Look, if you hire a live band of guys for your wedding reception and you want Something Kinda Ooooh from Girls Aloud you may have a problem. Probably it’s best they play the girls’ CD instead. But that’s not what they’re there for – neither is it what you’re paying them for.
When it comes to wedding entertainment live bands will normally be happy to learn a new song free of charge for the event and would only charge a minimal fee even if it were so obscure that it would be unusable for any other occasion. They promise is to keep the customer happy and that is of course what your are – and by proxy, your guests also.
Types of UK wedding venues
There are many types of wedding venues in the UK, from the select to the salubrious, but they all have to be licensed for live music. You must be sure to check licence limits and sound or noise restrictions with the venue as they may relate to accommodating your wedding entertainment of choice, advisedly in advance of contacting any live music bands. That way you’ll know exactly what you’re dealing with – and so will they of course.
Parking’s another thing. Is there enough space available not only for your guest’s cars but also the band’s transport? Are there any loading or unloading issues or time limits – like the main gates get locked at 1 am. How embarrassing would that be?! Ask if your venue needs the band’s PLI (Public Liability Insurance) or PAT (Portable Appliance Test) certificates and if so, make them a compulsory check point on your criteria list.
The wedding entertainment plan
Before you get that far in your wedding entertainment plan it’s important that you choose a band that feels right but make sure to listen to their demos and watch their videos. Caution is need in respect of bands that post videos with a studio demo soundtrack. The absolute best way to hear just how good they are – without actually going to see them perform that is – is to watch a live video clip of a performance.
Look for one that’s been captured on camera by a guest or, even better, a wedding couple’s videographer. It’s not the video quality you should pay attention to but the songs. Listen for that authentic cover sound compared to the originals and the way the guests react. You just can’t fudge things like that and if you’re pleased by what you see, then it could well be the right wedding entertainment for you.
Glowing testimonials
The vast majority of a band’s work comes from word of mouth or recommendation. Having played at a wedding, they are regularly re-booked for the family’s subsequent birthday party or anniversary celebrations, not to mention by the guests attending on the day who were duly impressed. It all leads to glowing testimonials which end up on the band’s website.
Top London wedding entertainment outfit SensationBand get bookings left, right and centre due to their excellent professionalism in performances. The musicians in SensationBand have individually worked sessions with greats in the music business – Lily Allen, Amy Winehouse, Incognito. When you research on ‘wedding entertainment London’ through Google you’ll be bound to get a link to their own website.