Music

[marlie]

hi guys!
so, the next phase of my planning seems to be music. i think we are planning on hiring a band rather than a dj. my concern is that the band won''t be able to play contemporary songs, that the younger crowd would like to dance to, without sounding cheesy. anybody have any thoughts on this? have you guys been to weddings with amazing bands or do you all prefer the dj route? it''s so hard b/c i feel like the music makes the party. i love to dance and am hoping for the type of wedding where nobody sits down and the dancefloor is full!

and, lastly, if anyone knows of a great nyc wedding band please feel free to share!

thanks in advance all!

 

[Bia]

Music is one thing we aren''t skimping on.

FI and his best friends/family are all musicians so it is really important to him that we get a FANTASTIC band. I think we are going to hire a salsa band, because a.) we want to represent our roots, and b.) we think our friends and family will love it! However, we also have other styles of music that we want played, so if the band we hire can''t do crossover (and do it well) then we''ll do a playlist for them. Many of the bands in NYC offer dj services as well. If you don''t want to pay extra for that, you can always set up a playlist on an iPod, and they can usually work with that in between sets.

I''ll keep sending information as I get it. Looks like we''re going to be planning a similar wedding for the next year or so. Glad to have you aboard!

 

[elrohwen]

All of the weddings I''ve been to have been DJ only, but I did go to a 25th anniversary party that had a fantastic band. However, they really only played hits from the ''50s-''80s. I totally get your fear of them sounding cheesy playing newer songs. So yeah, I think bands can be great, but I would want to hear a recording of them playing some more modern stuff before I went with them.

 

[sammyj]

This is something we''re also not skimping on! After attending a wedding with an amazing live band a couple of years ago, my FI and I decided that having a band at our wedding was a priority. We''ve been to two weddings with a live band,and in both cases it''s the music that is most memorable to me. They both played a mixture of oldie-but-goodies and more contemporary songs but people were dancing the whole night!

If you''re worried about your guests wanting to hear a different genre or Top 40 songs, you can always play them off of an ipod while the band takes a break. I''ve contacted 2 bands so far and DJing during the breaks are included in their packages.

I wish I could help you with an NYC band, but I''m not in the area! Good luck!

 

[zipzapgirl]

This is a great cover band and they can play practically anything you can think of from the Beatles to Nirvana. The leader is a friend of a friend--very nice guy, flexible and totally reliable. They do special gigs, but also play bars most of the summer. They are based in White Plains, but I know they play all over the NYC Metro area.

Twist of Fate

 

[marlie]

wow...thanks everybody!

i have the same feelings as you guys do...the music totally makes the party and shouldn''t be skimped on.

Bia...your wedding sounds like it''ll be a blast. salsa music is soo much fun. Looking forward to planning with you over the next year too. i''ll be sure to pass along any info your way.

Elrohwen...yeah, i''m going to make sure that i hear recordings of all different styles before booking someone. i haven''t been to a wedding that had a band in ages either.

sammyj...i have to look into more band/dj combos. i think that would be ideal...as long as they don''t charge an arm and a leg for it, which in nyc is not likely!

zipzapgirl....thanks for the recommendation! i''m going to go check out the link!