The Difference When You Hire Wedding Band
There are few days in your life as memorable as your wedding day. All efforts should be made to prevent anything spoiling the perfection of this wonderful day. This means taking the time to find just the right musical entertainment for your reception. Read on to learn some things you should know before you hire wedding band.
Live music vs a DJ:
Whereas a DJ can only play pre-recorded songs from a play list, a live band has the flexibility to adjust their music (within the constraints of your own personal music preferences) to suit their audience. They can build a unique relationship with their audience and judge the mood of the night and choose music appropriate to that mood. Another handy benefit of choosing a live band is that you may be able to ask one of the band members to act as MC for the evening.
When should you start looking?
You should start looking for a band a minimum of 6 months before the actual date of your wedding. This will give you enough time to make enquiries, sample music produced by different bands, and make sure that everyone is clear on all the details for the event.
How do you find the right band?
Take a moment to think about what kind of music you are after. Is there a particular style you want played at your reception? When you’ve thought about what music you want, start asking people what great bands they know of. You can ask friends and family, and anyone with experience in weddings, such as wedding planners, photographers and florists.
It is a very good idea to get a feel for the kind of music your band plays and their performance ability before hiring them. They might have other performances coming up that you can go to, in order to assess their competency. Otherwise, ask for a recording of some of their music. This would preferably be in video format.
Discussing the details:
Knowing beforehand what pieces your band is going to be playing is key to ensuring that you and the audience enjoy the selection. Get a copy of the band’s regular play list, and don’t be afraid to tell them what you want. Some bands will even learn new pieces for you, so if there’s a particular song you have in mind, just ask if they would be able to include that in their play list.
Make sure that the venue is capable of hosting your chosen band. This includes finding out if there are any sound or space restrictions, how many power points there are and where, and how big the stage is. Ask the band about the equipment they will need, how much space they require, and whether they have any other special requirements.
A contract is necessary to make sure that everyone understands what is expected of them. It should contain all the details of dates, times, set-up and departure, payment of the band, break times and refreshments, attire, insurance, transport arrangements, overtime, and other unforeseen costs. If you would like the band to act as your MC for the evening, this must be added into the contract. Band members should be named individually in the contract, and the desired play list or musical style should be written down.
Have the band get to the reception venue about an hour before the event is set to start. This will give them time to set up and perform sound checks.
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