Booking a live wedding band for the evening reception is moving closer to the top of bride and grooms’ planning lists, as live music and amazing evening reception parties become more sought after then ever. With the most popular UK wedding bands booking up 12-18 months in advance, there are many couples who are booking their wedding venue around their favourite band’s availability.
Once you have chosen your wedding band, the first port of call before you agree to a booking or pay a deposit is to check the following:
How Much Space Will Your Wedding Band Need?
Check with the band how much space they ideally need and confirm you have this available at your venue. Bands don’t necessarily need a stage to perform on — just a hard even surface with access to two or three standard plug sockets. To give you an idea, a three to five piece band would require a performance area of 4m x 5m.
Does Your Wedding Venue Have Sound Limiters?
Some wedding venues have a sound limiter in place to monitor noise levels. There are lots of different types and they can be set at different levels, so it’s best to check with your venue what restrictions they have in place and relay that information to your wedding band before you book.
Check the Band’s Rider/Requirements
Ask the band for their rider and check that you and your wedding venue can accommodate it. As standard, a band will need parking for a van or two or three cars, a changing room and some refreshments (food and soft drinks). The better you treat your band the better the performance and the longer the encore!
Also, remember they may have driven two or three hours to reach your venue, so to put on a high-energy performance they will need some fuel in the tank!
PAT and PLI
Many wedding venues insist bands have their equipment PAT tested by a registered electrician and have Public Liability Insurance — they will ask for these certificates in the lead up to your big day. The level of insurance can vary from £1m to £10m so it is good to check this with the venue and request the certificates from the band in advance.
If a band doesn’t have the necessary level of insurance you can often pay for their insurance company to cover the extra just for one day.
Cancellation Fees and Emergency Provisions
It is standard for cancellation fees to be in place when booking a live wedding band. They will be turning away lots of other enquiries for your wedding date and will therefore need reimbursement for any loss of earnings should you cancel the booking. You should confirm you are happy with the terms and conditions of the booking before you pay a deposit.
Also, find out what emergency procedures the band has in place should one of the members fall ill on the day or they can’t make it to your wedding for some unforeseen reason. A professional band will have ‘dep’ performers they can use in case of an illness.
If you are booking via a reputable entertainment agency they should have a full 24/7 emergency helpline for any queries or to provide an alternative band if your original band can’t make it for some reason on the day.
The main thing to remember is that if you are booking a live wedding band who are professionals and have great references then you’re guaranteed an amazing end to your wedding day!
Guest post by Tracey Warren of Warble Entertainment
Images from Warble Entertainment
