It’s a good friend’s anniversary, and I’m thinking back on their wedding, which was beautiful. As you can imagine, seeing as many weddings as I do both personally and professionally, I notice things! The bride and groom looked great, the ceremony was in an old church that was beautiful, and the reception hall was really nice.
Then there was the band … it was an eight piece and they were good musicians. They had a good sound system, and it all looked good. But first, they were too loud. Like the vast majority of weddings we play, this room was filled with old friends and family members, many from other places. They want to visit. Also there were plenty of older folks. I looked around and saw a lot of people straining a little bit. It’s so important that a band or DJ understand that people need to be able to hear each other talk.
Later on, the singer armed with a wireless mic, left the stage and moved about the crowd. I’m sure in some situations, making it a show is a good call — like a corporate event. But it wasn’t working too well here! The gal — a great performer — was a little over the top. Folks wanting to talk starting walking outside to converse there.
Good bands with experience know that it’s not about them, especially at weddings. It turned out the couple who hired the band had seen them at a bar and loved them (which I could certainly understand!). So when finalizing a band to play at your wedding, ask them about this issue, and I’m sure they will comply!
