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Music
is one of the most important services in a wedding reception and
must be selected carefully. As with all other wedding requirements,
the sooner you make arrangements, the better your chances are of
booking your preferred musician.
Music
will determine whether you wedding reception will be classical,
modern or otherwise. Music will also determine whether your
guests will enjoy your wedding or not. And make sure you do not
let guests remember how unprofessional your musician was!
Keep
in mind that the musician you select is not determined solely by
your budget. It is very important that the music should compliment
your special event, selected reception venue and the kind of guests
invited. A DJ in a Victorian style venue filled with VIPs
does not quite fit!
Also,
the music must not be too overpowering, so take the type and size
of the venue into consideration.
Speaking
about budgeting, reception music fees are influenced by the number
of performers, time of year and time of day.
For
obvious reasons, a piano player, DJ or any other one-piece band
generally charges less than a whole four or five piece band. On
average you'll pay from Lm60 to Lm200 for a DJ/musician while most
bands charge from Lm200 to Lm400.
Keep
in mind the size of the band vis-à-vis the size of the reception
venue. If your reception venue is a small hall do not book
a six-piece band. If the venue is a large villa check whether
the music will be heard from different areas.
Always
check the time at which the music volume has to be lowered. Generally,
in Malta it is at about 11:00pm for evening weddings and from 1:00pm
to 3:00pm for afternoon weddings. However the reception venue
might have a different policy so first check with the venue manager/owner.
For example some venues might not permit a DJ to perform at
all.
Check
with your DJ or bandleader about how much you want him to talk.
You may want him to guide your guests at important moments
such as the Cake Cutting. Or you may want a lively wedding
and opt to have the DJ talking continuously to keep people dancing.
If
you want all guests of all age groups to entertain themselves at
your wedding focus on variety. Ask your musician to play songs
from different decades, from the 60's up to the current year. Do
not forget that most probably you have invited guests who are in
their early twenties up to guests who are sixty and over.
Make
a list of all the songs you would like him/them to play. Most
importantly indicate which ones to be played during your entrance
and your first dance. We have compiled a list with some of
the most popular songs - click here.
Discuss
your expectations with the musicians. Check what kind of attire
they will wear. They should present themselves according to
the theme of your wedding.
Expect
live performers to take short breaks during the reception. Discuss
with them whether or not, and for how long they will play recorded
background music. Also
check for how long they will play, for example, for four hours or
till the end.
Are
there any additional overtime fees involved?
Finally,
if you feel that the musician is not responsive to your requirements
during consultation…keep searching!
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