Wedding entertainment for a memorable day
Your choice of wedding entertainment is one of the things people remember most about your wedding day. Choosing the right entertainment is as important as choosing the right venue. In fact, we recommend that you choose your entertainment about the same time as you book your venue.
Planning your wedding entertainment
Here are some key tips for choosing entertainment for your wedding day.
Make wedding entertainment a highlight of your day?
Most couples will want music that everyone can dance to as their wedding turns into one of life’s major celebrations of friendship and family. Almost every wedding culminates with a lovely party where dancing and music play a central role. But what about in other parts of the day?
Imagine the bridal party entering to the skirl of the pipes, or some gentle string music. Surprise and amuse your guests with some wacky waiters.
Do you want atmospheric music as the guests arrive for the ceremony? Or some special music to announce the entrance of the bridal party?
How about some easy listening while your guests are waiting for you to arrive at the reception or while photographs are being taken? Or some background music during dinner? Do you need someone to entertain younger guests while their parents celebrate with you?
Besides music, have you thought about some other kind of performance to make your day memorable for your guests in a funny, spectactular or surprising way?
Choose wedding entertainment that suits your theme
Does your wedding have a particular theme or style which might influence the sort of entertainment you choose? Is it a vintage or nostalgia theme which might suit a crooner or some retro jazz? Or is it a Scottish, Irish or country barn dance?
What about the time of year, time of day and the venue? Is it a summer outdoor wedding or an indoor event?
Consider wedding entertainment to appeal to all ages
Great music to dance to is usually top of the priority list for most couples. Some prefer classic rock, while others prefer more modern pop syles but – happily – the best dance music often spans generations.
Nothing beats a live band (Corner Sounds)
While it’s impossible to beat a band of live musicians for the best entertainment experience, a good duo or even solo musician may give you the same atmosphere. Alternatively a good DJ can be excellent value and able to cater to a range of tastes and moods that change a different stages of your day.
But it’s not always to everyone’s taste and you and your friends and family might prefer something different, like some classical guitar, a piano-vocalist, or smooth jazz.
Think too about others at the wedding. What about some children’s entertainment to keep the younger members of the party amused?
Get the best out of your wedding entertainment budget
Weddings don’t come cheap, and neither does the best wedding entertainment.
A budget helps you decide on where to start. For example, do you want a full wedding entertainment package including ceremony and reception or just a band or DJ for the latter part of the day. Is it a low-key wedding in which case you may need a single guitarist or large traditional wedding in which case a full live band would be ideal.
With careful planning you can make a modest wedding entertainment budget go a long way to making your day more memorable for everyone. A willingness to invest a bit more could make it the party of a lifetime.
Nothing beats a live 4-piece (or bigger) band to create a fantastic atmosphere and to get everyone up and dancing, rather than having another glass or two of wine. In fact what you spend on a band you might save on drinks!
The cost of a band depends on several things including how much in demand the band is, the number of members, the timing and location of your wedding, and how long they play for. Bands start at around $2,000 for a three-hour set and can range as high as $5,000 for a big 8-10 piece band. Budgetting around $2,800-$3,200 should secure you a high-quality band who will play for 3-4 hours, will usually include or learn specific songs you want, and may offer some additional background music during or after the ceremony.
Even a solo musician can make your wedding enertainment come alive. (Natalie Elms)
If you’re on a tighter budget then a good duo can still create a rich, live music experience for around $1,000-$1,500 depending on who you choose. Or even a solo singer/instrumentalist at around $800-$1,000.
Another popular choice is to have a DJ, which can range from as little as $500 to as much as $1,000 depending on how long you want them for. What you miss out on in ‘live’ atmosphere, you can make up for in an almost infinite range of music choice and catering for requests.
Make sure you wedding entertainment fits your venue
Booking the right type ofwedding entertainment for your chosen venue is really important – for example, the size, setting, facilities at the venue will help in matching the right entertainment. Is the venue large enough for a 4-piece band or too large for a soloist? Are there any hours or volume limits at your venue?
Most acts will bring their own PA equipment but if you have a particularly large venue and lots of guests then you may need to arrange for additional equipment. Some venues have their own sound systems which your entertainers may be able to use. If you are having speeches, or music in other parts of the venue at different times then remember to check if the venue has the right equipment or whether your wedding entertainment act can help you with this.
Get some expert advice on your wedding entertainment choices
At Christchurch Entertainment Bureau, we have a wide range of bands, musicians and other performers who can help make your wedding even more memorable. Browse our selection of acts, or contact us for a no-obligation consultation about your needs and budget.
DJ’s
We have a great range of professional DJs styles to suit your wedding. Most come with professional sound and lighting set-up and libraries of thousands of songs.
A good DJ can be an affordable and flexible wedding entertainment choice.
Bands
We can advise you on which band will best suit your needs, budget and venue. All our bands are professional, reliable and flexible. They include popular covers/pop bands, jazz, blues, Irish or swing bands.
Soloists
There are also a great variety of singers; male, female, duos and groups.
Instrumentalists
These include pianists, harpists, guitarists, saxophonist, harpist, violinists (or combinations of) and of course the string quartet. Great results can be achieved with a pianist, or a string/musical ensemble for a cermony entrance or relaxed reception.
Roving performers
Surprise and delight your guests with some novelty acts, like dancers or fire performers, or make them laugh with comedy waiters or bouncers.
MCs & Celebrants
Ask us about celebrants and MCs.
Children’s entertainment
Don’t forget about how to keep the youngest members of the celebration crowd during a long afternoon or evening.
Book your wedding entertainment early
Like venues, the best wedding entertainment acts are in high demand on the most popular days, especially Saturdays and Sundays in summer. (If you choose to have your wedding on a weekday, even a Friday, you may have a better choice of acts available and be able to negotiate a sharper fee!)
Ask us about choices for your wedding entertainment at the same time you are looking at venues. Not only will that help you decide on the right sort of act for your venue, but also it gives you chance to go and and check out the acts at some public gigs before you make up your mind.