05 Jul The perfect music for your wedding day… Band, DJ or both?

Picking music for your wedding is an essential part of planning your big day! So where do you start? 

First, between the two of you talk about what you love! Are you up-to-date with Radio 1’s big hits? Do you like electronic Ibiza tracks straight from the Ministry of Sound back catalogue? Are you 80’s children looking to party like it’s 1999? Or do you love dancing the night away to those classic sing along tracks like “Brown Eyed Girl”?

Think about your favourite genres of music and what you think will be suitable to make your day even more enjoyable.

The Ultimate Wedding Band

A good wedding band is guaranteed to get the party started and have your guests dancing all night long. They tend to play all the go-to hits and most established wedding bands are happy to accommodate your first dance if given notice.

Bands can add a personal touch given there is such a variety to choose from! Funky jazz trios, trilby wearing rockers all the way up to 9 piece bands and they cater for all budgets! We have worked with multiple bands who have various price tags based on what is needed.

Most bands will also offer an additional service to pump out a playlist through their speakers or come with a recommended DJ for an additional cost. So this can be a way of having the best of both worlds – live music, and your favourite recording artists.

Another plus for having a band is they tend to play a mixture of music genres based on their experience of what gets the guests on their feet, you may even get grumpy uncle Bill up throwing some shapes.

Decide on your budget, but be prepared to shop around and ensure you pick a band that will suit your personalities and your wedding vibe.

DJs and Playlists

Get a good DJ who is reliable and passionate about what they do! In the new age of streaming it has never been easier to create a playlist that includes all of your favourite tracks mixed in with some DJ recommendations. Long gone are the days where you had to trust the DJs CD collection!

If it’s important to you that the dance floor is full during the night it’s good to sit down with the DJ prior to the wedding and make a list of your favourite songs and maybe even ask for some guest recommendations. A great tip for this is asking them via their RSVPs! Get your guests to fill in their favourite song to dance too – playlist made!

Like great bands, great DJs will read the vibes of their audience. If they are dancing to Top Loader they won’t suddenly chop and change to a Tiestö.

One last tip – make sure you tell the DJ to only talk over the music through a microphone when necessary! It’s your wedding day, not a queue for the Waltzers!

Recommended bands:
Black Stag
Tux Fizz
The Chip Shop Boys
Tom Belbin Trio
The Trends Party Band

Recommended DJs:
Cotswold Discos
David Ractliffe

Contact Us

Drakestone House is a wedding venue set in an idyllic location, surrounded by stunning Gloucestershire countryside. For information on our upcoming open days please click here or if you have any other questions you can contact us directly here.