After months of debating on a musical direction to take for your wedding, you’ve finally decided to hire a band. Congratulations! Now, the real fun begins. To help guide you in the right direction and to find the best-suited band for your wedding, we’ve put together the 7 most important questions to ask your band before making your final decision. Enjoy!
1. Do you specialize in weddings? How many have you done recently?
This is the most important question you could ask. Don’t be persuaded by a good salesperson or bandleader if they haven’t got weddings down! It may look effortless at the last wedding you went to, but don’t be fooled. It takes know-how and experience. And if you’ve been to a great wedding with a great band that made it look easy, use them, as long as they give you the right answers to the other questions.
2. What styles of music do you generally play?
This is a key question because you really want to find a band that plays your kind of music – your favorite styles and songs. Be careful to check out their repertoire to make sure they’re the band for your wedding. Do your best to communicate all your thoughts and ideas directly. And listen carefully too; clear communication is all-important.
3. How many musicians do you recommend for my wedding?
When you interview a band, describe the room, size and setting of your wedding as accurately as you can. There’s no sense in hiring a band that is too big for the room or area. Even if you do like a big band sound, make sure you don’t blast everyone’s ears out in too small a space! No kidding. This can be a party killer. And remember – everyone’s coming to see you on your wedding day, not the band.
4. How long have the musicians been playing together?
This is a more subtle ‘professional’ question. Lots of brides and grooms overlook this one. But it’s true. The longer musicians have actually played together, the better they sound. Adding even one new player can change the dynamic and take some bands a period of readjustment, especially if the new musician is unfamiliar with the repertoire. The music can sound pretty weird if even only one of your musicians is ‘out of synch’ with the others.
5. Will you learn new material and if so, will you rehearse it before the wedding?
If you have favorite songs or selections they’re not familiar with (like a special first dance song a friend has written, or a new father daughter song, etc.), what’s their attitude about learning new material from sheet music or a tape you provide? The important part of this question is not whether they will agree to play new material, but whether they will take the time to learn and rehearse the new material together before the wedding. Don’t rely on a reassurances like, ‘no problem’, or ‘we do that all the time from sheet music’, etc. Uh-uh. Get their promise in writing that they will rehearse the song well before the day of the wedding. It’s okay for them to charge for lead sheets (sheet music) if all you can supply is a track of the song, but get a commitment you can rely on as to the quality of their performance. You don’t want them fumbling over the music during your special wedding dance. That’s no fun.
6. What is your definition of continuous music?
Some bands will only play 45 minutes out of each hour. Others might play longer, but in all cases, arrange for one of the musicians to play during breaks. Playing music from a CD or mp3 player is also acceptable, but first scope out the selection or supply your own if needed. Again, get the band’s reassurance in writing that there will be no periods of silence (except during the ceremony, of course!)
7. Will I have to take care of food for the musicians and where will they eat?
Usually, you will be required to provide food for the band, so take this cost into consideration. It could range from sandwiches to a hot plate depending upon your budget and what’s convenient or available. Check with your location staff and caterers for an appropriate menu and suitable dining room for the band. Most caterers provide that service for less money than the food for your guests. The musicians should not be found standing in your buffet line or being served as guests. Make that clear when discussing these issues with the band’s representative.
We know that these questions can save a lot of regret down the line…so use them with our blessing and best wishes for a fabulous wedding.
Gloria & Barbara
5 Comments
Very informative. This tips really helps a lot. As for me, i would prefer a band that only plays string instruments.
very useful information for everyone..Great Job!!!For choosing wedding bands to performed in a wedding be sure they played the quality ones and creative!!!
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I like a band that will be play smooth jazz as it really soothes the mind, also, it sounds so romantic hearing jazz music
I love something crunchy, perhaps an alternative band playing a soft mellow tune with a twist of grunge.
That would be a cool mix.
Some really useful information here – it is important to ask questions before you go ahead an book a band because you need to make sure that the band is going to perfect for you on your big day. Making sure you hire a specialist wedding band is important because they will be familiar with the particular nuances of a wedding day and will be used to any of the problems that might occur. It’s also really important to discuss the type of music they are going to play and agree how long they are going to play for – you don’t want or need to be stressing about this at your wedding! You should try and take care of the musicians as best you can – if you keep them fed and watered then you will keep them happy and happy musicians undoubtedly deliver a better performance!