Wedding planning isn’t easy. There’s so much to get done, from booking the perfect venue to choosing that perfect wedding dress. When it comes to hiring a live wedding band, you could be forgiven for feeling a little intimidated. There are so many options out there, so many bands to choose from, in so many styles.
So where do you start? Our number one piece of advice is to choose a band who perform the style of music you love. It’s your big day after all. That advice does come with a caveat: you need to consider who will be attending the wedding. If your guests don’t love the music too, then you could be left with the nightmare of bored guests and a deserted dance floor.
To help you out in picking a band that’ll be loved by everyone from your 5-year-old niece to your 80-year-old grandpa, we’ve listed the 5 styles of band that, in our experience, prove the most popular with guests of all ages.
Pop and Rock Wedding Bands
Probably the most popular choice of live wedding band. Pop and rock wedding bands offer something for guests of all ages thanks to their versatility. While some bands will err more to either the pop or the rock side of the spectrum, on the whole, these bands have a wide-ranging repertoire of songs by artists as diverse as The Beatles, Justin Timberlake, Beyoncé, Adele and Coldplay.
Dancing and singing along to a live band performing incredible renditions of your favourite tunes, guitars blazing, bass thumping and drums kicking, is an incredible experience. If you’re looking for a band that’s absolutely guaranteed to pack out the dance floor with grooving guests, you can’t go wrong with a pop and rock wedding band.
Funk, Soul, Disco and Motown Wedding Bands
Funk, soul and Motown bands deliver the perfect mix of exhilarating songs that make dancing impossible to resist and smooth, soulful numbers for those romantic slow dances. These bands capture the showmanship and charisma of legendary artists like Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson and Aretha Franklin, as well as modern greats like John Legend and Bruno Mars. The irresistible grooves, funky guitar licks and spine-tingling vocals of a Funk, soul, disco and Motown band will have you and your guests reminiscing about your wedding entertainment for years to come.
Jazz and Swing Wedding Bands
Classy and sophisticated, jazz and swing bands add a refined touch to your wedding reception. Smooth crooners sing well-loved songs by all the greats like Sammy Davis Jr, Bobby Darin, Dean Martin and, of course, Frank Sinatra. Don’t worry, there’ll also be a few tunes from the modern heir to the Rat Pack crown: Michael Bublé. Backing the velvet-voiced vocalists are impeccable jazz musicians, including full brass sections to produce those unmistakable swinging sounds. Booking a jazz and swing wedding band gets guests of all ages jumping and jiving.
Acoustic Wedding Bands
A huge trend in live wedding entertainment right now is Mumford and Sons inspired folk acoustic wedding bands. Incorporating acoustic instruments like the banjo, double bass, acoustic guitar and cajon, these bands deliver an upbeat performance that never fails to put a smile on guests’ faces.
Thanks to their all acoustic performance, these bands are a great choice if your wedding venue has any limitations on how loud a band are allowed to perform, as they will be able to meet even the strictest decibel limits.
Another advantage of booking an acoustic wedding band is that many will offer a roaming performance where, thanks to their acoustic instruments, the band will mingle with your guests as they perform. A unique wedding day treat!
Vintage Wedding Bands
If you’ve got a vintage-themed wedding planned, then you need to book a vintage wedding band to bring it all together. Vintage bands evoke the glamour of the roaring twenties with their exquisite period attire, authentic instruments and stunning renditions of 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s standards.
To cater for the tastes of younger guests, many vintage wedding bands include vintage arrangements of more modern songs: there’s nothing quite like hearing “Gangsta’s Paradise” performed in a ragtime style by a full band with double bass, horns and strings!
