There are many reasons why you might want to hold your wedding abroad. From the allure of white sands and beautiful tropical venues, to the simple guarantee of good weather! However, booking your perfect wedding entertainment isn’t easy, and arguably gets much harder if your wedding is going to take place out of the country.
At Gig Heaven we know a thing or two about providing wedding entertainment, and in this article we’ll provide you with some simple tips to help you hire a wedding singer or band for your wedding abroad.
Decide Whether to Hire Locally or Bring an Act from Back Home
The first thing you should probably decide is your budget for entertainment. This will influence your choice of act and where you source them from, geographically.
As a general rule of thumb, if your budget is lower it is better to source an act from the country where your wedding is taking place. This will decrease travel expenditure and bring overall costs down. However, there are some drawbacks to this. It’s unlikely you’ll be able to see the act in advance and, depending on where your wedding is taking place, it may also prove troublesome to book the style of act that you are after. All this can also be hindered by possible language barriers.
If you’re operating with a slightly larger budget you can consider bringing an act with you from back home. This will solve a lot of these issues and should make it easier to book the perfect act.
Do Your Research
Whether you are taking an act with you or sourcing locally, some of the general rules for event planning will still apply…
Think about your venue. What acts are going to be appropriate to perform there? Think about practical things like space, the power supply and volume restrictions.
Consider the type of wedding you are planning. Would you like to reflect your wedding theme in your choice of live music? For example, if you’re planning a particularly formal event, maybe a jazz band is appropriate. For a ‘WedFest’, consider booking a festival-style band, etc.
Once you’ve answered these questions, browse through a site like Gig Heaven and take a good look at your prospective act’s promotional material, like their promo videos, audio recordings, pictures and biographical material. This will help you select an act that has the type of repertoire you are after.
If You Decide to Bring an Act with You, Make Sure They Are Well Prepared to Perform Abroad
The key to booking any live music is to hire an experienced, professional act. If you decide to bring an act with you, when making enquiries it’s important to remember that it is fine to ask about an act’s previous experience performing abroad. While you definitely shouldn’t write off any act that hasn’t yet had the opportunity to perform abroad, you might be able to find one that has a unique insight into performing in the country you’re getting married in, or just a lot of experience in performing abroad generally. This will help cut down on any potential problems, and probably without you even realising.
It’s important that you look into the work rules for the country you are getting married in too, as suppliers that are coming into the country to work may need a work visa or similar documentation. Make sure your act have passports and the correct documentation as far in advance as you can.
Finally, clear communication is always key to an event running smoothly. Make sure your singer/band has contact information for the venue and a point of contact for everyone they might possibly need to be in touch with.
Secure the Booking
Once you’ve found an act that you love, agreed a price, and worked out some initial travel details, it’s time to secure the booking.
This process will usually come in three steps:
- Pay a deposit
- Sign a contract
- Settle the final balance
It’s pretty standard for a band or solo musician to take a deposit to secure a date. This is generally around 10%, but can be more or less, depending on the circumstance. Once this has been paid they won’t take any further bookings for that date, and will turn down any further enquiries.
Most professional singers and bands (and certainly entertainment agents) will now require you to sign a contract. This will set out the details of the show and may include things like arrival time, length of performance and payment terms. If you have any questions about your contract you should feel free to ask your contact in the band.
Finally, you’ll be asked to settle the outstanding balance. If your act is having to travel and accommodate themselves for a show that’s abroad they will probably ask you to settle the outstanding balance in advance of travel, to assist with travel costs. If you are sorting their travel and accommodation yourself, then payment of the final balance may come later. However, most professional acts will seek payment no later than the date of performance.
If you are yet to book your wedding entertainment, consider looking through the acts listed on Gig Heaven. Whether your event is in your home country or abroad, we will help you find the perfect act for your big day.
Sponsored post by Gig Heaven
