Choosing Your Entertainment: Should you hire a DJ, Band or a combination of both?  Although there are bands that play a wide variety of music and will perform for up to 5 hours with limited breaks, most people choose a DJ over a band at a wedding because most DJ’s will play non-stop music throughout the night and have a much larger selection of music to choose from.

Budgets can be a concern when hiring entertainment as well.  When looking for a professional DJ with a basic set-up, you should expect to pay anywhere from $800 - $1500 just for the DJ.  If your event requires additional sound or lighting you may pay additional fees to the basic price.  Prices for musicians and bands vary quite a bit more, you can usually hire a solo Pianist for $200 - $400 for a couple of hours, a duo will double that price.  A string quartet can range from $1000 - $1600 for ceremony and cocktails.  Bands for your reception can vary depending on how many members are in the band and what style of band you want.  Generally most bands that perform at weddings are show bands of between 5 – 15 members and can play a variety of Jazz, Oldies, Big Band, Motown, Disco, Funk, Dance, Rock, Country and Top 40.  The price for these bands can vary from $3000 to $10,000 for a 5 hour night.  Some bride and grooms decide to do a combination of a DJ and Live Entertainment and that depends on what type of party you are looking for.

Another option is to hire a solo, duo or trio for your ceremony and cocktails, then switch to a DJ for the dinner and reception.  You can also have the DJ and band take turns playing during the reception.  Specialty Acts (Tribute Act, Impersonator, Band, etc) may also be hired to play a couple of sets in addition to the DJ.  As you can see there are many options and deciding what will work best is up to you. It is important to secure your entertainment with a written contract and deposit.  All professional entertainers should be able to provide you with references and/or referral letters.

No matter which avenue of entertainment you choose, you should be comfortable with your entertainer(s) to insure for a stress free reception and one that everyone will have a good time. 

Sound Quality
It is important to ask your DJ or Band what sound equipment they will be bringing to your function.  If your wedding is under 150 guests, then two 400 – 800 watt powered speakers would be more than sufficient.  When your guests list reaches over 150 people, you will need to consider having a subwoofer. This will ensure that the guests on the dance floor will be able to hear the music so they can dance.  For more than 200 people, it is necessary to have one or the quality of sound will be poor and the volume will not be loud enough for your guests to have a good time. For events larger than 500 people the entertainment should be providing a more complex sound system than the basic two speakers.

There are many brands and variety of speakers both powered and non-powered and they all have their own unique design and sound quality.  Most speakers from the 1970’s, will not sound or look nearly as good as the newer speakers made today. Technology has improved and the speakers today include their own amplifier built right into the speaker.  This is a great advantage if one speaker happens to blow through the night, the other will keep on going. In most cases, you should be able to trust the entertainment you are hiring to suggest a reasonable sound system or package that will suit the number of guests.  The system should also be comparable to the size of the room your event is going to be held in.  If there is any uncertainty, the DJ, the band leader or the entertainment company should be willing to do a site inspection that will give them an idea as to what system will be the best for your wedding.  They are the professionals and when they hesitate or sound confused regarding the equipment, perhaps you should consider another source.

To help you understand the technology more here are some common audio models in three different categories:

SPEAKERS:
Low-End: Alto, Beringer, American Audio, Peavey
Mid-quality: JBL, Yorkville, FBT, Mackie, EV, Yamaha, Cerwin Vega
High-End: EAW, Meyer Sound, Apogee, Grund Audio

CD PLAYERS:
Low-End: American Audio, Numark (CD-Mix2), Gemini, Stanton
Mid-quality: Numark, Stanton, American Audio, Gemini, Denon, Pioneer, Vestax
High-End: Denon (DND9000 or DN3500), Vestax, Numark (CDN90, HDX or CDX), Pioneer CDJ1000

DJ MIXERS:
Low-End: Gemini, Behringer, Stanton, Numark (some), American Audio
Mid-quality: Vestax, Numark, Stanton, Tascam, Denon
High-End:  Numark, Allen & Heath, Rane, Pioneer, UREI

MICROPHONES:
Low-End: Nady, Gemini, Audio-Technica, Numark, American Audio, Vocopro
Mid-quality: Shure PGX, Sennheiser E135, Audio-Technica 3000 Series
High-End:   Shure SLX and ULX, Sennheiser Evolution Series

Audio Format
If you are hiring a DJ, what format will he/she be using at your wedding… CD? Digital/MP3? Vinyl?  With today’s technology many DJ’s are switching from CD format to Digital MP3’s. This new technology has been a great advantage for DJ’s as they are able to bring ALL of their music and it is easier to collect new music faster. If your DJ is using MP3’s it is important that the MP3’s are ripped at a good quality, 192kbps or higher is recommended.  Many people think that switching to a digital format such as MP3 that your DJ will no long need to DJ and just hit play on a programmed playlist.  Not so, your DJ will still need to beat mix, select songs at the appropriate times and be able to play requests.  Be careful of the “DJ’s” who bring a laptop and playing their music in a standard MP3 player. Make sure you ask your hired DJ what they use and ask questions about their setup.

There are several professional DJ programs that allow the DJ to store all of their music on a hard drive and still use standard professional CD players or turntables to control the MP3’s.  One of the most popular programs is called Serato Scratch Live which was developed by Rane.  Serato is a USB interface that works in conjunction with software installed on a computer and the MP3’s can be stored internally or externally. The software allows the DJ to organize their music in folders which is an easy way to text search songs by their title, artist name, and in most cases genre, album title, etc.  This allows the DJ to be able to cater to more requests much easier than searching through a book of hard CD’s.  Some similar programs are: FinalScratch by Stanton, BPM Studio and PCDJ. When asking your DJ about their preferred method of playing, make sure you feel comfortable with their answers and ask what type of backup equipment they have.

Music Selection
Will your DJ or Band play music that you want to hear or what they want to hear?  It is important to hire entertainment that will play all of your requests.  As well it is important for the DJ or Band to have a music library that will cater to both yours and your guests music tastes.  An important detail your DJ should provide you once you have booked their services is a music planner.  The music planner will help your DJ know what songs are important to you and they should ask to have it submitted at least 2 weeks prior to your event date. If you have any special requests, ethnic or family traditions, make sure you consult with your entertainment if they will be able to provide you with the music that you want to hear.  They may ask you to provide certain music if it is a traditional song or one they are unable to find or download from the internet.

Remember that this is your day and you should be able to choose the music you and your guests want to hear. This factor is so important to ensure that you will have a good dance party.

Lighting & Special Effect
Lighting has endless possibilities in creating the atmosphere and mood of wedding.  If you are contemplating whether to book lighting for your wedding reception or not, ask yourself if you want to be dancing in the dark when the lights are dimmed after dinner?  Minimum lighting can make a huge difference in making the dance floor a hit.  Semi-Intelligent lighting effects have a microphone sensor built in that makes the lighting effect move to the beat of the music. The most common semi-intelligent lighting effect is the Vertigo.  Intelligent Lighting Fixtures are lights that are controlled by a DMX controller or a computer software program, most commonly Martin Light Jockey.

The majority of intelligent light fixtures have moving heads and use gobos to project shapes or images through a lens.  These images and shapes can then be projected throughout the room and move around in various patterns and speeds. Some common intelligent lights include the Martin MAC 250 and Elation Design Spots. Up-Wall Par Cans are a new and popular trend in lighting up the room.  It is a lighting option that is a simple and elegant way to dress up your room. Up-wall lights can brighten up pillars, windows, staging or any specific element in the room to make it stand out.  You may choose the colours you wish to match the décor or the theme colour of your wedding. If you do not want to have the dance lighting, this option is a nice way to soften the room and add a romantic ambiance.

LED Technology has really made lighting even more versatile. With LED Up-Wall lights you can rotate the colour of all the lights at the same time since they are linked together. The lights can fade, strobe, and change to any colour you wish.  Your room can be blue and then change to red minutes later.  This option is a more expensive one however, it is a fantastic way to change the mood, look and feel of the room constantly through the dinner and reception.

LIGHTING OPTIONS:
Low-End: American DJ or Chauvet  - Sold as “semi-intelligent lights”
Middle Class: Up-Wall Par Cans or Martin Mania, American DJ, Elation, Chauvet – Sold as “intelligent lights”
High-End: LED Lighting or Elation, Martin Mac Series, High-End Systems, Coemar – Sold as “DMX Controlled lighting”

MC Services
It is important to have someone that is a public speaker to MC your special day.  Whether you have a close friend, family member or hire someone.  Sometimes the DJ or band leader is required to announce the wedding party into the room, since the MC is a groomsman or bridesmaid.  If this is the case, the MC services should be provided at no extra charge. It is important for the DJ to make sure that the bridal party is in name order when ready to enter the room so make sure your DJ will be able to take on this task. If you require MC services throughout the entire evening, you may have to pay extra but make sure you meet with the person prior to your wedding day to go over the program.

Professional Associations
Whether you are choosing a DJ or Band, there are many professional associations for both industries.  In Canada, the largest DJ Association is CODJA (Canadian Online Disc Jockey Association).  CODJA consists of professional DJ’s and DJ Companies that set a standard in the industry, as well CODJA provides and insists that all DJ’s carry liability insurance as well as an AVLA License (Audio Video Licensing Agency) for their music libraries whether it is a CD library or Hard Drive.  When it comes to live musicians and bands, a lot of professional musicians will be members of their local musician union or association which you can find more information about from your city.  When hiring professional musicians, most have graduated from some form of professional music training. 

Choosing a First Song
When choosing a song for your first dance it is important to choose a song that is special to both you and your fiancé.  Think about songs that you hear on the radio and instantly think about your fiancé, or maybe the song that was playing when you first met.  There are many lists of commonly used songs for first dances, but most couples like to choose something that is unique and personal to them.  If you are looking for ideas, you should be able to ask you DJ or Band Leader for suggestions or do a simple search on the internet.

Can I see my DJ perform before I hire them?
That is a difficult one.  Not always, because to see them would mean you would have to go to someone else’s wedding reception or party.  I am sure you wouldn’t like to have strangers coming into your private party so that is why we recommend our clients read our referral letters.  If you are unable to see your DJ perform, ask for a referral letter or ask to speak to a previous client to see how they performed.  Referral letters should be recent and within the past year. The best way to know if your DJ is good is if you hear from someone who has hired them for their own event.

Can I meet with the DJ prior to booking services?
You may not be able to meet your DJ since they may not be assigned until a certain time due to the long range booking date.  Larger companies may have several DJ’s and they will try to assign events to each person, however it is not always possible to get a commitment a year away.  The DJ company should assign a DJ to your event no longer than 6 weeks prior to your event at which time you should set up a meeting with them to make sure you feel comfortable with their personality. The best way to deal with your assigned DJ is to trust the company’s Owner or Manager and see how they run the business.  Find out how many years they have been in the industry and again, ask for referrals.

How do you pick a good DJ?
Selecting your DJ is a situation that you need to feel good about, just like all of the other services you book for your wedding.  Price is the worst way to pick your DJ.  If you select a DJ because they are only $500 a night, expect $500 service. Make sure you feel comfortable about the company and the services they offer.  There are a lot of good DJ companies out there and there are some terrible ones but there is one to suit your style.  The reception and dance portion of the wedding is one of the most important pieces of the celebration because it has to please so many people at the same time.  If you want your guests to have a good time, the party will be what they remember and say to their friends “I went to a great wedding on the weekend.  The DJ was great and we danced all night!”