All couples want their guests to enjoy their wedding reception and go home with perfect memories. That means providing everyone with wonderful food, then entertaining them all afterwards with good music, and giving them the chance to get up and boogie.
Create the right ambience
Whether you are looking for a wedding band in York or New York, you need performers that you personally like. The way they play how they look, and what they play all come together to create the ambience of the musical part of your evening.
Listen to their demos
A good wedding band will have a website, on which they will include demos. It is always a good idea to listen to a few of those before contacting the group to discuss hiring them. It sounds obvious, but you will be surprised how many couples just listen to one or two minutes of a band’s work, and go with it.
Don’t hire a dated band
Be careful not to hire a band that has not moved with the times. If they have not updated their website with new photos, for a decade, the chances are they are a bit behind the times. If retro is your thing you may be OK with this type of band, but most couples are looking for a group that plays recent songs as well as golden oldies.
Your first dance
Of course, you need a group that can play the song for your first dance in the way you like it. This is key, it is an important memory, and every moment of it will be captured on video from every angle, so discuss this track with any band you are thinking of hiring, first. That way if they say that they cannot play the song for your first dance you can move on to the next group without wasting too much time.
Think about your guests
You need to bear in mind the tastes of your guests too. If the band only plays your favourites, you run the risk that not everyone will get up and dance. You will know from other special events and celebrations, which tracks get the best reactions. Choose a band that can play a few of those.
Discuss the playlist
A good wedding band will go through their planned playlist with you in advance. Bear in mind that wedding bands have a lot of experience. They know how to get a crowd up and dancing and keep them there, so tap into that experience. Listen to what they say, and follow their advice if it makes sense to you. Resist the temptation to give them a track-by-track playlist, and insist that they stick rigidly to it.
That said. It is your day, so if there are tracks you really want, stick to your guns, but bear in mind that the band may not be able to play them all. Bear in mind that they can only learn so many new songs. Most good bands will offer to incorporate recordings of your favourite tracks into their performance, by playing them through their top class sound systems.
