We know that there are a million things to think of when planning your wedding. This includes the venue, the wedding dress, the food and finally the entertainment. Choosing the right band for your wedding can decide whether your reception will be a memorable one where your guests will remember for years or a reception that they will instantly forget.

Planning some entertainment can be stressful for many couples, as it’s not often that you get a chance to book a live band. If you’re excited about hiring a wedding band for your wedding but not sure what to look for, then fear not, as our guide can help you look for the wedding band that suits your style and wedding

Talk to your venue

Before you start looking for a wedding band, you need to first discuss the idea with your wedding venue. Due to many reasons, few wedding venues in Bali restrict live music performances. This is why you must check whether the venue allows live music or not. If they do, check if they have set any volume restrictions. If there are indeed restrictions in place, you need to inform your band before you book them, so they are aware of the limits.

Many venues use a sound limiter to follow a specific volume restriction. If your venue happens to use a sound limiter, then you should find out the decibel limit and inform your band about the limit before the performance. Most bands can modify their performance to suit any decibel limit level and bring suitable equipment for these restrictions.

If all this sound limiter stuff sounds too complicated to you, no need to worry as entertainment agencies are experienced in working with sound limiters in various properties and venues and can help answer all of your questions.

Set your budget

The price for a wedding band varies dramatically, ranging from a few hundred US dollars up to tens of thousands of dollars. The things that influence a brand’s price are the number of members, their experience and popularity, and how far they’ll need to travel to your wedding venue, so travel expenses and accommodation may also influence the overall price.

The average price for a band with four members is around US$1,000 -1800. If this price range is still too high for you, you can still find top-tier live musicians in Bali bars and clubs to play for your special day. These bands will be delighted to reduce their price and bring their fee down to suit your budget, or you could choose a solo or duo performance. By tweaking loop pedals and professional backing tracks, solo and duo performers can replicate the sound of a full band with a much lower price tag.

Choosing your wedding band

The first thing to remember when choosing a wedding band is that every band is different! If you want to make a great and memorable wedding evening that fits your style and personality as a couple, then you need to connect with the band’s style and music on a personal level.

So, what type of band should you pick? The’ mini concert’ type can get your wedding guests off their feet and moshing like what a live concert should look like. 

Couples may also want the live gig feeling on their wedding day. That feeling of hearing your favorite song played perfectly by a live band is unlike any other. True gig-goers know exactly what this feels like!

Another type of wedding band could play familiar funky pop covers of hits songs from well-known artists that get the crowd boogying down the dance floor all night long.

Other live wedding bands types will provide a more laid-back kind of show. This kind of wedding band usually consists of a smaller lineup or brings an acoustic performance suitable for a romantic feel with artists such as Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith, and many more.

Music styles and genre

You should first know the genre you’re looking for before choosing any band for your wedding. Indeed, the essential question is: what type of music do you like as a couple? Since a wedding is likely to be the biggest event you’ll ever host, why not book a live wedding band that will play the music everyone wants to hear and love?

The most popular genres for weddings are pop and rock. These two genres are so wide-ranging that you’ll still need to pick the type of music you want the band to perform.

With that in mind, you can look for bands that perform in specific sub-genres. Or, to make things even simpler, you can start by looking at their portfolio and song repertoire by checking out their videos of their past performances. This way, you can see and hear the songs they play and check if they have a unique style when playing the songs. You can also look at the band’s reviews and see their past client’s feelings about their service and performance.