Your wedding is one of the most important lifetime events. The entertainment you hire may be the determining factor for a memorable wedding reception. We hope the answers to these questions help you hire the best wedding band for your wedding reception.

Q1:  Should I hire a band or DJ for my wedding?
Q2:  Should I use videotapes to help me select a band?
Q3:  What size band should I hire?
Q4:  What kind of band should I hire?
Q5:  Aside from musical skills, what else should I be looking for in a band for a wedding?
Q6:  How many breaks does the band usually take?
Q7:  Should I tell the band which songs I want them to play?
Q8:  What factors influence the cost of a band?
Q9:  Is it customary for a band to “hold” a date for a customer?

Q1:  Should I hire a band or DJ for my wedding?
A:  Budget and personal preference determine whether you hire a band or a DJ for your wedding. There are good and bad bands, and good and bad DJ’s as well. The difference between a good band and DJ is analogous to the difference between listening to your favorite CD’s on a stereo system and seeing your favorite artists perform live. Nowadays, most good bands come equipped with their own DJ equipment, and can usually accommodate your requests for playing CD versions of special songs. Good bands and DJ’s will be familiar with your type of event and know when to play appropriate music at appropriate times for your crowd. 

Q2:  Should I use videotapes to help me select a band?
A:   Videotapes of bands can be very misleading to you, the customer, in depicting what the band is actually like.  A good video production requires excellent acting ability on the part of the band members. This acting ability may have very little correlation to the ability of the band to actually perform live.  The production of a video requires that a band perform  (lip-synching to a pre-recorded track of their songs) before cameras, not before a live audience.  It is very much like performing in a vacuum. Some bands can pull it off better than others -- It is a very artificial, difficult process. We have seen excellent bands harmed by a video, and mediocre bands helped by a video. A variety of video effects are usually employed to enhance the look of the bands’ finished video productions.

BUYER BEWARE! You are purchasing the services of a live band for your wedding, not a videotaped production. These are two very different and often unrelated experiences.  You will do a service to yourself, and to the musical success of your event, by not seeing a band perform in a live setting.

Q3:  What size band should I hire?
A:  It is often thought that the larger number of members in the band, the “larger” the sound of the band is. This is not always the case.  With talent, dedication and modern musical equipment, it is not uncommon for a smaller band to have a bigger and better sound than a larger band. What determines whether or not a band will have a large enough sound to fill a specific venue is inevitably the quality and power of the band’s sound system, and not the number of members included in the band.   It is similar to trying to compare a Cadillac to a Ferrari. It is interesting to reflect upon the fact that two of the greatest bands in history were 4-piece bands:  “Queen” and “The Beatles”.  What separates them from the rest, aside from their great songs, is their vocal prowess, not the number of band members.

Q4:  What kind of band should I hire?
A:  It’s OK to hire a specialty band that you like  (i.e.- a swing, calypso, blues, or jazz band).  However, be mindful of the type of event you are having and your guests.  What type of band will please the majority of the people at your event? A band that performs at weddings often is also familiar with the formalities and works with the function coordinator to ensure that all formalities occur when they should or when you specified in advance. See Question 5 for more details.

Q5:  Aside from musical skills, what else should I be looking for in a band for a wedding?
A:  An experienced wedding band is usually well versed in the flow of events at a wedding.  It is the band’s job to work with the function director and other professionals involved, in coordinating the different events that take place.  For example, the band needs to make sure the photographer and videographer are informed before they begin the cake-cutting ceremony.  The band will usually provide you with a sheet to fill out indicating the names of the people to be introduced, special dance selections and all of the other details regarding the events that will take place at your wedding reception.  The band then keeps track of when these events are to take place during the reception and makes sure that nothing is forgotten and the reception flows.  The band leader should either meet with you in person or by phone within a few weeks prior to your event to review the details.

Q6:  How many breaks does the band usually take?
A:  During a four-hour function, there are typically three sets with two breaks in between.  The first break usually occurs when the main course is being served. The band then would play CD dinner music during the main course.  The second break typically occurs between the two dance sets, during which the band would play CD dance music to keep the party going.

Q7:  Should I tell the band which songs I want them to play?
A:  Most experienced wedding bands are very adept at knowing how to read a crowd, and knowing which songs to play at the most appropriate times.  An experienced band will play music that will please all elements and age groups of your audience.  A good band will usually be very flexible with regards to incorporating your requests of songs you do and do not want played.   Many bands will also be willing to learn special songs for your reception.  In addition, most experienced bands will be willing to accommodate special songs on CD you want to have played.

Q8:  What factors influence the cost of a band?
A:  Date, time and place of the event are the main factors.  During the busiest wedding months of the year, bands are usually less flexible with regards to their price.  During these busiest months, it is not uncommon for bands to book two functions on a given Saturday (one in the afternoon and one in the evening).  A typical afternoon function will last no later than 5:00 PM, and a typical evening function will begin no earlier than 7:00-7:30 PM.  Functions whose time span overlap into this middle ground of 5:00 PM to 7:00-7:30 PM. are called “crossovers”.  Since these functions would preclude the band’s ability to book two functions in a day, there is often an extra charge involved, which varies quite a bit from band to band.   Travel distance to the function facility and ease of loading in the equipment, i.e. two flights of stairs and no elevator or ramp, are also factors that influence the cost. 

Q9:  Is it customary for a band to “hold” a date for a customer?
A:  It is very difficult for a band to actually “hold” a date for any length of time.  Inquiries for different dates happen continuously throughout the year, and it is not uncommon for a band to have multiple inquiries for the same date.  It is often possible to ask a band to give you the “right of first refusal” on a certain date.  The band would then inform you as soon as any other serious inquiries would turn up for that date, and thus give you the first opportunity to secure their services at that time.

Here are listings for some of the most popular wedding bands in all of New England.