13 Aug 2014 Admin

Top Tips for Booking Your Wedding Band


It’s one of the biggest days of your life and you've decided to book a live band to set the tone of your entire event, entertain your guests, and leave you with a beautiful, lasting memory. Good choice! There’s nothing quite like live music to keep the wedding party going.

 

The Saturns

 

Live wedding bands can turn a good wedding party to the best party your guests have ever attended. Here are more reasons to choose live wedding bands:


1. They create a sense of sophistication. Live musicians add class, refinement, and elegance to your special event. 
2. They get the crowd excited for dancing. These wedding band experts can work out a crowd, getting them to clap hands, sing along, or dance the night away.
3. They give you a show. High quality musicians add the “wow” factor. They are fun and interactive, and can give everyone an awesome time.

 

The Magic Keys

 

Now that we've established the advantages of choosing a live wedding band, the next thing to do is to book one for your event. You might think that booking a band is not easy, especially if you've never booked one before. After all, when you look up “live music for weddings” on the internet, you get over a hundred of sites -  and browsing each one can be pretty overwhelming. And with the average wedding taking 200 hours to plan, you can’t afford to spend more than 50 hours only on booking your wedding band.

 

What do you do? 

 

1. Know what you're looking for.

Before stating the hunt, decide on what type of band you want for your wedding day. Are you keen on hiring an all-male band or do you prefer a female vocalist? Next, pick a genre. Think about the music style that would go with your wedding theme. 

 
Modern weddings go well with Pop function bands while traditional weddings wouldn't be complete without classical artists. A James Bond fan? Tribute band Casino Royale Big Band will never fail to please.
 

 
Next, decide whether you only need the live musicians for background music, or if you need them to take control of the party. Many bandleaders double as the master of ceremony so you don’t have to worry if you opt for the latter.
 
One more important thing to consider before the actual hunt is also knowing how much you are willing to spend for your wedding band.
 

2. Search for wedding bands.

You can find wedding bands by searching for them online, asking referrals from friends, or the easiest - browsing live music agency websites. 
 
As mentioned earlier, searching for “live music for weddings” on Google will show thousands of results - some good, others bad. Finding bands through referrals is also a good option, but you may have limited choices. 
 

A search on Google shows 85,200,000 results

 

Checking live music agency websites, like Music for Scotland, is a convenient way to search for wedding bands. They offer security, high-quality musicians, multiple options, and an easy booking process.

 

Easy as 1, 2, 3!
 
If you’re finding a wedding band in Scotland, check out this brief, illustrated guide.
 

3. Create a shortlist and book the one that suits you best.

Browse various bands and artists on our website. Each band/artist has a profile page where you can read short descriptions of them. You can also find a list of their songs, client testimonials, and videos of their performances there. Create a shortlist of your favorite bands by clicking “Add,” then submit your booking enquiry.
 

 

If the video performances are not enough, you can attend showcases to see the band perform live. Music for Scotland brings you regular wedding band showcases in Glasgow, Aberdeen, and Edinburgh.

 

4. Work out a contract.

 

Contracts may seem intimidating, but they are very important. A contract protects you as the client just as much as it protects the musicians. 

 

However, drafting a booking contract can be overwhelming and quite time-consuming for the ordinary person. Lucky for you, Music for Scotland has made the entire process safe, secure, and hassle-free. When you book a live wedding band with us, we prepare all the paperwork. The booking contract will be then sent to you through email or post. It's that simple.

 

5. Once you've booked your band, constantly communicate with them and your agency.

Just because you successfully booked a wedding band doesn't mean that the job is done. Stay in constant communication with your band or agency for other important things involving your event. One thing to discuss is the flow of the performance and possible breaks. 

 

You should also talk about the song repertoire. One good idea is providing your wedding band with a list of songs you’d like them to sing, and songs they shouldn't. This way, you can avoid awkward situations during the event.

 

Follow these easy steps and you’ll be a booking expert in no time! For more details on our wedding and function bands, simply contact us and we’ll be happy to assist you.