Wedding Times

Photo by maccanti

Live bands can bring energy and life to a reception. Your guests will find the presence of the band memorable. Choosing a band can be one of the most fun parts of wedding planning as you can visit different bands with your fiancé and listen to their performances. Before you get swept away in the music, make sure that you pick the right band to prepare the soundtrack to your life.

First you and your fiancé must decide what type of music you want. Do you want a local rock n’ roll cover band to play popular favorites while your guests dance to the wee hours of the morning? Or do you want something chic and elegant, such as jazz, playing in the background while people mix and mingle among the tables?

Ask family, friends, clergymen, newlyweds, and site coordinators for recommended acts. Usually, if people offer an opinion of any kind, they have seen and heard them before. Once you have the names of three or four bands under serious consideration check with the venue where you will be holding the reception. Ask if there is anything you need to know about bringing in a live band, such as space, power outlets and noise restrictions.

Begin calling the bands and set up a time to meet with them to hear them play live. While experienced bands will have recorded audio readily available, you will get a much better feel for how they perform if you see them live.

Once you have heard them play and are satisfied, take a look at their play list. If you have particular songs in mind ask them if they are able to play it. If you see some songs on their play list that you definitely don’t want, be sure to voice your opinions now!

Discuss your venue. If they’ve played there before, this will be a very short discussion as they will know what’s available to them at that venue and what they will need. If they haven’t played there before tell them how big the stage is, how many outlets will be available to them and any other relevant specifications. Ask them if, and how, they are going to comply with the site specs and see if there are any problems that will be a challenge to overcome.

When you are discussing price with the band, ask if they would like to be fed. Use this to negotiate if the band is charging more than you expected. Bands for a reception can cost up to four thousand dollars so you want to make sure that you can get a deal wherever you can. They may agree to a dinner break, with provided food, in exchange for giving you a discount on the price. Many bands may see eating on the job as unprofessional and won’t agree to it.

Lastly, make a contract that clearly states everybody’s responsibilities. Include the date and time of the reception, their responsibilities for announcements, such as toasts, the type of clothing they will wear if you have specific preferences, equipment, rates, any discounts they are offering, cancellation and refund policies. Don’t hand over any cash until all parties have signed the contract.