The Soundtrack Of Your Evening

As E. Joseph Cossman once said, "Love is friendship set to music".  What type of music will be the soundtrack for your event?  The music that is played at any event will set the mood, and hopefully motivate your guests to dance and have a great time. So, do you go with a live band or a DJ? Well, the truth is, it's totally up to you. There is no right or wrong choice- but here are some pros and cons of each to help you weigh the options:

The Live Band Pros

• Impeccable sound quality.  Very often, the sound of live music will be much more lively than that of a prerecorded track.  
• A live band could act as an element toward your theme.  For example, if you are using a vintage theme it may be fun to hire a 1930's style swing band.  
• Having a live band very often creates a "wow" effect among your guests
• A band can manipulate any song to fit the mood of your evening

The Live Band Cons

• A Live band tends to be very costly.  Of course, if it is important to you just make sure you have allocated for this in your budget! 
• Very often a band will have a particular style that will be consistent all night.  If you are looking for variety in sound and genre, a live band may not be your first pick.
• There is more down time with the live band as these performers will need to take a few breaks.  
• The songs never sound the same as the original artist.  

The Disc Jockey Pros

• Most DJs will have a library of thousands of songs to choose from with unlimited genres.
• Usually a DJ will make announcements, and encourage the guests to dance and enjoy themselves.
• In comparison to a live band, a DJ is a more affordable choice.  
• Sound levels are controllable

The Disc Jockey Cons

• Since a DJ as such a large selection of music, you will need to provide an edited list to make sure the songs the DJ plays represent your style, and the mood of your event.  This is a little more work for you. 
• A DJ typically does not have the ability to improvise in order to blend in with the overall theme of your wedding.
• If there is a problem with the equipment, you may not have any music!