If someone asked you who looked more stunning between the bride and the groom at the wedding, you would agree that the comparison is both challenging and maybe even a little extraneous. To a wedding planner, a similar conundrum would to be to pick between a DJ and a music band at a wedding- both have their own list of advantages and drawbacks, each lending their own charm to make the event truly memorable. We explore, compare and contrast DJs with live music bands at weddings, to help you strike the right note for your big day.
All About the Vibes
Picking the right kind of music for your wedding has a profound impact on setting the vibe and ambience, so that the former can align itself with the theme of the wedding. If the wedding theme is reflective of a different era altogether like the 80s or 70s, a live music band is what you should be looking for. Moreover, a band also naturally blends into the theme of the wedding visually. On the contrary, a DJ can crank up both the latest songs as well as some good old nostalgic numbers.
Space and Flexibility
A wedding DJ and a live music band are two different beasts when it comes to overall setup and pack up. In this case, the DJ takes the cake owing to the flexibility in setup. Additionally, some of the better DJs have custom-made systems for each leg of the wedding ceremony like cocktail hours, reception and the like. When it comes to a live music band, this particularly poses to be a bit of concern especially because all these different events within a wedding are often held at different venues.
(Currency) Notes Begets (Musical) Notes
Budget requirements also vary significantly when it comes to DJs and live bands. While we are not trying to gauge the advantage of either of them based on how affordable they are, it is essential to note that how choosing between them can greatly aid in setting and necessarily revising the budget. DJs come at a relatively lower cost than live wedding bands, with factors like the day of the week, time of the year and preset duration of the performance also playing a big role.
Commanding a Presence
Live wedding bands naturally have an aura about themselves, beautifully reflective in performance, interaction with the guests and of course, the overall mood for the wedding dance. They are fluidic in a sense that they can both adapt to the mood of the wedding as well as influence it to a great extent. After all, dancing the night away with your loved one and watching your guests follow suit eventually is a truly special feeling. On the other hand, a DJ, more often than not, lags behind a little in this aspect, despite having an upper hand with a more versatile playlist. A DJ may also struggle to improvise playlist and music moreso than a live band.
Volume and Versatility
While music at a wedding commands a lion’s share of the ambience, guests look forward to such events as opportunities to meet and catch up with each other. As charming and visually pleasing live bands can get, they often have relatively less control over the loudness of their performance. Contrary to this, DJs enjoy the liberty of revving up and mellowing down the volume levels as well as seamlessly stitch together their songs without disrupting the sanctity of the wedding. With regard to the versatility of music, as mentioned earlier, DJs are more flexible in terms of their playlist and impromptu improvisations as compared to a preset list of songs a live band typically plays. DJs are more in sync with everyone present at the wedding as he/she is more likely to take requests and develop a closer rapport with them.
Live bands and DJs undoubtedly have their own share of charm which they seamlessly lend to any wedding they are a part of. While we did not touch upon the possibilities of a wedding having both a DJ and a live band, the same is a lovely prospect as long as the budget and space constraints are accommodating enough for the extravaganza. Needless to mention, it is all about striking the right notes with one and all at the wedding to help them fondly recollect all the wedding memories with a wonderful soundtrack playing in their mental background.
