How to book a band for your wedding…

So you’ve decided on a date and booked the perfect venue, but what are you going to do for entertainment on the big day?

Deciding on the right wedding band and choice of music for your wedding can be daunting because there are so many fantastic bands out there. Function Central have put together this simple guide to booking the right one.

1. Jot down some ideas

Take the time to think about what you want from your wedding band. Note down a few basic ideas – do you want your favourite songs all night or songs that will cater to everyone’s tastes and get them on the dance floor? These aren’t always the same thing.

Would you prefer a male or female singer, or both? Do you want rock and indie or more modern pop? Perhaps you want something that ties in with your vintage theme or even bandeoke for something interactive? If you need inspiration, try wedding forums or check out a list of Function Central’s most popular wedding bands for hire to see what’s available.

2. Consider the practicalities

Of course, you might want an 11-piece big band to impress your guests, but if the stage only holds four musicians, you’ll need to re-think. Find out as much as you can from your wedding venue to help you when you approach a band or live music agency.

What size is the stage, where is the venue, how easy is it to access, is there a sound limiter? These are all things that could affect the type of band you book, but if you have as much information as possible, your live music agent will be able to find you the perfect fit.

3. Start the search

There are lots of ways to start searching for a wedding band. If you’ve seen a band you like at another wedding, ask for their details. Perhaps you know of a friend’s band that might give you a good rate?

Bear in mind that when booking a non-professional band, you’ll want to make sure the equipment is good quality (or find out if you have to hire it yourself, which can be costly), and that they have the necessary insurance (including PLI – public liability insurance) for the venue.

Google is also great place to start, but you could be missing out on some brilliant wedding bands that are further down the search results. The easiest way to find a band is to use a band hire agency such as Function Central. They’ll have access to lots of live music acts to match your tastes and budget. If you approach them with your ideas and criteria, they can quickly find you the most suitable band.

4. Why use an agency?

There are plenty of reasons to use an agency, but our top one is the amount of time and hassle it will save you! Planning a wedding can be stressful, so you don’t want to be trawling through lots of bands by yourself. Function Central hand-picks bands for their reliability, talent and professionalism, so you can be sure you’re getting a great band with quality equipment, whoever you book.

Agencies understand events and can advise on which bands might be more suitable for your special day. As they have access to lots of high calibre bands, you’ll also have more options so you get multiple quotes at once for all the bands that take your fancy, without needing to send enquiries and wait for individual responses. Not only will you get a quality act, but booking through an agency means you’ll have someone to help you on the day if there are any issues.

5. How do I book a band on the Function Central site?

The site is super easy to use. You can search by style, location and price or browse over 400 of the country’s best live music acts.

All their band pages have lots of information about the band’s style, reviews, repertoire and any extras they offer – and of course there are plenty of photos, and video and audio demos, so you can be assured of their quality and experience.

You can get in touch with them about one or several bands that have made your shortlist. Just tell them all about your event, wedding or party, and they’ll tell you whether your act is free on that date, how much their performance will cost, and exactly what is included in the price – no hidden extras!

6. I’ve booked my band. What now?

Their service doesn’t end once you’ve booked – they’ll be on hand to provide you with support and assistance right up to and including the performance, and your band will ring you three weeks beforehand to confirm details. On the day, you’ll have a 24/7 support line so they’ll take care of any of those last-minute emergencies. They represent lots of live music acts, so that even in the event of accident or illness, they’ll be able to find an alternative act at the last minute.