Band or dj

A band was pretty much a requirement for us because we're having a black tie wedding. That being said, the band we hired is quite expensive! DJs are almost always the more affordable option, but if you have the budget, bands make for a very unique experience

DJ! Live band is rich people behavior lol.

DJ. I just typically like hearing songs by the artists as they are meant to sound, rather than covers. I also like a variety of music (and some more obscure tunes) so I felt a DJ was going to do a better job of switching from Taylor Swift to Blink-182 to David Bowie. Plus music was less of a priority to us than other parts of our wedding, so for us it was an area where we were willing to save a bit of money and we could find DJ that fit what we wanted for less than a similar quality band.

DJ's are typically cheaper, but not always. There is a (very reliable, very professional) local band that a couple of our friends have used/are using for weddings that costs only slightly more than the average DJ in our area. Our DJ wasn't that expensive but most of the popular DJs in our area cost about double what we paid and this band is roughly the same price.

Most bands have a sound system, will help MC your event, make announcements, and have some recorded music for backup. If there is a song you really want - for example you want your first dance to sound exactly how it is recorded by the artist - they can play that just like a DJ would. Just because you have a band doesn't mean you are limited to only the things they can play.

Most house parties I go to don't have bands, but do have music playlists, so being at a wedding with a good band always feels a bit more posh to me. I do feel like the difference between a good band and a bad band is way more noticeable than the difference between a good DJ and a bad one, so if this isn't an area in which I'd cut corners to save a bit in the overall budget. If you are going to go band, pick wisely!

Some bands have a very specific style and struggle when they stray from it, so that is worth considering. For example, one wedding I went to had a jazz band and it was a good band I just don't care for jazz music, so the lack of variety and constant sound of brass instruments was not all that fun for me as a guest. A DJ will better be able to accommodate more variety, varied tastes, or last minute request from your guests.

Some DJs also provide lighting and other event services, such as photo booths, smoke machines, and other special effects. We didn't care about those things, but you might. I'm not sure how common it is for bands to provide those extras.

If you are considering a band, do be sure to clarify what "extra services" they provide (can they do mics and audio for your ceremony, for example), and also consider the venue itself, how much space can be allocated for music setup, and how many people are in the band. A band with 4-6 people is going to likely require a bit more floor space than a DJ setup, and you'll need to provide vendor meals to every person in the band, vs one, maybe two, meals for a DJ, so factor that into the overall cost as well. Consider the acoustics of your venue as best you can as well. I think a DJ can more easily "direct" sound whereas a band can point their speakers/amplifiers in a certain direction but there will be some amount of ambient noise from the instruments themselves and certain settings (like maybe a room with floor to ceiling and wall-to-wall windows) might not be very well suited for that kind of thing. You can always ask your venue if they recommend one over the other.

I really think each has their own benefits and its mostly about what you want for your wedding.

OMG, bands are always so much better - they bring so much energy to a party. Wedding bands know TONS of songs from all genres. But please vet your band and make sure they are accustomed to doing weddings and can make all the necessary scheduling decisions and announcements and have experience staying on schedule. I worked in a wedding band for 10 years - if you have any questions let me know!

I would love to have both, but right now we are budgeted for a DJ, a live singer to sing our first dance song, and a timbale player (metal drums) to play along with the DJ and also do a solo during dinner.