Sound of (Wedding) Music

Ideas & Inspiration

Sound of (Wedding) Music

From the start of the cocktail hour to the rousing last-call finale, music has the power to set the tone of your reception. Mellow jazz during the dinner hour allows your guests to chat and mingle; blast an ’80s dance hit at the midnight hour and watch a crowd flock to the dance floor. Conversely, play the wrong mix and guests could stay glued to their seats. “Music makes or breaks the night,” says recent bride Jennifer Landy of Maple Grove. “It determines whether people stay and dance or go home early.”

There’s more to creating the perfect sound than simply plugging in your iPod for the evening. “When people come to your reception they’re looking for entertainment,” says Amy Jo Williams, client services manager of Bellagala in Saint Paul. A band or disc jockey not only adds an element of entertainment and interactivity, it ensures that someone else—an experienced professional—will honor your musical tastes and tailor the tunes to your crowd’s mood. “Good DJs and band leaders have learned the art of reading the room,” says Mike Macken, president and founder of Macken Music & Entertainment Agency in Minneapolis.

In fact, a small but growing number of area brides are hiring both a band and a DJ for their event. At Bellagala, for example, about 20 percent of clients who hire a DJ also choose live entertainment. At Sally Wood and Patrick Hoover’s October 2007 wedding, a five-piece jazz band played during the cocktail hour and dinner, and a DJ handled the rest. They found that the combination satisfied the couple’s music-loving families while also offering a measure of familiarity. “We were able to create a play list of the music we wanted to hear,” says Wood.

Even Mike Edberg, owner of DJ company Sounds Great in Mendota Heights, had both a band and a DJ at his February 2006 wedding. Having a band “was different,” he says. “People didn’t expect it. It added a fun touch.”