Wedding DJ or Wedding Band?

When it comes to picking the entertainment for your wedding, hiring a good band or a good wedding DJ can be a difficult choice to make. The one thing to remember is that it's your wedding, whichever you decide is right for you, just made sure you've done your research to make sure you're hiring a professional that can provide everything you want and need.

Millennium Band

Pros/Cons for a Band

Let's start with the Pros: A wedding band can get really interactive since you have someone, the lead singer, on the microphone all night. This can be seen as a con as well, but for those who need a little encouragement to dance, this could be a good thing. Bands also have a generally larger sound system because there are more members, sometimes, the sound can seem fuller. Bands also can provide a lot of energy by dancing/moving on stage to encourage guests to do the same.

Now, the Cons: Bands cost a lot more than a DJ because there are a lot more people and more setup/breakdown. Because there are a lot more people, that means more meals to provide, which can add an extra cost you may not expect. In addition, because there are more people and more equipment, bands require a lot more space so if space is limited at your venue, this wouldn't be a good fit, or would mean you'd need to lower your guest count. Another con is that bands take breaks throughout the night, so while their high energy performance is a good thing, those breaks can kill the vibe and lower the energy for guests throughout the night. Finally, while most good wedding bands learn new music, they can't have the absolute newest hits, so while some songs may be current, the ability to read the crowd and play newer or newly popular songs is non existent. Despite these cons, there are a lot of pros to consider.

Jessica Smith Photography

Pros/Cons for a Wedding DJ

Let's start with the Pros: A good wedding DJ is able to read the crowd and mix music based on the energy in the room. This is incredibly important at a wedding; being able to switch to a different song or change the direction of the night based on who is on the dance floor and how they react, is the key to a great wedding reception. Sadly, that's not something a band can do. A DJ has a greater knowledge base for music and can incorporate your suggestions along with music you may not have even thought of before the wedding. They'll also be able to avoid the music you don't want and make sure guests are able to make request as well, incorporating the songs that will work and not mixing in the ones that won't work. Another pro is that a wedding DJ is less expensive than hiring a band because there are less people (band members) to pay and a little bit less equipment to set up and requirements (like a stage, meals, etc.). Additionally, a wedding DJ doesn't need to take any breaks. A DJ is going to be able to perform non-stop during the whole reception, catering to guests at every moment. This makes for a seamless night with entertainment the entire time.

Now, the Cons: I know, we're biased here, but there really aren't any cons to consider when hiring a wedding DJ. Of course, you'll want to make sure you hire a great DJ and not a cheesy one, otherwise there will be cons, but in general, the choice to hire a DJ over a band has no cons. We'll be publishing a post soon on how to make sure you're hiring a good DJ and avoiding the cheesy, outdated, bad ones.

Your Wedding DJ Will Make or Break Your Big Day!

If you do a Google Image search for wedding djs (which you should), you're likely to find this photo. It's been posted and re-posted... and then re-re-posted on wedding blogs and tumblrs, wedding dj company websites, profiles, and everywhere else. It's a great photo, showing what we all want when picking a DJ for weddings. We want everyone to have a good time and what better way to show that, than a packed dance floor!

Anybody can buy some equipment and call themselves DJs, but the true sign of a good wedding DJ is one that can mix everything live on the spot, read the crowd, and mix based on the energy in the room. So, when considering DJs for your wedding reception, make sure you're choosing one based on their experience, talent, and ability to read the crowd and really DJ, not just play music. Ask a lot of questions, find out the difference they provide and pick someone you feel will truly understand what you want and don't want and be able to rock your crowd... You deserve it, and so do your wedding guests.

DJ's Don't Loose Your Groove

It's a very common tale. Your a DJ and you've aged over the past decade and in the process you've forgotten what's cool. I guess you could say... you've lost your groove. It's a failure to stay fresh, wish causes a failure to boost business, but how are you supposed to stay fresh in an industry where trends change almost weekly? The key is inspiration my friend. If I were you I'd do a scan of the web everyday and find the coolest pictures of the DJ's that you can whether they do Top 40's Music, Experimental, EDM, etc. I don't care. Get inspired by guys like the one below. He's got it and that's what the people want. I'm not saying we all have to be DJ Khaled, I'm just saying we can all learn something from the streets and from the people.

Hiring the Right DJ

Have you every had an event where you thought you found the perfect DJ  (or at least a decent one) and he turned out to be a complete flop? I certainly have. It was one of the worst moments of my event planning career. When a DJ is off, almost everybody knows. It becomes the elephant in the room. You don't want the music to stop because of the awkward silence, but the outdated and terribly mixed songs coming from the DJ booth are even more awkward. That's why finding the right person is so important.

3 things to look at before hiring a DJ:

1. What events have they done in the past? Anything reputable? This info should be in their EPK

2. Are they gonna make it hot?

3. Who's your daddy?

Ask yourself these three questions and 99 times out of 100 you'll end up with a really good DJ.

Drake at Landmark Festival

Landmark Festival that took place in on Washington D.C.'s National Mall was a first for the Federal City. The festival brought in artists from Alt-J to (D.C's own) U.S. Royalty to Drake. The town was due for some good music and it got what it needed. It a city overrun with politicians and consultants, there's a need for art. Luckily great music will still be played by Washington D.C. Area DJ's well after the festival.

RAC - Changing the Game for DJ's

For the last few years RAC have made a name for themselves through re-mixing what would largely be considered Indie music. They've re-mixed songs from artists such as Phoenix, Two Door Cinema Club, Washed Out, and more. Their genre has been refreshing as they've taken a more subtle and nuanced approach to re-mixing. Both their choice of songs and style (surprisingly they do more than add a sub-bass) have made them stand out to become one the most affordable DJ duo's of our time.

DJ Khaled's Features on New Album

When was the last time you heard Drake, Lil Wayne, and Rick Ross in the same place? That's right, never before! Theses new mixes from DJ Khaled have some of the sickest features of the year. His new single "I'm On One" has all three of these hot artists. Be sure to check it out, it's so good i'd play it at my wedding.