Wedding Music: How to Select the Perfect Band
Have you given any thought to your wedding music yet?
Music is essential for entertaining your wedding guests, and hiring a wedding music band is an excellent idea as professional wedding bands really know how to get the party started, and keep the dance floor full.
Wedding music bands and wedding singers perform a well-rounded mix of music to suit all ages, from romantic ballads and pop chart hits, to classic tunes and club anthems. They are adept at reading the audience and will perform the perfect mix of music to suit everybody. There are a variety of bands to hire, but beware, there are many pitfalls to navigate, and booking the perfect wedding band may not be as easy as you might think. You can contact bands personally, but using an experienced music booking agency will ensure that your band is of the right standard, that they play the right songs, they dress appropriately, they have the right equipment and insurance, and that they deliver the perfect performance on your wedding day.
So, how do you choose the right wedding music band?
Let’s see some tips for choosing your dream wedding music band.
1. Consult Your Venue
Where is your wedding reception being held? Does the venue allow live music bands?
Whether you choose to hold you wedding reception in a village hall or a luxury 5* hotel, no matter where you hold it it’s important to check that they allow live music bands.
Some venues have restrictions regarding live music performances, there may be time limitations or sound level limiters. It’s important to find out whether your venue has any limitations or rules and to decide whether or not you can work with them.
But don’t worry! Music booking agencies are well aware of the usual rules and restrictions that may apply, and are experienced at negotiating with venues and organising events, they will also liaise with your band to be sure everything is planned and any restrictions are understood in advance, so there;s no issue on the day.
2. Wedding Music or Band Type
There are various types of music bands, and multiple lineups, too. Whether you have a big budget or a small budget there’s live music available for you. From Pop and Rock to Jazz and Swing, there’s an abundance of live music choices and you can hire just a solo musician, a duo or trio, or a bigger band, whichever suits your requirement and fits your budget,.
It is advisable to discuss music genres with your soon to be spouse, and agree on what music you want to be performed at your wedding. Find your preferred music style or choice of styles, then decide your budget and seek out the bands that can perform what you want to hear and that fit your budget. UK Live Entertainment’s huge band list is a great place to start to short-list your favourite bands, I would personally suggest going for David Bowie Tribute which is my favourite. Their website is divided into music genres and you can filter on price and location to find bands that fit all of your criteria.
3. Plan Your Budget
It’s better to set your budget before setting out to hire a wedding music band. Music band fees vary and here’s no point in reviewing bands you simply can’t afford.
The more members in a band, the more they need to charge, so be realistic. Bands are often asked to lower their fee but most can’t as it costs a great deal of money to keep a band together and whilst their fees may seem a little high to you, you have to consider all of their costs and time, too.
Travel is a big consideration for any band these days, travel costs are high as is van hire, etc. If the band lives a considerable distance from your wedding venue then you must expect additional travel charges to be applied.
Popular, experienced, and well-established bands often charge more than upcoming bands and that’s to be expected, but all bands will have a base amount of costs that they simply cannot avoid and all of the costs have to be passed on to the client.
One way that you can save money is to use members of your evening reception band to perform at the other parts of the day, the drinks exception or wedding breakfast, or even the wedding ceremony.
Also, solo musicians can create a great sound now with the advent of loop-pedals and backing tracks, they can produce as much sound as a full band if they are experienced. So, a solo musician could be a good option if the budget is tight.
Find and Book Your Band Early
Music is one of the most important factors for your wedding so it’s always recommended to start looking for the perfect music band early.
Some bands can be very busy and their diaries can get booked way in advance, especially for premium wedding season dates.
The other advantage of booking early is that you will have lots of time to plan with your band and organise what music they will perform for your wedding. Leaving things to the last minute means a less organised approach and can lead to thighs being rushed.
4. Insurance and Electrical Safety Checks
All reputable bands will carry Public Liability Insurance and will have had their electrical equipment tasted for safety, a PAT test. Most venues will ask to see both the insurance certificate and the PAT test certificate before the band is allowed to set-up and perform.
5. No Breakup Songs
Wedding music should be cheerful and romantic, there’s no room for sad songs so review your bands set-list and offer them some of your own choices too but don’t try to control the order of play or too many songs as the band members are the experts, they need to be able to plan the play-list and to make sure there’s something there for everyone and that’s there’s plenty of musical light and shade.
6. Stay in Touch
After booking a music band, what do you do? Whatever you do, you should communicate with the wedding musicians from time to time.
7. Check out Reviews
People give reviews on social media. You can see comments on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.
Before choosing a music band, check the public reviews for them. It will help you select a better band.
When you see positive comments about a band, you trust them. But if you detect negative comments, it warns you and saves you from choosing the wrong one.
We got many good reviews from our past clients, so if you are searching for a music band don’t forget to check the review section.
8. Wedding Music Demo Show
How do you know about the chosen music band performance? Only hearing about them or reading comments on social media won’t help you discover an original music band.
So you can request a demo. You can also watch previous shows to understand their music tastes.
If you like it, then set it as suitable. But in case you find faults, then choose another one.
9. Advance Pay & Booking
There are different types of music bands, and some of them take payment first. If you want to enjoy great live music, pay in advance to book the dates.
Famous and quality musical bands have work pressures. That’s why they confirmed their schedule today by taking fees in advance.
Especially in summer, it’s challenging to get dates. So don’t forget to pay and book your favourite music band while time remains.
Plus, it saves you money. A fixed-time booking at a faraway time saves money. Booking in urgency costs more.
Final Thoughts
Your wedding is one of the most memorable events of your life. So you need the perfect wedding music band.
It will help you create and cherish wedding moments for a lifetime. You can easily find which music band suits your wedding with a little effort.
Hopefully, you understand the tips for choosing your wedding music band. So what type of music band are you going to select?