Function bands
Soloists
Function bands
Soloists
Everyone loves a good wedding. Friends and family gather from far and wide to witness the happy couple say their “I do" vows. Then it's off to the reception for gourmet dining, ruthless anecdotes about the groom, topped off with cake, drink, the wedding band and good times all round!
Here are 15 tips to wedding reception perfection!
You can hold a wedding party just about anywhere: from a stately country house to a grand restaurant to a marquee in a field – how to choose the right spot?
Choose the smallest venue you can get away with. Hiring a ballroom designed for 500 people when you have invited 70 means your guests are spread thinly and this could be an atmosphere killer. Keep your guests close and snug!
In the colder months, a building with heating may be a wiser choice. Many of our wedding bands who have performed in a marquee in early spring will testify that it can get a bit chilly after sunset!
To keep as many people on the dance floor for as long as possible, consider venues that do not offer accommodation on site. Guests can’t yawn and take the easy “early night” option of returning to their room. So instead, arrange for accommodation elsewhere and organise minibuses/coaches to taxi people back (cheaper than individual taxis). This way, nearly everybody stays to the end and all leave at once. Understandably, some early departures are unavoidable, particularly for children and grandparents.
Avoid using multiple rooms or sectioning off the room for different purposes. Keep the drinks bar, buffet and entertainment in one area. Your guests will crowd round to see your first dance, but when the band's first set kicks off, more reluctant dancers may be more comfortable seeking refuge elsewhere. Keeping everything in one room keeps everyone together and is easier to encourage the less inclined to break out their moves on the dance floor!
Unfortunately sound limiters at venues are becoming more commonplace due to council noise restrictions. If you're hiring a wedding band, these can cause serious problems: if the volume passes a certain level, a limiter will cut the power supply to the band's amplifiers and PA, potentially damaging equipment as well as disrupting a band's set and your guests enjoyment of the night.
Most limiters are set to around 95dB – whilst this shouldn't cause any problems for a jazz or classical line-up, it's much more of an issue for rock and pop bands with bass and drums, whose volume levels are likely to hover around the 110dB mark.
Whilst our rock/pop bands will do their best in the cirumstances, it's important to note that simply "turning down" is not usually an effective solution: bands are often at the mercy of the room acoustics and it's difficult to control the sound in large spaces with very reflective surfaces. Drums, the loudest instrument in the bands, are hardest to control. Playing a drum kit quietly completely changes the tone of the drums and rock music will no longer sound like rock music!
If you can't do anything about the limiter but still want guests to dance, we'd recommend hiring either a lively guitar/cajon duo, or a pop soloist or duo, playing to backing tracks.
Live wedding music is the perfect way to make your wedding unique! It always creates a great atmosphere and is also a great way of providing a talking point for guests who don’t know each other.
Wedding DJs are an attractive option if your budget is more limited, but a live band will give your guests more of a show and focal point for night.
If you can't afford a large band but would still like your guests to dance, you could book a soloist performing to backing tracks (for example a lively singer in the style of the Rat Pack), or a guitar/cajon drum duo.
Wedding bands are available in every shape, size and style, from traditional rock and pop bands to more unusual acts, such as flamenco or ska bands.
Whatever you do, choose a style that will get all your guests on the dance floor – by far the most popular choice is a 3-piece or 4-piece wedding band playing rock, pop and soul covers. A driving rhythm section (drums and bass) will keep the dance-floor packed and a great frontman or frontwoman will provide a focal point and engage your guests.
To get the best value, consider booking a wedding band offering a free DJ service.
Or if you haven't yet confirmed your venue, consider having your wedding in a quieter winter month or on a weekday to get the lowest rates.
See choosing music for your evening party for more advice.
Avoid the “my mate’s band” or the average pub-rock band; they won’t have the insurances or fail-safes in place if something goes wrong, nor the experience in performing specialist events. They may also lack the musical versatility needed to cater to the varied ages and tastes of your guests.
Function Central's bands by contrast use high spec equipment, state-of-the-art lighting rigs and PA systems, with all the relevant certifications (PAT ensuring safety and PLI covering liability). All our wedding bands are backed by our live music guarantee, meaning that, in the unlikely event of a road accident, breakdown or illness at the eleventh hour, our emergency support team are on hand to offer a replacement act from the hundreds of bands, musicians and DJs available to us.
Most bands will offer either 3 x 40 minute or 2 x 1 hour live sets. Unless you have other plans during the band's break times (fireworks, games etc.), the latter has more of a flow. A 40 minute set only lasts about 10 songs and can feel quite short.
If you are having an evening buffet, time it for the start of the band’s break. It will keep your guests on the dance-floor up until the band stop. They won’t be so keen to dance with a plate of food and it allows plenty of time for them to dine, rest and be ready to return to the floor for when the band start again.
Generally speaking, midnight is the best time to end the night (venue license permitting).
Many bands offer to learn a first dance as part of their package and the song you have chosen is within their capabilities – so consider taking them up on their offer, in good time, so they have time to learn and rehearse it. If the band are unable or the arrangement isn't suitable for their line-up, they should be happy to play the recording of the song (eg. through a laptop or iPod) instead.
Would you like a wedding band to play throughout your day? Many wedding bands can provide soloists and acoustic options for your ceremony and drinks reception as well as a main evening performance.
Make sure you get in touch with your wedding band to work out the details well before the day. If you’ve hired a wedding band from Function Central, your wedding band will call you three weeks before the day to confirm the final details in your booking contract.
Talk to your band about the final schedule – when you'd like them to arrive, and when you'd like them to start and finish their performance.
Provide them with an on-the-day contact at the venue (eg. a wedding organiser or best man), so don't try and ring you during your ceremony! Tell them where they should meet the assigned contact on arrival, and where you'd like them to set up for their performance. A raised stage will help the band engage your guests, but this it isn’t crucial.
Most wedding bands will stick to smart, reasonable formal clothing unless you ask them to wear something different, but most would be happy to tailor their look to your requirements (within reason).
All Function Central bands who use amplification will play upbeat, recorded music in a similar style to their main set during the interval, via a laptop or mp3 player. But if you'd like more control over the song choice, you can put together your own playlist on an mp3 player and hand this to them before the start of the performance instead.
Have an amazing wedding!
Thanks to Jodie of Slipstream for contributions.
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