For many people, booking a wedding band can be a time-consuming task. Chances are that, if you don’t work as an event planner or booking agent, you probably don’t have much experience of doing it! This can lead to a degree of anxiety when getting into the details of your booking… am I paying too much? Is this contract normal? In this blog, we’ll go through some common questions clients will have when booking a wedding band.
Am I paying the going rate?
Probably the most common line of questioning around wedding bookings is regarding the quote. No one likes to be ripped off, and anxiety around that can often be promoted when seeking a quote in an industry you don’t know much about.
The first point to make about this is probably the most important one – A good, professional wedding band will cost money, and won’t come cheap. However, you should resist the temptation to look to the bargain basement of inexperienced, unprofessional acts.
Whatever stage of the wedding planning process you’re at, you’re probably understanding why weddings have a reputation for being so expensive by now.
That said, there are a million reasons why a professional band can justify charging what they do, from obvious ones like experience and equipment, to the problems they will solve behind the scenes, without you even realising!
The money you spend on your wedding entertainment might be the best money you spend that day.
A great wedding band can transform any party into an event that will be remembered for a very long time to come.
Below, find the average ballpark price for some of the most popular wedding entertainers available today.
It’s important to remember that there are a whole host a reasons why your quote might be more or less than these, including the distance they have to travel, the time of year etc.
These are typical price brackets for 2 x 45 minutes sets, at a wedding performance:
Groups
- 6-piece soul band – £1200 to £2200
- 4-piece rock/pop wedding band – £950 to £1800
- 4-piece string quartet – £850 to £2000
- 3-piece jazz combo – £700 to £1000
Solo musicians
- Cocktail pianist – £200 to £400
- Solo guitarist/vocalist – £200 to £350
- Harpist – £200 to £350
Is it normal to be asked to sign a contract?
The short answer is yes. Every band will operate differently but, generally speaking, most professional bands (and certainly entertainment agencies!) will ask you to sign a contract to protect everybody’s interests.
As is the way with anything legally binding, it is important that you thoroughly read through anything you receive before signing it, and you are more than entitled to ask about any feature of the contract before committing.
Some general details that contract might include:
- The deposit and overall fee
- Payment terms and timescale
- The number of musicians performing
- The length of set times
- Whether or not you are providing food and drink for the band
There may also be other details included in your contract, especially if you booked your act through an entertainment agency.
They may elect to include details about the day of the performance, such as the venue address or arrival times.
How much contact should I expect from my band in advance?
This is a slightly tricky question, and it will depend a lot on how far away your event is in the future, and how intricate the planning has to be.
One piece of general advice – If you’ve booked a truly professional band, you shouldn’t have to get into the minutia of planning each and every single detail yourself.
Your wedding band will be a group of experienced professionals, who will have played at all manner of events.
Supply them with all the information they ask for, and anything else that’s important (that you think they will need!) then trust them to get on with what they do best.
Try to resist any temptation to go overboard – when you start getting down to picking the running order of their set list, you have probably gone too far!
That said, your band or entertainment agent should be able to answer any questions you have.
If your event is still a way off (over 2 to 3 months away) it’s not unreasonable to get a week’s turnaround for any non-urgent enquiries (although most bands will aim for less than that).
This is purely down to prioritisation due to timing – your wedding band may well be out every single weekend until the date of your wedding, so try to have some patience in this regard.
Similarly, this works the other way! Don’t feel like you have to respond to anything your wedding band sends over the very minute you get it (unless it is important or time sensitive).
Your chosen act will understand that you have a thousand things to do when planning your wedding.
Generally, expect more contact from your band the closer your event becomes. If you prefer to organise things purely by email, that will almost certainly be fine.
However, most bands will also be prepared to organise a phone call, if you prefer extra reassurance.
Further reading
If you’ve booked your wedding band, and would still like more information for making the event a success, here are a couple of articles on subjects that you might want to know more about:
- Should I Feed My Band?
- How To Get The Best Out Of Your Wedding Band
- Sound Limiters: Advice for Bands, Venues and Clients
Are you a professional musician with some advice for clients? Perhaps your a client with a great experience you’d like to share? Leave your comments below…
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