A Guide to Wedding Band Packages
The line between a great reception and a perfect one lies in the evening’s entertainment. When a band like Metro Music Club brings the right vibe, they change the room. Guests stay later. The dance floor fills faster. It just feels bigger. More professional. More fun. Which is why it’s so important that you have a guide to wedding band packages. Not only does it help you manage your budget, but it helps you plan for a night everyone will remember.
For wedding couples who are planning an unforgettable wedding and for event planners tasked with bringing it to life, wedding band packages aren’t just a price point. They are experience tiers. And the right package can determine how the music plays out, the overall vibe, the production, and the experience of the entire evening.
What’s Included in Wedding Band Packages?
A wedding band package refers to the entertainment service offerings you’re purchasing. For starters, it may simply mean a live band for the reception consisting of a certain number of musicians, performance time, and standard audio-visual equipment. Or, it could include a premium package from a fantastic band like Red Hot Revolution which offers ceremony music, cocktail hour entertainment, an MC, a dance break, premium lighting, and much more.
A larger band like Modern Retrospect with a 3-piece horn section, however, will have a bigger impact especially in a ballroom, estate, tented wedding, or destination wedding venue. Instead of focusing on how many musicians are in the package, think about what you want from them.
Two packages might look similar on paper but sound very different when they perform. A six-piece band such as Glitterati with great singers, seamless segues, and a wide variety of songs will sound better than a larger band without those qualities. The smart move is to look beyond the musician count and focus on what the package is designed to do.
What to Look for in a Wedding Band Package
Here’s what you should be looking for when shopping around for a wedding band package:
- Live musicians with wedding experience
- Appropriate length of performance time
- Quality sound equipment for your venue
- MC services
- Music played during band breaks
- Ceremony music available as add-on
- Lighting upgrades available as add-on
- Arrival, setup, teardown, and travel
A Guide to Wedding Band Packages by Event Style
The best wedding band package will depend on what type of wedding celebration you’re planning. Do you envision an elegant, music-focused celebration with a sophisticated arc from ceremony to the dance floor? Then you may want to layer live music throughout different portions of the day. Do you want an absolutely raucous dance party at your wedding? Then your package should focus on securing a high-octane wedding dance band, making sure the band plays non-stop, and adding production value to create a big wow factor in the venue.
For a traditional wedding reception, you’ll usually see packages that include 2-3 hours of live band performance, basic emcee services, and standard reception sound support. These are great options if you want to elevate your reception with top-quality live music but don’t necessarily want your wedding band to feel like a concert show.
Luxury wedding receptions often warrant a more robust package. Adding live music to your ceremony, jazz or acoustic music during your cocktail hour, increasing your band size, upgrading your sound system to accommodate a larger number of guests, intelligent lighting, and hiring a wedding DJ or pre-selected playlist service for your band’s breaks can help to make your wedding reception a more seamless and immersive experience. The end result? A stronger overall guest experience and momentum that carries the reception through to the end of the night.
For destination weddings and multi-day events, having flexibility is just as important as having the right talent. If you’re looking to have musicians cover your welcome party, your poolside event, rehearsal dinner, and reception, then you’ll need a package that focuses on consistency, coordination, and stress-free organization.
Reception-Only Packages
Reception-only packages work best when you want to invest primarily in what happens at the reception, which is where your guests will have their greatest expectations of live music. A typical reception-only package will provide your main reception band and a set number of performance hours, and include sufficient production support to facilitate the main speeches and other formalities.
This is often a good solution if you already have musicians contracted for the ceremony, or if your venue offers technical equipment support. However, there’s a downside to these kinds of packages if they don’t include music for transitions, introductions or as background music during breaks. You may find that the energy levels of your event drop more than expected, which could dampen some of the atmosphere.
Full-Day Entertainment Packages
If you’re aiming for the ultimate guest experience, full day wedding entertainment packages can really elevate the event. Rather than working with multiple musicians and/or audio-visual professionals, you’ll have one well-coordinated entertainment strategy that will ensure the music is appropriate throughout the day. Your ceremony will be properly introduced, cocktail hour will have its own musical flair, and the reception will seamlessly transition into a dance party that has the full participation of your guests.
These packages are particularly useful for high-end weddings that require attention to detail, seamless pacing, and overall presentation. In addition, it can ease your mind knowing that everything is already planned, reducing the likelihood of unexpected issues.
Some Things that Can Influence the Cost of Wedding Band Packages
Keep in mind that the costs aren’t random. There are factors that are considered: quality of talent, quality of production, market demand, and accessibility issues. A great band that consists of talented musicians, high-quality singers, and a track record of previous gigs will likely cost more than an emerging cover band in your area that plays weddings every once in a while.
Yes, band size is a factor, but it’s not the only one. Usually, the more people there are in the band, the more impressive they’ll look and sound on stage. However, quality is more important than quantity. A really good small band can completely outshine a typical bigger band.
Location is another factor to consider. Is the wedding outside of a large city? Is a flight needed? Is there even a possibility of an overnight stay? These concerns can affect the overall price. Plus, how hard will it be to load-in? Is there easy access to the venue? How much time will there be to set up? Are two different sound systems needed for two different rooms? All of these questions can influence the price.
Finally, add-ons can also affect the price. Lighting, LED screens, stages, special instruments, custom arrangements, additional hours, and DJ services can all be offered as part of a band’s package. None of these extras are necessary, but when done right, they can elevate a performance from “good” to “wow.”
How to Compare Packages without Getting Distracted By Price Alone
Entertainment is one of those elements of your wedding that guests will directly experience. While pretty flowers are certainly important, it’s the music that really sets the tone of the evening. While planning on a budget, it’s easy to go for a lower-cost wedding band package, but make sure to take a look at each band’s backgrounds before making a final decision.
What types of events do they normally play at? How polished or laid-back is their style? How much experience do they have planning the night, cueing first dances, reading a crowd, keeping up the energy and taking it to new heights? All of this information can help you figure out which band will be the best fit, much more than hourly rate can. The best packages will also lay out their plans for keeping up the energy all night, including MCing, making announcements, planning for intermissions and transitions. Opting for a cheaper package that doesn’t offer enough coverage may lead to bored or disappointed guests.
Things to Confirm Before You Book
Confirm the lineup. Find out who will be performing on the day of your event. Ask about the equipment. Learn more about the sound and lighting packages included with your booking. Talk about breaks. Make sure you have a game plan for the performers to take breaks. Confirm if they can be an emcee. Learn more about emcee services offered by the band. Find out about customizing a playlist. Learn more about creating a playlist if your event has guests of all ages. Ask about changes. Find out what to do in case something comes up and the timeline of your event changes.
For luxury events ask about appearance standards. Find out about the band’s appearance standards, stage presence and how they work with venues and planners to coordinate production. Luxury events are about more than great-sounding live music, and they are also about exceptional looks and presentations.
The Most Valuable Upgrades in a Wedding Band Package
Add-ons can be a great way to elevate your live music, but it’s important to determine which add-ons are worth it based on your guests, priorities, and your venue.
Cocktail Hour Music: Having live music during cocktail hour keeps the refined feeling of the event going into the reception, avoiding the awkwardness of no music and an empty dance floor.
DJ for breaks: Having a DJ or a great playlist during the band’s breaks can help to keep the energy and the dance floor going.
Lighting: Having great lighting can make your band look like it’s larger than what it is, elevate the look of their performance and pump up the energy in the room.
Huge Production: If you’re having a larger event this can be a big upgrade.
More horns and/or singers: Adding more horns or another vocalist to your band can make your wedding band sound larger-than-life, elevate the energy and give a bigger performance.
Choosing the Right Package for Your Wedding
When it comes to booking your wedding music, bigger isn’t always better. The best package is the one that’s right for your space, your guests, and the vibe you’re looking to create. For example, if you’re expecting 120 guests and your venue is a bit more intimate, a smaller but still glamorous and top-shelf band would be a great option for your event. On the other hand, if you’re having a 300 guest ballroom affair and are hoping to keep the energy high, a bigger band will be a great option.
It’s important to choose an entertainment partner who will steer you in the right direction when it comes to booking a band, specifically one who will help you choose the package with the right impact for your space, your timeline, and the type of event you’re hoping to have.
Wedding Music Bands prides itself on providing more than just top-shelf bands, as the process itself should be an extension of your experience. From the moment you reach out to us, you’ll notice that working with Wedding Music Bands isn’t just a transaction. When you hire a band through Wedding Music Bands you’ll be hiring an agency that specializes in music for weddings. We create packages with your event’s success in mind. Leave the nitty-gritty to us and enjoy a packed dance floor with the knowledge that your entertainment is in capable and stylish hands.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s included with wedding band packages?
Typical packages include a professional sound system, live music during your reception, microphones for speeches and a predetermined amount of performance time. Other packages may include additional elements such as ceremony music, a cocktail hour performance, professional MC service, music during band breaks, enhanced lighting, etc.
How big of a band do we need?
The number of performers will depend on the size of your wedding, the size of your venue and the vibe you’re looking to create. There are smaller, premium packages perfect for an intimate wedding as well as larger packages featuring additional vocalists and a horn section for a full, concert-like experience that will have your largest of crowds singing and dancing.
What if we’re looking for full-day wedding entertainment?
Full-day wedding entertainment packages are a great value and ensure that your wedding will have consistent, top-notch entertainment and energy from beginning to end, from the ceremony to the cocktail hour to the reception and beyond. Having the same team handle everything can reduce planning stress and help ensure that your wedding will flow seamlessly from start to finish and your guests will have an incredible night from the ceremony to the last dance.
