Your wedding reception music is arguably the most important aspect of your reception. It sets the tone and emotion of the evening and can absolutely make or break your event. Hiring an experienced band or DJ may seem like a no brainer but I've seen first hand where my clients have hired a band that mostly performed in clubs or corporate functions and had no idea how the flow of a wedding reception is supposed to go. Don't make that mistake!
Here are some other things to consider when deciding on your wedding reception music:
Size up the room
Consider the size of your reception space and the number of guests for your wedding reception music. An intimate space isn’t going to fit a 12 piece band and a 3 piece band won’t cut it for a guest list of 350. A good rule of thumb: at least a 6 piece band for guest lists of 100 or more.
Think of your guests
Ask for a musical mix if you’d like your 77 year-old grandmother and 17 year old cousin to dance along-side your friends. Focus on variety. Ask your musicians or DJ to play songs that span several decades – from Sinatra to JT.
Get the best of both worlds
If you can fit it into your budget, hire a DJ to spin while the band is on break or divide the evening into two portions: a band for the reception and a DJ to spin at the after party!
Time it right
Bands and DJ’s are typically contracted for 4 or 5 hours but if you think your reception might last longer, book the extra hours up front. Deciding on it that night will cost you steep overtime fees.
Save the jams for later
That’s not to say that you shouldn’t have your favorite music played at the reception. It’s just that there’s a time and place depending on the music genre. As the evening progresses and older relatives start to say goodbye, feel free to rock the dance floor with your favorite age appropriate songs.
Want to learn more? Hit me up and let's chat!
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