Anyone doing a band *and* DJ?

[peonygirl]

My DF and I had a really hard time figuring out which to go with since we want a bunch of traditional Jewish folk dance music at the beginning and a lot of contemporary music later in the reception. When we priced things out, it turns out that it wouldn''t be any more expensive to have a band and a DJ vs. just a band. Has anyone done something like this? How were your experiences?

We also can''t decide whether it would be better to have live music for the ceremony, cocktail hour, and for the first dance set (which in a Jewish wedding comes before the food) and then to segue into the DJ during dinner and for the rest of the afternoon, or if we should have both the whole time and they should switch on and off. I''d love to hear some feedback on both scenarios! Thanks so much.

 

[curlygirl]

I''m the only one I know who did this but it''s kind of for the same reasons you want to do it. I''m Armenian and there are all these great traditional Armenian dances that I wanted to include in my reception--plus I promised my parents from the time I was a child that I would have an Armenian band at my wedding! I have to tell you, it was AWESOME!!! We had a dj as well and let the band coordinate with him about switching back and forth. It worked out perfectly. And let me say, I was slightly nervous about having my traditional ethnic folk music at the wedding as the majority of the guests and my husband were not Armenian but they LOVED it!!! I think including the traditional aspects of your upbringing and culture really make the event so much more special and unique.

So this is how we did it. We had regular music for the cocktail hour, we actually just gave the dj a cd that we made and he set up a system in the cocktail hour room. Then for the main reception, we started out with the dj doing our first dance and a small set of regular music. He played soft music during the first course and then the best man and my dad gave speeches. Right after that, the Armenian band started with a traditional Armenian first wedding dance. It really got everyone out of their seats and they continued for a little set! Then for the second course, the dj played again and then we went back to the band, etc. So it all worked out really well. They are all professionals so don''t feel that you have to totally guide them--they can figure it out themselves, unless you want only 10% ethnic music, 90% dj or something like that. Just let them know how you want it broken down and they''ll take care of it for you. They are also trained to read their audience (your guests) so they''ll know what is working and what isn''t. And you can always change it during the reception without hurting their feelings!!

We also found that the cost of the dj and the band was way less than having just a regular "wedding" band play so we ended up saving money and had both kinds of music and everyone was happy! Good luck!