{"id":281182,"date":"2020-08-01T08:00:52","date_gmt":"2020-08-01T07:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/whimsicalwonderlandweddings.com\/?p=281182"},"modified":"2026-02-09T18:29:57","modified_gmt":"2026-02-09T18:29:57","slug":"wedding-music-checklist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wedissimo.com\/blog\/wedding-music-checklist\/","title":{"rendered":"Your Live Wedding Music Checklist"},"content":{"rendered":"

Here\u2019s a checklist of things to think about before booking live music for your wedding<\/a>, along with some practical tips and advice on how to make the most of having live music for your special day.<\/p>\n

\"Wedding<\/p>\n

Image by Marcus Charter<\/p>\n

Wedding Music Checklist<\/h2>\n

Whether you\u2019d like a solo guitarist to play for the wedding ceremony, or a huge party band to perform in the evening, live wedding music<\/a> is a great investment. It really brings your wedding day to life, and the entertainment is often one of the parts of the day that your guests will remember the most.<\/p>\n

Follow these tips, written by experienced wedding musician Mike Paul-Smith, to make sure you make the most of the live music you book for your wedding \u2013 starting off with how to find the right band for your wedding.<\/p>\n\n

How do I search for a wedding band?<\/h3>\n

There are so many wedding bands out there that it can be hard to know where to start! Because wedding bands tend only to play at private events, it can be hard to go and see them live before booking them \u2013 and for that reason, I would recommend asking friends and relatives for recommendations of bands they have seen at other events as a good starting point.<\/p>\n

If asking friends doesn\u2019t get you anywhere, Google is your friend \u2013 if you enter words like \u201cwedding soul band\u201d into Google you\u2019ll start getting results and you\u2019ll be able to see the range and styles of bands available. I\u2019d really encourage you not just to click on the first page but to hunt around on page 2, 3 and 4 of the search results as well \u2013 you\u2019ll often find some excellent bands who don\u2019t come up so high on Google.<\/p>\n

When you have a short-list of wedding bands, I would recommend reading all<\/em> their reviews from previous clients and would tend to trust a band with the longest history of reviews. You\u2019ll also want to compare the band\u2019s videos, and I would tend to trust \u201clive\u201d videos which have been filmed in front of an audience slightly more than \u201cstudio\u201d videos which have been recorded in a controlled environment.<\/p>\n

You might find that all the bands you\u2019re finding are out of budget. If that\u2019s the case, and you\u2019re still set on having live music, I would search for \u201cwedding band in [your location]\u201d and trawl through pages 5 to 10 of Google to see if you can find a young, local band who are just starting out \u2013 every wedding band started out like that and you can often find a bargain!<\/p>\n

One decision you might need to make is whether you book a band directly or through an agency. The advantage of booking with an agency is that they do much of the search work for you once you\u2019ve told them your budget and music preferences; there is also more security, as they will have other bands able to perform for you in the very rare event that your original band cancels. However, there is obviously an increased cost associated with booking through an agency and many excellent bands can\u2019t be booked through an agency \u2013 as long as you read the contract carefully, you shouldn\u2019t need to worry about booking a band direct.<\/p>\n

\"Wedding<\/p>\n

Image by Martin Phelps Photography<\/p>\n

Does your venue have a sound limiter?<\/h3>\n

If want to have live music at your wedding reception, it\u2019s really important to check whether or not your venue has a sound limiter before you sign on the dotted line.<\/p>\n

These are devices that cut the power to the band or DJ when the volume exceeds a pre-defined limit, and often venues have had to install them as part of their licence.<\/p>\n

If there is a noise limit in place, it doesn\u2019t mean you can\u2019t<\/em> have live music \u2013 but it\u2019s important to know in advance so that your musicians can plan accordingly. Generally speaking, most bands will be able to perform without any problems if there is a noise limit of 95 dB and above, although some louder pop\/rock bands might not be able to. If the noise limit is between 85 and 95 dB, most bands should be OK but might need to make a few adjustments. Below 85 dB, it is quite hard to have amplified music but you could consider an acoustic roaming band or solo musicians.<\/p>\n\n

\"Wedding<\/p>\n

Image by Sarah Legge Photography<\/p>\n

Does your venue have any restrictions on amplified music?<\/h3>\n

Some venues don\u2019t allow amplified music, so it\u2019s important to check with them in advance.<\/p>\n

However, it\u2019s no problem if you can\u2019t have amplified music because there are some great acoustic options available.<\/p>\n

If you want a party or festival feel at a venue which doesn\u2019t allow amplified music, your best bet is a brass band or a salsa band. These bands have a really big sound and perform with loads of energy \u2013 often covering modern pop and disco hits in a brass band or salsa style, with all the energy you need to get people up and dancing.<\/p>\n

\"Wedding<\/p>\n

If the band is playing outdoors, is power available?<\/h3>\n

If you want live music outdoors for the wedding ceremony or drinks reception, check whether or not the venue can run power to the musicians. If they can, you\u2019ll have a wide choice of bands available; if not, you\u2019ll probably want to explore some of the great \u201cacoustic\u201d options which don\u2019t require power.<\/p>\n

One of the most popular options at the moment for acoustic entertainment is a roaming band (often a trio or quartet consisting of a combination of acoustic guitars, vocalists, horn players and percussionists), who move amongst your guests and entertain them with lively, feel-good music.<\/p>\n

Alternatively, consider a string quartet \u2013 usually a string quartet can\u2019t roam around a venue, but they can perform completely acoustically. Most string quartets have a huge repertoire that doesn\u2019t just include classical music, and they really add a touch of class to your wedding day.<\/p>\n

\"Wedding<\/p>\n

Image by Sarah Legge Photography<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re in a marquee, is the power supply suitable?<\/h3>\n

If you\u2019re putting up a marquee in your garden, the one thing not<\/em> to scrimp on is power. Running long power cables from a house is a very bad idea when you have a band or caterers, so please hire a generator and an electrician who can install it properly.<\/p>\n

Is there a wet weather plan in place?<\/h3>\n

It might sound obvious but do make sure there is a wet weather plan if you\u2019re considering an outdoor ceremony or drinks reception \u2013 you\u2019d be surprised how often there isn\u2019t, even in a country with weather as variable as the UK!<\/p>\n

\"Wedding<\/p>\n

Image by Sarah Legge Photography<\/p>\n

Is there enough space for the band to perform?<\/h3>\n

It\u2019s a good idea to make sure the band has enough space to perform early on. A party band will usually require around 5m by 3m; a background band will usually need something like 3m by 3m. However every band is different so it\u2019s best you check with your favourite before booking.<\/p>\n

\"Wedding<\/p>\n

Image by Marcus Charter<\/p>\n

Where will the band get changed?<\/h3>\n

If you\u2019re having a live party band, it\u2019s important you give some consideration to the logistics \u2013 and you might require your venue\u2019s help here.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s very important that you provide a green room for the band to get changed, store instrument cases and use in their breaks \u2013 as you probably don\u2019t want to see musicians or their gear cluttering your beautiful venue!<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also worth thinking about when the band will set up. Many couples would like the band to be set up before you sit down for dinner, but do be aware that this means an early start for the band and can therefore push costs up. It\u2019s actually usually not that disruptive having the band set up during or after dinner and it does save you money, so it\u2019s definitely worth considering.<\/p>\n

\"Wedding<\/p>\n

Image by Martin Phelps Photography<\/p>\n

When will you feed the band?<\/h3>\n

Most party bands expect a hot meal, as the working day for musicians is usually at least 10 hours long and takes them many miles from home.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d really encourage you to feed your band properly, and to ask your venue to make sure they are looked after. A well-fed, happy band will be enormously grateful and will put in a fantastic performance for you!<\/p>\n

One tip if you\u2019re feeding the band from the evening buffet or hog roast \u2013 ask the venue staff to serve the band first, or get them to keep some food aside. It\u2019s a purely practical bit of advice, because I\u2019ve been at loads of weddings where the band has been made to wait at the back of the queue until all guests have been served, meaning that the band is late starting the second set and which causes all the timings to slip.<\/p>\n

3 other top tips!<\/h2>\n

Here are three other top tips I\u2019ve learnt from 15 years of providing music at wedding receptions.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Ask your photographer to stay for the party. Most photography packages end after the first dance but if you have any budget left, ask your photographer how much they would charge to stay for an hour of the party. It\u2019s one of the most memorable bits of the day and it\u2019s a shame it often doesn\u2019t get the photos it deserves!<\/li>\n
  2. Don\u2019t start your band too early after dinner and the speeches \u2013 give your guests about 30 to 45 minutes to stretch their legs, get a drink from the bar, and make a few new friends before you kick off the party.<\/li>\n
  3. You\u2019re the centre of the party! Wedding guests gravitate towards the happy couple \u2013 so if you want everyone up and dancing, all you need to do is make sure the two of you are on the dancefloor and everyone else will be too!<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    THIS IS A GUEST FEATURE WRITTEN BY \/\/ Mike Paul-Smith \/\/ Down For The Count<\/a><\/p>\n

    Mike Paul-Smith is the manager and band leader of Down for the Count. Over the past 15 years he has created bespoke wedding music packages at luxury weddings throughout the UK and abroad.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    \"Wedding<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    The ultimate checklist to ensure your live wedding music goes without a hitch. Top tips for ensuring your are fully prepared for your wedding entertainment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":281184,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6768,3186],"tags":[74,1340,539,249],"class_list":["post-281182","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wedding-music","category-planning","tag-guest-post","tag-live-music","tag-wedding-band","tag-wedding-entertainment"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"mv":{"thumbnail_id":281184,"thumbnail_uri":"https:\/\/whimsical-cdn.wedissimo.com\/2020\/07\/Ailsa-Will-679-300x200.jpg"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wedissimo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/281182","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wedissimo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wedissimo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wedissimo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wedissimo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=281182"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/wedissimo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/281182\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":400853,"href":"https:\/\/wedissimo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/281182\/revisions\/400853"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wedissimo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/281184"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wedissimo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=281182"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wedissimo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=281182"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wedissimo.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=281182"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}