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Suffering From Live Wedding Band Angst?

Today we have a special guest for you with a fabulous Q&A post to help you with your wedding band booking dilemmas. Mel Lazarus is from the award winning wedding band boutique My Fabulous Wedding Band.

Over to Mel...

It's true. Finding and booking the perfect live band for your wedding can be a real Musical Minefield. So when the delightful Val asked me if I would help to soothe some of her clients' nerves about doing just that, I felt duty-bound to offer a lifeline to overwhelmed brides & grooms everywhere...

Q: Why should I hire a band?

If your conundrum is Live Band vs DJ for your wedding, then pound for pound, you can't beat a great live band. It creates anticipation and excitement, engages your guests and gets them on the dance floor, and makes for an all-round more memorable wedding party. I would caveat that though by saying that not ALL bands are a better option, it of course depends on the quality of the band. It's arguably better to spend £700 on a really great DJ than £1,000 on a deeply mediocre live band.

Q: Will I need a DJ as well as a band?

If you have more than 1½ to 2 hours to fill between band sets or when the band finishes, then it's worth getting a good DJ. Otherwise, it's a rather expensive investment for the sake of an hour at the end of the evening! Also, a great band will of course be able to keep guests dancing well into the night, even if it is a genre-based band (e.g. Swing, Latin, Jazz) they should have a repertoire that extends into dance floor-filling classics.

Q: Is it possible for me to hear the band perform live before I book them?

Most bands can arrange for you to discreetly pop your nose round the door of a wedding that they're performing at. But the live bands at the top of their game will also perform at public venues, so you can make a night of it without feeling like too much of an intruder! Don't forget to ask the band for VIP guest list. In an ideal world, the band would have such outstanding audio, live performance and client testimonial video on their website from weddings you can relate to, that you feel compelled to book them right there from the comfort of your sofa.

Q: What will they be wearing?

Your band should always look smart, well-presented and appropriate for the occasion. A touch of glamour is good, and you want them to show a bit of personality to add to the overall performance. (N.B. Jeans are a definite no-no, unless you've booked an old school Country style band for your rustic barn knees up!)

Q: Do I need to feed them?

If you aren't already contracted to do so, providing your band with a hot meal is definitely a good thing to do. After a long journey, setting up, sound checking etc, a good quality hot meal really makes all the difference to the band and their performance! Ideally they'd eat the same as your guests, although if you're dining on lobster and caviar, then you might want to ask your caterer to prepare a separate ‘one pot' dish or two for them. If providing hot meals is too difficult or puts you to undue expense, then you could agree a meal allowance for the band on the night.

Q: How long does the band need to set up and can they set up early?

Ideally they would have 2 hours, but it can be done in an hour. Bands can of course set up early, but there would be supplementary fees involved. Also don't make the mistake of getting the band in too early, as sitting around for hours before the performance can sap energy levels!

Q: What is a rider?

 A standard rider is a document that lists all of the band's requirements at the venue i.e. changing room, food & drink. A technical rider (no prizes for guessing) runs through what technical equipment the band will need at the venue.

Q: Does the band play a set piece or can they accept guest requests on the night?

The band should try to accommodate a couple of guest requests on the night - within reason - but there's a lot to be said for allowing the band to use its experience and expertise in ‘reading the room' and delivering the right songs at the right moment (after all, that's what you're paying a great band to do!) So just be aware that too many guest requests could interrupt the flow of the party. Favourite song requests from the bride & groom before the event - again, within reason - should always try to be accommodated by the band.

Q: How long will they perform for?

As a general rule of thumb, bands will perform for 2 hours (with at least 1 break of minimum 20 minutes) OR they'll perform 3 x 40 minute sets, depending on how the bride & groom want their evening to pan out.

Q: What can I expect to pay?

The market for live wedding bands isn't like car insurance - sadly no cute furry meerkats or comparison websites. Many different factors affect the price of a band, so it's almost impossible to provide an ‘industry standard'. But in an attempt to give you a very broad overview, we might compare what you could expect to get for a 6 piece band within each of the following price brackets:

Up to £1,000: Typically a hobby band made up of a group of mates with a shared interest in music. Likely to play at a local pub or club for some ‘beer money' at weekends. A riskier option in terms of musicianship, experience, professionalism and maintenance of equipment.

£1,000 to £2,000: Typically a semi professional or possibly full time professional band. Expect competent and good musicianship, greater flexibility, decent PA sound system and stage lighting and an element of service with a relatively responsive band representative.

£2,000 Upwards: A full time professional band working at the top of their game, a band leader with a wide network of professional musicians, flexibility to work with bride & groom's specific requests, watertight contracts, excellent marketing materials, high levels of customer service, well maintained equipment for up to 250 guests. Character, energy, and charisma in spades.

Mel

Thanks Mel for such a great wedding band checklist!

Until next time..

Val x

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