Wedding Music - Live Band or a DJ?

1. Wedding Music Live Band or a DJ?

2. Synopsis • Wedding Music – Planning for your Big Day • Band or DJ ? • Unusual Wedding Music Trends

3. Wedding Music – Planning for your Big Day • Prelude – This is when the guest assembles for the ceremony and find their seats. There will be general mingling and the music for the prelude usually is played low in the background, giving just enough ambiance to set the tone for the ceremony. • Processional – A professional can be either a long or short affair depending on personal preference. In general, this music will be a slow-paced or acoustic piece that offers the ability to walk slowly and gracefully down the aisle. • Brides entrance – Following the processional, the bride enters often on the arm of her father, or a close male friend or relative. Often the music played for her entrance will be the same as a processional but for some bride, finding a song or piece of music that means something special to them or their future spouse is a more popular choice.

4. Wedding Music – Planning for your Big Day • Recessional– Now man and wife, the newly-weds parade their marriage down the aisle as they leave the ceremony. Some couples like to repeat their processional music, either with the same or a variation of the first, whilst other will pick a love song or another piece that represents them as a couple. • First Dance – This is likely the most important piece of music during the day, given that it is the first time a new husband and wife stand up together as newly-weds. This song often has a very special meaning for the couple though with more and more couples choosing to post their dance on the internet, more imaginative, funny dance routines are being done to the tunes of classic films and popular songs. • Daddy Daughter Dance – And of course, something of a new tradition in modern weddings, the father-daughter dance is usually an emotional dance where a daughter gets to say a figurative goodbye to the man in her former life for the man in her new. Once again sentiments vary, but popular choices include songs about fatherhood and loving one's papa.

5. Band or DJ ? • A DJ might well get the bride's name wrong during the first dance or accidentally play the wrong song on request. Just as likely a bands guitarist could miss a cord or the lead singer could have a coughing fit. So the best advice in terms of reliability is to not worry overly much. • Whilst a DJ is far more likely to be able to produce a song request then a band (depending on whether they know it) a group of live performers will always bring a level of excitement that audio simply cannot. With the ability to improvise and encourage guest to participate in the dancing, a band will most likely appeal to all ages of guests despite the music, whereas a DJ can make older guests feel closed off from the festivities. • Variety is also a key thing to consider when selecting a band or DJ. Whilst you may be catering for a certain theme in your playlist, you will also want to offer your guests some variety in the music, if only in tempo for differing preferences. • Many consumers might consider the downfalls of a band is that they will need to take at least a few breaks during their performance, and would rather not have silence during these times. Though you might think this is an upside of a DJ, they too need some respite during the evening, and even with a playlist supplying the music, the best-laid plans can fall short should there be a line in the bathroom. • The other vital thing to consider is what space you have to cater for in the reception. If there is not much room for dancing then live performers may be preferable as guests can sit and enjoy the music from their tables. Alternatively, DJ's can provide more compact units if you want to restrict how much space is taken up by the music operative.

6. Unusual Wedding Music Trends • Social media is engulfed in first dance videos posted by adoring guests, but one trend that has perhaps gotten a bit big for its britches is the choreographed first dance. What started out as nervous grooms not wanted to look foolish in front of their guests, quickly turned into musical mayhem, with newly-weds re-enacting the final sense of popular movies including Flashdance and Dirty Dancing. • Flashmobs have also become a big hit at weddings, with guests surprising the happy couple with dance routines, funky moves and music playlists to entertain, make them laugh or even cry.

7. Unusual Wedding Music Trends • Other notable trends include hiring or inviting big ticket bands and a-list singers to the wedding, though this can come at quite the additional price tag. With some grooms surprising their new wives with their favorite band to accompany their first dance or fathers grafting in local celebrities during the toast, surprise performances have become almost a wedding norm. • Speaking of toasts, this tradition has also had a makeover with some people turning to music and creating parodies in order to convey their sentiments. Whether its the bride singing a love song as she descends the aisle, the groom on guitar during the reception or the bridesmaids singing a love ballad about the family cat, more and more weddings are seeing DIY performances worthy of the internet. • Of course, music is not just used to shock and awe the guests nor to surprise the happy couple with a flashy performance. Less traditional forms of background music are also becoming popular as more and more couples move away from the traditional classical options. Whether with a live band or a DJ, themed weddings are increasingly popular, with brides opting for all 60's rock cafe and swinger music to historical and fantasy re-enactment weddings taking on the scores of popular movies and games in the genre.

8. For more details, please visit: https://www.maineventmusic.ca/entertainment/ Address: 2464 Yonge St.Toronto, ON M4P 2H5Email: info@maineventmusic.caPhone: 647-342-8584