String trio or DJ

Of course I am going to tell you it's not tacky to have the DJ play the music. Some people think of "chicken dance, YMCA, etc" when they think of a DJ, and they couldn't be further from the truth. We've done SO many ceremonies and played the music for them, and they've turned out beautifully!

We did sound for a wedding ceremony the other day where they hired a string trio, had them tucked away where nobody could see them, and we had them mic'ed. You couldn't even tell if we were playing the music, or if they had live musicians. It was sad. If you ARE going to hire a string trio, please have them where people can see! They do such a great job, and it's such a shame when brides "tuck them away" not to be seen!

I think either route is great, but definitely NOT cheesy to have the DJ play the music, especially if they are there providing the sound system!

It is definitely not cheesy to have a DJ play the music for your ceremony. Most professinal DJs will have a smaller, non-intrusive set-up so that they can blend right into the decor. One of the things I like best about it is that you can have your favorite recordings of a specific song played exactly the way you remeber it, rather than another artist's interpretation of the song. Plus they have the ability to more easily control the volume. I think having live musicians can be lovely, but a DJ can make your ceremony just as elegant and beautiful.

Tora,

Your question reminds me of the old "is it live or Memorex" ads. If you spend some time planning the music for your ceremony; e.g., do you want strings, woodwinds, brass, piano, and your DJ has a high quality stereo sound system with CD quality music, classical music played by your DJ should sound almost as good as live performers.

Dan

Hey Tora,

The rule is: the opinion of anyone who is not paying for any particular wedding service is irrelevant. I know it's hard not to discuss details of your celebration, but just act like everyone should be surprised, and don't share your plans with them. Use your vendors and your coordinator to help you make decisions. I routinely use the DJ for ceremony music. The key is to have a full rehersal with all the music you will use. The DJ will be able to make adjustments (add loops or fades)so that the timing is right. Save yourself some $$$$$.

Hello Tora,

... and congratulations on your upcoming wedding. It's true that DJs have become amazingly sophisticated in the affects that they can create these days. However, as a musician, I can certainly understand your FMIL's point of view. There really is nothing quite like live music for your wedding ceremony. Not only is it beautiful to hear, properly situated, a soloist of group can look wonderful as well. Why not consider harp? There is nothing so classy and elegant as a golden harp at the altar. It's also nice to have a little bit of live music in contrast to the DJ. That way you can have something for everyone - best of both worlds so to speak!

Whatever you choose, best wishes for a beautiful wedding.

Margaret Sneddon, Harpist

www.margaretsneddon.com

New York, NY and the Hudson River Valley

I have never seen having a dj at the ceremony as tacky. However, I do think live music adds something. Either one would be fine. I have a comment about a previous post. In case you are not aware, live musicians are also able to taylor the music length. Instead of fading, we can quickly find a spot to stop that sounds like the end of the song (or make an ending). Musicians who play for weddings often are normally very good at this. Also, depending on the dj and the situation, it my not be that much of a difference in price.

I agree it doesnt matter. we were going to just have our dj do it to but we did end up hiring students to do it for a decent price and they are just as good and any other you would hire. BUt if you prefer your dj dont let people change your mind you might regret it later

We just used AAMusicians they were really awesome nice and helpful to get the strings and dj from one place. hopefully it helps