When booking a wedding band, it is often best to go via a reputable agency. This will ensure that the bands you choose are professional and high quality.
Music sets the tone for all portions of your wedding, including drinks, dinner and dancing. A good band will know when to play slow songs and will be able to keep your guests engaged in between dance sets.
Experience
A professional wedding band will be fully self-contained and bring its sound system, lighting and instruments. Most of them will also need space to set up, so if you want them to perform at your venue, you must provide enough room. They will also need a changing area for their clothes and a hot meal.
When searching for New York Wedding Bands, check if they have videos of them performing live – this is the best way to see what they are like and hear how good their vocals are. Look out for videos that have been professionally produced, as this will show a commitment to the quality of their performances.
Most professional wedding bands will have a standard setlist that they perform at weddings. This will have been refined over the years and is based on their experience of what works well at keeping guests dancing all night long. To ensure that the band fulfills your requests on your marriage ceremony, it is important to communicate them beforehand.
Style of Music
While great music is important, it accounts for only 50% of what makes wedding entertainment successful. Other factors include customization, planning, timing, reading the crowd and emceeing. A professional wedding band should be able to do all these things seamlessly and effectively.
It is also crucial that the band reflects your style and theme. For example, hiring a big soul or funk band would be inappropriate if you’re having a rustic wedding in a country barn.
Finally, be sure to ask about their repertoire and whether they will learn your first dance song as part of their package. Some bands will do this for a small additional fee.
Be aware that some venues have sound limiters, which will cut the volume if it gets too high. Be sure that the band is aware of your venue’s restrictions, and if they have any issues with this, then it is wise to let them know early on.
Reputation
If a band is worth its salt, it will have accumulated many reviews on different platforms. Please read through them and look for common themes that can tell you a lot about the quality of their work. For instance, if you notice phrases such as, “They were great, everyone was dancing” or, “They were so professional, and read the crowd so well,” that tells you they will have the energy and style to keep your guests on the disco floor all night long.
Professional NY Wedding Bands should have a video on their website that showcases them performing live at previous events. Audio clips should accompany the videos to hear the band playing together as a unit rather than just individual musicians. Most bars also require a meeting before your big day, so go over your timeline and song requests with them, too. They will need to know your special songs for the ceremony, the first dance, and any other songs you want to be played.
Fees
It’s important to remember that wedding bands aren’t just talented musicians but professional performers in their own right. Their pricing reflects this, their professionalism and the costs associated with hiring and maintaining their equipment.
A great wedding band will be able to read the crowd and mix up their songs to keep everyone on the dance floor all night long. This takes excellent musicianship and intuition from years of wedding experience.
Many venues have noise limiters that can cut the music if the volume goes too high. A good wedding band can cope with this, but it’s worth checking with your venue beforehand.
Most bands quote based on two 1-hour sets; this is the ideal amount of dancing time and allows the band to take breaks between sets. However, many bands can offer extra sets for an additional fee.