Music is a key element to most receptions, and deejays and bands have a new option to contend with -- the mp3 player.

Using a digital player at your wedding offers several advantages over a deejay or band:

Cost: All you need is an MP3 player (actually, a few), some decent speakers, and a good ear.

Control: You play what you want when you want to hear it.

No deejay or band: Fewer people to worry about being on time and behaving professionally.

Is It for You?
You have to first make sure it's going to work with your reception space. Is the wedding being held at your uncle's farmhouse for 60 guests? Or at a gilded hotel accommodating 400? Some planners recommend using digital players only for casual and intimate gatherings, since formal and large affairs almost always need the spectacle of a live band.

Choosing the MP3 route, though, doesn't mean you have to forgo live music completely. Many couples opt to have both at their reception. For example, you can break out the player for drinks and dinner but hire a band for the dancing portion of the evening.

New York City planner Elizabeth Allen uses digital music strictly for cocktail hours and after-parties: "It's a great way to create a loungey vibe." For the dinner and dancing, she prefers a band or deejay. "They connect with the crowd and can read the mood," says Allen. "If something has to shift, they can do it quickly."