Obviously, this question is dependant on your budget, personal preference and the setting. Live music tends to give the more classy, elegant tone to a wedding, whereas a DJ hosted wedding can be more fun and modern.
Weddings with DJs are lots of fun. People get up and dance on the floor and the wedding party can let loose and have fun. Its important to get to know the DJ you hire for your big day. Their personalities really make a huge difference on the actual event. They will make or break your reception if they are not that interesting, or a little TOO interesting. Just think about Wedding Singer (except insert DJ performer in there).
From what I’ve been hearing, couples are selecting DJs because they feel that they cannot afford the option for live music. This may or may not always be the case. If you look for live bands that specialize in weddings, that will often run up the cost. If you can find a small jazz band who play locally in hotel lounges or small bars, you may be able to convince them to work your private event. That might make the difference for those couples on the fence about the affordability of live music. Also, live bands aren’t as cheesey as they once were back in the day.
Ask yourselves these questions when you plan for the music portion of your wedding:
- Do we want to dance at our wedding to our favorite songs like we hear them on the radio?
- Do our friends and family enjoy dancing to the same type of music?
- Do we want the main focus of the reception to be around the dance floor and dancing?
There really is no correct answer to whether or not to DJ for your reception. Its all about the personal preference as to the style of your big day. Just remember that if you are creative about sourcing your vendor, you could have either the DJ or the live band option and still be within your budget on music.
One thing I do recommend highly is to have live musicians play during your ceremony and cocktail time.
