Ceremony... Live Music or DJ?

Welcome to WW, Lindsay! I'll be having a DJ to do all the music, because our music is all contemporary (Selena Gomez, Bob Marley, Lauryn Hill and Far East Movement). I wanted a cellist (a friend used one) but once we got into the budget and into the songs that we wanted, I decided that a DJ would be fine. If you have the budget for live music, great! But I'm not sure about that being a huge deal.

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They do different things and they don't have to be mutually exclusive. Live musicians add a unique touch of class and elegance that is unparallelled by a DJ. On the flip side, they won't allow your guests to hear your officiant or you and your FH, when you share your vows.

Some experienced DJs can also set up a sound system for multiple instruments, so everyone can hear your string quartet, etc., without having to sacrifice whether or not your vows are heard.

I truly think the best combination is BOTH, IF you can afford them. There is no better experience than live music, with a good PA to share your vows with your guests.

We had our DJ do our ceremony music. She also provided the wireless mic and sound set up so that our guests could hear the ceremony better. She was also set up where we were all entering so everything was timed perfectly and ran very smoothly.

Honestly, I had looked into live musicians but it just wasn't worth it to us for the short time they would be there (a short ceremony like yours) and it wasn't a priority for us. Our ceremony music consisted of multiple piano pieces (I'm a sucker for acoustic piano) so the music that I really wanted wouldn't have worked necessarily with live musicians anyway.

I actually find it weird that not having live ceremony music would be someone's "biggest regret." I feel like there are so many other things that would be higher than that in the grand scheme of things.

We are doing both. we found a company that our venue recommended that does both a string quartet for the ceronomy and coctail hour and a dj for the reception.

My friend played the music right from a laptop and it was fine. I've also seen DJ's play the music and do live music. I think the live music is nicer but much more expensive. Our DJ is doing the music during our ceremony for free since everything will be in one room. I plan to have someone sing over the music that our DJ plays when I enter the room, but everything else he will just play the instrumental for.

Meh we are using a CD... the only real music we will have is when our uncle sings and plays piano to accompany.

I personally really like live music.. but I have definitely heard recorded music sound just fine!

We chose a guitarist for our ceremony (much more affordable than other live musicians since they are more common and guitars are easier to transport than say, a harp, which was my first choice!). We are only paying $265 for our guitarist, which includes her coming to the rehearsal and a travel fee (she lives an hour from our venue), and then, of course, the pre-ceremony music, ceremony music, and about 15 mins of music following the ceremony..

At www.weddingmusiccentral.com they have all the info you would need to help you make a decision. They also have ceremony CDs of the usual classical pieces used for ceremonies that have a much more elegant sound than the typical ceremony pieces you hear because they were recorded as if they would be used as a soundtrack for a wedding scene. The benefit of a CD is that you know exactly what the music will sound like once you've tried out the sound system. With live musicians you don't really know how well each player knows a particular piece and if they're all played together before. With CDs you can also get some unusual pieces like the new bride's entrance songs "Here She Comes" and "When She Walks". which are spectacular. Those are at www.weddingmusiccentral.com also.

We are just having a dj. Our ceremony is outdoor as well and will be short so I dOnt really see the need for live music. Also our doc pointed out that the weather can affect instruments especially harps.

Live music really does make a BIG difference.

If you are interested we can offer live piano music.

Please call 813-784-4439 Giselle.

Good luck and Happy Planning.

We can work with you.

Live music does make a huge difference! Says live musicians. Haha.

Why not both? I know why, it could be expensive. But, it adds an extra awesomeness to your day.

http://www.generationcentertainment.com/