Getting married next year - looking into Entertainment now !!

bluebird1979

hey everyone !


am getting married August next year, we have the venue/caterers/ chapel/ sorted. But the next thing id like to sort out is the entertainment for the evening.


the Venue will be a marquee, and I feel essential to the day going off as a success is the entertainment and more specifically a decent band to play.


ive researched a bit in the last few weeks mainly by logging into a few agency type websites similar to hireaband.co.uk etc and have requested prices for bands that can cover the North Wales area on the day of the wedding, and we are getting prices back of close to £800 - £900. Which to be honest I wasn't prepared for.


Just wondering if in your experience over the past few years this is about the going rate for a covers band, and if possible if any of you kind people know of any ways we could possibly get a band in for around half the price of what I have already been quoted


all suggestions welcome other than the mother of the bride getting up to sing songs as I don't want to drive the guests away

Idiophreak

We used a site called alivenetwork to find our band, they were awesome, but sadly they were even more costly than the quotes you've been getting.

When you think about it, 800 or 900 for a 4 or 5 piece band is not a lot of money really...put yourself in their shoes, they possibly have to learn and practice the music you want, travel to the venue (ours travelled about 60 miles), set up all their kit, hand around for a couple of hours, play a few sets, travel back...At £800 for a 4-piece you're looking at getting £200 each, which doesn't seem like a whole lot for a professional musician to go to all that effort....and that's before you consider tax...

In terms of getting it cheaper, your options are:
* Get a DJ instead
* Just play music off and ipod
* Get a singer that will perform with a backing track etc
* Look for something other than a traditional wedding band...school choirs, bands starting out etc - but this is pretty high risk if the entertainment's important to you.
* Get mates rates from friends/friends of friends

bluebird1979

thanks for the reply, and I appreciate the suggestions for other options open to us. but really none of them float my boat as much as a proper band does. I think a proper covers band really does entertain the guests more than any other way.


I guess the prices quoted back to me kind of took me by surprise as ive never had to look for a wedding band before.


ill look into the website that you used as well to see what quotes I can get back to see if they are a bit cheaper with a bit of luck lol


cheers

DKLS

TBH I think £900 is pretty cheap for a nights entertainment, My mate who has a great soul/funk band charges a lot more but is so worth it "Chunky Butt Funky can perform as a 4-piece or a 5-piece band. Priced from £2,650 for their 4-piece, depending on date, location and requirements."

For my wedding a DJ mate made a 6hr long mix and popped that on an iPod which we played through the hotels PA system and cost us nothing.

Goldiegirl

You get what you pay for...... Don't forget there might be a reason that they are cheaper.

If I wasn't willing to pay the going rate for a decent, talented band, I'd get a disco instead, or do the music myself

That would be preferable to paying half the going rate for a bunch of jokers who couldn't string two notes together!

bluebird1979

maybe its just me then and im a bit out of touch with the cost of things lol


I guess I could go the whole ipod/playlist thing which would be a hell of a lot cheaper but I just think id like to have a band there to really make the night something special.

marywooyeah

OP I had exactly the same shock when arranging our wedding! I was getting quotes that were in the thousands!

what kind of music/band are you looking for? we wanted a blues brothers band and hired a duo based in our local area, they were brilliant and only charged us £400 for 2 45 minute sets and we made an ipod playlist for before and after their sets which the venue let us play through their pa system for free.

Have you considered getting a singer with a guitar or backing tracks, then playing an ipod at the other times? that would really bring the cost down and give you and the guests a good variety of music x

Moggins_2

The fewer members in the band the less it will cost in my experience. My sisters in law are a singing duo who do a general
Covers show, an abba tribute and an 80s rock tribute and the price varies depending on distance and how long the set is etc. having gone to gigs with them and helped them set up and wait about I can see why people charge the prices they do

bluebird1979

ideally was just kind of looking for a covers band who did good renditions of old and new songs. not bothered by the size of the band tbh.. the quotes I have had have included the option of them doing an ipod disco between them appearing which I quite like as it would save on the cost of a DJ too.


not too sure how else to find bands that are local to the area other than the usual google searching. But as we are in Cardiff and the Wedding is going to be in North Wales we are limited with what we can do at the moment from distance.


have had a few lower quotes this morning in the £700s which might be more affordable, but I will keep searching


just crazy how everything to do with a wedding is so damn expensive!!

DKLS

bluebird1979 wrote: »

just crazy how everything to do with a wedding is so damn expensive!!

The mere mention of the word wedding seems to double or triple the costs.

Our venue to hire for a birthday meal and party, would cost £500 for a wedding it costs £1500!, the only difference in my view is a toastmaster.

Idiophreak

DKLS wrote: »

Our venue to hire for a birthday meal and party, would cost £500 for a wedding it costs £1500!, the only difference in my view is a toastmaster.

...And the pressure to deliver....

Don't get me wrong, the *amount* more people charge for weddings is a joke, but I can understand them charging a little more...as everything has to be belt and braces for a wedding...