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Hi,
If trying to take an economical approach, go for the Wheel Balancing 1st. This is an As Needed maintenance item which has no mileage or time limit. Your alignment can go out on the way home from the alignment shop under certain circumstances (hitting potholes, speed bumps, etc the wrong way), and most people's alignments are usually not exactly spot on after several thousand miles of driving. And, it more often the cause than Wheel Bearings - the odds are in it's being the cause. That said, it may well turn out to be the wheel bearings and the simple Shimmy and Shake test won't always rule them out.
Be sure to have the wheels dynamically, or Road Force, balanced using a Hunter 97XX machine. This will cost you about $100, and if it solves the problem (as the odds dictate, but don't insure), you're done. If it doesn't solve the problem, well it's there's a good chance you needed it anyway and it may have contributed to a Wheel Bearing issue. Hope this helps...
Happy Motoring!... Jim
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