How many wedding receptions have you been to where the setting, food and speeches have all been fantastic and then the band starts to play and suddenly the atmosphere dies? Within half an hour everyone is chatting at the bar and the party is all but over.
On your special day you need a guarantee that not only wills this not happen at your reception but that your wedding band for hire is the one of the talking points of the day for years to come.
Your wedding day is without question one of the most important days of your life. Everything from the ceremony to the food and reception has got to be perfect. Wedding band hire is no exception,
they have got to be top notch. Quite often the band you choose can be the difference between an amazing wedding and just an average one.
Deciding between loads of bands, budgets, styles of music, set lists, types of bands that are going to appeal to everyone's tastes can be very confusing.
Here are five top tips from one of the countries leading experts in live wedding entertainment to help you make sure you get it right.
1. GET THE BUDGET RIGHT
A lot of couples start by booking the wedding dress/suits, venue, catering, flowers etc. and then allot the remaining budget to hiring a band. With all bands for wedding, it is definitely a case of you get what you pay for. If your budget is under £1000 then our advice would be quite simple; DO NOT bother having a band. Spend the money on a really good DJ or Quartet. A band that cost £600, cost that for a reason... because they are not very good.
2. ASK FOR RECOMMENDATIONS
Word of mouth recommendations from family and friends who have used a good agency or seen a good band at previous functions are always a good way of starting the whole process off. Send a block e-mail to all your family and friends for wedding party band recommendations. Just make sure you trust their musical taste and judgement! From your initial research try to whittle the bands down to a favourites list of 3-5 and then take some time to agree on one that you both like.
3. LISTEN TO THE BAND BEFORE YOU BOOK
A lot of the top bands do not play public performances but a good agency should be able to provide you with a live music sample or video. On the better web sites you can download live performances and burn them onto CD to listen to on a good stereo system. They should also be able to provide you with up to date testimonials and photos.
4. LOOK AT THE BANDS SET LIST AND STYLE OF MUSIC
Check out the bands set list to make sure that the style of music is what you are looking for. All of the top bands should be experts at getting a crowd of mixed ages on the dance floor, but some will be rock based, some funk or disco….choose one that suits your tastes. It is also a good idea to highlight songs that you really do and do not want played at the reception.
5. USE A REPUTABLE AGENCY FOR YOUR BOOKING
If you book directly with a single band it often means that you have little come back if something goes wrong or you need to find a last minute replacement. A reputable agency will have a good web site, with contracts, up to date testimonials for the band and generally put your mind at ease over all the logistics. They will have been through the process thousands of times before and know all the necessary logistical arrangements and pitfalls in arranging the music you want.
