Decide Your Budget
Before you start researching various ideas, you may need to question the balance between cost vs quality. However, do not risk the success of your wedding by opting with only the cheaper suppliers as many of them lack the necessary experience and reliability of professional wedding entertainers. Generally, DJs are almost always less expensive than a full live band. So if you're on a budget, DJs are most likely your best bet.

Do Your Homework
Recommendations are always the best way to choose an entertainment provider so pay careful attention to the entertainment at friends' weddings. Ask around to see if anyone has heard of a good wedding band or DJ and get references from people who may have booked them in the past. Thorough research is important to ensure that you are dealing with a reputable company. Professional suppliers should also be able to provide you with a list of venues or previous clients that recommend their services.

Know Your Audience
Choose entertainment that not only you like, but which will suit the atmosphere of your wedding as well. Consider the taste of your guests, their age range and whether they would like to dance, listen to the music or a mixture of the two. If your family are appreciative of live music and enjoy watching performances, then there is nothing more romantic, classy, or exciting than live music at a wedding. If your family is up for an all out party with a disco/club atmosphere, then a DJ may be right option.

Do They Specialise In Weddings
It's usually a good idea to select an entertainment company that specialise in weddings, as they would have plenty of experience in dealing with similar crowds and also provide a wide repertoire of music to suit a diverse guest list. Club DJs may have difficulty understanding that the focus of your event is on something other than the dance floor. Although they may be good at keeping the dance floor alive, they may not be able to satisfy the wide variety of guests at the event or even MC the event effectively with a suitable tone.

Look & Listen
Many bands and DJs provide samples of their music and videos of performances on their websites, and this is a great way to see them and hear what they sound like. It is always worth checking if you can see them performing live at any public events to be sure they are suitable in performance as well as sound. We also believe that presentation is also very important. Make sure you give an indication on expected dress for the band members to avoid unpleasant surprises on the day of having them showing up in jeans and t-shirts, and then explaining "It's our image...".

Consider the timings
Bear in mind that a band would take longer to set up than a DJ. Make sure that all equipment setups and sound checks are to be completed well before the event starts as there is nothing more disruptive than to arrive at a wedding and be greeted with blasts of feedback, microphone checks and music volume levels. If your event is on a very tight schedule with limited set-up times, a band may not be your best option.

Choose variety of music
Experienced DJs or bands are able to play a variety of music that continuously reflects and enhances the mood of the room whilst simultaneously appealing to all ages - they will know which songs work with all different types of crowds. Remember that DJs will play your favourite songs the way you've always heard them, with no surprises. Bands that play a broad range of music that will please every guest (and which sound as good as the original) are harder to find.

When contacting the various suppliers, ask for a general overview of their play list. Your supplier should be able to incorporate songs that you want to hear or exclude songs you definitely don't want! However, don't just give them your wedding music lists to play throughout the night - remember that your taste in music might differ considerably from that of your guests and does not leave any time for requests.