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Now my disclaimer here is that you may be a DJ couple and I'll be posting a whole segment on the trials and tribulations of DJ's (actually I could write a book). This post, we are sticking to bands.
Let me put it out there -- A GOOD BAND IS WORTH EVERY SINGLE PENNY!
There are a few things I would say you absolutely have to plan your wedding around. The date, the venue, the church, to me, are all negotiable.
The band, well, the band is non-negotiable. The band makes or breaks your wedding. I have seen a few hundred bands in my 10 years...so I feel qualified to give my opinion.
The food --unless the caterer gives your guests a jolly good round of food poisoning (been there, done that...too many times to count)-- is not memorable. Face it, you are feeding 50+ or 100+ people. As long as it is good --that is good enough.
The booze --come on, after the first few drinks, people don't care what kind of vodka it is, as long as the bar doesn't run out.
But the band --man, if they aren't good, they can be the ultimate party killer.
A great band...they are the entertainers and they know it. They emcee your night. They set the tone and get the crowd involved. They have energy and are excited to be there. They put your guests first and work with the flow of the night to make sure everyone is having a blast. The break once and have an awesome mix CD to keep the crowd pumped while they are gone. Or better yet, they don't break because they have enough musicians to keep going (but, like all good things, that costs money).
Bad Bands....
1. Break too often.
There is one band I've heard repeatedly and they actually take more smoke breaks than they play. The last wedding I worked with them, they played a whopping 40 minutes during the entire 3-hour party. The worst part about them is that they go mingle in the crowd like they are guests. Man, it makes me so mad.
2. Kill a mood. The floor is packed and everyone is loving life, letting go --nicely relaxed from a few drinks. The crowd is pumping and jumping. I mean people who never dance are out on that floor! The party has started! Woohoo! Oh wait, did the band just say they are going to slow it down --a little Lionel Richie or something. BUZZ KILL! I hate when they don't read the crowd or know how to organize a set.
3. Keep playing. You are on the dance floor signing your heart out to some Bon Jovi or some Cassidy (depends on the wedding), arms in the air, living in the moment. Then....SILENCE....the band is deliberating the next song. Everyone winds down and then they have to wind back up ---again and again and again. Momentum is gone...gone...gone.
4. Are professionals. Some bands act like they'd rather be anywhere else than at your wedding. They barely have any enthusiasm or they get so drunk it shows.
They are difficult to work with and make all of your vendor's lives hell.
Here is a tip --take care of your band. Feed and water them. If they are going to sing their hearts out along with some awesome dance moves, make sure they have food, water...whatever they need. (and I don't mean cold turkey sandwiches that have been siting our 4 hours and warm bottled water.) It is a small investment to make sure the entertainment feels cared for and wants to give you 110%!
Who is my all time favorite? I have two!
I would plan my wedding around either one without question --I mean truly, without question.
