the bride and groom but little else. And we're talking nearly all exactly the same music being played by both bands, a reasonably standard mix of hits from the last 5 decades.
All the bands I've seen do seem to supply their own music/dj for when they're having a break
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