The beat of the music: Hire a band or DJ that suits your wedding style

Ever sat through a bad band? Or someone with questionable taste at the helm of a jukebox?

Anyone who has knows exactly how fast the wrong soundtrack can sour a party's vibe. Music and dancing are what receptions are for, but a little planning goes a long way when choosing the right music and master of ceremonies.

The most fundamental decision is whether to go with a DJ or a live band. True, it's a matter of taste, but there's also an element of practicality to consider.

Whichever you choose, professionalism is paramount. Wedding day horror stories about inexperienced DJs and unruly drummers are just a quick Internet search away, but serious wedding entertainment providers emphasize professionalism before they discuss anything else. A little skepticism from the musician is a good sign when considering someone to play your wedding. A professional knows only to accept jobs they are appropriately suited for.

Pat Schwent is a professional saxophonist who plays weddings with her band as Saxy Jazz. "When people call, I discuss in detail what kind of ceremony or reception they're going to have," she says. "It's crucial that I know I can supply what they want."

With a smile, Schwent pats her planner and notebook, complete with bulleted points explaining her process, and calls herself, rather euphemistically, "an organized person." She's up front about what she will and won't do for a potential client.

"We can play a variety of things, but different aged people want and expect different sounds," she says. "Everyone has a different idea of what they like in music."

So if great uncle so-and-so wants to hear "Twist and Shout" and wants it to sound exactly as it does on the album, the album itself is probably a more appropriate option.

David Creech of Diamond Sound in Cape Girardeau explains that that's the reason most people decide to go with a DJ.

"The biggest advantage is that we can play whatever music they want," he says.

Professionalism is important in the emcee services that clients have come to expect from modern wedding DJs.

"We're emcees just as much as DJs. It's just as important," says Creech. "We're not just sitting back there and playing music anymore; it's almost like being a mini co-planner with all the time that's involved in preparing."

Technology has evolved to the point that some more laissez-faire couples are totally content with an iPod on a wedding playlist rather than hiring anyone, but Creech says a DJ more effectively facilitates involvement.

"Anybody and everybody can call themselves a DJ anymore," he says. "But there are interactive games and stuff we do to get people up and moving around. We have to make sure everything is done with a level of professionalism that people expect from us."

Schwent says since a live band is a more organic operation, it gives the reception a more intimate feel, but the nature of live music is such that it's slightly less adherent to a wedding party's sometimes rigid itinerary of events.

"Live bands have to have a little bit of breathing room," she says. "The wedding couple sometimes has everything planned down to the minute, but everything works out fine."

Creech and Schwent have similar advice for newlyweds: breathe.

"This is your one special day," Creech says. "Just relax and enjoy it."