Before you do anything, you should answer the following questions:

What kind of music do you enjoy the most when you celebrate?

What kind of music would your guest enjoy the most? If there is a conflict between what the bride and groom and their wedding reception guests enjoy, a compromise might be necessary.

Do you prefer live music, or a DJ? Can you afford a live band?

You should book your wedding band or DJ about the same time you reserve your wedding reception venue. Why? Because your reception music will greatly depend on your wedding reception venue. If you want to have live music for your wedding, you need to make sure it is allowed by the reception venue. You need to make sure you understand the venue's rules about music before you select your wedding reception venue.

If you elect to go with a wedding band, be sure to book early. Popular bands are often booked more than one year in advance. Saturdays during the busiest wedding months are especially busy for wedding bands, so you might need to book even more than one year in advance.

Before you book your wedding music provider, you should ask the following questions:

How long have they been in the wedding business? You should go with an experienced band or DJ. Experience will usually yield a better quality performance.

Do they have any references? (You should always check references.) If the band is unable to provide references, you should walk.

Do they play live, continuous music for the entire event?

Can they play the songs you want to hear? The more songs they can play the better. Bands usually have song lists of all the songs they can play.

Do they have a demo CD, so you can sample their music? Is it possible for you to see one of their performances? There is no substitute for seeing a band in action.

Can you communicate with the band, and do you feel comfortable interacting with them? Are they listening to you; are they enthusiastic? Remember, the band is there to make your party fun, not the other way around. You hire them to play the music you like not the music they like.

How many band members do you get and how many are singers?

How long do they normally play, and how often do they break and for how long?

Are they insured? You should demand at least liability insurance from the wedding band or DJ.

Put everything important you agree on in writing. The answers to the above questions should all be part of the written contract, which is an absolute must. You should also include the exact time the band starts and ends playing.

If you have to work with a smaller budget, you might want to book a DJ instead of a wedding band since they are less expensive than wedding bands. An experienced DJ can create a great atmosphere for your wedding reception; so don't be disappointed if you can't afford a wedding band.

Remember to have fun; after all you are planning the most important and joyous day of your life!