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If you want a club or festival DJ atmosphere at your wedding or have a limited budget you should pick a DJ. If you have a healthy budget, love live music, and want premium wedding entertainment you should hire a live wedding band. If you can afford it, booking both is the best option as wedding DJs and live bands can perform together perfectly at weddings.
Wedding DJs and live wedding bands both have their pros and cons and you can find yourself in the nice but confusing situation of not knowing which one to pick. If you are still struggling to decide then this is a must-read for you. With 15 years of experience performing and organising wedding entertainment, I have come up with the definitive and final word on how and why to pick either a DJ or live band for your wedding.
No matter the type of wedding you plan to have, wedding DJs and wedding bands have their place and can turn an average wedding into an amazing one. They can also be totally inappropriate for some weddings, so it really does matter which one you pick. Below are the pros and cons of each to set you on the path to wedding entertainment enlightenment. Today’s advice is relevant even if you are hosting an event or party too.
At the bottom of this guide, you will find all my wedding DJ and live wedding band pros and cons in some nice handy infographics. Click here to skip straight to them or simply contact us if you’d like downloadable versions of them.
Let’s kick this guide off with the pros of wedding DJs.
Are there any cons to a wedding DJ? Well yup, there can be.
As you can see, there are plenty of pros and cons to wedding DJs but in essence, the pros to a wedding DJ are their affordability, musical flexibility, and suitability for most wedding venues. Cons you can experience with a wedding DJ are that they have a live show that can’t compete with a live band and you don’t always know if a DJ can or wants to complement your wedding theme. There’s the risk of awful songs being requested by your guests too!
There are plenty of pros to hiring a live wedding band. Here they are.
There can be some cons to wedding bands of course.
So what should you take from all of that? Well, the main pros are fairly obvious. The unbeatable audio and visual show and crowd interaction a live wedding band provides at any wedding creates a unique feel which is just, well, unbeatable! However, wedding bands can be expensive and do need the proper space and setup area to perform properly which not all venues can provide.
I hope my pros and cons brought you a few steps closer to deciding what entertainment you want but there are a few extra topics I knew we’d have to cover to help you decide for sure. Let’s start with wedding themes…
A big consideration when picking a DJ or live wedding band is cost right? Wedding bands usually cost more but how much more? Are wedding DJs really that affordable? Well, we’ve done some extensive pricing of wedding bands for hire in this guide here, and in the future, we’ll be doing the same for wedding DJs.
However, to help you right now, I worked out the average price for all types of wedding DJs in London, Devon, and Cumbria. Devon is one of the most expensive areas to book wedding entertainment, Cumbria one of the cheapest, and London one of the most popular areas to book so you get a good cross-section. I’ve then compared those prices with the average cost of a 4-piece wedding band in the same areas. 4 piece wedding bands are the most common and popular wedding band sizing out there. I hope the below helps you!
The average wedding DJ cost in London: £780
The average wedding DJ cost in Devon: £700
The average wedding DJ cost in Cumbria: £620
4-piece live wedding band cost in London: £1451
4-piece live wedding band cost in Devon: £1600
4-piece live wedding band cost in Cumbria: £1370
So, it’s obvious from the results that DJs are cheaper but considering how much you get with a 4-piece wedding band, I wouldn’t say DJs are that much more affordable or that much of a bargain anymore. Devon’s prices aside, you don’t have to pay an awful lot more to book 4 pro musicians lighting up your wedding with their fantastic live music when compared to a DJ’s price.
However, if you want to stick to a smaller or stricter wedding entertainment budget, DJs can’t be beaten. They are still one of the most affordable wedding entertainment options out there.
Wedding bands can generally be more expensive (see our post on wedding band prices for 2024 here) but if you are looking for authentic musical entertainment they can’t be beaten. If for example, your wedding theme was based on the stylish 1920s, a wedding band like Southside Sparkle (above) has to be looked at. A DJ just can’t enhance the look, sound, and feel of that kind of wedding as well, if at all. Have a look at our guide on the best live bands for 2024 to get an idea of the type of band that could be perfect for your wedding.
On the other hand, if you and your guests want those club and garage hits pumped out late into the night, a DJ is your best option. Think about the kind of ambiance you want to create at your wedding so you can focus in on what entertainment you need. You should also consider a DJ when you’re planning to party late into the night. Venue sound restrictions and late-night fees with live wedding bands can become steep so a DJ can really help you out there and keep those Spice Girls or Ibiza hits blasting out all night. Have a chat with people like us and your wedding venue to see what options are available to you.
I think in an ideal world we would all have a DJ and wedding band yes? Why not?! The thing is, if your other wedding expenses have eaten up most of your budget how can you afford both a DJ and live band? Well, sometimes there is a solution…
Some live wedding bands offer a full, professional DJ service in between their sets and late into the night to save you money and keep the party going. All our wedding bands offer DJ services (which can include making announcements, taking song requests on the spot, or designing playlists with you) and many of them will offer it for free if you book them within 7 days. Talk to us to find out if you can make use of that amazing deal! Speaking of deals, we have one currently running right now…
If you still need to save some money (even after are 15% off offer) on your wedding budget, you can provide your own playlists via Itunes or Spotify. All our wedding bands are happy to play couples’ playlists and you may save yourself some money as you skip DJ fees that some bands charge. Even though our acts are already happy to create playlists for you, we are finding that playlists created by couples themselves are becoming very popular. With wedding costs doubling since 1990, savvy couples are finding all sorts of ways to save money. Speaking of which, our guide on booking a wedding band on a budget may interest you too.
Yes! Booking both a wedding band and DJ if it’s an option is highly recommended. It’s the best of both worlds. I find that a top DJ can complement a live wedding band perfectly and when done right, it can add real quality, big party atmosphere, and musical consistency to your wedding. We firmly believe in both mediums at Seventh Second and being a wedding musician in The League of Gentlemen (above), I really enjoy weddings where we work alongside DJs. We always work together well and create the best party atmosphere.
However, if you do choose to book both a live band and wedding DJ, make sure they both know about each other’s playlists for the night so there are no duplications or musical style clashes! That’s a top tip right there!
You are probably wondering why you can now see a video of our stupendous live DJ function band, DJ Republic. Combining the greatest attributes of a wedding band and DJ all at once, they are most definitely the future providing a cool, contemporary, and fun way to enjoy both a DJ and live band at your wedding. Bring it on!
If you still need some help, I’d suggest you try and watch a wedding DJ or wedding band before you hire them. Hopefully, this will give you a firm idea of what you want at your wedding. Maybe take a look at our guide on watching live wedding bands before you book for all the info. Luckily, if you do get to watch a DJ (and a live band to a degree) before you book, you are going to get a fantastic idea of how they would look and sound at your wedding. If you can try before you buy, do it!
So I thought we could round up this post by giving you some insight from real newlyweds and even myself. I hope you find it insightful and useful but if you feel you want more, why not have a look at some of our other super popular guides on all things wedding entertainment?
In our ideal world where money was plentiful, we wanted to have both a DJ and a live wedding band. We didn’t have the budget for both, so we stuck with a wedding band. We actually got our friends in League Of Gentlemen to perform and they kindly DJ’d in between live sets too. It worked out really well and we had a memorable day busting out some shocking moves on the dance floor. We’d still pick a wedding band as they just look and sound so much better. As musicians, we may be a little biased and we don’t have anything against DJs it’s just that live music trumps recorded music any day for us.
Some of us at Seventh Second had the pleasure of going to our friend Andras’s wedding in Bucharest, Romania. We may have been abroad, but we’ve heard these stories from newlyweds in the UK many times too.
“We booked a wedding DJ recommended and supplied by our wedding venue and were told he would be in touch soon. He did get in touch two weeks before the wedding and we spoke about what songs and styles we liked and when they should be played. Romanian weddings have certain music at certain times so it was important to get it right. After playing songs we liked and getting our friends in the mood for dancing, he started playing songs we hadn’t asked for at times that weren’t suitable. I didn’t really understand what was going on. We had an empty dancefloor with a DJ playing his own favourite tunes. We managed to get back on track after we all had a word with him but for about an hour, I had no idea what he was doing and our dancefloor was empty. I don’t know whether he knew what he was doing but as a bride on her wedding day, it was a stressful and unpleasant experience!”
As mentioned in our guide about how to save money on your live wedding band, we had one friend recount her story on her DIY wedding and how she saved a lot of money. Here’s what she had to say…
“We got hold of a DJ through a friend of a friend who had great reviews from them. The DJ knew a lot of us at the wedding. He was great and really listened to what we wanted. He was really good with announcements and getting the crowd going. Because we saved money all over the place including with the DJ, we managed to book a live band too and it was just the best we could have hoped for. We went from thinking we’d just have to play music through a stereo to having a DJ and band! It was perfect and I would recommend it. The music never stopped and that’s what we wanted.”
So, I hope this guide has helped you along the path to your perfect wedding entertainment. It’s a lot to take in so let me start my summary with some handy infographics as promised.
If you are thinking about booking either a DJ or wedding band then just be honest with yourself and don’t let outside influences sway you. Would a wedding band perform the songs you love convincingly? As hinted at earlier, if you want a hardcore, energetic garage or Ibiza club night vibe, stick to a DJ or an act like DJ Republic (above). What if you yearn for live music though?
If you do want some amazing live musicians covering all the latest hits, romantic classics and everything in between like Paper Boats (above) do then book a live wedding band. Be honest with yourself, be flexible with your budget and you will reap the rewards on the night. I promise!
All of us at Seventh Second agree that if we could only pick one, we would pick a live wedding band over a DJ pretty much every time.
For us it’s simple. Live music has a special place in everyone’s hearts. Why do we all still love to see the Rolling Stones or Coldplay perform? It’s not just the music, it’s the whole atmosphere they create. The huge trend of old bands reuniting has been fuelled by a desire from the masses to see them live once again, to see a visual and sonic show that can’t be beaten or replicated by anyone, not even top DJs. Finally, don’t forget about the kind of ambiance and theme you want at your wedding. It will help you focus in on what entertainment you want. Both wedding DJs and wedding bands have their merits, just pick what’s best for you, your wedding, and your guests.
If you need more help or want to hire some amazing live wedding entertainment at an unbeatable price, contact us. We’re always happy to help obligation free, 10 am to 10 pm every day via text, the usual socials phone, live chat, and email. I wish you a fantastic wedding with the perfect live entertainment and because we spend a lot of time making these guides the best we can for you, please consider sharing them with others if you like them.
Thanks!
Matt and the Seventh Second Team
