Booking Live Music For Your Wedding in 2020
2020 is here! And a huge number of lovely couples got engaged in Christmas 2019. So this year lots of weddings will be planned and take place. We already have 26 bookings in London so expect it to be a very busy year. Whatever your political view, surely this year will be clearer and more straightforward than last. Here are some quick tips on live music hire for the big day.
- Look around but don't leave it until the last minute. We know that music is rarely the first thing that gets booked and appreciate that venue, date, catering and dress are all likely to occupy a lot more thinking and planning time. However, overlooking music is a shame as it really does add atmosphere in a very unique way. If you're not sure what you want, look at simple options first. A string quartet and a DJ will cover the whole wedding as the strings can play for the ceremony and the reception. This can keep the cost down also. You don't really need any music at all during the meal (and some venues have good recorded music options for the meal). Then the wedding DJ can cover the first dance to the last one.
- If you have stronger ideas about some more particular wedding entertainment (a gospel choir or a vintage jazz band), it's worth researching more in advance as more specialised acts tend to get booked in earlier. Although in general it's a fact that any excellent acts tend to get booked more in advance anyway, but there are many more professional string quartets than gospel choirs.
- Think about your venue and the options, as well as whether the music will be outdoors or indoors. So if you're keen for an outside wedding and hoping the weather will be great on the day, then think about music that may be more suitable for outdoors. For example if you're getting married in a field in the countryside, then a string quartet or solo violin will not be a great option as violins and cellos can't be played in direct sunlight as they get damaged. Anyway, a singer/guitarist may be suitable and lend more of a festival vibe which may anyway be perfect for the setting. Or if you don't have a large number of guests and have hired a smaller venue then you may only want a solo musician, although be aware that there is sometimes more room for musicians than you may think. Sometimes they can play on a balcony or next to where drinks are being served and not take much room. Don't just ask your venue about this - ask the actual musicians you're interested in hiring.
- Make sure you get everything in writing in the form of a booking disclaimer or contract. Although rare, it's not unheard of for some music acts to cancel and the more protection you have from this happening, the better. Any act that seems to avoid contracts may be worth avoiding as if they are serious about fully committing to your event, they're likely to suggest or stipulate a contract to protect both parties from cancellation.
Finally, enjoy the search! It can be fun checking out different music with your partner and the fact that you may not agree on everything is completely fine. It's quite rare for two people to like exactly the same kind of music and like in marriage itself, some compromise will help with making these choices. Maybe one of you prefers the band that you end up booking and the other prefers the harpist. That's fine as long as you're happy enough with everything booked and know that at least a good portion of your guests will enjoy the music also. You can never please everyone when booking something as personal as live music, but you can keep enough people happy (especially yourselves!) to ensure that you have the best possible day.
Planning your wedding and looking for quality music? Get in touch now - we offer bespoke packages as well as individual acts. We offer a friendly service and are happy to have an informal chat about your possible requirements and then send you some quote options.
