Live music for cheap weddings?

Honestly, I'm not a big fan of live music at weddings - big expensive affairs or cheap weddings, it makes no difference.
Even if money is no object (liar) I think a good wedding DJ is a better choice. I love dancing to live music - who doesn't? - but I think there are some good reasons not to hire bands for weddings.

• Variety - No matter how good they are, no band can cover every song or every style. If you have a "first dance" or special song in mind, chances are you want to hear the real thing. And unless all your guests like the same music, it's good to mix up styles.
• Volume - Unless your reception is in an unusually large space (an airplane hangar?), most bands are just too loud. Your reception should be a party, a social event - not a concert.
• Flow - Unless the band's front man is also a good wedding emcee (one in a million), you'll end up with dead spots and awkward moments - not good.

Experienced wedding DJs are worth their weight in gold - maybe not what we want to hear when we're talking cheap weddings, but true. A good wedding DJ will act as your emcee, making introductions and announcements, running your reception. Take your time finding the right one, and make sure they know what you want in music and how you want the event to flow. For weddings, I think a DJ's personality is way more important than technical ability or equipment. Smooth DJs can help turn cheap weddings into memorable events.

So where are all these affordable perfect DJs who emcee all these stylish cheap weddings? You can search online, but you'll probably do better looking around locally for recommendations - especially if you're looking for somebody cheap. Weddings that you or your friends go to, local clubs, craigslist - maybe run a "wanted" ad yourself - all are good places to look. You want to find somebody you can talk to in person, to make sure the chemistry is right. It's going to take some time, so don't wait too long to get started.

Cheap weddings take time and a lot of planning if they're not going to look like "cheap" weddings. And speaking of planning, I told Erica I'd do my best to promote her excellent planning guide. Take a look at how she saved a pile of money planning her own wedding, and how you can too. You'll be glad you did.

PS - If money is really no object, you can have both. Bring a good dance band in to do a set or two, and have your emcee to keep the flow going and spin a few discs in between. But if you can afford to do that, what are you doing looking for advice about cheap weddings?

PPS - A shout out to Carrie, who posted the comment asking about live music at her wedding. Anybody else have something you want to hear about?

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