| Musicians
& Entertainers
A listing of the finest Musicians and Entertainers available in
the area is presented in the table below. To learn more about each
company, click on the Company Name to see their Ad, click on their
Web Site hyperlink to access their web site, or contact them through
the Email hyperlink in the table below.
To learn more about selecting Live Music & Entertainment for
your wedding, please read the article presented following the table.
All phone numbers are in the 805 area code unless
otherwise noted.
DJs & Live Music
...Heart of the Celebration
Your wedding and reception music truly is the heart of your celebration.
How odd and empty many moments of your wedding celebrations would
seem without music. Music creates atmosphere, heightens emotions,
fills awkward silences, and lifts our heels in dance. What better
place for music than at a wedding!
There are opportunities for various types of music at your wedding
ceremony and reception. Additionally, remember to think about
some type of music at every event held on behalf of your wedding
celebration: engagement party, bridal shower, bridesmaid's party,
bachelor and bachelorette parties, rehearsal dinner, and the day-after
party. You'll know how to handle music at all of these parties,
so in this section we will stick to discussing the Wedding Ceremony
and Reception music. We will then discuss how to select your Disc
Jockey or Musicians and end with some miscellaneous details to
consider.
Music for your ceremony and reception may be provided by one
or several live musicians, a soloist or a choir, or a DJ. But
it is not necessary to choose strictly live or recorded music.
Rather, you can decide to have a mix of music at your wedding…both
a live band and a DJ. There are lots of possibilities, with one
being live music at the ceremony and through the banquet at the
reception, followed by rocking DJ dance music at the remainder
of the reception. Think about what might work best for the style
of wedding and reception that you have planned.
Ceremony Music
Elements planned for your ceremony will help you to choose the source
and style of your music. If you are having a very traditional ceremony
with a mass at the cathedral, you would likely opt for the church
organ and one or more singers since it is not very appropriate to
have a DJ or a rock band in a cathedral. If you are having a ceremony
in a garden setting, your musical options are pretty much wide open
- DJ, full band, harp, bagpipes, etc.
Just take a few minutes to think about ceremony music given your
personality and preferences, your wedding style (formal, contemporary,
casual, etc.), and your ceremony location. Your perfect musical
options will then come to you! Work closely with your musicians
or DJ to choose those songs that are most meaningful to you to be
played at the appropriate time.
Prelude Music. Prelude
music is the soft background music that is typically played prior
to the ceremony as guests arrive and mingle, and as they are being
seated. If you choose to have formal seating of the bride and groom's
mothers and grandmothers, then you will want to choose a special
song for this portion of the wedding too.
Processional Music. Processional
music is played as the wedding party enters the ceremony area. Brides
generally choose beautiful traditional musical pieces to be played
for the Bridesmaid's and the Bride's entrances. Or the processional
music you choose may have special meaning to you and your Groom.
Maybe music that was playing while you two shared special moments
or maybe music that has some sort of cultural significance for you
- we have witnessed Hawaiian songs and Scottish bagpipes, and even
ZZ Top songs for these pieces. But generally, it is a gentle classical
song for the Bridesmaids and the traditional Wedding March for the
Bride.
Ceremony Music. Although
most of the wedding ceremony consists of the spoken word, there
are several perfect moments in most ceremonies where a musical interlude
is appropriate - lighting of the Unity Candle, bestowing of roses
to the bride and groom's mothers, and in-between special readings.
Wedding ceremonies can be quite brief. Why not extend your ceremony
with the inclusion of some meaningful, memorable musical interludes?
Recessional Music. Recessional music, which is played as the wedding
party exits the ceremony, can be similar in style to your Processional
music. However, many couples choose to make this music upbeat and
celebratory in tone, and often more contemporary than traditional.
The choice is totally yours. Once the wedding party has exited,
the musicians or DJ will switch from the chosen Recessional song
to your background music until your guests have exited the ceremony
site.
Reception Music
Your reception music should be enjoyable to everyone at your reception,
both your older guests as well as your younger guests. This doesn't
mean that you need to play Perry Como throughout the entire event.
In fact, it is best to play varied music that is appropriate for
each of the varying elements of your reception. Be sure to discuss
the genre of music that you want played during each of these time
periods. Many bands and DJs will provide you with a play list from
which you can also select specific songs that you want to hear.
Bring your professional or amateur coordinator with you to your
DJ/band meetings with you. In addition to playing music, your band
or DJ can also act as master of ceremonies (MC) in announcing the
various highlights of the reception. If you use their MC service,
be sure to work closely with them in planning so that they can better
keep your reception on track. Most receptions consist of some combination
of the following elements. Think about the music or announcements
associated with these reception highlights and how you want your
band leader or DJ to handle them.
Guest Mingling. After
the wedding ceremony, the wedding party and families are generally
separated from the party for 30 to 45 minutes for a formal photography
session. During this time, guests mingle and enjoy refreshments.
The standard music for this time period is soft background music
that facilitates conversation.
Grand Entrance. Once
the photography session is completed, the family discretely enters
the reception. Then the wedding party makes their grand entrance.
For the grand entrance, the DJ or band leader will take a break
in the music, alert the guests to the place where the wedding party
is entering the room, and introduce each member of the wedding party
in turn as they make their way to the head table. You will need
to provide your Master of Ceremonies with a listing of the names
of each couple in the order in which they are to enter the reception,
along with phonetic spelling of the difficult names.
Banquet. The MC will
announce the start of the meal, having the guests get to their tables
if food is being served to the tables or letting guests know to
proceed to the buffet table. Background music is played during the
meal. Then the DJ will announce when the best man is ready to make
the first toast.
First Dances. The MC
will announce the first dance between the Bride and Groom. This
will alert the guests to gather at the dance floor area to watch
the first dance. You will want to choose a song that is special
in some way to you and the Groom for this dance. If you plan to
have additional special dances, Bride and her father, Groom and
his mother, etc., be sure to select the songs you want to be played
for these dances in advance too. These songs are generally slow
dance numbers; however, feel free to perk them up a little if you
choose. Provide a listing of each of the dances you would like to
have so that your MC can announce them smoothly and properly.
Party Time. Once the
official first dances are completed, more upbeat dance music generally
begins and the MC invites all of the guests to join you on the dance
floor. Again, pick a genre of music that you like as well as some
specific songs or medleys that you want to be sure to hear during
this part of your reception. Take into account that the reception
is for all of your guests, whether they be old or young, rock and
roll lovers or hip hop devotees. Include some music for everyone
so that all of your guests can truly enjoy the reception.
Additional Announcements.
Your MC will make any other additional announcements for special
highlights planned for your reception. These include cake cutting,
bouquet tossing, garter throwing, and the exit of the Bride and
Groom. Be sure to discuss each of these events with your MC. Also
set a schedule for these and other announcements so that your MC
will be prepared and on time.
Wrapping It Up. In the
last 15 minutes or so of your reception, you will want to start
winding down the full tilt party music and play some slower songs
to prepare your guests for the end of the reception. You will likely
want to pick a special final song of the night, so think about this
song and inform your MC in advance. You should also have your MC
announce last call about 30 minutes before the end time of your
reception. You do not want your guests to have their final drink
just moments before leaving your reception to drive home. For the
safety of your friends and family, encourage car pooling, responsible
drinking and designated drivers!
In planning meetings with your DJ or band, discuss the style of
background music and dancing music you would like. Then work with
them to establish the sequence and timing of your reception highlights
(approximate times for the elements discussed above). Once times
are set, determine which specific songs will be played during these
highlights of the reception.
Some DJs or bands will give you a copy of their play list to highlight
the songs you would like played during the reception. This is a
great way to select specific dance music, rather than relying on
them to select songs from your preferred genre of music.
Selecting Your DJ or Musicians
A great place to identify potential DJs or musicians experienced
in wedding ceremonies and receptions is in the index of this book
(page 10). Review their ads and check out their web sites to get
a feel for their style. Select a few that seem to be a good fit
and call them. In your phone interview, you might first determine
if they are available on your selected date. Then ask about their
experience level, the quality of their equipment, if they have a
back up system, and the type of music they play. Determine the variety
and versatility of their music. Ask DJs for a play list and ask
musicians for a demo tape or CD.
So far so good? Then determine cost for their services, amount
of the deposit and the due date for the final payment. Can they
also provide any special effects? What about a wireless microphone
for the ceremony or for reception toasts? Ask for references. You
might also want to run the names of your finalists by your already
contracted service providers (ceremony and reception sites, caterer,
photographer) to get a better picture of their local reputation.
Once you have all of this information in hand, select the DJ and/or
musicians that best meets your needs. Ensure that the following
are stated in your contract with your DJ or band: date and location,
music start and end times, number and duration of breaks, and total
cost. Also ask if they would be willing to include an option to
play beyond the agreed upon end time - just in case the reception
runs long.
Most professional bands and DJs make a point of dressing appropriately
for weddings and receptions. However it doesn't hurt to briefly
discuss this during your interview process. You will want their
dress style, to some degree, to fit in with your wedding and reception
style.
Miscellaneous Details to Consider
If you ask your band leader or DJ to act as MC, be sure to discuss
the level of involvement you want. We have all been to weddings
where rather than highlighting and enhancing the reception, the
band or DJ 'stole the show' - talking constantly on the microphone,
focusing too much attention on themselves and away from you and
your party. This is your day and you likely want appropriate professional
behavior from your wedding service providers. Be frank about the
level of interaction that you want early in the selection and planning
process.
Discuss volume levels. You will have different age groups at the
reception - some will want to dance and others will want to converse.
Be sure that your DJ or band is capable of playing up tempo music
at a comfortable volume to allow conversation while facilitating
a fun dancing environment. Your reception site may also have volume
limitations, so it's a good idea to have your band or DJ contact
the reception site to discuss any specifics.
How would you like for your band or DJ to dress? If your wedding
is formal, you will want their dress to also be formal so that they
fit in with your reception style. If your wedding is casual, you
will likely still have certain types of dress you would like to
see in this high profile position at your party. If you wedding
is themed, you may ask your band or DJ to dress in accordance with
your theme.
Be very cautious in hiring friends to provide your music. We have
been at a number of receptions where equipment failed when a friend
was providing DJ service (we have never seen this when a professional
was used). Professional DJs and musicians are exactly that …professionals.
They have professional level equipment with built-in redundant elements
or with a back up system available so that there is no chance that
your reception will be without music!
|
