5 Tips for Hiring A Wedding Band
It feels like the most important day of your life, a beautiful celebration with all your friends. So how do so many brides (or grooms) get so stressed out? Here are 5 tips for hiring a wedding band to ensure your wedding band doesn't add to your mounting stress levels on that special day.
5. Who to Hire?
Original Photo Cred. Marcel Oosterwijk. Edited.
This may be obvious, but your wedding band helps set the vibe for your wedding reception. If you want an old school wedding, go for a big band. If you want a dance party and your friends listen to top 40s, hire the wedding band that plays all covers (or get a DJ). If you want an classy roots and swing wedding, with some rocking dance numbers, hire us!
4. Talk Early, Talk Often
So what are you wearing? ...to the wedding?
The sooner you lock down your band the better. If you are a summer wedding you better believe the most in-demand bands are filling up their schedules by December. Once you've done everything to confirm the date with your band (pay a deposit, make sure to figure out who is providing the PA) you should schedule a follow up meeting for 2 months before the wedding. You'll want to discuss sound equipment, power source, staging, volume and vibe. What special songs do they need to learn (make sure they'll do that if you want it) for the first dance, where will music come from between sets, how many sets, on and on.
Try to think through the whole night. The closer you get to the wedding the easier it will be.
3. Meet in Person
Try to meet at least 1 member of your band before the wedding. The truth is that if you've never met your band you may be "just another gig." If you have a personal relationship with the band not only will it be more meaningful, but they're more likely to bend over backward to accommodate any requests that will make your special day a a little special-er.
If possible catch a show as a couple. Have fun and take a few notes about what songs you do or don't want them to play.
2. Get a Stage
This should do the trick. Photo cred. Anssi Koskinen. Edited.
Having a stage will elevate your band's performance (pun intended). Some wedding venues have a natural stage, some tent companies provide stages as part of a package. Having a stage will ensure that your wedding guests can see and engage with the band, energizing the performance. This means a more cohesive event, more dancing, and more fun for everyone.
I will never forget the energy of 150 wedding guests dancing Hava Nagila in a nature preserve in North Carolina. Imagine the impression that must have had on the guests, and the couple!
1. Delegate, delegate, delegate
How you'll feel if you don't delegate. Original photo cred. Quinn Dombrowski. Edited.
On the day of your wedding, you should NOT be the person in charge of the wedding band. Don't get me wrong, this can work (especially if your wedding is small and you aren't the type to get stressed out easily) but no one in the band really wants to bug you about where we can find power, or if the volume seems good at sound check. We know you want to be focused on your big day, and that you want it to be perfect, so put somebody in control who you trust to make the right calls and then FORGET ABOUT IT!
It's also very helpful to have a wedding itinerary, though be aware weddings almost always run late so build in some extra time.
That's it! I'm sure there's a lot more I could say about the subject, so feel free to drop us a line if you want tips or are interested in hiring us.
If you need ideas about what local Michigan band might be awesome, check out my post 5 Michigan Musicians You Need to Watch.
And don't forget to click below to share with your friends who might be stressing about upcoming weddings!
