What makes a great wedding DJ/Band? How important is experience?

Hi Emma i think great musicianship and personabilty make for a great entertainer. 

A band that has played togeather many times so they are tight , have great harmonies and have a wide selection of songs from the 70's until today.

A good band or Dj listens to the crowd and plays what they want to hear. 

It's important to understand music – the actual nuts and bolts of music.

One may be a great singer but if someone asks you to play a 'tango', are you going to understand the exact tempo, the precise rhythm and duration of the song to facilitate a dance for a professional dancing couple who have studied to dance, for example? What is the exact tempo for a waltz? What is the optimum duration of a 'Bossa Nova' or a 'Samba or Salsa', 'Disco'. 

My father was a dance band musician/saxophonist from the old school days. He taught me about these things and people always danced at his gigs because there is a psychology in music. You don't just thrash away at a song. If you play a song at the wrong tempo there is a psychological effect in the listener. This is an observable phenomena. 

One may be a fantastic guitarist but if you can't work with a band to create a groove, then people won't care how good the guitar sounds. 

A good band or DJ should be able to provide music for all age groups at a wedding because its an event for young and old. This involves unique skill sets. For example, if you are pianist and someone asks you to play a jazz classic, say, 'Fly me to the moon' as a medium swing, you'll need to be able to manage a left hand walking bass, or to comp out colourful chords and understand more complex harmonic structures in a song. 

If someone asks you to play an old disco classic or a modern pop song, one needs to be able to decided, on-the-spot, how to render the song: should it be in a modern ReMix format, four-on-the-floor, as we say (Doof) or more traditional. What kind of rhythmic accompaniment are you going to provide for a beautiful melody that is presently on the radio. 

Great question.  Reminiscing for me it has been the connection with the couples and their family and friends.  We like to get a little involved prior to the day and pick a few special songs for the key moments throughout the wedding.  On occassion we write lovely little original numbers just for our couples.  These are such beautiful moments.

Of course there is the key professional qualities of reliability and musicianship, being well rehearsed, intuitive in a sense that the band knows when to soften or when to pump it up.  In my opinion these qualities should be standard if you call yourself a professional.  

What makes a great wedding band is in the connection and the special moments where the band has taken some time to gift something special to the couple.  Regards Casey

It's super important!! Once the formalities are over, it's basically up to the band or DJ to create the vibe from that point onwards. They almost become the informal MC in a way.... running things once people hit the dancefloor. Whether you want it to be cruisey and classy, or an all-in party, with everyone on the dancefloor, it's up to them! Not only their song selection but their banter between songs, getting the guests involved... and most importantly, reading the crowd and playing music that THEY want to hear - not what the band wants to play! We've had some instances of having a setlist written out, finding the crowd wasn't digging a particular style we were playing, and us changing direction really quickly and rolling with something different, then having the dancefloor packed. Someone with less experience would probably just play the tunes they'd planned on playing, and have a "we're getting paid regardless" kinda attitude. A band or DJ who genuinely care about what they do, will do their best to make sure everyone has a great time - the more fun you guys have, the more fun WE have in turn! :) 

Hi Emma,

Passion, experience and professionalism are the key elements to look for when choosing a band or DJ for your special day. A band or DJ possessing these attributes will value each and everyone of their clients and work closely with them to create a unique wedding soundtrack that reflects them both as individuals and as a couple. They will be transparent and flexible regarding their services, more than happy to learn new song and arrangement, and able to accommodate last minute changes on the day.

A passionate and experienced band or dj will offer a great selection of music, services and be able to work seemlessly with your suppliers to ensure you, your family and friends have an amazing, stress free time. They will have an extensive and exciting repertoire for you to pick from and be able to read the room and adjust accordingly. They will be approachable, friendly and at all times professional.

A great rapport between you and your entertainment supplier is also vital to a successful wedding day. So make sure when picking your wedding entertainment that the band members or DJ you are booking are the actual band members or DJ that you will get on the night. We hear too many stories of last minute swap outs by larger franchise bands and DJ services. Weddings are such an intimate occasion and so you generally do not want to be meeting new people on the night. Smaller boutique bands who play regularly together (due to their comradery) will bring a lot more energy and life to a wedding than a DJ or larger franchise bands whose members are often sourced at short notice from all around the state.

Twice voted ‘Best Live Wedding Entertainment’ by Victorian brides and grooms, INKASOUNDS understands just how important a part music plays in creating your dream wedding and works hand in hand with you and all of your suppliers to make your dream wedding a reality. Performing together for over 12 years and with over 800 songs in our extensive repertoire the versatile members of INKASOUNDS work with you to create a fun and romantic atmosphere that best reflects you individually and as a couple. Able to perform acoustically and/or with the addition of professional, customised instrumental tracks for a full band sound, the INKASOUNDS Duo or Trio will deliver the perfect soundtrack for your special day. Visit our INKASOUNDS storefront for more information.

Wishing you all the best and hope to hear from you

Robyn & James

INKASOUNDS

Wedding audiences have a number of unique factors that are not found elsewhere. A pub,corporate musician or dj generally plays to audiences with clearly defined demographics such as age group and musical tastes. Weddings may have people from a wide range of age groups with a wide variety in musical tastes. Most Grandmothers, for example, will not share the same basic musical tastes as 80s rock fans or millennial Bieber fans. The music you choose must be capable of entertaining all of these different types of people as well as fitting the requirements of the bride and groom. People with experience at weddings are more likely to be able to give you suitable advice for your wedding needs. Quite simply we know our customer base better.

A great wedding DJ/band will know exactly what you need on the night and of course this come with a certain amount of experience. You don't want the DJ/band to be asking you questions on the day of your wedding.

Yes, the DJ/band is there to entertain your guest and get them up and dancing but there are other areas to think about.

A great DJ/band will be set up before your guests arrive, sort your bridal entrance music, play background music to suit and play a wide range of music selections to cater for your guests. These are the main areas to think about.

Hi Emma.

Where do I start. Experience is everything so I think you just answered your own question. :)

If you book a band, DJ or MC you owe it to yourself to do your due diligence and satisfy yourself that this person has all the attributes you seek, as anyone of these could make or break your wedding. Most people we work with have never been married before and consequently they don't know what is possible to create at their wedding until we get a chance to share what we have done for others. Choose 3 or 4 words to describe your 'vision' for your wedding then share this with ALL of your suppliers and ask what they can do to help bring this vision to light. If they can't offer you some suggestions as to how they too can play a role in creating this vision, then perhaps you need to keep looking.

In short, meet with a shortlist of vendors and have a list of questions for each, some of these might include where did they learn their trade? Who are their mentors? What ongoing training do they undertake? Do they belong to any industry associations? And importantly, ask if they have any objections to you contacting some of their past clients personally. Importantly, do not book on price alone.

Low experience = low value = low price. The opposite is also true.

Good luck!

A great wedding DJ/band is one that genuinely appreciates the opportunity to celebrate the day with the couple.

The level of experience is certainly important to an extent, both as a musician, and within the wedding industry. I find the weddings that seem the most natural, have staff that are passionate about what they do.

We are in this industry because we enjoy making music and we enjoy each others company. We hope this energy translates to our audience, and from our experience watching other performing musicians the quality of the music is second only to the dynamic of the group performing.