Which Would Be The Best Choice For Your Wedding: A DJ Or A Band - Sweet Gibraltar Weddings

Posted by Liz Seyi on April 22nd, 2023

There’s no question that arranging the entertainment for your nuptials can be one of the most… well, entertaining aspects of the whole process of planning a wedding. It can give you the perfect opportunity to infuse your wedding reception with just the vibe you want, through the power of music and the associated visuals.

To this end, when a lot of people looking at getting married in Gibraltarcome to decide on the entertainment they want on their big day, they narrow their choice down to one of two options: a DJ or a band. 

Each of these possibilities has respective advantages and disadvantages, which you will need to consider in the context of your own preferences and requirements when it comes to your wedding, whether you will be holding it in Gibraltar or elsewhere. 

So, let’s take a closer look at the key factors to consider with both options. 

A DJ: not just a button-presser or record-spinner 

It’s easy for some people in today’s streaming-dominated era to imagine that any one of us can easily serve as a DJ of sorts at an event like a wedding. But of course, the reality is never quite as simple as that. 

The fact is, the best DJs know how to read and work a crowd, and will therefore be able to select the tunes that are ideal for getting every attendee of your wedding reception in just the right mood. 

In other words, the finest DJs are skilled professionals; if you’ve ever been to a party where the only ‘DJ’ is someone’s brother’s uncle fiddling around with their free ad-supported Spotify account and just playing any old obvious dance tunes, you’ll know the difference. 

Plus, there are different types of DJs, with some being seasoned club DJs who also do all manner of private events, and others specialising firmly in instantly recognisable chart-toppers. 

The above is important to bear in mind, because – while DJs do tend to be cheaper than a complete live band – that isn’t always true. So, it’s important to carefully consider what you might want from a source of entertainment at your wedding reception, and to not think of DJs as merely an ‘affordable alternative’ to a band. 

A band: making the magic happen live 

Who doesn’t love immersing themselves in live music, performed by skilled and experienced musicians who do this kind of thing day in, day out? 

There is some overlap between the skill sets of DJs and live bands – the latter, like the former, will be able to read a crowd and respond to the mood of those present. The best bands will also be competent in song selection, with the ability to tailor their set-list to your preferences in advance, as well as perhaps while they are on stage, drawing upon a strong repertoire of rousing tracks. 

Of course, one of the most obvious things about a band that those contemplating getting married in Gibraltar need to consider, is the fact that it will consist of multiple people. 

This can be very much an advantage if your chosen venue is big enough to accommodate a bigger band, complete with the likes of horn and brass players. But some spaces might struggle to fit in more than three musicians, so it could be well worth checking whether the band you have in mind offers a smaller trio or even double line-up to suit such more modestly proportioned venues. 

Also bear in mind that bands tend to need to take breaks of about 15 to 20 minutes between sets to rest and rehydrate. Such breaks could give you an opportunity to play some of your favourite tracks from a streaming playlist while you are waiting for the band to resume its performance. 

Some couples might even fancy choosing both a DJ and band 

The question of deciding between a DJ or band doesn’t necessarily come down to ‘either/or’ – you might even have the budget and venue to have both a DJ and band at your wedding. You might choose to have a band performing during the reception before dinner, for example, and then a DJ for the post-meal party. 

Would you like to learn more about this aspect of your nuptials, or anything else in relation to getting married in Gibraltar? In that case, feel free to check out our previous blog post about the things you should check before booking a live band, musician, or DJ for your wedding – or why not get in touch with us directly today here at Sweet Gibraltar Weddings?