Anjelica and Ethan met in their high school choir, so music was never going to be an afterthought. They had a string quartet at St. Peter and Paul Catholic Church, mariachi during cocktail hour, and a live band at The Allen Farmhaus for the reception. Near the end of the night she and her father-in-law got up and sang with the band, and the band liked it enough to call them back up, and that time her own dad joined in. That was our May 2023 Featured Bride.
Two months earlier, at Gruene Estate, Yvette and Kevin had wanted live music too. Then they thought about the specific songs they wanted to hear and dance to, and hired a DJ instead. Her verdict: “We ultimately chose a DJ and he was FANTASTIC.” Their Honky Tonk Disco wedding is here.
A band gives you a performance. A DJ gives you your songs. The couples in our Featured Bride archive have gone both ways, and a few of them found a third way.
When the band was the best decision
“One of the best decisions of our entire wedding was our band,” wrote our September 2022 bride, who had Gary Glenn and the 20X Band. Gary took the microphone as MC as well, and she said the evening flowed seamlessly because of it.
Jayci and Scott married at The Oaks of Ever After in Marion, a venue her parents built. Their families love to western dance, so they hired a live band to play country classics for the reception. Read their story.
Mackenzie and Ronnie, at The Chandelier of Gruene, put it plainly: “A live band creates the entire feeling of your wedding.” She said the energy from live music had everyone captivated. See the wedding.
What those three have in common is a dance floor the couple cared about more than a playlist. If your families two-step, or you want the night to feel like a show, a band is the natural pick.
When the DJ was the right call
Jordyn and Wesley married at Texas Rock House in San Marcos. “Every song was one of our favorites, and we asked the DJ to not take requests because we loved every song already on the playlist.” That is the case for a DJ in one sentence. You choose the music, and all of it gets played. Read their story.
Mikayla and Brandon decided early that the meal and the party would be the focal points of their day at Posey Meadows, so they put their time and budget into the caterer and the DJ. Their Bridgerton garden party is here. Our August 2023 bride said the same thing: they splurged on the DJ and the photographer.
Two practical notes from brides who have been through it. Dallas and John’s advice to anyone planning: “The DJ will probably forget a song on your list or play the wrong version of it.” Their point was not to sweat it. Read their story. And from Frances and Michael, also at Posey Meadows: “Make sure to get the list of music played by your DJ!” You will want it later. See the wedding.
The third way: live music for the ceremony, a DJ for the party
The combination that keeps showing up in the archive is a musician for the ceremony or cocktail hour and a DJ once the dancing starts.
Mackenzie’s grandmother played Canon in D on the harp as she walked in. ‘Licia and Steven had a guitarist at Gruene Estate, and Steven had him serenade her just before everyone left for the ceremony; their guests sat and listened to him play through happy hour. Read their story. One bride we featured this August almost did not book a saxophonist because she already had a string quartet. Her mom kept pushing. The saxophonist played her down the aisle and played the exit song, and the quartet took the processional and recessional.
Then there are couples who skipped both. Alexandria and Jimmy played a carefully selected playlist through their own sound system from an MP3 player, and said skipping the DJ and the florist saved them a significant amount of money. Their wedding is here. Brandy and Chad had no DJ at all. Their fall garden party is here.
Where music lands in the budget
We do not publish music prices. They change with the date, the hours and the number of people on stage. What couples told us is where music fell in their priorities.
Hannah and Clay, at The Allen Farmhaus: “We saved the most with the venue and the DJ!” Read their story. Gabriella and Steven saved on their DJ because he was a family friend. See the wedding. Mikayla and Brandon and our August 2023 couple spent more there on purpose. Whichever way you lean, ask every musician and DJ what hours are included, what overtime costs, and whether the ceremony is a separate booking.
Who plays weddings around here
Southern Gentleman Entertainment is a San Antonio DJ company run by Mike Hayes, who has over 18 years of experience as a DJ and specializes in weddings. His packages include emcee services, lighting and uplighting, gobo and monogram projection, and karaoke.
Harp by Margarita: Margarita has played the harp since the 1980s, tailors the music to your taste, and can bring in flute, cello or violin.
Lenny Arias is a saxophonist with over 10 years of experience who plays from the walk down the aisle through cocktail hour and the reception, blending romantic, jazz and contemporary songs.
All three are on our DJs and entertainment page. The bands our couples hired are not listed vendors, so if you want a full band, ask your venue who has played there and sounded good in the room.
A few questions from the stories above, to settle the decision. Do you have specific songs you need to hear, or a feeling you want in the room? Do your families dance? What would you spend less on to afford it? Is the ceremony covered? And whoever you hire, get the song list afterwards, and if the band waves you up on stage, go.
For the order to book everything in, see our Texas Hill Country wedding planning timeline on The Hills Wedding Guide.
