Not even the most brilliant con artist could convince us that a Spotify playlist compares to having a band. It’s just not the same.

Of course, not everyone sees the value in having a live band (or would rather allocate their budget elsewhere) but if you’re on the fence about it or you’re not sure how to go about choosing a band, here are a few things to think about from our friends at The White Tree – a collective of talented artists from around Australia and NZ who have been doing wedding gigs for over a decade.

Six Reasons A Band Makes Weddings More Fun

1. Live music is literally entertainment. It’s all about enjoyment and it’s not hard to get into the good feels of a wedding when you’ve got a wedding band playing. Plus your guests will feel ultra special for the honour of being serenaded by live musicians.
2. A good wedding band knows how to read a crowd, set the right vibe and get the dance floor going. They’re old hat at it, actually – it’s what they do week in, week out. It’s something that Spotify sadly can’t do.
3. Musicians are professionals by nature meaning they can play a wide range of music – from RnB to classic rock and everything in between – and even learn your fave tracks if you request.
4. They’re human (bonus!) which means it’s an interactive experience – if you want to have some upbeat songs played at the start of the reception or you want to perform something with the band, go for it! 
5. They take the pressure off you needing to put together a playlist and take the burden off one of your guests having to hit ‘play’ on the right songs at the right times (walking down the aisle, entering the reception, first dance etc.).
6. They take the risk out of drunk Dave grabbing your iPhone and taking it upon himself to put on some reggae at 10 pm mid-dancefloor session.

Tips On How To Choose A Band For Your Wedding

1. Do your research. By research we mean go and check them out. Often they’ll be doing a gig somewhere anyway or plenty of bands host wedding showcases designed specifically for engaged couples. If that’s not possible make sure you at least check out some live film clips of the performers, don’t go on MP3 or audio files only.
2. Work out your budget. Can you afford a six-piece band? Or would you prefer to stick to just a duo? There’s plenty of couples now who are combining a band and DJ (one and then the other, or a DJ with live elements with sax and percussion). There’s an option to suit every budget.
3. What’s their repertoire like? Unless you want one particular genre of music played throughout the entire event, you’ll want to pick a band with a large repertoire of songs. In our opinion, there’s only so much Bruno Mars one can take.
4. Do you like them? Your band members don’t have to become your mates but remember live music is interactive. Choosing a group of musicians who are happy to play any song requests and who really engage with a crowd is important if you want to create a really good vibe.

Featured image by Edwina Robertson.

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