Petals Planning Company: A Boutique Wedding + Event Planning Experience: Hiring a Wedding Band or DJ

After the engagement the first steps I always recommend to my clients are creating the guest list, selecting ceremony and reception venues, and hiring a photographer and videographer, as these are the vendors that are booked up the earliest. After being turned down by all my favorite DJ's because they are booked for my sister's October 1, 2011 wedding, I now feel as though securing a DJ and/or band is also a crucial step at the start of the wedding planning process.

A great wedding band or DJ can truly make a world of difference. We have worked with great bands and DJ's and ones that are not so good. What makes one DJ better than another? One word....cheesiness (is that a word? It is now ;)) A great DJ is reliable, professional, and articulate. They will be the ones announcing the entrance of the bridal party, the cake cutting, the toasts, etc. so it's important they know how to pronounce all the names and actively participate in the line up of the bridal party.

A great wedding band is extremely entertaining, knows how to energize the crowd, draws everyone to the dance floor, and can rock out any genre of music from motown to hip-hop and everything in between. They should have music that covers their breaks, are typically booked for a 4 hour time slot and can range in price from $2,000 - $10,000 depending on the band.

The BEST wedding DJ's and bands are booked far in advance, as we've been learning by planning my sisters wedding this October! I highly recommend securing them ASAP. Who are the best you ask? This is by no means an extensive list - but some of my favorites:

DJ Mary Ann Ross - http://www.maprodj.com/