Chukkar Farm has had all types of music in our outdoor wedding venue. From DJs, to best man MCs, to live music from all genres, it’s not a wedding without some music! Trying to decide how you’re going to incorporate music into your wedding can be a challenge. Here’s a list of pros and cons to help you decide.
Live Band
Pro
Atmosphere: Looking for sophistication and class? A live band is a quick way to take a barn venue to a high class facility.
Con
Price: Good live bands start in the $2,000 range. Do your own research, and if you’re in the off season you may be able to strike a deal, but generally, you’re going to need a larger budget for a live band.
Pro
Adaptability: Live bands should be able to read the crowd so if having a real party is important to you, where your guests stay a while and enjoy each other’s company, live is definitely the way to go.
Con
Adaptability: A good DJ should be able to motivate the crowd one way or the other, similar to the band. Especially if the band is stuck to a set list vs. the DJ who has thousands of songs to choose from.
DJ
Pro
Easy Set Up: Space is not an issue when it comes to a DJ. They have minimal equipment and should be able to setup in a corner, if need be.
Con
No backup: A band can play on if something happens to one of their members, but you are solely reliant on the DJ. What would you do if he or she ended up sick or stuck in traffic?
Pro
No breaks: Live musicians will need to take a break at some point during the night. DJs can just keep playing all night, without interruption.
Con
Boredom: DJs have done this so many times that they have a tendency to slip into auto pilot. You don’t want to be announced as “Mr. and Mrs. Chris Smith.”