One of the most difficult things about planning a marriage ceremony is trying to sift through all the possibilities when you’re trying to book a band for a wedding. You want to make sure that you can wow the guests, of course, but you also want to make sure that both the bride and groom are going to be pleased – which isn’t always easy, especially if they don’t share the exact same musical taste.
Of course, the bride and groom should collaborate to figure out which band will work best for their wedding. We’ve taken some research done by music experts as well as aspiring lovers and concluded some tips that should help you choose what band will suit your wedding.
There are three basic ways that typically help brides and grooms figure out which bands will be able to play at their wedding.
- Going to an event, such as a concert or a party. You’ll be able to actually talk to some musicians here and see if they’re willing to play at smaller venues like your wedding. You can also approach independent musicians at bars or open mics at cafes.
- Getting a recommendation from a friend who has recently got married or a friend or family member who has recently been to a wedding. As long as they have similar music taste, they’ll be able to give you some good recommendations.
- Searching online is a great way to help you find out what bands are locally available to play at weddings. There are agents, websites, and all manner of places to help you find available messages.
The part that more people are concerned about is whether or not they’re going to be able to find a band that actually suits both of them. The best way to really go about doing this is to listen to the music of bands who are available for playing at their bands.
Of course, it’s not the best way to listen to music for the express purpose of forcing yourself to find one that fits for your band. Other choices in this regard are to wait for a band to become available – which might mean holding off the wedding celebration, which shouldn’t be a huge issue if you know the two of you are actually still going to be together. The wedding just the celebration, so it’s worth waiting until you can get the formula straight.
Other things to consider are:
- When do you want the dancing to occur? Before dinner? After dinner? During dinner, for those people who can’t sit down? What about all three? Discuss this with the musician and consider it when deciding on the type of music that you’re going to have play.
- The price! Live music isn’t cheap – it’s a good idea to take your budget into account. This might mean that you’ll be better off choosing an independent musician. Get one of your friends to play at your wedding! They’ll probably do it for free.
- If you’re part of the electronic generation, you might be more interested in getting a DJ. If this is the case, make sure you hire someone to manage lights and visuals, because it’s not easy to compete with the aesthetic value of hiring a live band.
- You can just get a band that plays a wide variety of music and covers. That way you’ll be able to request songs at the wedding, or at least figure out a nice playlist that will work for everyone who’s going to be involved.
- Also, you should think about how much space you’ll need. The size of the band might impact the size of the venue that you need to get for your wedding. A standard band will need space for bass, drums, guitars, keyboards, and the space for everyone playing those instruments plus a vocalist. This is another reason that independent musicians are a good idea for weddings.
In conclusion:
Choosing a band for a wedding can be a daunting process, but it’ll be worthwhile if you put the time and effort into it. Hopefully these tips will help you make a good decision and will make it easier for you to fully plan out your wedding!
Photo courtesy of Fine Art Wedding Photographer.
