Get Your Boogie On With a Wonderful Wedding Band

(Image Courtesy of Katrina at the LI Weddings message forum)

Hello, ladies! With your guest list set and your wedding venue reserved, you’ve made way for one of the most enjoyable aspects of the wedding planning process - choosing your entertainment. While hosting a wonderful wedding weighs heavily on your mind, it’s also important to make sure that you’re able to enjoy one of the best days of your life. This is why we at Yazzie & Co. have come up with a great way for you to bring on the fun – by hiring a wedding band to play. Not only will your wedding day be blessed with fantastic music, the band will guarantee that your guests will have a good time. If you’re unsure on how to make the best choice in a wedding band, scroll on for some terrific tips for keeping your big day in tune.

(The Avenue Band’s Image Courtesy of Jerry Bruno)

If you’re thinking of hiring a band to play at your wedding, you definitely have much to consider when shopping around. First and foremost, do make sure that this is something that you can afford to fit in your bridal budget. According to About.com , a wedding band runs anywhere from $2,000 to $20,000 a night – depending on the size of the band and their resourcefulness. Thus, if you’re willing, but wary, about spending that amount, you should definitely pay close attention to their payment and cancellation policies. You’ll surely save yourself the trouble by doing so. Another thing to consider is the whether a band is versatile enough to play the music that you’ve chosen as your musical theme. Their ability to accommodate the mood of your big day while specializing in many musical genres is something that will greatly affect how it all plays out. Do also keep in mind that while a live band definitely outpaces a DJ in their ability to move the crowd, they will also need to break a few times to collect themselves and enjoy your delicious wedding cuisine. Thus, it will also be a great idea to keep a CD or two on hand for those occasions.

(Image Courtesy of Katrina at the LI Weddings message forum)

Should you decide that a live band is the way that you’d like to go for your wedding day entertainment, make sure that you choose one that can cater to your style of music while providing a great time to your guests. With your choice of bands that play everything from Golden Standards to Jazz and Funk, you’re bound to find one that is just right for you. More importantly, you want to make sure that your band is flexible enough to learn songs that aren’t standards in their repertoire, for their willingness to work with you is a definite plus as far as getting the job done. You will be able to get a feel for what a band is about by meeting its leader to make sure that he or she understands what you’d need from them to make your wedding day go smoothly. In addition, you want to make sure that the band that you choose has a great camaraderie with one another and has performed for quite a while. That way, if unavoidable circumstances – such as sickness or termination - happen to befall a member of the band, they’d be able to cover the last-minute absence. You should also look into liability insurance, just in case.

(Image Courtesy of the Perfect Music For Weddings)

Last, but not least, be sure to choose a band that fits the size of your bridal venue. The rule of thumb, according to Stitely.com, is that a six to eight piece band will work for a wedding of 100 guests or less while an eight to ten piece wedding band can accommodate approximately 100-200 guests. However, if your wedding is going to consist of 200-300 guests, then a nine to fourteen piece band will do. An even larger guest list that consists of 300-plus people will definitely call for a ten to seventeen piece band. No matter what size of band that you opt to go with, do make sure that they possess adequate instruments and a reliable sound system. The last thing that you need is terrible sound quality on one of the most magical days of your life. After all, ladies, we at Yazzie & Co. firmly believe that a wonderful wedding band makes all the difference.

Until Next Time,

The Yazzie Blogger

Make Your Valentine’s Day Nuptials a Melodic Memory

Hello, lovebirds. Valentine’s Day is one of the most romantic times of the year, making it the perfect time to jump the broom. However, one needs that special detail to crystallize the moment of everlasting love and sweeping romance. We at Yazzie & Co. believe that that element of enchantment is music, for it clinches the passion that a Valentine’s Day wedding can bring forward. Not sure on where to start on selecting some sincerely romantic tunes? Read on for some of our great Valentine’s Day wedding song selections…

The first thing that you want to think about is finding that one song to walk down the aisle to. While magical romance is the first quality to look for in a tune, you also have to consider the location of your Valentine’s Day nuptials. If you plan on having yours in a place of worship, you must be mindful of the sensibilities of the man or woman of worship who is officiating over the ceremony. If you have a contemporary song in mind, you want to ensure that it isn’t at all offensive to them or the members of the place of worship. Should you decide that you do not want to run that risk, we suggest that you choose a classical selection. We think that Canon in D Major by Johann Pachelbel would wonderfully capture the beauty of a Valentine’s Day bride walking down the aisle to the instrumental harmony. However, if your place of worship is a bit more lenient with song choices, we believe that the late Luther Vandross’ classic, Here and Now, equally portrays the poignancy of a bride’s walking towards a new beginning with heartfelt lyrics and a wonderful voice.

Another important musical moment in a Valentine’s Day wedding is the first dance. The song that you choose should reflect one that has meaning to both you and your eternal Valentine. Whether the song is up-tempo or a slow groove, it should also display the overall mood and theme of your nuptials. If your groom is worried about being able to hold his own on the dance floor, he can rest easy in knowing that all eyes will be on the both of you celebrating the new life that you’ve begun to build. One of our favorite Valentine’s Day selections is Stevie Wonder’s Knocks Me off My Feet, for we believe that the simple words of love make for a classic bridal moment. Then again, if you want to use a more updated tune that reflects your modern sensibilities, we think that Come Close by Common featuring Mary J. Blige would serve as a great tune.

Whatever music you decide to feature for your Valentine’s nuptials, we at Yazzie & Co. believe that it should be reflective of the promise that you have decided to make to one another. Furthermore, a marvelous melody is destined to add that special significance to your special day. On that note, we’d love to know what songs capture that Valentine’s Day wedding spirit to you. E-mail me at yazzieblogger@yazzieco.com with your memories of the music that stole your heart and we’ll feature them in a future blog of ours.

With Lots of Valentine’s Love,

The Yazzie Blogger