How Much Does A Wedding Band Cost To Hire?

Entertainment Nation is one of the UK’s most trusted wedding entertainment agencies. Founded by two experienced wedding musicians with the mission of giving outstanding service to brides and grooms in search of their perfect wedding entertainment, they started out with a website, a few bands and the willingness to go the extra mile for their clients. Since those humble beginnings, they’ve grown to represent hundreds of the UK’s most talented wedding bands, musicians, DJs and entertainers, while still retaining their commitment to offering the best possible service to each and every couple they work with, which is why they come highly recommended by RMW...

If you’ve got a theme, this is a good place to start. There are styled bands available to suit any theme: Mumford and Sons style folk bands for festival weddings, postmodern swing bands to go with a vintage theme and cutting edge modern dance and chart bands for cool, contemporary weddings. Another way through wedding band block is to have a deep think about the music you both like – brainstorm which songs are absolute must-haves and look for a band that includes your tunes in their repertoire. The easiest way to sift through band repertoires is to head over to Entertainment Nation, where you’ll be presented with a wide range of bands, helpfully organised into different styles of music, each with a detailed profile including the songs they perform. Perhaps the best method of finding “your” band is to watch as many promo videos as you can until something clicks and you know you have to have that act. We often find that couples just “know” when they’ve found the wedding band for them – a bit like falling in love! If you’re really struggling, then get in touch with the Entertainment Nation team who’ll have a chat with you about your options, get to know your tastes and give you some hand-picked suggestions. One thing to bear in mind: check with your venue whether they have any restrictions on live music. Some venues impose a curfew, some limit the volume at which a band can perform, some are tight on performance space, while others don’t permit live music at all. The sights, the sounds, the atmosphere, the audience interaction – you just don’t get that with a playlist. When you hire a professional wedding band, you’re not only getting a group of talented musicians, but also exceptional performers who draw upon vast experience to ensure your wedding reception is a riotous celebration rather than a dance floor bore. Thanks to set lists of songs that have been tested in the toughest of rooms, a good wedding band knows what tunes to play and when to keep the energy high and the dance floor full.

This is an area in which the best wedding bands excel. Wedding receptions tend to feature crowds diverse in age and musical taste, which is something all but the most specialised bands take into account. You’ll find many of the bands available from Entertainment Nation have vast and varied repertoires that feature classics from the 50s and 60s onwards and the biggest modern chart hits from a variety of genres including pop, rock, indie, soul, disco and Motown. Even if you hire a band in a more niche genre, there’s scope for keeping everyone included. If you hire a rock ‘n’ roll wedding band, for example, they most likely won’t restrict their repertoire to songs released in the 50s, but will also throw in some more modern songs, perhaps performed with a rock ‘n’ roll twist. Another benefit of booking live music that we forgot mention above is that a good wedding band will have the charisma and style to get guests dancing to songs they’ve never even heard of! And then there are the songs that transcend age and taste and fill the dance floor no matter what – see our selection at the bottom of the page. That all depends on what you’re looking for. A band’s fee will depend upon a variety of factors, including: how many musicians in the line-up, the distance the band needs to travel and how popular the band is. Roughly, you should be budgeting the following:

Solo – From £250 to £500 plus Duo – From £500 to £800 plus Trio – From £600 to £1300 plus 4-piece – From £900 to £2500 plus 5-piece and larger – From £1200 to £5000 plus

We consulted the wedding band members in the Entertainment Nation office and these are the songs that NEVER fail to get everyone going. Some may raise an eyebrow, some may fall away as the years go on, but right now, if you want to cram the dance floor with as many guests as possible, these are the songs to get the job done:

Uptown Funk – Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars Mr Brightside – The Killers Despacito – Luis Fonsi ft. Daddy Yankee Dancing Queen - ABBA Shut Up and Dance – Walk The Moon Shape of You – Ed Sheeran Sex on Fire – Kings of Leon Can’t Stop The Feeling – Justin Timberlake Don’t Look Back In Anger - Oasis Living on a Prayer – Bon Jovi

We know how busy people's lives are nowadays, and that by necessity, most wedding planning happens during the evening and weekends. That’s why our dedicated team of expert wedding entertainment advisers are on hand from 10am until 10pm, 7 days a week to answer your questions when you need them answered. Whether you have a question about wedding entertainment or you’d like some expert inspiration, our friendly team will do everything they can to help.

This is a sponsored post. Entertainment Nation are members of our recommended supplier directory, The List, and have provided entertainment for many RMW Real Weddings over the years. You can find out more about them here.