ur venues are located in Nashville, Tennessee, so that may influence our perspective on bands a bit.
Over the past 13 years, we've seen a lot of bands come through our venues. Some film videos, others host album release parties and number one industry events, and there is even the occasional TV special and fan club private concert. We have a few videos of such events posted here. In Nashville many weddings have well known musicians get out of their seat to play a song or two.
And then there are wedding bands. Like DJs (see our article on how to select a DJ), wedding bands can make or break an event. But unlike all but the best DJs, they are usually quite good and keep your guests dancing. We're big fans of bands.
Then how do I choose a wedding band?
The genre of music, the breadth of their library, the band's sound, and their cost are all obvious things to consider. Our advice is to use the services of a booking agent recommended by the venue to help you make a selection based upon these criteria (we provide a Nashville booking agent here). Then, from the shortlist provided, listen to their tracks online and watch their videos. Many bands are quite visual.
These factors seem obvious enough. But there are some finer points. For one, some bands will charge extra for speakers, lighting, etc. We live in an add-on world these days. But these additional line items may not be necessary based upon the venue you've chosen. Our venues, for instance, have speakers, amplifiers and mixing boards for bands built-in. We also have colored lighting and in the case of Clementine Hall, stage lighting. It happens far too often that a band charges our clients for these add-ons that they don't need. To justify this expense, they may set up this redundant or lesser equipment which also requires considerable time. And the result is that they create an unattractive speaker wall that appears in your wedding photos.
Set-up time can be an issue with some bands as well. Venues rent their space for a set window of time. Sometimes, especially at the end of the night, bands cannot load all of their equipment in time which may cause the client to incur a late charge. Using a venue's audio system, if they have one, can solve this issue, but the band has to be willing to use it and many bands may not be used to using a venue's audio system. Some don't like to change their formula of using their own speakers night-in, night-out. And to be fair, most bands pay wedding venues that simply don't have adequate sound or lighting, so they tend to expect the worst.
Make sure that the band you choose is also the appropriate size for your venue. A 10-piece band with a horn section and dancers will not work in a small venue. In addition to the excessive space required in this example, the resulting sound would push everyone out of the building.
Most bands have a band member or crew member who is responsible for their sound mixing. (All of the microphones and instruments are mixed using a mixing board to get their respective audio levels balanced.). Some bands expect a venue or client to supply their audio tech, so make sure your band has in-house mixing talent.
Bands also have contract riders that require a dressing room for them to get ready and where they may take their breaks and eat dinner. If your venue doesn't provide a dressing room, be aware that either the bride or groom will have to give up their dressing room mid-day.
Professional wedding bands are usually a pleasure with which to work. They know the schedule, when to announce last song and send-off, and of course keep people on the dance floor. But, it never hurts to read their reviews or ask the venue their thoughts before booking a band.
Really, Use a Booking Agent
Apart from helping with the band selection process as noted at the start of this article, booking agents perform another invaluable service. Thery act as an intermediary between you and the band. Why is that important? Well, many bands are, how shall we say it....artists. If new to a venue, bands may call the venue to determine the venue's on-site audio capabilities, even though it may have been sent to them or otherwise be on the venue's website. They may call you often too.
But the bigger issue here is that some bands are uninsured. That is unacceptable to most venues and should be unacceptable to you, the client. Why don't many get insurance? Ask them - it could be the cost or the time or simply not being required by someone to do it. Booking agents will procure the insurance for their bands and deliver it to the venue, saving you the time of pestering them.
