Music can transform your wedding, especially when you work with musicians who can jive with your vibe. Weddings are all about the bride and the groom, and the melodies should define their personalities and embody vital phases of their relationship.
Music can amplify the big moments of the ceremony into something even more meaningful, like the father and daughter’s walk down the aisle, exchange of vows and rings, and the newlyweds’ first kiss. These events may even be those that take place at the reception.
During downtime or when the couple is busy doing the rounds at the reception, performances will be directed toward the guests. Not everyone can guess the guests’ mood at any given moment. It takes a professional to read an audience and respond to the kind of entertainment they prefer.
You are at a vantage point to know the shared sentiment of your guests, including your entourage. While you’re thinking about beautiful presents for your bridesmaids, great groomsmen gifts, and excellent wedding souvenirs for guests, also factor in their common musical inclinations. It can be a daunting task because there are just so many choices out there. Here are a few tips you need to know before hiring musicians.
Check Their Availability
You’ll know straight off the bat if you’re dealing with professionals—they immediately check their schedule the moment you say wedding. This means they care about their prior commitments and don’t want to waste your time.
Check if they have a scheduled gig after your nuptials. Ask if they’d be willing to charge overtime fees in case the party mood carries on well past the end time of your contract.
While you’re at it, ask how many wedding events your music providers commit to in a year. You’ll be able to determine how often and how experienced they are in performing. It will give you an idea of how good they are in handling events and whether or not they’re passionate about them.
Ask Them to Describe Their Style of Music
Figure out if their style of music matches the feels you’re going for on your wedding. If your ceremony is leaning toward elegance with plenty of quiet and casual conversations, you want to avoid those whose musical prowess leans toward rock or edgy. A DJ who has no qualms about playing soft and light classics may be more suitable to your taste. You may also go for an acoustic band that plays indie or folk sounds.
It’s customary for bands or wedding DJs to invite about-to-wed couples to see their live performances. This will surely help you get a more definite sense of their music and make the right decision to hire them or not.
You can also check if they play on-the-spot requested songs or they only stick to their own preselected list. Most musicians are willing to learn new songs for weddings and give you a list of tunes that they already know.
Equipment Requirements and Cancellation Policy
A professional band or DJ will not be averse to personally checking your wedding and reception venue. It will let them see if the place has the right equipment they need for the kind of sound they play.
Doing this will also help them determine the sound system they have to take with them during the event. Bands or DJs are mostly equipped to provide sound for a room the size of a banquet hall. Having this knowledge can also help them prepare a backup plan in case a system malfunction occurs.
Cancellation policies usually vary, but the standard rule is to notify musicians at least a month before the wedding. Most musicians will also require an up-front and nonrefundable deposit.
Ask How They Motivate a Shy Crowd
Most wedding would have fun activities, like creatively announcing the wedding party or wedding games, which at times, fall under the musician or DJ’s responsibilities especially when the crowd is shy. You need to ask the musical group or solo act that you’re hiring if they are comfortable with getting the audience to be participative.
Changing a crowd’s overall mood is not as easy as it sounds. Some musicians are not as eager to please an audience as the rest are. Make sure you ask this so you’ll have a better sense of whether or not they’ll flow well with your wedding reception’s theme and invited guests.
Remember
Music can connect people like no other. Strangers turn into friends after a night of dancing and partying to good music. Though the bride and the groom come up with the musical lineup, it’s the wedding invitees who get to listen in and experience the majority of the songs.
Being able to personalize a performance and adjust musical styles according to what the guests like take years to master. When considering the type of musicians you want to have in your wedding, make sure you factor in the general disposition of your attendees. Think also about whether or not your chosen songs are a good fit for the kind of wedding you have in mind.
Source: groovygroomsmengifts.com
