If you’re having a wedding in Toronto and are choosing between live music by a wedding band vs DJ music then this blog post if for you.
As your wedding day approaches you must start getting serious and resourceful when choosing the music best suited for the evening. In the old days, there wasn’t much choice as playing backing tracks would never be an option as the technology was not advanced like it is today. So the choice was easy: live music. You’d get yourself a four or five piece band and they’d play all of your favorites.
But in today’s fast-paced world of modernity, high-tech gear and sometimes financial strain, the option to get a DJ for the night isn’t only in the equation but it’s even preferable in many cases for the fact that you’re only dealing with one person, you have a limitless list of tunes you can use for the night and you’re not taking a risk with the possibility of the band being less than adequate.
Personally, I must play devils advocate to this philosophy and defend the idea of using a live wedding band vs DJ music for your wedding with a few ideas on how to save money, get to hear the tunes of your choice and have simple and easy dealings with the band leader.
Firstly, most bands are more flexible with finances than a DJ. Most DJ’s will have a set price and never go down in their price even if it doesn’t fit the budget of those making the wedding. One would think that obviously a DJ would be cheaper since it’s only one person, but this is not always the case. Most band leaders are very flexible and musicians will vary their prices according to the type of gig they have and try to adjust themselves to the needs of the client in order to book the gig.
The second issue is songs. Now obviously a DJ will be more unlimited with the amount of songs as all he or she has to do is program a thousand songs into their computer and away he goes with endless tunes. But in my eyes, quality always beats quantity. While a DJ can play tracks of great songs, the band can actually play those great songs right there before your eyes! Sure, it may be impossible to have as many songs in number as the DJ, but what you lose will be worth it with the quality of performance and nothing quite beats having actual humans up there playing the music than a rolling jukebox.
When it comes to dealing with the band leader this will obviously be a different dynamic than dealing with a DJ. The band leader has to take into account how many people he has joining him and to make sure the band is paid fairly and on time. But, just because he has more complications doesn’t make it any more difficult to deal with. As I said before, since most bands’ main focus is the music and you as the clients’ main focus is also the music then I would think that’s a better person to be negotiating with since the goals of both parties are the same.
The truth is, I play many weddings where the night is split between our band and the DJ. Of course you’re talking about more expense but it’s the only real way to get the best of both worlds.
Those are just my thoughts and I’m obviously biased being in a wedding band here in Toronto but that’s my honest opinion. If you are thinking about going with a DJ simply due to the money then I suggest you contact us as we may be able to come up with a solution that fits within your budget.
