Whenever you go to a wedding, one of the things you expect today is an extravagant reception, complete with a decadent meal, beautiful decorations, and large amounts of adult beverages. The one thing that no reception would be complete without however, is music. Having a DJ do your music is the most popular route to take, but can result in many unforeseen problems as well, in addition to the simple fact that the DJ is just playing other people’s music.

The other route that you can take for music at a wedding reception is to get a band. While more expensive, a live band gives a more “authentic” feel to your festivities. Of course, if you know someone in the band, the cost of the band can be somewhat, if not totally, mitigated. The other problem with a live band is that, let’s be honest, you are not going to be able to get an easily recognizable band to play for your wedding, so you’ll be stuck with local “indie” bands for the most part. That leads us to the most important thing, actually choosing the band you want to play your wedding.

The first thing you should keep in mind while choosing a band is, of course, their style. You need to make sure that the band is not only compatible with your tastes but also the tastes of your guests. If your wedding guests will mostly be composed of friends, you can probably keep that modern band, but if your guests are mostly older family members such as parents, grandparents and the like, it might be worth rethinking your choice.

You should also keep in mind the attitude and general demeanor of the band. If their basic style is a generally safe kind of music but they personally are going to be rude to your guests or, even worse, to you, the style of music that they are performing becomes irrelevant. To judge this, it is best to have a personal interview with the members of the band, especially if you know them personally, to outline what kind of behavior you expect from them while they are up on that stage.

As long as you keep all these things in mind, the band at your wedding should be a hit with everyone who attends, and they’ll remember your wedding for years to come.