What exactly IS a wedding band?

Some people perceive a live wedding band as a group of snobby musicians in powder blue tuxedos with ruffled shirts and huge bow ties performing "Feelings" as the wedding reception entertainment.  Others recall the movie "The Wedding Singer" that starred Adam Sandler, as his backup singer went through multiple iterations of "Do You Really Want To Hurt Me" by Culture Club.

It is these perceptions that we're going to try and dispel right here and now.

Oracle Band - Wedding Professionals

Oracle is a group of professional musicians, wedding "professionals", that knows how to put FUN at the top of the list.  For your wedding reception entertainment you want to make sure everyone is comfortable with the band...feels free to walk up and make a request, grab a tambourine and play along.  We want you to feel comfortable with us.

We have been a wedding band long enough to understand that it is the bride and the groom that are the primary focus of attention at the wedding reception, NOT the band.  We're there to encourage folks to dance, party, and have a great time, without getting in the way of the reason everyone is there...to celebrate a marriage.

Talent Agencies, Entertainment Agencies, Music Brokers

Oracle is not a talent agency.  We're an independent band, which means that you're always dealing directly with the musicians.  When you have a request you don't have to call your entertainment agency and ask someone there, and then hope they will forward the message on to the band.  

While we have nothing against talent agencies, brokers, or entertainment agencies, we feel that the commissions they earn for answering the phone would be better applied towards saving YOU, the consumer, an extra 10% to 20%, (or more), which is what most agents take.  By keeping our overhead low and by not having to pass on agency commissions, we are able to keep our prices significantly lower than most other live bands out there.

An important point needs to be made here though.  Just because Oracle Band is less expensive than most other bands, that doesn't mean the QUALITY is any lower.  You still get a top flight live band for significantly less money than what other wedding bands charge.

Oracle Band Repertoire - Our Songlist

Our repertoire is expansive and varied, just as your guests' tastes probably are.  From swing to classic rock, oldies to Top 40, from country to Motown, everyone has different likes and dislikes.  The trick is to blend these various styles into a mix that will have everyone dancing to the music they are familiar with.  The mix of fast songs and slow songs, of old and new, of styles...all of these contribute to the feeling that the party is in full swing.  Do too many slow songs and the mood gets tired...do too many fast songs and your GUESTS get tired! 

We encourage our clients to pick their favorite songs from our songlist, as well as our list of suggested first dance songs.  With almost 500 songs to choose from there is no reason why our band or any other should need to play the same two dozen "wedding songs" at every reception.  We look for some variety, reflective of the tastes of the bride, the groom, and their families and friends.

A decent wedding band is one that will get people up dancing without having to beg.  They let the music drive the people to the dance floor.  How many DJs have you heard go "Oh come on everyone, come onto the dance floor".  When you have to beg like that, you're not playing the right music for the crowd. 

Wedding Party Introductions Done Right

Then there are introductions.  How many times have you heard a DJ or MC make a hash of someone's name as he or she introduced the wedding party?  A good wedding band will know to prepare to do introductions IN ADVANCE.  

We will go over the names with the bride or the groom in advance, and will actually practice any that are difficult.  We then print the names out phonetically so that when the big moment comes our MC isn't standing there trying to sort out his notes.

Personalized Service to Match YOUR Personality

Oracle is not a "cookie cutter" kind of band, where each wedding reception we do is just like the last.  We work closely with our clients to personalize things as much as possible, so that the personalities of the bride and groom are reflected in the proceedings. 

For example. if the bride doesn't want to do the whole bouquet toss thing and put her single friends on the spot, we'll suggest alternatives to make the moment more meaningful and reflective of the bride's personality.

What Makes Oracle Different?

With some many bands out there, one has to wonder a bit what makes one band different from another.

One of the main things that sets Oracle apart from most of the other bands out there is that we really do ENJOY what we do.  We love to perform, whether it's at a wedding, private party, holiday party, restaurant, concert, or nightclub.

By maintaining an extensive public performance schedule you can actually come out to see and hear the band performing live, without having to crash someone else's wedding.  Some years ago this is the way EVERYONE decided on a band...they got a bunch of friends together and went out partying, and when they heard a band that really got the crowd going, that was the band they hired.

Unfortunately times have changed, and most so called "professional wedding bands" consider themselves too good to perform in public anymore.  Now you have to rely on slick DVD productions done in a studio with equipment they have no hope of bringing with them to your reception.  How can you possibly compare bands when they don't look or sound like what's on the DVD?  Crash someone else's wedding?  The only really safe way is to come hear the band LIVE in a public setting.

Have FUN While Working On Wedding Plans!

What other wedding service can you go shopping for by going to a restaurant or nightclub, have a few drinks, dance, and party, and still be working on wedding stuff?  Hey...you can't do that when you're looking for a photographer, (no offense to the photographers out there)!  Heck, even if you didn't think you wanted a band, we promise you'll still have a great time when you come out to one of our performances.

It's entirely up to you as to whether you tell us you're there to check us out or not.  Some people prefer anonymity, at least at first.  However, we would love to have you come up and say hello.  Perhaps we can play a request for you...maybe even try out your first dance song!  In any event, the keywords for an Oracle performance are YOU and FUN!

Live Band vs DJ - the debate continues

Speaking of deciding about having a band, we've written a thought provoking article on the whole Band vs DJ decision. 

So many couples these days simply assume they are going to get a DJ, when they haven't really considered all of the advantages a live band has over a DJ. 

Check out the article, and we'd love to hear your feedback.  Heaven knows we've gotten a LOT of it over the years...mostly from

Booking Oracle Band for your Wedding

If you'd like to find out more about how to go about booking the band, our rates, how to select songs, or other information, we have a couple of resources here on the site to help you. 

The first is our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page, which has the answers to most of the commonly asked questions people ask about the whole process of having a band at their reception.

The other page to check out is the "About The Band" page, which has all of our pricing information, as well as other information about the band, our contract, and our repertoire.

Other Wedding Information

Oracle is a member of the Association of Wedding Professionals, a group of service providers dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of professionalism and ethics within the wedding industry.

We also maintain on this site an extensive list of wedding related links and information, as well as numerous articles written by the band's trumpet player and manager, who has been a part of the Washington Baltimore Annapolis wedding scene for almost 30 years. We have one of the area's most complete lists of upcoming bridal shows, as well as information on the legal aspects of getting married in Maryland.

Oracle Band
19359 Keymar Way
Gaithersburg, Maryland 20886
(800) 470-0711 (Toll Free)
(301) 258-9382 (Local)
E-mail: