Music is a key component of your wedding day success!  To ensure that you hire the best wedding vendors for your day, check out our list of 5 things to consider when booking music vendors for your wedding —

1. Vendor Type. Do you want live music or recorded music? Do you want a deejay or a band (or both) at your reception? Do you want someone who keeps the party going? Or, do you want your deejay to focus purely on the music? These are the type of questions you should address before you begin your vendor search.

2. Music Genre. Before you hire a music vendor, determine the type of music you want to hear. Make sure the vendor has experience with your preferred genre.

3. Consultations. Begin your search at least 8 months in advance. Meet in person (or via Skype), and hear what your preferred music vendors have to say about their experience. Does his or her abilities match your requirements? You want to hire vendors who gel with your needs and your personality. Then, check the references — On-line reviews are good too, but you’ll most likely achieve music success if you acquire feedback from other couples. So, ask around – your friends/relatives will provide you with suggestions from past weddings. And, check with other vendors. They’ll prove to be a reliable resource.

4. Wedding Experience. Make sure your preferred music vendors have entertained at a wedding (not at a party or a cookout or on the radio, but at the wedding). Sure, your friend may have great music in his or her repertoire, but does she or he feel comfortable speaking in front of a group? Some deejays and bandleaders without the experience don’t feel comfortable speaking in front of a group and as a result, they don’t know how to keep the wedding guests engaged. Also, music vendors without wedding experience don’t understand the collaborative experience needed to work with the rest of the wedding vendors. I have seen deejays and bandleaders without this experience ignore the timeline and announce the toast without checking with the other vendors first — As a result, no one captured this toasts on film or video.

5. Your Budget. Music vendors charge various rates for their performances. Research the rate range in your area, and determine a fee (in advance) that realistically fits within your wedding budget. And, be sure to check the contract once you receive it. You want to make sure that everything (date, time, location, length of play, payment terms, and the names of the music vendors) is spelled out in the contract before you sign it.

To help you organize your wedding day music, book your deejay or band, and successfully plan all of your wedding day music needs, download our wedding day music guidebook.

Love & Soul Always, Kay