If you are trying to choose your live wedding band, but you’re not sure where to start, then this is for you! Today I’m joined by three amazing wedding bands who will pop in throughout the episode and help us with expert advice on how to choose your wedding band.
A HUGE thank you to Alan from Long Time Coming, Caoilfhionn from The Crush and Stephen from The LOLs for joining me for this episode.
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Episode breakdown
Before we begin, I asked Alan from Long Time Coming: Why should a couple hire a live wedding band that performs professionally as opposed to asking some friends to perform for them?
Here’s what Alan said:
- Keep everybody entertained and keep the dance floor full all night long!
- Professional bands know how to read the crowd and make changes accordingly (because no two weddings are the same).
- Bands are brilliant at interacting with the crowd!
Step 1: Determine your sound
What type of music do you love? What type of music do your friends and family love? Are you looking for music that’s laid back and intimate or do you want a party atmosphere with a full dance floor?
Caoilfhionn from The Crush helps us to understand the different styles of wedding music:
- Most are cover bands.
- Some are trad or folk or even disco folk! You’ve got 80s, 90s tribute bands, rock bands, and floor fillers (everything from the 50s to the hits of now, with some country jive thrown in).
- Ask yourself: what is your personal taste?
- Bands try to cater to everybody’s taste with what they do and the songs they perform.
- There’s a big range out there!
Step 2: Understand what’s included
There are many different types of wedding bands – some come with a DJ service, some come with their own sound and lighting rig, most will be willing to learn special songs for your Big Day. The point here is to find out what your prospective live wedding band includes in their packages.
You could have live music at your ceremony, during cocktail hour, throughout dinner and to entertain guests for dancing – do you want one band to cover all of this, or multiple singers and musicians throughout the day? Consider your options!
Step 3: Ask for recommendations
Want to know what other couples are doing? Here are a few ways you can find out:
- Talk to your other wedding suppliers (venue, planner, etc) and ask if they have worked with any great wedding bands (they usually have!) and check out the ones they recommend.
- Join the HIGM Facebook Community and ask couples in your area who they’ve chosen and what their experience has been like.
Step 4: Go to a live band showcase
A brilliant way to see if a band is for you is to watch them perform live! Every week, wedding bands across the country host live wedding showcases where anybody can go along and watch them perform. We share these details on the weddingsonline website and on Instagram, so keep an eye out!
Stephen from The LOLs helps us understand why attending a wedding band’s live showcase is a great way to check them out:
The main advantage of going to a live band showcase is that you can see your band in a live setting! You can hear how they sound, see how they perform and get an insight into the personality of the band, as well as how they interact with you and your guests!
Phone videos won’t give you an accurate representation of a band, because the sound quality isn’t great. So don’t base your decision on those! The videos on websites are a better representation but you just can’t beat coming to see a wedding band live. Human interaction will always win!
Step 5: Talk to your venue
Find out if your wedding venue will allow live music and if there are any sound restrictions that you need to adhere to. Do they have any recommendations? Do they have any sound equipment in the venue or should you hire a band that comes with their own full set up?
Bonus: Other things to keep in mind when you choose your live wedding band
And finally, I asked Alan from Long Time Coming if there is anything else a couple should keep in mind when choosing their live wedding band:
- Most wedding bands are booked two years in advance.
- Start with venue / celebrant and then look for your band.
- If you love them, book them straight away before they get snapped up by somebody else.
- Check in with your band for other services (like DJ, sax, ceremony music, drinks reception etc) for the ‘one stop shop’ with your wedding band.
