Hall of Springs - Photo by JP Elario @ Elario Photography
First and foremost, congratulations on your engagement! Now it’s time for the fun to begin!
Selecting the entertainment for your wedding reception, should be a fun process. Whether you hire a DJ or Band, you want to hire professionals who are not only great DJ’s or Musician’s, but also great at Event Coordination and Customer Service. They are all equally important.
They should be at your service throughout the entire planning process, not just the 1st phone call, to answer any questions or concerns you may have regarding music and the overall flow of your reception.
Also, read their reviews! This is majorly important. They may have them listed on their web site. If they don’t have them listed, then feel free to ask for them.
During your initial conversation, let them tell you what they are all about and their style. That way you are getting an honest answer. If it fits what you are looking for – great! If not, keep searching until you find the entertainment who will suit you and your guests best.
Once they are done telling you about their service you may want to ask a few of these questions:
How many wedding receptions have you performed at? Are you the person actually showing up or do your send employees? Have you worked at the Reception Hall we have selected? Are you insured? Do you have backup equipment? Are you a member of any National or Local Wedding Organizations?
Your entertainment must be well versed in not only playing great music to get your guests up dancing, but also able to “read” your guests. Remember, every wedding reception is different and what may have worked at the wedding reception they performed at last night, may not work at your reception. In my book, no two wedding receptions should ever be the same. Your wedding reception needs to be customized to meet your exact goals of how you envision your wedding day. From the vibe of Cocktail & Dinner Hour to the Hot Hits that will keep your guests dancing all evening long! Feel free to offer your entertainment a few suggestions of what styles of music you love.
My belief is that your entertainment should take the work out of your hands and put it into their own. You should be able to relax and enjoy the most important day of your lives, knowing that the entertainment you have selected will take care of all that needs to be attended to in a professional and timely manner, working together as a “TEAM” with your photographer, videographer, banquet manager and any other wedding professionals you have contracted for your wedding day.
One of the last things I would like to stress to anyone looking to book entertainment for their reception is this. To quote Mark Ferrell – “The price a client pays for entertainment on their wedding day is directly proportional to the quality they receive, which is directly proportional to the success of their event.” With that said, please do not make the mistake of hiring the DJ or Band because they were the cheapest deal out there.
Your entertainment will make or break your wedding day, so hire the best DJ or Band you can possibly afford, that suits your personalities best and you will have no worries and only a lifetime of great memories of your wedding day!
