When planning an event many people pay particular attention to the venue, the right food for the occasion, reception drinks, table decorations etc. Many times after most of the budget has already been allocated comes the question, "how much do we have left to spend on the band/DJ?"
Yes the venue, food, flowers, décor and everything else is very important. However, if you want your wedding / fundraiser / event to be an amazing and memorable celebration with everyone having a brilliant time, then music is the most important element driving the night. There are bands available to suit all budgets however you need the band that keeps your dance floor jam packed every moment and leaves everyone at the end of the night wishing it would never end.
Take a look at your overall budget and calculate how much you are/intend spending on every other element of the day. It is most likely what you have allocated spending for the band is probably a very small percentage, even though it is one of the most important for impacting on the event and those memories for the people attending. We once had a father of the Bride call us 12 weeks before the wedding, he happily told us that his daughters dress had just cost him £2500, the venue was ridiculously expensive and don't even ask how much the flowers were costing him, he then informed us that he had a budget for a band of no more than £500. Whilst a budget of £500 can get you entertainment, he was never going to get the band size/quality/lighting or music style he wanted for that figure.
It is essential that you take the time to carefully evaluate the importance of each part of the event and truly assess its level of significance relative to every other portion for the entire day and night.
Consider the following...
Size of the venue - If you have a small room (30-80 people) then a large band may be excessive and take up valuable space. If however, your room is large with great number of people attending there are factors to consider such as; is the entertainments PA large enough to create the atmosphere for those attending? will the band / DJ provide lighting? will that lighting simply be uplighters or will they have special FX, moving heads, smoke etc.
Musical Style - Certain types of music require a greater number of performers which of course increases their costs, some bands are able to offer smaller versions of the same show, MJE Management are able to help and advise you every step of the way, and we will always do our best to find the right entertainment for you at the right price for you.
Quality - This of course is subjective, however you do get what you pay for. A professional entertainer from MJE Management will be exactly that, professional, they will have invested a significant amount of time and money into honing their craft and performance to be the very best they can be. The performer(s) will have appropriate electrical safety certificates and Public Liability Insurance, stage clothing appropriate to their style of music, and a quality PA system adequate for the number of performers / venue size.
Contact MJE Management to discuss your wish list and we will be happy to discuss and advise you through every step of the process to ensure you get the very best value for money from your entertainment budget.