OK, so the date is set, the planning has started, your perfect day is in your sights. With the hundred and one things that you have to organise to make your wedding day perfect, there is little doubt hiring the right band or entertainment may be one of the most important decisions you can make.
Setting the right atmosphere for your reception by choosing a professional experienced Wedding band or act may be the the differnce to really make your celebration one to remember
What kind of entertainment do you want ?
There are many types of wedding / function bands. The most popular are
- rock /. indie / pop
- Soul / disco
- Jazz / background
- Tribute ( dedciated to one act in particular - for example ' an ABBA tribute ' or a genre tribute, for example Motown)
- Orchestral ( string quarlets etc )
- Rat pack / Big band / Crooners
Timing and Tactics - get exactly what you want !
For many people a to book a band just for the reception is enough. But, there are no rules to how you want your wedding to pan out with regards to entertainment.. For example, you may want a string quartet to play during the Wedding meal. Or you may want to actually book an acoustic act during the ceremony.- my own was booked to play a deaf wedding ( the bride and groom were hard of hearing / deaf ) with a sign language interpreter during the ceremony for only 3 songs - ( this was a specific request by the bride and groom for what they wanted from us on their special day)
So booking entertainment may be a lot more creative than maybe just a live band at the reception. It's totally up to you and by dealing with an agency you can cover all the ins and outs of how your ideas and creative plans for your entertainment may become a reality
Why use an agency?
Many of the bands on agencies are experienced in playing Weddings and larger functions. Dealing with a good agency direct is helpful as they will recommend the best musical acts taliored for your exact needs, and know how to overcome any problems or worries you may have about technicalities. Therefore Problems you may or may not have seen are something that an agency will be aware of due to experience, and more often that not the agency will be able to answer most, if not all of your questions if you are unsure how certain things may work.
Contracts
An agent will also write up a contract for you and the act. So everyone knows where they stand in the event of natural diaster or smaller problems or details. It is true that for many Weddings, booking a band that you know, or are recomended is normally a good option and sometimes the best. However by using an agent you have an intermediate who works in the best interest of the bands / acts and the client to make sure no stone is unturned in terms of what if situations and that you get exactly what you ask for. After all it does the agency no good at all to have booked you an unreliable or 2nd rate act.
Reputation is Key
Most agencies are very strict with Bands / acts that have any bad feedback at all from the client that has Justification. They normally would drop the band from their roster if they were un-punctual or un proffessional. The reputation of the agency and acts they represent is key to the agency succsess. So by using an agency you are normally dealing with someone who understands all the ins and outs of supplying an act or band for your wedding and it is in their best interests to find you the best act available for your budget requirements. Agencies do not mess around with bad or unreliable acts. They are looking for the best acts they can possibly get !
Pricing and availability
How long is a peice of string? Pricing can vary for many reasons. An experienced popular and established wedding band no doubt charge higher as their diaries are alot busier an are in demand, and so will normally have a set rate they will rarely will not play less for. However, off peak nights, say midweek or even fridays and sundays could bring the price down. Some bands and agencies wont budge on price but some will depending on the day of the week and time of year. The summer is going to be hard to get discounted acts due to it being a busy period, but in January for example bands and acts may play for less.
Other pricing considerations
- How many people in the band? - Also consider how many people there are in the band you book. If you want a solo acoustic act, this will come at much cheaper price then lets say an 8 piece soul band with brass section.
- Uniqueness - If the act you require is rare or even unique then expect that this will refelct in price
- Location - Most acts have an add on charge for distance. A Band booked to play in their home townnwill obviosuly charge a less than if they have to travel 200 miles for the event
- Set length - how long do you want the band to play ? Most agencies will specify how long the act would normally play for, for their set price. Additional time could cost additional money
All things considered a band just starting out will normally come at cheaper price than a very busy experienced wedding band. Bands who are looking for work and want to build reputation will want to be paid well, but will be alot more flexable with pricing. The agent normally will give you options to bands on their books that are good but new, and may come at price that fits your budget. Or even direct you to an excellent duo or solo act who may be amazing but are of course cheaper because their are less members in the band.
How much would you expect to pay?
Most Agencies work on the basis that the act have a recomended price they work for and then an agent fee of 15 to 20 percent is put on top. So one band may cost £400 and another £1000. That is for the act to specify to the agent and the agency works off the indvidual bands / acts pricing structure.
For experienced bands who make a living from Weddings and Functions you would normally be looking at paying £700 plus to book them. ( it can be a lot more depending ) This may include the agents fee or the agents fee may be on top. Some bands will play for a lot less but you would be hard pushed to find an agency full band for less than £350. If you do pick up a band from an agency at very cheap price question why ? and make sure you check the band out as much as possible to guard against the fact they might not be that good as you think, or maybe they are just cheap and that's that
Its worth noting that tribute bands are normally expensive because they are specific in what they do.
Solo artists would normally come at least £200 upwards. Their is vast array of solo artists who can come at variable prices. If you have a low budget with careful research or the help of a good agency you can could pick up a gem of an act that fits your budget. This also applies to duos , but expect them at no cheaper than £250 / £300
Deposits
To confirm the booking as well as a signed contract the agency will normally ask for a deposit. This will protect you and the booked act against anything that goes horribly wrong. You can expect a full refund if their is major problem with the act - some agencies may hold back an admin fee, but a good agency will fully refund if the the problem has been with the act they supplied - it will all be specified in the contract of course so you know where you stand - worst scenario - the band didnt turn up! - very rare buthappens. Also if there is a viable exuse for a band not turning up - lets say a car accident or illness - the agent may be able to send down a replacement act at very short notice - and this may come at a disccount to over all price
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Expect a deposit of 30 to 50 percent of overall price to confirm the booking. Once this has been paid and the contract signed then the act or band are committed to your Wedding. The remainder of the fee would normally be paid before the event. Each agency has its own policy within the contract, but expect to pay the rest a month or a week before the Wedding depending on the contract you have signed
What extra can the band provide ?
The band or act also may come with additional lighting and DJ options. This is worth asking the agency about when booking the act, if this is not specified in pre-contract discussions, ( it normally is specified ). Most serious weddings bands and acts ( but not all ) will set up their own lighting rig, ( and of course PA ), and some for an extra charge ( or free ), will DJ the event to the end of the reception or when required. Price may fluctuate if you want the band to play longer than that they normally would. This would be negotiated before the contract is signed. Some bands however may play longer than asked on he night of the event for no extra charge. This is at their discretion if it is not in the contract.
Additional Details?
Ask the agency everything. Don't leave a stone unturned. Find out what songs the act or band normally play, and specify requests from the their repertoire or even ask for the band to learn certain songs you would like them to play. For most professional bands this is not a problem at all. Some discretion is maybe needed here. Although it is nice to have requests played or the band learn certain songs you wanted, it would be a but much to ask the band to learn a whole new set? If this was the case maybe you have booked the wrong act and should look for one that plays the music you want. ( I once got asked to play a Wedding in my duo that we turned down because, although I was in an original act that mostly played original music - they wanted us to learn and play around 30 songs that we didn't know - due to time restraints and wondering why they wanted us we eventually turned down the show )
Make sure you are happy with your selection and everything is clear to all involved and that the agency and band /. act, know exactly what you want from them ( and that they are happy with this and can provide ) Read the contract and specify if you are not happy with anything - although most contracts look scary and cover quite a a lot- they are normally standard contracts that most agencies use with small changes depending on how that agency works. However, negotiate an amendment if needed.
To sum up
Obviously in the end - if you know a band personally or that come recommended then this may work for your Wedding. As I mentioned earlier, this may be the best option for you. But agencies are their for a reason and specialise in sending quality acts that will deliver what you need with a written and signed contract.
On a day when you really want nothing to go wrong - and you want as little worry as possible it is worth remembered a good Live band agency wants to deliver a good service where everyone involved is satisfied and happy!!!
stuart mills ( music agent as apostrophe agency )
