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Typically you don’t need to provide a stage for a live wedding band or wedding entertainers but renting a stage can enhance the look and performance of any live wedding entertainment you book. Stages can be quite expensive to hire but some venues can provide stages as part of their booking packages or even at no cost, so it’s always worth checking the options.
Over the many years of all of us here at Seventh Second providing live wedding bands for weddings of all shapes and sizes around the UK and aboard, I’ve been asked many times whether we needed a stage to perform on just like From the Top did above. In today’s guide, I’ll explain when your live wedding entertainment may need a stage, when they may not and if it’s worth getting hold of one at all. Today’s advice is relevant for weddings, parties, and events so if you are planning any event with live entertainment, read on!
Before I get into today’s guide, I should mention that we have loads of guides showcasing our award-winning wedding bands so why not take a look below?
Let me start with why you should hire a stage for your lovely live wedding entertainment.
No musician is going to disagree with the fact that they look, sound, and perform better on a stage. Imagine watching an artist headline Glastonbury without a great stage to perform on! Yes, your wedding isn’t quite as big as Glastonbury but a stage always makes any live wedding band, wedding DJ, or other entertainment look pretty cool. It’s that simple really!
Following on nicely from my first point, stages offer a focal point for people to gather and dance around. Sounds obvious but if you do dream of a packed wedding dance floor with your live wedding band blasting out the tunes you love, a stage can really help bring everyone together and get them busting those shapes. A stage says “party time” to most people and will help get that dance floor rocking. Dance floors help a lot with this too so check out our guide all about whether you need one of those here.
Stages offer extra safety for you and your wedding entertainment too. Ask any seasoned wedding musician or entertainer about the mishaps and accidents they’ve experienced when not performing on a stage and the list will be funny/not funny and pretty long. Guests falling on them, stealing microphones, spilling drinks over them or their equipment, and tripping over cables are just some of the stories you will hear. Stages pretty much stop that from occurring and also keep your guests safe from your entertainer’s electrical equipment, drinks, and fun, flamboyant performances. You never want to witness a guest and lead singer crash into each other on the dance floor by mistake. Trust me on that one!
Even though covid seems long behind us, social distancing rules can still apply at some venues and a stage can help aid that and make guests feel safe and secure at your wedding. Here at Seventh Second we’ve been offering help and advice to wedding couples who needed it during the pandemic and will continue to do so. We are here 7 days a week, 10 am to 10 pm to help and offer advice regarding your wedding entertainment worries, issues, or queries. Contact us via email, live chat, phone, text, on all the usual social channels, or read our covid cover guide for more.
Anyway back to the pros of having a stage at your wedding venue. Weddings are special times in our lives and will be one of the highlights of your and your guests’ lives. They are truly special occasions which I love to perform at in our bands so why not add to the occasion with a stage? Stages can add a real touch of class, occasion, and style to your wedding venue and will highlight just how brilliant your wedding entertainment is. It’s time to celebrate in style!
Doesn’t it annoy you when you’re at a gig, wedding, party, or other event and you can’t see the band for all the taller people standing in front of you? You just want to see the band perform! Well, a stage neatly solves that problem and so if you feel some of your guests may struggle to watch and enjoy your live wedding entertainment’s performance without the use of a stage, you may now have your answer on whether you need one or not!
Many wedding venues can offer you the use of a stage for free or at a reasonable price that can then be built into your wedding package. If that’s the case, why not get hold of that stage, especially if it’s free? As you can see, there are plenty of positives to having one so always ask your wedding venue about any stage they may have.
Here’s why you shouldn’t have that stage set up at your wedding venue
Renting a stage can be expensive, even if it’s included in your wedding venues’ packages which can sometimes be the only way to have one at your wedding. A stage usually isn’t essential so why add the extra expense? Weddings are expensive so unless you love the pros of a stage, save yourself some money and spend it on a hugely popular wedding band like Paper Boats above!
If your venue doesn’t rent stages it may be because they simply can’t fit a workable one in! I’ve performed on some very small stages (I’m talking 3×2 metres) and they are too small to be of any use and can actually be quite dangerous. Bigger stages are needed for wedding bands and entertainers to perform properly so check the dimensions of your venue as they may not even be able to fit one in for you. Wedding DJs can sometimes work with smaller stages but always ask any wedding entertainment you hire what stage size they need.
Below is a guide on how much space wedding bands need to perform and if you want to translate this into the stage space they would require, simply add a couple of metres or 3 feet to each sizing.
Band line-up size Minimum space (m) Minimum space (ft)
Solo 2×2 metres 6×6 feet
2 piece band 3×3 metres 9×9 feet
3 piece band 3×3 metres 9×9 feet
4 piece band 4×3 metres 13×9 feet
5 piece band 5×3 metres 16×9 feet
6 piece band 5×3 metres 16×9 feet
7 piece band 6×4 metres 19×13 feet
8 piece band 7×4 metres 22×13 feet
9 piece band 8×4 metres 26×13 feet
10 piece band 9×5 metres 29×16 feet
11 piece band 10×5 metres 32×16 feet
12 piece band 12×5 metres 39×16 feet
13 piece band 13×5 metres 42×16 feet
14 piece band 15×5 metres 49×16 feet
15 piece band 16×6 metres 52×19 feet
Did you know that weddings are quite complex to organise and have some pretty full-on logistical demands? Who would have thought?! Why add the extra headache of renting a stage where a team has to then load it in, set it up, and pack it down? Maybe that just seems like it could all be a bit too much faff?
I get to perform in some stunningly cosy little wedding venues, rustic barn venues, and other venues with unique looks, styles, and themes and many of them just wouldn’t suit a stage. If the stage can be decorated or styled to suit your venue you could be on to a winner but otherwise, a big cumbersome-looking stage could ruin your carefully thought-out wedding venue’s theme. It’s worth chatting with your venue or wedding planner about this as they will be the experts!
I’ve touched on this before but when it comes down to it, live wedding bands, wedding DJs, and entertainers don’t depend on stages to perform. You will still get a great performance out of them with your guests singing their praises just as people do with our wedding band Good Fellas (above) who have a tonne of amazing reviews with most coming from weddings with no stage in sight. Something to think about as that money you were going to spend on renting a stage could be instead used for some extra wedding treats perhaps??
It’s worth mentioning outdoor and marquee weddings now that I’m done with the pros and cons of having a stage in a wedding venue. On the whole, it’s always a good idea to hire a stage for an outdoor or marquee wedding. Uneven or wet floors plus other safety concerns associated with these kinds of weddings are some of the reasons it’s a good idea to hire one. In my experience, they are pretty much essential. You can read all about whether live wedding bands can perform at marquee weddings in our popular guide here.
Well, we won’t sugarcoat it, we love a good wedding stage! Stages are great to perform on and can really add something to a performance and a wedding crowd’s enjoyment. I never suggest couples pay too much to rent one though and if they can get hold of one for free I always say go for it. If you don’t mind the possible extra expense and crucially, if the stage is big enough for your wedding entertainment and venue, I’d always say get it hired and reap the rewards.
That’s it for today’s guide and so I hope it’s helped you decide if you want a stage at your wedding or not. Either way, I’m sure your wedding will be fantastic especially if you take advantage of our special offer below! Comments and questions are always welcome via text, live chat, on our social channels, phone, or email and if you enjoyed what you read today or know someone who is planning their wedding please consider sharing.
Have a fantastic wedding and thanks for reading!
Matt and the boys and girls at Seventh Second
