When selecting a band for your wedding reception you should think about atmosphere. Do you want a party atmosphere for dancing or would you prefer more background music to allow more conversation?

For the party atmosphere, most people like the band to play “a bit of everything” from the 50s to present day to suit the wide age ranges of wedding guests. Professional wedding musicians tend to have a wide repertoire of music and can normally adapt well to suit any wedding reception crowd.

If you are looking for a more formal "black tie" type event (or something with more of a vintage feel) jazz bands are also very popular for providing music at a wedding reception. They can add an extra touch of class to proceedings, while still allowing for conversation between guests.

Remember to consider the taste of all of your guests, their age range and whether they would prefer to dance, listen to the music or a mixture of the two.

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Cost vs quality

LastMinuteMusicians.com strongly believes that quality should be your main concern when booking a band for your wedding reception. This is the happiest day of your life, and while "Pub bands" are often cheap, they may lack the experience and reliability of professional wedding bands. Don't risk the success of your wedding reception by booking a cheap "pub band".

Travel

If musicians will have to travel for more than about an hour to get to your wedding reception, modest travel expenses should be added to their fee. As a rule, 40p per mile is a reasonable rate.

Setup

Any live band will require time for setup & soundcheck, and this will expedite depending on how large the band is. An acoustic duo may be ready in 45 minutes, whereas a 9-piece soul band may require the better part of 2 hours. Always consult with your band regarding load in and set up time.

If disaster strikes

Should the unexpected happen and for any reason your musicians let you down at the last minute, most pub bands would struggle to find an appropriate replacement. However, our professional wedding bands (like those in our entertainment agency) have a huge back-up network of music industry contacts for stand-in band members and similar acts to call on in times of crisis.

Licensing

Always check that live music is permitted at your wedding reception venue as (for licensing or sound restriction reasons) not all venues permit live bands.

Price

Finding a wedding band to suit your budget can be a challenge. The cost of a wedding band varies depending on how many musicians are in the band, how popular they are, how long you want music for, what time the musicians need to arrive and the travel distance involved to get your wedding reception venue. See our "guide price" table for more info. For smaller budgets, you can always consider a solo singer (using backing tracks) or an acoustic singer or guitarist as a more affordable solution.

Limiters

Some venues have sound level limiters, which can potentially cut off power to the band if they exceed a certain volume. ALWAYS ask if there are any volume restrictions and make sure the band are informed if there are – this may affect what gear they bring and how they structure their set. Also, remember to check that there are enough power sockets available near the area in which you would like the band to perform. Don't forget to read our blog article on sound limiters for more specific advice.

Parking

It's important to remember musicians will have to bring heavy equipment to your venue so it is always a good to idea to check to ensure that there is somewhere for the band to park (remembering most bands will be travelling in a van!). The more details about the venue that you can tell the band, the better!

Choosing a venue

The perfect venue can be very elusive and the search for it both time consuming, and frustrating. Like looking for a new house, you may have to visit a hundred places (and then maybe a hundred more!) but when the perfect one appears and all the boxes are ticked it will definitely be worth it!

At the end of the day the choice is entirely personal, but there are some general factors to consider which are relevant to every couple's decision. Size and space, location, accessibility, music, dancing, a theme, entertainment, food and drink, decoration and provision for children, disabled and elderly guests are all things to think about when considering wedding reception venues.

Should your wedding reception venue be large or small?

Choosing the right sized wedding reception venue and using the space you have properly is absolutely crucial. Don't forget that there are likely to be more guests attending the reception than the service, so more space may be required. It is important not to pick a venue that is too small, because when guests are all squashed in together this can be very problematic.

Beware of venues advertising themselves as 'cosy'. This often means tiny! Also the opposite is true. If the venue you hire is too large, the event will lose its sense of intimacy and guests may keep themselves to themselves, feel isolated and not mingle with others. When thinking about the space you have all your guests' needs must be taken into account.

Adequate seating should be provided and particularly if there is food or elderly guests are attending. A crèche facility may be helpful for guests with children. Elderly people often prefer quieter environments, so some seating away from the DJ or music is also recommended. A separate area for use by the bride and groom is also very useful. You will, after all, need somewhere to store all the presents!

If you're considering having live music at your wedding reception, it's important to inform your venue and ask about how they usually deal with this. Work closely with your contact in the band to ensure they have enough space.

Wedding drinks entertainment

A drinks reception is the name given to the initial part of your evening function (before the main evening dancing and partying) or a reception that is lower key.

It usually comprises of meeting your evening guests as they arrive and having some time to chat and relax after the formalities of the ceremony, and before the evening meal. It could be very prearranged with posh champagne served on the outside veranda, or simply a few casual drinks in the hotel bar.

Either way, the wedding drinks are generally quite a relaxed affair with the focus being on conversation and mingling – letting all of your guests get to know one another. As such, some nice and chilled out music in the background can really add to the atmosphere of the whole event and be a great talking point.

A general rule for more relaxed occasions is that solo musicians or small groups are better if you are expecting your guests to want to chat. Pianist, harpists and small jazz groups generally work well for drinks receptions. Have a look at the background music bands for some more ideas.

If you do decide to go for a more upbeat event then have a look at our wedding DJ article and this one featuring some recommendations of top notch wedding singers.

The most popular first dance song requests

Once the wedding drinks and the meal are over, it's time to get into the evenings festivities with that all-important first dance! If you are looking to get your band to play the music for your first dance, then make sure to get any specific requests to the band well in advance so the musicians have a chance to prepare them before the wedding reception.

Tony Hassall of Two Man Band says:

"We're more than happy to take requests and learn the bride & grooms first dance! We've had some really fun and off-the-wall suggestions over the years… everything from 'Thinking Out Loud' to 'You Shook Me All Night Long'!

My advice to brides & grooms to be is to think carefully about whether they want to have the original version played over the PA or get the band to learn it. We're an acoustic duo, so our version of AC/DC is never going to sound exactly the same as the original - we'd have to arrange it in our own style! Always get your request in as early as you can to make sure the band has time to arrange and rehearse it"

First dance nerves?

Many new couples find the task of planning a wedding reception dance very daunting! Some decide to take a dance class designed to cover the basics of dancing to most wedding music. This will probably include standard dances such as the Waltz, Fox Trot, Swing, Tango, etc. Others go for a much more natural approach, especially when dancing to a pop song.

Other couples rely on the wealth of experience from the older generations – your relatives might surprise you with their knowledge from a time with no television on a Saturday night! It is traditional for the man to ask the women onto the dance floor at a wedding but you don't have to observe this etiquette should you choose not to.

Often the groom's father will step in to dance with the bride, followed by stepping in to dance with his own wife, the parents will dance, and finally the whole wedding party joins in to dance. There are plenty of songs to choose from old and new, but most couples choose something with a special meaning to them – "their song". Think carefully about what you want for your first wedding reception dance!

Evening party

When choosing the your wedding reception music you should try to cater for the wider audience which is usually present. You may love hard house music or death metal, but it's doubtful your grandmother will!

While some people chose to hire a band which may specialise (such as a tribute band) a much safer bet are bands with a more general repertoire such as the bands for weddings featured on LastMinuteMusicians.com.

If you hire a live band, they can probably provide the majority of you reception dance music. You can talk with the band in advance and possibly ask for a few requests, but it is normally wise to leave the exact order of play to the band – they have the most experience in what works with an audience!

Usually, a band will be able to provide recorded music before stage time, between and after sets before pack down. However, If you are hiring a DJ or disco, they will probably be able to play music from well-liked bands such as Abba, Sister Sledge, Kool & the Gang, Beatles, Michael Jackson etc. which normally go down well with a mixed crowd.

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