A wedding day, one of the most anticipated and special moments in a couples life, when it comes to planning the wedding, it can be more stressful than enjoyable.
From the dress, flower display and centrepieces to the final choice of music that you organise for your wedding reception.
All these key elements are to be tied together to help create a truly special day that the married couple and guests can remember for years to come.
One part of the wedding planning that can bring much confusion and added stress to the planning process and that is how to hire a wedding band.
With questions to be asked to any prospective band, there are criterias and conditions that must be checked before you can sign the contract and dance the night away to your band of choice.
Within this blog, we aim to walk you through our 5 top recommended tips to hire a wedding band. Keep reading to discover them for yourself.
Top 5 tips when hiring your wedding band
1- Determine what style of band you want
It may be that you were thinking of an upbeat DJ to play the latest tracks all night long, or perhaps a 5-piece Jazz band. Before you progress and start conducting any research for a potential band for your wedding, first discover what you want.
Take the time to work out what you want, but also what your budget can afford. It may be that you can only afford a DJ and the cost of a live band is inaccessible.
2- Do your research
You have taken the time to discover what type of band you would like to play at your wedding reception and have determined whether it is within your available budget. The time has now come to do your research.
Before looking for a band, consider asking your wedding venue if they have any restrictions in place when it comes to live music.
Some wedding venues have a maximum watt limit that can be plugged in, this should be considered when it comes to speakers, while other wedding venues, particularly hotels may have a noise limit and a time within the evening that music should finish by.
If you are planning a wedding in a rural location, your time spent conducting your research could highlight only a select number of bands who may be willing and able to commute for the gig. The time that you spend conducting research is vital and can help to highlight which bands are best suited for performing on your special day.
3- Communicate with the band
You have made your final selection and have ensured that it meets your available budget, the time has now come to reach out and communicate with the band.
Along with discussing their skills, portfolio of available songs and pay, it is recommended that you discuss breaks and working hours.
Does the band need to set up in advance? If you are hiring the band for a long duration, tea and coffee breaks will be required to help keep the band energised and hydrated.
Discuss all these vital parts and make sure that they are added to the contract to ensure that the big day runs as smoothly as possible.
4- Don’t get attached to the playlist
It’s your big special day, your one wedding (you hope!) and you want it to be as magical as possible. Along with putting together the wedding favours and organising the seating plan, chances are you have drawn up a rough playlist for your chosen band to play. The fourth top tip for hiring a wedding band and that is not to get attached to the playlist. Give the band a clear idea of the genre and type of music that you, the couple prefers, but do not become attached to the songs that they play. You need to trust your wedding band and their experience playing at weddings and other important events.
With experience and an ability to read the atmosphere within the room, your chosen wedding band can respond to the atmosphere of the guests on the dance floor and ensure that they are playing the best music possible. Trust them, they’re the experts.
5- The contract
It may seem a formal and serious addition to the planning of your wedding day, but the creation of a contract is vital and should not go ignored. Along with the creation of a contract, reviewing it is also recommended.
To book the presence of the wedding band, a deposit will need to be paid before the big day, but what happens if the band doesn’t arrive? With the use of the contract, you are covered against a potential delay or no show. The contract is the perfect location to put any agreed breaks, meals and start and end times.
This can ensure that both parties are covered and that the married couple can relax, unwind and dance the evening away without the worry of constantly checking on all the small details.
When creating the contract, be sure to double, double and then double check again.
Conclusion
There you have it, 5 top tips when it comes to hiring a band for your big day. A special moment and a memory to treasure for the rest of your life, make sure that all the details are organised and have been finalised through the addition of a contract.
Fun to organise, it is advised that you get all the essential information before you can begin the exciting task of choosing your final wedding band of choice. From where you intend to host the wedding, any restrictions that you may have, to the budget you have to play with, you can ensure that your band hunting experience is a good one.
We would love to hear from you and to discover your experience when hiring a wedding band and which of these top tips you were unaware of and would have proved valuable when planning your wedding? Comment below and share your experience with us today.