Marry A Music Man: Choosing Your Wedding Entertainment

Look, I can appreciate the fact that I'm more inclined toward wedding planning than most grooms out there. I've learned to accept that. Not every guy can be (or wants to be) the MC Groom...

Drew represents the other class of grooms -- grooms who don't necessarily meet their brides "half-way" on the wedding planning front, grooms who happily settle for one wedding-related task. And he's got a pretty good idea what that task could be.

School us, Drew.

The Most Important Decision of Your Life: Your Wedding Entertainment
by Drew Stoga of GigMasters.com

As we all know, brides-to-be are usually the ones to take the lead when it comes to wedding planning. Sure, the guys weigh in on the big decisions, but it's no secret that we aren't exactly calling the shots in terms of flowers, caterers, etc. And most of us are okay with that -- I know I was.

Back when we were in the throes of wedding planning, my wife (in her infinite wisdom) gave me just two responsibilities: select the drinks and the music, two things I knew a lot about.

In my time at GigMasters, I've noticed that most couples tend to split up the planning responsibilities this same way. It's the groom-to-be who is typically in charge of finding and hiring a wedding band or DJ while the bride (and often her family) takes on just about everything else.

We work with what we're given.

We all know that music can make or break any party. There's nothing worse than a lame wedding band or a DJ who can't read the room. The Macarena was all the rage back in 1995, but most of us don't want to hear it at our wedding reception (do we?).

Before you start contacting wedding entertainers, you first need to ask yourself a few key questions to determine what you're looking for: How big will your wedding be? Are you looking for "background music" or an entertainer who will steal the show? Do you want to hand-select the songs played at your reception? Are you worried that your country music-lovin' uncle from Texas won't like the same tunes as your teenage cousin?

(P.S. You shouldn't be. It's your wedding, after all.)

And besides -- your music-lovin' uncle secretly loves the Biebs

A few seemingly obvious tips: if you're planning an intimate wedding, you don't want a big band; if you plan on dancing the Hora, you'll want a band or DJ with Hora experience. It's not rocket science. You just need to know what you want.

Then there's the ongoing band vs. DJ debate. Clients are always asking us which is better. The answer, of course, depends on you. If you're worried about money, bands typically (but not always) cost more than DJs. Also, with a DJ you know you can hear your favorite tunes, played just the way you know them. That being said, there is no substitute for live music.

That's true. There's absolutely no substitute for this guy.

Choosing a performer for your wedding is an important decision, and if it's the only one that your fiancee's given you, you definitely want to hit it out of the park. Plus, it's a great way to one-up your in-laws. If your guests are blown away by your wedding band, they'll forget all about the flower arrangements that your mother-in-law picked out. If that doesn't motivate you, nothing will.

Good luck out there, grooms, and happy planning!

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Drew Stoga is the Marketing and Communications Associate at GigMasters.com, the #1 event entertainment booking website. Drew enjoys spending time with his wife, his puppy and his grill.