Live Band or DJ???

jal04d

Hi Ladies! I'm relatively new to the boards and was hoping to get some advice... My fiance and I initially thought it might be a cool throw-back to get a live band instead of having a DJ, but I've looked at a few of the websites from the bands in the area, and have not been at all impressed by any of them...they seemed to have a karaoke kind-of feel...before we decide to go with the DJ, do any of you know of a really good live group in the area that does this sort of stuff?? Thanks for your help!!!

John and Charisma <3

Sorry, don't know any great live bands but you should definitely check with your venue to make sure they do not charge extra if you have a band. Some venues have been known to charge more for electical reasons.

jackx18

What kind of music are you looking for?  My only comment would be that a DJ would have a broader variety of music however I love the atmosphere of a live band.

jal04d

My fiance and i have such a broad spectrum of music preferences, anything from the beatles to the Black-eyed peas. A lot of the bands I have looked at have a pretty broad set list that they can play, but I wasn't thrilled with their samples. Luckily the venue doesn't charge any extra for a live band that needs hook-ups and such... And that is exactly my dilemma lol! A DJ has an infinite playlist, but the live band atmosphere is a cool touch...I guess I have plenty of time to think on it and do some more research. Thanks for the input!! Much appreciated!

Pretty Parula

We've been thinking about the band thing, too. We both LOVE big bang and jazz and wanted to have a jazz band, but one of my MOH's said that she thought people wouldn't get up and dance if we did that. What do you guys think?

jal04d

Pretty - I've heard both answers to this, that a band will make people less likely to dance, but also that they will make people just as likely to dance...It must just depend on the band members and the energy they bring to the event. They also would have to serve as a real fun and upbeat MC as well...I suppose we can't really determine that until we interview them, or even better if we can, look at some previous events they have done. Good luck!

umcollegegrl

I don't know what your budget is like, but if you could, how about both? You could have a live band playing, and then during their breaks you could have a DJ. Perhaps the DJ could even MC even when the live band was playing. Just a thought :-)

MOBinFL2008

My daughter had a live band at her wedding last year.  During the cocktail hour they had a 3 piece jazz group playing and then during dinner the 7 piece band with 2 singers did a lot of old standards (think Frank Sinatra).  It was great.  During dinner it was quiet enough to talk but lots of people got up and were dancing during dinner.  After dinner they kicked it into high gear and everyone, including the 87 year old grandfather of the bride, was up dancing until the end of the night.It was the Paul Vesco Orchestra and I would highly recommend them!

Pretty Parula

Thanks for the tip, MOB. I'm not really sure how much we can spend on music just yet either, so that does make it difficult to decide, but perhaps talking to some bands will help determine if that's within the realm of possibility. I kind of like the band/dj switch-out idea, too. And I just saw my typing fail earlier... must have still been thinking about The Big Bang Theory - I love that show!