DJ or a Band

SparrowHawk

Hi All,

Myself & my better half are getting married next June & are in the process of organising all the details.

One thing that is of concern is the music/ entertainment. From the financial perspective it makes sense to go with DJ for the entire evening - but we're concerned that unless we get a "good" DJ he/ she may not involve the guests - which is crucial. We're in the "30 something" age bracket - with the associated firends & aunts/ uncles. We want someone who can do some MC stuff, play the right music - for all age groups & who can get the guests involved.

Thoughts & suggestions? Are we asking or expecting too much from one DJ for the entire evening?

Thanks in advance,

SH

Trampas

Band and iPod?

Some bands do DJ as well so you could try that

Toots

I'm using the resident DJ for the hotel, and he does MC etc. Have you picked a venue yet? If so, ask them are there any DJs they'd recommend.

How Strange

From what I've seen a lot of bands do a dj service as well and it probably works out cheaper in the long run to get them to do both.

If you're using just a dj make sure they are good. IMO music makes or breaks a wedding. No-one will remember the food but they'll remember whether or not they spent the night up dancing. I remember being at a fantastic wedding a few years back, everything was so perfect and amazing until the dj started. He was rubbish and it definitely took away from the night. I think he played some songs about 4 times.

I'd advise you to draw up a play list and give it to the dj well in advance.

mikekerry

get a dj, i got one for my wedding a couple of months ago.
it cost around 800 for 5 hours.
beats paying 2k or so for a band and a dj as well.
i gave the dj my playlist and he did the rest.
i got a good company in dublin if u want they're details and u can give u the dj name.

elvis jones

I'm a Weddind Dj and i'll let that be known from the start.

Just wanted to say that some bands that provide a dj.....don't provide a dj.

They have a pre mixed cd playing when they are taking down their equipment. I have seen this with 3 different bands while at a weddings.

Also some have a roadie with little experience and allow no input into the playlist on the night.

BUT some bands have done deals with dj's and companies, ask when you book about this.

For me the 2 most important parts of a wedding ( sorry brides ) are the food and entertainment. No one talks about the flowers or mass booklets the next day.

Remember its a party and the main parts of most parties are food and entertainment.

Oh and don't bother with bands anyway......Dj's are the way forward:D;)

SparrowHawk

Hi All,

Thanks for all the replies - much appreciated!

Realistically the price of a band for a 3 hours set - we could afford, however band + DJ (until the wee hours) is stretching it, a little.

We were (are) hoping to find a DJ that can get the crowd involved, which is essential, & possibly with the flexibility to change tack if some of the older generation are hesitant to get up & boogie!!

We're getting married in the Westgrove Hotel, in Clane, - they don't have a resident DJ & were reluctant to offer suggestions ( I think so that we could not blame them, if it turned out to be a disaster), but would be happy to pass comment if we gave them names.

If anyone have any other thoughts or opinions, please let us know!!

Thanks to all who contribute,

SH

Redpunto

We cant afford a band so we're just having the DJ, i find most people dont really get up and dance to a band but will do for the DJ

davgtrek

I would be very slow to let the band have anything to do with the dj.
they are totally separate disciplines. any of the events i have attended where the band turned into the dj were dire.
problem is you need to hedge your bets. if the band are excellent then great everyones happy. but more often than not the bands are poor churning out the "played to death and back" songs. for people that like these songs then grand but for people who don't they will look forward to the DJ hopefully resurrecting the night musically.

its catering for all tastes. best thing is to haggle with band and unless you know they're gonna be hot not agree a 3hr setlist with them. Maybe Bruce Springsteen can manage 3 hours of music but IMHO thats too long for a wedding band. let the band give it loads for 90mins and then have the dj kick in.

safest bet.

How Strange

After further investigation on the interweb I would now have reservations about letting the band do dj after. You can get a good dj from €300-420 for a 3hr set. I also agree that music and food are the two things to get right. They definitely make or break the night.

We're just about to start looking for bands but our budget for both is €2k. We can stretch it a bit but not too much. Hopefully, we can get one of the bands we've picked for about €16000. We're in Dublin so I'm aware we'll probably be charged more for that privilege I woudl also consider just a dj if the band option was just too expensive.

oldscoil

I got married one month and 5 days ago

And I used a guy called Dermot Kelly:

He was excellent, and played what I asked him to. He also played stuff that he thought the crowd would like, which they all did.

The main thing is, all my guests were well impressed!!!

Great guy, great DJ.

Here is his 2009 Price List

After Band (3 Hours): €475

After Dinner (4 Hours): €575

After Canapés (5 Hours): €675

Full Evening (6 Hours): €775

Prices include:

- Premium 2K (2,000 Watt) PA system with bass bin;

- Enormous music collection;

- Professional event lighting;

- Cabled & radio microphone;

- Comprehensive meeting regarding specific music requests etc.

NB Extra lighting and smoke machine available for an additional €100

Dermot Kelly

www.freshdjs.ie
freshdjs@me.com
087 206 5 208
01 601 5435

fergiesarmy

Being a dj also I find it gas the number of people who make an enquiry and all they want to know is price. They ask nothing else. My price for after band is 350 - 400 euro but I have been know to drop this lower for midweek or to secure a booking. The gas thing is a bride will come on and say something like "oh well i have spent 2500 - 3000 euro on a band so I am trying to save on the dj!!"

FFs its unreal. They are spending 25,000 or 30,000 or more on the big dfay and they want to try and save 25 or 50 euro on the dj. Now i know that my sound and lighting are well above the quality of most wedding djs and I know there is some ****e out there. The reality is that they more often than not go with the cheapest quote and dont find out until its too late how bad the dj is. I.e some skankger shows up with no class, poor sound system, will do no preparation for the wedding, may not stick to the playlist if given and come on after a band with 2 small speakers screaming for mercy because they cant match up to the bands powerful pa system.

Regarding bands doing dj, this is something that has really crippled the dj industry and left a bad taste / reflection.

My attitude is.... why stop at that. Why not let the band bake your wedding cake and sew the wedding dress also. Maybe one of the band members has a nice jag that could be used to bring the bride to the church.:)

In fairness many bands do offer a professional dj (subcontracted in from another dj company that you could have hired directly yourself) and many cases its the band's roadie that just sticks on a mix cd or leave a mix running on laptop while he takes down the equipment to get home asap after the gig.

A pro dj will have a sound system to match the band so he wont sound like a stereo in the corner and also a much more advanced light show that the band in most cases who will usually only light the stage. I also believe the seperate dj will offer a freshness of ideas to the night

Music is the one thing people do remember long after the wedding so why not go for the best band and dj that you can afford rather that trying to cut corners here.

Whispered

Fergies army, what questions do you suggest someone asks when booking a dj? I'm about to start looking and am not sure where to start.

Thanks

sweetie

I agree with what Fergie has said. A dj generally plays for as long or longer than a band and would cost on average 25% of the band price so make sure that they are experienced at the type of gig you require, have adequate equipment for the purpose (Pa would need to be at least 1000w rms but preferably 2000w for larger venues) including backup equipment in case of technical problems and I would recommend speaking to some previous clients and if possible seeing them play live (but remember every crowd is different ) Also, if choosing a playlist consider the guests likes and dislikes aswell as your own and be prepared to let the dj change things a bit if the list isn't working. I would consider a list of ten must play and ten must not play to suffice and give an indication of a couples taste. Lights must be good but tasteful (not strobing like at a rave) and also there must be some control over them for purposes of first dance etc. They must be comfortable on the mic and use it if needed or not at all if the customer prefers. If I think of anything else I'll continue...

SeekUp

helena.ryan wrote: »

Fergies army, what questions do you suggest someone asks when booking a dj? I'm about to start looking and am not sure where to start.

Thanks

Ditto -- we're also planning from out of town, so it'll be a bit difficult to hear the band and/or dj live beforehand. I guess the safest bet is to go with recommendations . . . bless the internet for that.

I wish it were just as simple as asking someone if they are amazing!

So yes, professional djs, what should we ask?

sweetie

SeekUp wrote: »

So yes, professional djs, what should we ask?

a quick google threw up this and it covers alot of issues

kingofslaves

sweetie wrote: »

a quick google threw up this and it covers alot of issues

That hurts my eyes after reading that!

davylee

elvis jones wrote: »

I'm a Weddind Dj and i'll let that be known from the start.

Just wanted to say that some bands that provide a dj.....don't provide a dj.

They have a pre mixed cd playing when they are taking down their equipment. I have seen this with 3 different bands while at a weddings.

Also some have a roadie with little experience and allow no input into the playlist on the night.

BUT some bands have done deals with dj's and companies, ask when you book about this.

For me the 2 most important parts of a wedding ( sorry brides ) are the food and entertainment. No one talks about the flowers or mass booklets the next day.

Remember its a party and the main parts of most parties are food and entertainment.

Oh and don't bother with bands anyway......Dj's are the way forward:D;)

lol

samilou

A lot of bands and DJ's work together...we are having the usual suspects (2 hours) who have a wide list of songs to choose from 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's, 00's and we just pick what we want, also they have a DJ who works with them (if you want) and its not that much more his name is Skip Alexander and we can pick all the songs....both the band and DJ get the guests up and involve everyone.

kingofslaves

samilou wrote: »

we just pick what we want, also they have a DJ who works with them (if you want) and its not that much more his name is Skip Alexander and we can pick all the songs....both the band and DJ get the guests up and involve everyone.

but if you choose the songs what are you paying for ? When you book a DJ you are paying for his ability to play suitable songs. Not just be a jukebox !

DJ Ollie B

I happened across this thread by accident.
I am a highly experienced D.J. for over 32 years.
I play in Clubs/Pubs and do Weddings/Parties etc.
If I am available on the date of your Wedding
I can Guarantee that You and all your guests will have
a brilliant time.
I take the time to meet with the Bride & Groom without obligation
and I throughly go through your entertainment requirement.
I offer suggestions in line with your requests to Insure your
special day is truly memorable.
The most important thing I say to all Wedding Couples is
remember this is your Wedding. You only do it once.
Do not cut corners on your entertainment.
A Good D.J. will make your wedding special.
A cheap D.J. usually is relatively inexperienced and is only looking
a nights pay.
My mobile Number is 086-2375527
Regards,

D.J. Ollie B

seamus

Personally if I went to a wedding and just a DJ got up, I'd be a little snobbish about it; all-night DJs are for birthday parties, not weddings. But at the same time a good DJ is better than a crap band.

We got a fantastic band, who DJed afterwards - one of the band members used the band's equipment to properly DJ, just played from our setlist and mixed it properly. That's all I personally feel you need in a DJ - don't need some spa MC'ing and talking crap - just good music suited to the crowd.

samilou

kingofslaves wrote: »

but if you choose the songs what are you paying for ? When you book a DJ you are paying for his ability to play suitable songs. Not just be a jukebox !

We can choose which songs we want and do not want, not a list of what to play, everyone has different tastes so we want a mix of everything - the DJ is perfectly capable of choosing the songs as he is a DJ in clubs etc... for years, but since we are paying a lot of money for our wedding and am only planning to get married once so i think its important that i like the songs that are played.

bradleycorey

SeekUp wrote: »

Ditto -- we're also planning from out of town, so it'll be a bit difficult to hear the band and/or dj live beforehand. I guess the safest bet is to go with recommendations . . . bless the internet for that.

I wish it were just as simple as asking someone if they are amazing!

So yes, professional djs, what should we ask?

Hi there,

Where abouts is it you are getting married?

I got married in Navan last year and we booked this fantastic DJ reccomended by a friend. We too couldnt afford a band & Dj so went with the cheaper option of just having the DJ play for the whole night. When we phoned him, he told us we could come to any of his gigs to hear him play. We were very happy with him, he was really good at entertaining a mixed crowd.. We are in our late 20's and we had relations at our wedding who are in their 60's. He played music from the 60's right up to todays chart music. We had so many people coming up complimenting him and asking for his number for future party's. My cousin also had him play at her 30th birthday party in July- He done Karaoke for her also and had an amazing singer to get the crowd going, they were even giving out free shots of sambuca to everyone that got up and sang :P Happy days!! The whole party was well impressed and he had the floor filled for the night.
Not quite sure of his cost now, i think for the normal 3 hour set, it was about 480euro but We had him play i think 8pm-1.30am and it cost us around 750euro, think its an extra 100euro for karaoke too. Believe the true saying " You pay for what you get"
Bands cost anywhere between 1,500-2,500 and take breaks every half hour, this guy played thru the whole nite. some bands come with Dj's aswell but alot of them are brutel and just in it for the money. You can truley tell this guy loves his job.

If you havent already booked someone, let me know. i will pass on his number

kingofslaves

bradleycorey wrote: »

Not quite sure of his cost now, i think for the normal 3 hour set, it was about 480euro but We had him play i think 8pm-1.30am and it cost us around 750euro, think its an extra 100euro for karaoke too.

Saw you coming! :P Good friend of mine would charge 350E max.

Shyboy

kingofslaves wrote: »

Saw you coming! :P Good friend of mine would charge 350E max.

€350 for an after band set maybe, but I have never heard of a professional DJ charging only €350 for a full night wedding. Maybe your friend is not registered with the revenue or not fully insured, etc...;)

bradleycorey

kingofslaves wrote: »

Saw you coming! :P Good friend of mine would charge 350E max.

Wow 350 max for a full 6 hour set. Tell him from me, he's the cheapest wedding DJ out there. Most Professional wedding Dj's gave us quotes for 600e or more for these type hours..
I do know for my relations birthday party it was 350-400 but thats a birthday party- totally different price for weddings plus he was doing longer hours.

I still stick to what i said before " it was money well spent!!!

kingofslaves

Sorry thought price was for after band, normal price from my friend would be 525 to 650 depending on how far he has to travel etc. These days people don't realise DJ's have to take thier kit to where the gig is, if the DJ is in, say skerries and the gig is in Trim, they have to leave in time and pay the petrol. Anyway hope the OP finds someone and congrstulaions.

(excude spelling, locked!!!__)

Super-Rush

You should ask how long they have been Djing for. Lads who have been doing it for five minutes sound like they have been doing it for five minutes. A year maybe two years would be the minimum and they should have played at least one wedding.

You could and maybe should ask could you go see them play somewhere. A lot of people do it with bands so why not Dj's.

Always give a Dj some sort of idea what music you want played. At least he will be playing the music you want even if he can't put it together properly and don't expect a Dj to play only the music you and your husband like. 90% of the crowd won't have your same taste. Ask him to mix some of your own music in as much as he can.

davylee

bradleycorey wrote: »

Hi there,

Where abouts is it you are getting married?

I got married in Navan last year and we booked this fantastic DJ reccomended by a friend. We too couldnt afford a band & Dj so went with the cheaper option of just having the DJ play for the whole night. When we phoned him, he told us we could come to any of his gigs to hear him play. We were very happy with him, he was really good at entertaining a mixed crowd.. We are in our late 20's and we had relations at our wedding who are in their 60's. He played music from the 60's right up to todays chart music. We had so many people coming up complimenting him and asking for his number for future party's. My cousin also had him play at her 30th birthday party in July- He done Karaoke for her also and had an amazing singer to get the crowd going, they were even giving out free shots of sambuca to everyone that got up and sang :P Happy days!! The whole party was well impressed and he had the floor filled for the night.
Not quite sure of his cost now, i think for the normal 3 hour set, it was about 480euro but We had him play i think 8pm-1.30am and it cost us around 750euro, think its an extra 100euro for karaoke too. Believe the true saying " You pay for what you get"
Bands cost anywhere between 1,500-2,500 and take breaks every half hour, this guy played thru the whole nite. some bands come with Dj's aswell but alot of them are brutel and just in it for the money. You can truley tell this guy loves his job.

If you havent already booked someone, let me know. i will pass on his number

:eek: don't know what kinda bands you are booking
so next time i'm playing a 3 hour i get 5 breaks. nice one

silkwoodband

We agree totally with the fact that the bands should play the music and the djs should do the disco.A number of years ago we were providing the dj service with the band.It was something the band did not agree with but you have to go with the man taking the bookings in these situations and it took a change of membership to sort it out.
It never works if the band provide the disco,its like some of the previous posters said,...you have a laptop or a cd playing a pre recorded mix in the backround while the rest of the lads are taking out the gear.Unless you have completely seperate gear and a seperate person who is not in the band you cannot give it 100%.
Nowadays we provide a package for interested parties that includes the band and a professional dj who has nothing to do with the live side of things and has all his own gear and it comes in under the magical 2000 euros.We alternate between 4 djs and we find that this works much better than the old days of the laptop and a few dodgy lights approach.As some one else said you dont ask the chef to make the wedding cake or the florist to take the pictures.Its the most important day of your life and it should be handled by professionals all the way.
I am sure the wrath of god is going to come down on me from all the bands out there that are making the few extra quid providing the lot but heh it won't be the first time and we are all still alive and well so bring it on.