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Wedding Bands: How to Find “The One”

Wedding Bands: How to Find “The One”

By Sarah McBrien 

Selecting the entertainment for your wedding day is one of the most important decisions you will make for your celebrations. For many people, especially those of us who have never booked a band before, it can seem a daunting challenge as you may not be exactly sure what you want. To help you figure that out and know for certain a band is right for you, we’ve put together a few tips on getting the perfect entertainers so you can be sure you’re getting the right one for you and your day. 

Picking a genre 

You should have your theme, venue and guest list finalised before you start booking entertainment as they are the most contributing factors to the vibe of your wedding day, and your band must suit that. Finding a live act that fits you, your fiancé’s, and your guests’ tastes can be difficult, but you have nearly infinite options. Do you want a crowd pleaser who’ll bang out all the hits, something more stylised like a swing band, a little novelty from a tribute act or someone slower with an acoustic vibe? If you feel all your guests may not enjoy your live act selection, booking a DJ to play the favourites afterwards is always a popular option. 

See them in action 

Once you have your top picks in order, be sure to get in contact with the band directly, through a member of the group or their manager. First check their availability, if they are already booked on your wedding date there is no point in pursuing them further. Next find out when and where they will be playing next to see them live. Nothing beats the real experience and doing this will give you the best idea of how they might do on your day. Once you know who you want to book them a.s.a.p and start going through their set lists and make requests for any songs you may want them to learn, like your first dance. 

It’s all about timing 

Wedding bands usually play for two to three hours, depending on their set list. Find out exactly how long they will play for and schedule it appropriately in your wedding timeline. Entertainment normally begins after the meal, but if things run over time some bands may not be willing to make up the lost songs. To avoid this, ensure there is a buffer period between the meal ending and the band starting to play. The logistics you’ll have to work out yourself with your venue. As most wedding venues will have hosted music before you shouldn’t have any problems with the stage set up, but it’s best practice to find out from the band their exact requirements to be sure. 

 

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