Wedding Music Guide
When it comes to your wedding reception music, you really end up having one of two choices: go with a band or a DJ. The type of music that you choose really depends on the type of reception that you want to have. Whether you are going with a formal or informal wedding reception, the possibilities are endless when it comes to music selection.
Some bands are called classical or jazz ensembles while others may simply be variety bands based on the type of musical era or genre you want to have played.Whichever type of band you choose, there are lots of logistics involved in having a band at your reception.
If you have a particular song that you want to have played during the evening or for your first dance, You will have to inform the band well in advance for them to be ready with it.You will ask have to check with them about the stage Requirement.
Before finalizing ,ask them if you can see them play live either at a club or a party/wedding. Most bands will be hesitant to have you come to another wedding, as they are only trying to safeguard the privacy of their clients. You wouldn't want a bunch of random engaged couples at your wedding, would you? If you can't see the band live, ask if they have any of their work recorded so you can see them on DVD.
For many couples, a DJ is an easier and inexpensive option compared to a band. Most reputable and experienced wedding DJs are able to provide a wide range of music. A DJ is all about having a mix of music, which typically will be able to please everyone in your crowd.
A DJ can also make a change in the style of music you want as the night goes on. This is especially important as the dancing portion of the evening starts to ramp up. If you are mixing two cultures, you may want to have a DJ that can play music from both throughout the night. Only a DJ will be able to infuse radio mixes, some of the oldies but goodies your parents adore, and an amazing hymn from your homeland, all in one night!
Live Bands / Orchestras
Bands used to be the first choice for most wedding receptions till few years back. But now people find Live bands/orchestras too loud and noisy in a indoor wedding hall .They find it very difficult to converse within family members, whom they hardly getto meet often,if not for such special occasions.Some bands are called classical or jazz ensembles while others may simply be variety bands based on the type of musical era or genre you want to have played.Whichever type of band you choose, there are lots of logistics involved in having a band at your reception.
If you have a particular song that you want to have played during the evening or for your first dance, You will have to inform the band well in advance for them to be ready with it.You will ask have to check with them about the stage Requirement.
Before finalizing ,ask them if you can see them play live either at a club or a party/wedding. Most bands will be hesitant to have you come to another wedding, as they are only trying to safeguard the privacy of their clients. You wouldn't want a bunch of random engaged couples at your wedding, would you? If you can't see the band live, ask if they have any of their work recorded so you can see them on DVD.
Disc Jockeys
For many couples, a DJ is an easier and inexpensive option compared to a band. Most reputable and experienced wedding DJs are able to provide a wide range of music. A DJ is all about having a mix of music, which typically will be able to please everyone in your crowd.
A DJ can also make a change in the style of music you want as the night goes on. This is especially important as the dancing portion of the evening starts to ramp up. If you are mixing two cultures, you may want to have a DJ that can play music from both throughout the night. Only a DJ will be able to infuse radio mixes, some of the oldies but goodies your parents adore, and an amazing hymn from your homeland, all in one night!
It is often hard to know where to start even looking for a wedding DJ. Some popular choices would be your favourite internet search engine, Just Dial , bridal magazines, or maybe your favourite online wedding directory. All of these places you will find those DJ's who are advertising their business. But what other options are there? How about asking your wedding reception venue? They have no doubt seen many DJ's come and go over the years at various events and may be able to recommend someone who is good. But be careful, some DJ's and venues enter into agreements where the DJ will provide the venue salesperson a "kick-back" if you book with them. If a "kick-back" is involved, how can you be assured of the quality of the DJ.
You can also ask around your friends and family. Have you been to a wedding where the DJ was outstanding. Find out who it was. Have you been to a wedding where the DJ was awful. Find out who it was so you can avoid them!
Talk with other brides and research DJ companies to find out what other people think. Written testimonials on a DJ's website should not be taken too seriously, unless they are a scanned copy of a hand-written note. How can you know if it is genuine, or if it was written by the DJ themselves?
Another important thing, the Budgeting Factor.You should consider whether the DJ is within your budget and also whether your wedding DJ budget is reasonable.It is very important that your budget is set appropriately. But shopping around you will find wedding DJ's quoting anywhere between 8000 INR and 30000 INR depending on the packages. Quite often, with DJ's it is a case of "you get what you paid for".
99% of the wedding DJ horror stories you hear about are caused because people just picked a figure (usually a low one) out of the air when deciding on their DJ budget and went with whoever was the cheapest.
Consider how much money you have spent on your wedding reception. A bad DJ can ruin that and if you want to risk having everyone leave early, then maybe a cheap DJ is an option for you.
By doing your research and taking the time to meet with them, you will surely find a DJ who will do everything you want. Find out how they can help make your wedding reception one to remember for all the right reasons. Custom lighting and other personalisations at your wedding can often be arranged by your DJ, which may add to the total quote. Sticking to your budget is important, but so is the success of your wedding reception. Now that you have a shortlist of DJ's, it is important you get to know each of them a little better.There is set of questions U need to ask Your Prospective Wedding DJ before you finalise one of them for your special day...
99% of the wedding DJ horror stories you hear about are caused because people just picked a figure (usually a low one) out of the air when deciding on their DJ budget and went with whoever was the cheapest.
Consider how much money you have spent on your wedding reception. A bad DJ can ruin that and if you want to risk having everyone leave early, then maybe a cheap DJ is an option for you.
By doing your research and taking the time to meet with them, you will surely find a DJ who will do everything you want. Find out how they can help make your wedding reception one to remember for all the right reasons. Custom lighting and other personalisations at your wedding can often be arranged by your DJ, which may add to the total quote. Sticking to your budget is important, but so is the success of your wedding reception. Now that you have a shortlist of DJ's, it is important you get to know each of them a little better.There is set of questions U need to ask Your Prospective Wedding DJ before you finalise one of them for your special day...
If you have a wedding coming up, you want it to be memorable. If you are considering adding a karaoke as a package option for your wedding reception because your DJ offers it, you are the type of bride and groom that really want your guests to have fun. Right? It is true. You may want to start of your marriage with something memorable, and karaoke could certainly be a way to do it.First off, if karaoke is your selling point to choosing a DJ, you really need to check out your DJ to see what his actual karaoke background is. He could be a great wedding DJ, but not that cultured in empty orchestra singing performances. Does he (or she) have good gear and current selections as well as the old classics songs that everyone loves?
While it is hard to exactly explain what it is that makes a DJ "The Best" in the eyes of his or her karaoke patrons, it probably has to with a combination of personality and fast pacing.
Personality. It is something your karaoke DJ either has, or doesn't have. There are no lessons for this attribute. You cannot learn this. The only way to really judge this, however is to see them in living color.
Timing is everything. No dead air, is important. When it happens - PEOPLE CRINGE! Have you ever been on a dance floor and there is a space between songs? What do the dancers do? They either freeze and stand there like deer in headlights, or go and sit back in their seats. BOTH OF THESE OUTCOMES ARE NOT GOOD! Watch the DJ try their hardest to keep everything moving and leave no room to sleep for the karaoke audience.
Once you have chosen the right DJ who also has karaoke, consider these precautions.
1) SCHEDULED KARAOKE TIME - Not everyone likes karaoke, so limit it to either scheduled performances by a few key players, or open up say the very last hour. If you open it up for the entire reception, it will not be special and will become more annoying than anything else.
2) SET LIMITS - Do not allow multiple songs by one guest. Maybe one or two, but you do not want your wedding reception to become a a karaoke concert staring one or two key players.
3) SCAN SONG SELECTION - Make sure your DJ runs all the songs by you, if they could be considered questionable. Some songs out there have ridiculous amounts of adult content and just are not right for a wedding.
So that's it. Karaoke can really be a blast, but be careful. If you are, it can really add to the final flavor and make it a great night for everyone!