One of the many headaches when organising a wedding reception is whether to entertain the evening guests with a DJ or a live band. There are many factors to consider before making your decision, so please read on as Ian Scott tries to make sense of it all…

The Cost

Always the first question asked of any act, and here the mobile DJ will nearly always come out to be the cheapest. Most good function bands (not backing track singers with mini-disc music) normally charge between £500 and £1500 for a two hour set. If money is no object, then undoubtedly a band always looks the more impressive option as there is nothing to match the sight and sounds of music played live. Of course two hours doesn’t cover the whole evening, so it may transpire that a DJ is needed after all to fill the gaps.

The average cost of a good quality wedding DJ is around the £300-£500 mark and that will cover the whole evening, from 7pm til midnight.

The Venue

Thought must be given to where and when the band can set up; a number of smaller function suites cannot cope with a 5 piece band, whereas a good DJ can adapt to his surroundings. In a larger venue, the band option begins to look better. They take up the whole stage where a DJ may fail to fill it, thus creating the overall effect of ‘bigger and better’ – it’s seldom that guests gasp with delight at a DJ’s rig like they often do when spotting a live band’s equipment. Setting-up time is also to be considered…a DJ should take around 45 minutes to get up and running, whilst a band will be a little longer as they require sound checks, etc.

And one more venue issue…the dreaded sound monitor. This cuts the power to the stage when a preset noise level is exceeded. They are notoriously troublesome for DJs, and even worse for bands as live music is a difficult noise level to control.

The Music

It’s a question of taste here, and the old adage that ‘you can’t please all the people all of the time.’ Some will be delighted to dance to a function band playing cover versions, others will be appalled that their favourite songs are being ‘murdered’ and would much rather hear the originals. If you do choose a specific type of band, i.e. a rock/indie band, then it is advisable to support them with a DJ, so those who want to hear the disco classics can have their moment on the dancefloor.

With a good quality DJ, you will of course have most music genres covered so they can effectively keep everyone happy.

To Summarise…

Having been a DJ for 20 years, a band manager and some-time singer, I think I can remain fairly impartial in my recommendations.

If your venue is small (100 people or less) then take the DJ-only option, it’s far less hassle in setting up, positioning and noise level.

Large venues can accommodate bands easily, so I would definitely recommend having one…..along with a DJ as support. A really good covers band can lift the atmosphere through the roof if they’re put on at the right time during the evening. Now all you have to do is decide for yourself!

The Author, is a professional mobile DJ Essex he has almost 20 years experience as an Essex Wedding DJ. Visit  Essex Wedding Services or further articles.