Texas-Dallas and Ft. Worth

Band vs Dj vs music playlists

Hi all-

My wedding is a year away, actually a year from tomorrow! Yay! Anyway, we're trying to figure out entertainment and are kind of stuck.

I really want a band, but our budget is $2,000. I know it's low, so I'm not sure if we can afford one. Wr requested a quote on gig masters and have a referral for a booking guy, so we'll see what we get. I wanted some thoughts on pros and cons of each.

Also, I can't help think that I could easily make playlists (ceremony, dinner, dancing) and play them. My wedding planner could keep the reception running and we have family who would love to make announcements. At the same time, I don't want to regret not hiring a dj and our reception flopping. Having a good party is super important to us, which is why I want a band. Help!

Re: Band vs Dj vs music playlists

  • Is $2K your budget for music or for everything?  For $2K you can get some highly rated DJs (when I got married in 2011, Glenn Roush, who is one of the best, was charging that price).

    Bands are pretty pricey.  I know there are girls who have had great bands for low prices, so hopefully they will chime in.

    I also know some people have done iPods for their reception, but I can just see so many issues (the playlist gets deleted, the sound system winds up skipping any time someone bumps the counter it's sitting on, etc.)...  

    As for your suggestiongs: Your coordinator's job is not really to run the iPod.  It's to make sure everything runs smoothly, which includes staying in contact with all the vendors who are at the reception, checking on you regularly, and making sure you stay on schedule.  Also, I cringe at the idea of asking your friends and family to "work" your reception.  I know it's really not a big deal to see your sister or your BFF on the microphone, but again -- that's not their job.  If people are offering their services, I don't see anything wrong with accepting, but I would want my guests to just enjoy themselves without having to worry about who is announcing what and when they should be at the mic...
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  • I have to agree with Professor- please don't do a playlist reception. More than just playing music, a DJ keeps the crowd involved and the energy going. It makes a HUGE difference- trust me. 
  • I agree with both the PP for all the reasons stated.  A DJ does so much more than just play music--they keep everything flowing.  I really wanted a band too but it was out of our budget (plus my musician husband thinks they are cheesy), so we used Glenn Roush as our DJ and we could not have been happier.  Everything was perfect.  Money well spent IMO.

  • Thanks for talking me out of it. I think I just needed a second opinion! It's so easy together distracted and think about all the money we could save, but you are all right! We want to make sure the wedding is fun and a party nada DJ or band would make that happen. I've heard lots of great things about Glen Roush and have already emailed him, but he himself is $2,500. Has anyone heard anything about his other DJs? They're a bit cheaper and in our price range.
  • Yes you could hire someone from his company LeForce Entertainment and be perfectly happy. That is who Professorscience used.
  • Yeah, I used Cratin who actually used to be partners with Glenn when they started in college.  He was $1250 at the time, although I'd be surprised if his base price hasn't gone up.  They have tons of DJs, and I think most of them have been used by one Knottie or another and gotten great reviews.


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  • Thanks so much, ladies. One final question on this subject, do DJs typically charge tax? I know my photographer did, so I wanted to check. Thanks!
  • I lied. I have another question. How long does they party portion of a wedding usually last? I'm talking after dinner and cake. Including any dance time, such as first dance, daddy daughter, etc. we just got a quote back from a band I've seen live for $2000. Bender in Fort Worth, if anyone has heard them, so we're trying to figure out how long we'd need them and how long the party should go on til. And like the DJ question, do bands charge tax? Thanks!
  • I'm using Ed Petty from LeForce he is less than Glen. And super fantastic thus far to work with, I've only met with him once to sign the contract and pay deposit but he had such a great vibe and was super kind.
  • As for tax...my dj did not charge tax because they are not providing a tangible service. Whereas a photographer is because the photos will be tangible eventually. I'm not sure if that's across the board, but that's what my dj experience was. I also didn't pay tax for my engagement photos because I paid in cash. Although we did those in Ohio so I don't know if paying cash gets around that in texas. Our wedding photographer we will be paying tax.
  • I think the "party" portion was somewhere around 3-3.5 hours for us.  Maybe even just 2.5 hours.  That doesn't include cocktail hour music, dinner music and all the "stuff" like the cake cutting and special dances.  Our whole reception was about 5.5 hours.
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  • My DJ charged a flat rate, no tax. Our dancing lasted from about 9-11:15. But we didn't do spotlight dances, just our first dance which was before dinner. Our last dance for guests was at 11:15 and then we did a private last dance and our exit was at 11:30.
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