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Wedding Music; How To Sift Through The Noise

So it’s time to get serious about vetting bands. You sit down to review a stack of band material and assume the SONG LIST is the most important, right? Meh….

SONG LIST:

Jokes aside, the song list is relevant (not to be confused with the play list, more on that below). But song lists are also one of the least helpful tools when reviewing bands. Here are the top 3 reasons you should take song lists with a grain of salt:

1) You don’t need to peruse thousands of songs to verify whether a band knows your first dance! Any legitimate band will learn several new songs for you or will have the capability to DJ music.

2) The most highly rated general business bands perform roughly the same music. Top 40, 2000s, 90’s, 80’s, Classic Rock, Country, Swing and Jazz are all genres employed by reputable Boston Wedding Bands. As such, the difference between one song list and the next isn’t earth shattering.

3) A band performs 38-44 songs max in a 4 hour dinner/dance reception. So when one band has 100 R&B songs on their list, and another has 250 R&B songs, what does it matter? If they played 10 R&B songs, that would be 1/4 of all the music at your wedding!

PLAY LIST:

Play list is a term used to describe the body of songs that a band actually performs at an event. You should ask the following of any band you’re considering:

How do you manage your play list? What kind of input will I have?

With the exception of formal dances, most bands reserve the right to select the songs they perform, with your preferences in mind. They want a lot of feedback so they can accommodate you. They may play as many as 10- 15 of your specific favorites. But they also require you place trust in their ability to call songs throughout the night.

Let’s face it, when you read a review that says “ THE BAND PLAYED THE BEST MUSIC AND HAD EVERYONE DANCING ALL NIGHT”, it wasn’t because they recreated the groom’s favorite mix tape. And sometimes, bands have to play music that guests respond well to, even if it isn’t the bride’s favorite song.

And if the above doesn’t work for you, that is cool too! You just need to have an open dialogue with each band you consider to ensure they meet your needs.

NUTSHELL: what we’ve seen work best is a compromise between two parties. You trust the band, and the band promises to take your tastes into account.

– The BWB Team