The band-versus-DJ decision is the one that decides whether the dancefloor is the best room of the wedding or the one everyone quietly leaves. It comes down to atmosphere, cost and reliability, and the honest answer is that both are right for different weddings.
Here's how to pick yours.
The case for a band
A live band does something a recording cannot: the music is happening in the room, and people respond to it differently. A good wedding band reads the floor, extends a song when it's working, and turns the first dance and the final song into moments rather than tracks.
The catch is that a band is only as good as its setlist and its stamina. A band that plays one genre all night empties a mixed-age floor by ten o'clock.
The case for a DJ
A DJ offers the entire history of recorded music, which is exactly what a room of eighty people aged eight to eighty needs. A good DJ reads the floor the same way a band does, and can switch from Motown to a current chart hit in one transition.
A DJ is also cheaper, needs less space, and takes fewer breaks. The catch is that a bad DJ, like a bad band, can kill a floor, but the bad DJ is easier to avoid by hearing a mix first.
Cost, roughly
A decent DJ for a UK wedding runs from about £400 to £800 for the evening. A good live band starts around £800 and goes to £2,000 and beyond, depending on how many musicians and how established they are. The band is usually the single biggest entertainment cost, which is why the hybrid below exists.
The hybrid, and how to afford it
The common compromise is a band for the live set and a DJ for the gaps and the late-night slot. It gives you the live moment and the all-ages playlist, and it's often the same supplier offering both, which keeps the logistics simple.
If the budget won't stretch, spend on the DJ and put the difference into the bar. A full dancefloor beats a band playing to an empty one every time.
How to actually decide
Look at your guest list. A young, up-for-it crowd will reward a great band; a mixed-age, mixed-taste crowd will reward a great DJ. Then ask each supplier for a live sample, a band's video or a DJ's mix, and pick the one that makes you want to dance in your kitchen. That's the whole test.