Are you looking to plan an epic wedding party? Here are the top ten tips for planning your wedding entertainment so everyone has an awesome night.
Planning a wedding is one of the most stressful experiences you’ll ever encounter. While hashing out the details for a wedding might sound like fun at first, it doesn’t take long to get overwhelmed by everything that goes into it.
First, you need to figure out where you’re going to get married. Then, you have to decide what everyone is going to wear. You also have to pick out what foods you’re going to serve, which photographer you’re going to hire, and…
Ahhhhh! It can all get to be too much.
When it comes to picking out your wedding entertainment, you should do everything in your power to limit the amount of stress it puts on you. The entertainment is one of the most important parts of a wedding, but it doesn’t have to stress you out beyond belief.
Here are 10 tips for planning your wedding entertainment so that everyone has a great night.
1. Think About the Kind of Music You Want at Your Wedding
What kind of music do you want to hear at your reception on your wedding day?
It’s a simple enough question. But it’s one that not everyone has thought about prior to wedding planning.
Most brides and grooms spend hours fantasizing about everything from the perfect wedding dress to the perfect wedding cake. But they don’t always take the time to consider what music will be playing in the background while they celebrate their wedding.
So the first thing you should do before hiring wedding entertainment is spending an hour or two talking with your soon-to-be spouse about what kind of music you both want to hear at your wedding.
Do you love the idea of you and all your guests standing in front of a band while they run through a bunch of classic rock tunes for you? If so, a wedding band would obviously be best.
Would you rather have a big open dancefloor that makes your wedding reception feel like a nightclub? Then a DJ would probably be a better option.
It’s all up to you! You can learn more about your various wedding entertainment options, but you’re ultimately going to have to be the ones to choose what you want to hear.
2. Decide If a Band or DJ Would Be Best
Once you’ve spent time thinking about what kind of music you want to hear at your wedding, you can start to narrow down your search.
You don’t have to choose a specific band or DJ just yet. But you should say, “We’re going to hire a band” or “We’re going to hire a DJ,” and get that part of the decision out of the way.
If you don’t do this, you’re going to be inundated with options before long. So it’s best to choose a specific type of wedding entertainment and go from there.
3. Research Different Wedding Entertainment Options in Your Area
After you’ve decided that you want to hire a band or DJ to play at your wedding, it’ll be time to do the dirty work. You need to get out there and research the best wedding entertainment options in your area.
There are lots of ways that you can go about doing this. You can:
- Read online reviews for wedding entertainers and see what other people have had to say about them.
- Attend wedding expos and watch wedding entertainers perform right in front of you.
- Watch YouTube videos of wedding entertainers performing at wedding receptions in the past.
Ideally, you want to see exactly what your wedding entertainment options have to offer to you if you hire them. Make an effort to see them do their thing on stage so you have some idea of what they can bring to your reception.
4. Meet With Your Wedding Entertainer Before the Big Day
At this point in the process, you should have a really good idea about who you want to bring on board to provide you with wedding entertainment. Call them and make sure they’re available to work on your wedding day, and if they are, schedule a sit-down meeting with them.
During that meeting, you should address any lingering questions or concerns you might have for the wedding entertainer. You should also ask about exactly how much you’ll have to pay for the entertainer to perform at your wedding.
As long as everything still sounds good to you at the end of the meeting, let the entertainer know you would like to hire them and sign a contract with them. You’ll officially have your wedding entertainment in place for the big day.
5. Tell Your Entertainer About Songs You Want to Hear at Your Wedding
Just because you’ve picked your wedding entertainment out doesn’t mean the planning is over. It’s actually just beginning!
Start by sitting with your significant other and creating a list of songs that you want to hear at your wedding. This should include everything from the song that will play during your first dance to the songs that will play once your guests get up and begin dancing.
After you have your list together, sit with your wedding entertainment and tell them about which songs you want to hear and when you would like to hear them. This will allow your entertainer to plan out their night.
It’ll also give your wedding entertainer a chance to suggest some songs that might work well for the night of your reception.
6. Come Up With a List of “Do Not Play!” Songs as Well
There are some songs that couples absolutely do not want to hear at their wedding. In some cases, a wedding entertainer could ruin the entire reception by playing a song that was, say, the song that the groom shared with his ex-girlfriend.
Couples should, therefore, make it a point to put together a list of “do not play!” songs. The wedding entertainer will be able to steer clear of playing songs on that list when you take this approach.
7. Ask Your Guests If They Have Any Special Requests
Many couples have made it a point to ask their wedding guests to help contribute to their wedding reception playlist.
Often times, a couple will ask guests to make any special song requests on their wedding website. This is a fun way to get your guests involved and to make sure they have an opportunity to hear the songs that want to hear at your wedding.
8. Encourage Your Entertainer to Field Requests at Your Wedding, Too
There are many bands and DJs that don’t like to take requests when they’re playing paid gigs. But many of them are more open to doing it when it comes to wedding receptions.
Talk to your wedding entertainer about possibly taking song requests from guests on the night of your wedding. It’ll allow those who didn’t make requests prior to the wedding to hear the music they want to hear.
9. Set Up Your Wedding Entertainer in the Right Area at Your Reception
You can hire the most amazing wedding entertainer in the business and have them play all the best music for a wedding reception. But it’ll all be for nought if you set them up in the wrong place at your reception.
Most reception halls will have a designated area for the entertainment. That area will usually be the best place for someone to perform.
But in the event that your reception hall doesn’t have a specific spot for wedding entertainment, ask your entertainer if they would mind checking out space and picking an ideal location.
The entertainer should be front and center in a place where everyone can see and hear them. They shouldn’t be buried in the back somewhere or only in front of a select group of people.
10. Invest in the Right Lighting for Your Reception
Lighting might be one of the most underrated aspects of a wedding. Many couples choose not to invest in high-quality lighting for their reception, and they end up paying the price for it.
You want all eyes (and ears!) to be on your wedding entertainment once they start playing music. By putting up lighting that draws people’s attention to your band or DJ, you’ll help the entertainer captivate the crowd and get the party started.
Some bands and DJs have lighting options included in their services. But if they don’t, you should definitely consider bringing in some lighting of your own. It could make all the difference in the world.
Find the Right Entertainment for Your Wedding Today
Throwing an amazing wedding reception will make all the wedding planning worth it. It’ll also allow you to blow off some steam at your wedding and have a fantastic time with your guests.
By putting in some time and effort, you can track down the right wedding entertainment for the occasion and play the best music possible during your reception. Follow these tips, and you shouldn’t have any problem providing your guests with an epic night.
