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So your special day is booked in and you are pretty much set on a venue and live wedding band near you. Congratulations! Now just before you go hire that band there are some key items you need to check first. To help, I’ve compiled every single top tip imaginable for hiring a live wedding band right here. This is the only guide you need to read in 2023!
Most booking guides out there have 5-10 tips right? Well, mine has 28. That’s right, 28. We are thorough in everything we do at Seventh Second because we want you to have the best wedding imageable and I want to make sure you have no nasty surprises come wedding day by hiring safe and booking smart, regardless of whether that’s with us or not.
Many of today’s tips are relevant when hiring a live band for a wedding, party, or function and if you’d like to see more of our popular guides here they are!
I’ve taken our 15 years of experience performing at thousands of weddings around the UK and abroad to compile this essential list so you can hire the perfect wedding band near you. I say near you because unless you want to spend a lot of extra money on a band’s fuel costs and expenses, I’d always suggest you try and hire a wedding band near to you or your wedding venue.
Even though all my tips revolve around the hiring of a live wedding band, I’ve broken them into three distinct categories. I’ve packed an awful lot of information into this one guide after all. Here are the categories.
If you don’t need to or don’t feel like scrolling through every section, click on any of the above links to head straight to that specific section or simply take in all 28 tips below. Easy!
Alternatively, if you’d prefer all the tips compiled into handy infographics, click here to head straight to that part of the guide. My aim is to make you so prepared when you hire a band that you simply relax and enjoy the whole process. It’s your wedding after all! It’s about enjoyment, committing to the love of your life, and stunning memories to last a lifetime.
So let’s get cracking and start with hiring tips for your chosen wedding band. As mentioned, it is best to try and hire a wedding band near you and if you are still at the stage of trying to pick a band why not check out our two popular guides below?
The 25 best wedding bands for hire in 2023
How to choose a wedding band in 2023
Assuming you’ve chosen a live wedding band, I also assume you will have a rough idea of how much you want to spend on them. If you haven’t, this is tip No. 1! Make sure you have a budget in mind before hiring any wedding music band. 60% of weddings go over budget with many couples admitting with hindsight that they wasted 30% of their budget. That’s a lot of money potentially down the drain and it can be easily wasted on wedding bands that just aren’t suitable for your wedding. Below are the average prices for wedding bands in 2023 so you get a fair idea of what your budget could get you.
3-piece wedding band £1023
3-piece wedding band £945
4-piece wedding band £1439
4-piece wedding band £1395
5-piece wedding band £1508
5-piece wedding band £1460
6-piece wedding band £1759
6-piece wedding band £1636
The prices in lilac represent our average prices. Why are we always more affordable? Well, read more on that and see detailed pricing for all sorts of wedding bands in our groundbreaking study here!
If you’ve chosen your perfect live band but they are a little over budget or extra costs have come into play why not read our guide on booking a wedding band on a budget? It’s bound to save you some money so you can still hire your first-choice wedding band. Again, it’s a good idea to hire a wedding band near you as it keeps costs down. Less travel for the band means less money you have to provide for their expenses and petrol.
Finally, like all pricing on our site, make sure you get the full cost (including any extra booking, VAT, or add-on fees) for any band you are thinking of hiring upfront so there are no surprises and you don’t go over budget! I go into a bit more detail about this in my tips about the booking process later.
I cover this topic in great detail in our recent guide, how to choose a live wedding band but even if you do have your heart set on a particular band, make sure they are going to complement your wedding theme. Musically and visually you want them to compliment your carefully thought-out theme so your wedding is simply awesome! Even if you’ve already booked a wedding music band, speaking to them about adapting their outfits, setlists or even their stage lighting can make a big difference in how they look live. Look at how amazing themed ’80s act, Knight Riders look (above) for example.
Your venue may offer a wedding DJ as part of their package and it’s worth taking a look at it. Personally, and as we explain in more detail in our wedding DJ vs. live band guide here, if you can afford to hire a wedding DJ to complement your live wedding band go for it! They can work really well together.
However, if you can’t afford both but feel your wedding will suffer without some DJing skills, ask your band if they can DJ. Our wedding bands offer this service for free so you get the full wedding entertainment experience at a price that’s unbeatable. Don’t hire any band until you’ve thought about whether you want a DJ to be part of your day. DJ Republic (above) could be another option to consider, one part DJ, one part live wedding band, perfect!
Just like when considering if you need a wedding DJ, maybe the wedding band you’ve picked doesn’t quite tick all your boxes and you feel you still need some live music at the wedding ceremony, drinks reception, or wedding breakfast. Many bands (ours included) can offer this service at a discount if you hire them for the evenings partying too but there are also acts like Rae and Encore and Cadence who specialize in music for these important parts of your wedding. Sometimes more is more so look at options like this before you hire anything and why not have a look at our wedding reception and ceremony musicians bumper guide too?
In most cases, you will have already done this but make sure you give any live wedding band you are thinking of hiring a good once over. Around 40% of our wedding bookings come from referrals and recommendations and we still suggest that these future newlyweds take a good look at the band’s promotional material. It means you really get to know a band before you hire them.
An even better way to get to know them is by chatting with them and because my colleagues and I are in the bands you see on our site you can do just that. We are unique in that way and you can see my band League of Gentlemen above so come say hi!
If given the opportunity, I’d always recommend you watch your chosen wedding band before you hire them. Almost all wedding bands exclusively perform at private functions so it’s unlikely you will get to see them beforehand but if you can, go for it. It’s another reason why everyone here at Seventh Second performs in our wedding bands. You can’t usually meet or speak to a wedding music band before booking them which isn’t great but with us, you can speak to us before hiring and we always encourage you do. Funnily enough, we have another great guide all about watching wedding bands before booking so check it out here.
The most important song at a wedding??? It’s very important to speak about first dance ideas you have with any wedding band or their representative before hiring them. Not all bands can or will perform a first dance so make sure you check. Giving a wedding band a few first dance song options will really increase your chances of having a song performed for you live too. I would say that 9 times out of 10, our acts perform the exact song couples ask for and it always works really well but I can’t guarantee that’s the industry standard. Good Fellas made a list of popular wedding songs they’ve performed many times below if you need some inspiration!
We also have some top guides on first dances which you can see below.
Should you have a first dance?
25 handpicked first dance songs
Just like your first dance ideas, go over any setlist ideas you have with your chosen wedding band before you hire them. Like all our acts, any wedding band should have a sample setlist ready to show you so you get an idea of what they plan to perform for you, and just like our acts, they should be willing to chop and change it to a degree to suit you and your guest’s tastes and your wedding theme. Don’t always expect to be able to dictate exactly what a wedding band plays as they usually have carefully designed setlists and they are the experts after all. Our guide on what live wedding bands perform might be of interest to you right now too.
I understand it may not be your biggest concern or consideration but before you hire that fabulous wedding band have a quick think about whether all your friends and family will enjoy them too. Without a doubt, a successful, fun, and memorable wedding party needs guests enjoying themselves just as much as you are.
Some of the best weddings I have ever performed at were ones where every single guest and family member was dancing, filming, taking pictures, and laughing away with a glowing couple. Hire a wedding band like our popular folk band Paper Boats (above) that will get everyone involved and you will reap the rewards.
Top-quality live wedding bands are in high demand. High demand means there’s a high chance they won’t be available for your wedding if you leave hiring them to the last minute. Most live wedding bands, including ours, get booked at least 7 to 12 months in advance. Many are booked years in advance so if you have your wedding band picked, check their availability as soon as you have your wedding date and venue booked. You also have to consider that the more last-minute you hire a band, the more they could cost as popular wedding bands only go up in price, never down. Again, we have a great guide on all this so give it a once over here.
You have an awful lot to organise for your wedding (I know, I’ve been there!) and it’s pretty stressful and time-consuming. So, let the experts help you. Just as we explain in our complete guide here, experienced live wedding bands know what they are doing. It’s very important you explain to your band what you want from them on your wedding day but make sure you take their advice and recommendations on board before you hire too. I may sound like a broken record by now but it’s another big reason we’re in the bands you see on our website. We want to speak to you directly before you book anything (most wedding entertainment websites can’t offer this) so we understand and deliver the exact wedding entertainment you want and need. We think this is pretty important!
Let’s have a look at questions you should ask your wedding venue before you hire that great live band. Some of these questions will be easy to get answers to and you may already have them. Some may require your venue and band to liaise so I’d always recommend introducing them to each other. Many of the answers to these questions are very important for any wedding band you hire too. Your wedding will run like clockwork with the more of them you can all tick off the to-do list.
I hope this question will have already been ticked off your wedding to-do list but always make sure your wedding venue can accommodate the live band you are thinking of booking. Many venues have sound and size limitations so not all live wedding bands can be accommodated. Check with your venue about any possible limitations they have before you hire that band! Don’t forget to also check to see if your venue can accommodate the wedding bands’ vehicles, offer them food, drink, and somewhere to change and relax between live sets. These are usually contractual obligations with any live wedding band you hire. Our guide on feeding wedding bands offers some extra advice.
I give you all the crucial information about sound limiters in our popular guide here but suffice it to say, sound limiters or decibel limiters are the bane of any wedding musician’s existence! Any professional wedding band should be well versed in dealing with these systems that essentially force any sounds in a venue (yes, that can include shouting and singing guests) to not exceed certain volume levels. If they do, these systems either force a band’s volume down (as they can be connected to a band’s PA system) or they more commonly cut off all power and lights in a venue for up to 1 minute to teach everyone a lesson for being so loud! Some live music wedding venues (and I question whether they should even advertise as live music venues) have sound limiters so restrictive that a loud shout would trigger them. As these systems are becoming more and more prevalent, check if your wedding venue has one, what its decibel limit is, and then see if your chosen band can play within that range. Larger wedding bands can really struggle with some sound limiters and more part-time, or hobby wedding bands have no idea how to work with them. Our wedding bands are very experienced with sound limiters and usually find a great balance between not setting them off and keeping a vibrant, packed dance floor all night.
This is usually a simple one as any wedding band worth booking should be self-contained (like ours) meaning they supply everything they need to perform. PA, stage lights, amps, microphones, and cabling, etc. However, because of sound limitations (as mentioned above), some venues now have their own PA sound systems that every live act has to use. Both should be checked before hiring any band so you don’t end up with any crossed wires and arguments between musicians and venue managers!
It’s important to check with your wedding venue what time a band has to arrive, set up and soundcheck, and then pack down and leave by. As a guide, the timings for 90% of the weddings and venues out there are as follows:
5/6 pm arrival
6/7 pm setup finished
2×1 hour or 3×40 min sets between 8 pm and 11:30 pm
All music off by 12 am
Band pack down and exit by 1 am
Maybe you have specific timings for your wedding and some wedding bands can charge extra for early arrivals, late finishes, extended performances or extended wedding days so ask your venue about any timing restrictions and also liaise with your wedding band before you book so there aren’t any nasty surprises! When looking at any of our bands, you will see a booking options section (example below) where you can enquire about any potential extra fees associated with timing changes, etc. We’re always happy to talk to you about these options in more detail so just ask.
I’ve touched on this already but before you hire any wedding band, ask them or their representative what they supply as part of the package you are looking at booking. Sometimes wedding bands charge extra for things we think should be free so ask them and make sure they bring everything needed to perform at your wedding. If you want to know more about this, head here! This may be a moot point if as mentioned, your wedding venue supplies PA equipment or lighting but always make sure the venue and wedding band have a chin wag about all that.
Apart from the obvious things like fun, great live entertainment, themselves and their instruments (this last one doesn’t always go to plan amazingly!) wedding bands should really bring a completely self-contained live concert with them. This includes a PA sound system, full lighting rig, outfits, transport, back-ups for any equipment, the capacity to play background music or full DJ’ing equipment, and of course, PLI and PAT certificates. I go into more detail on those certificates later.
At Seventh Second we believe you shouldn’t pay extra for any of this so all our bands offer their self-contained show at no extra cost.
Awesome news! Marquee weddings are brilliant fun. Read our popular guide on whether live wedding bands can perform in marquees for all the info but in a nutshell, make sure your live band is aware of your venue choice before you hire them and make certain your marquee supplier can provide these key things for them.
Wow, this is pretty amazing too! I’ve been lucky enough to perform at weddings in stunning Italian villas and beachfront venues in Los Angeles and they are fantastic fun. They do bring with them their own logistical challenges so make any band you are thinking of hiring is aware of your plans. It’s very likely you will need to:
Don’t let that put you off though, flying in a wedding band is uber cool and guarantees you an excellent wedding abroad. We love performing at these kinds of weddings and we go through it in more detail here.
So now that you have all the wedding band and venue booking items ticked off, you can go ahead and hire that live band! Wehey! Mad shapes being pulled on the dance floor and singing at the top of your voice with friends and family await!
Just before you book, make sure you consider these points though…
Book with us! Joking aside, I strongly recommend you hire your wedding music band through a reputable, reliable, established wedding entertainment provider. They offer monetary and contractual guarantees that lone wedding bands usually can’t. They also act as a seal of approval with most agencies never promoting wedding bands that are terrible! I say sometimes because most agencies don’t usually personally know the acts they promote and can unwittingly promote sub-par wedding bands.
It’s why we’re in the bands we promote and run our own website. We’re experienced wedding musicians making sure we are the best bands around. If we weren’t we wouldn’t get any work! Either way, hire with an agency or site like ours to stay safe, secure, and happy in the knowledge you hired a fantastic live wedding band.
With us, this part is easy as we are in the bands you see on the website and I myself am in the League of Gentlemen (below). Chat with us anytime you wish.
However, with other wedding entertainment websites, you are usually talking to a salesperson or a band representative throughout the whole booking process which can be a bit unsettling. There’s no harm in asking to speak to the wedding band before booking. You are paying a lot of money for this band so why not have a chat with them and check if they really are the band for you?
Sometimes, busy live wedding bands need to use deputising band members when a full-time member becomes ill or has another unavoidable obligation on your wedding day. This is a fairly common occurrence and any professional wedding band will have excellent musicians ready to step into the fold at a moment’s notice. We do as we are one big family of musicians who’ve performed together for years and created this website together. However, if after chatting to the band it seems like you may not be getting any of the original members I advise not to hire that band or at least bring it up with them. They may be great musicians but they aren’t what you paid for.
Yep contracts make for fun reading but make sure that before booking any live wedding band you get one signed by you and the band that you are happy with. I’ve heard too many horror stories regarding newlyweds with no contract in place. You can look at the core terms and conditions of our wedding contracts here (which are industry-standard) and why not check out our guide here in case your wedding band is insisting a contract isn’t important.
I’ve touched on this before too but before booking, make sure you know exactly what’s included in the price you’re about to pay. We believe you should only have to pay a small deposit to secure a band and later, only the final fee owed to the wedding music band. It’s how we work to keep things simple. No extra costs, no add-ons or sneaky fees for equipment hire, etc. Again having a contract with your live wedding band should avoid any problems but don’t settle for anything less than 100% transparency.
These should be included in your contract with a band but if not, why not? Make sure you read them either within your contract or on the band or their representative’s website. No Ts&Cs? That’s a worrying sign just like the lack of a contract can be. Proceed with caution.
Yey! More interesting documents. Don’t worry though, you don’t really need to read these ones. Most wedding venues stipulate that a wedding band cannot perform in their venue without these two documents so make sure your band has them before you book. All our bands do and so should every other band out there. PLIs are basically insurance documents for the band in case they cause any damage at the wedding venue and PAT certificates guarantee the safety of their electrical equipment. Important documents im sure you would agree. Just make sure they are up to date and thorough and you guessed it, we have more info here in another of our wedding guides!
Hopefully, covid is behind us now and life is back to its brilliant best but after recent history and the chaos it caused the wedding industry, any live band you are looking at hiring should now include comprehensive covid cover in their booking contract. All our acts do and you can see what ours covers here.
Wedding band riders describe what the band expects you to provide during their time with you. Rider details should be covered in your contract with them or on their or their representative’s website. If they aren’t, ask for details before booking as some bands may have some weird and wonderful requests waiting for you. I once heard of a wedding band refusing to turn up and perform unless 9 full-length mirrors were provided at the venue! Sensible and standard requests on a live wedding bands rider include:
A place to safely park their vehicles for free at your venue
A place to change and leave personal items
A place to relax and warm up before or in between live sets
Food and drink for the duration of their stay with you
Ample access to plug sockets on a stage or performance area that’s suitably big enough for them to perform on
Access to toilets
For the most part, these are things you’re already providing for your guests so it should be easy for you to accommodate. Keeping your wedding band happy will make for a better band performance so be nice! Our guide on what a band expects from you can help you even further.
Again, this should be covered in your contract or on the band’s website but make sure you fully agree and understand how deposits and final payments are to be made. Typical payment methods include bank transfer, cash on the night, or cheque. Deposits are always taken before the wedding band graces the stage for you but if you feel you want to pay the full balance including the deposit to the band’s representatives you usually can and they simply hold onto the band’s portion until they have performed at your wedding. Most couples like to pay the bands on the night or day before their big day so do what works for you. We are always happy to offer all these options and make sure you receive invoices, receipts, or at the very least written confirmation of any payments you send. Stay safe!
If you’ve ticked all 28 steps off your list go and hire that wedding band. It’s time to celebrate and party safe in the knowledge that you have hired a great wedding band that will rock the house.
If you are still feeling a bit unsure about hiring that live wedding band, check out our guide on wedding bands to avoid. It will help put your mind at rest and help you avoid a wedding band worth avoiding!
That’s it from me today. It’s been quite the task compiling this list but I know how useful it will be and our mission is to provide fantastic live wedding bands and make sure you feel safe, knowledgeable, and secure with the band you hire – wherever you book them.
Below I leave you with some handy checklists for each section I’ve covered. If you’d like copies of any of them, just let us know. We’re here 7 days a week, 10 am to 10 pm via email, text, live chat, phone, and all the usual socials to help in any way, obligation free.
Lastly, we do spend a lot of time making our blog posts the best we can for you so if you liked what you read please consider sharing it with others who are in need of some wedding assistance.
Thanks and have a wonderful wedding!
Matt and the boys and girls at Seventh Second
