One of the wedding decisions which gives our couples much food for thought is who to book to provide their evening entertainment on their wedding day. Full on ceilidh? Cheesy disco? Jazz and blues? Or as one of our couples decided on recently Dub Reggae? I thought I would ask some of our recent wedding clients who they opted for, how successful the night was and what advice they would provide to others planning their wedding.
There are a wide range of bands and music options available in Scotland for weddings and it would be impossible to mention them all, but here are some used recently by our clients (in alphabetical order):
Callanish – Our client told us that they are “are a cross between a ceilidh and a covers-band. We had a number of people commenting on how good the band was and we were very happy with their style and playing abilities.”
The Copycats – Our client described them as “a live band who also provided a DJ set. Style a mix of all the classics right from 60’s to present day. Very upbeat and interactive with the audience. We thought the band were excellent and the guests thought they were great. Dance floor was full all night! We sent a few requests prior to the wedding which the accommodated perfectly either live or through DJ set.”
Corra – Our client who booked them described them as “a mix of ceilidh, soul, funk, etc – nothing too cheesy. Everyone loved them, they thought the singer was absolutely amazing and the fact that they were a bit different to a usual wedding band. We went to see them play a wee gig at a place in Edinburgh and got a good feeling from the start but it was when they started playing “Superstition” by Stevie Wonder that we really knew that they were the band for us – if they had murdered that, it would have been a big fat no!”
Easy Orchestra – who our client told us play “fun lounge music. We loved them. Wedding bands can often fall into two categories, terrible and awful, but they ticked every box. It’s a difficult gig because of the age range at most weddings, but their kitsch style was incredibly good fun. The range of songs in their repertoire also helped engage the audience… From Franz Ferdinand’s ‘Take Me Out’ to ‘Music to Watch Girls By’… All in a lounge style.”
ERNEST band. As one of our clients told us “they play live and perform old and new music to suit all ages. They are also able to play ceilidh music live rather than taped. We absolutely loved them, I spent a significant amount of the night on the dancefloor! The dancefloor never seemed to be empty from start to finish. Music was a really important part of our evening, my dad used to be in a band and loves to dance, and we both love listening to music played well! ERNEST fitted all our requirements.”
Fat Sam’s Swing Band – who our client told us were “absolutely fantastic! My different groups of friends all bonded over dancing manically to the swing music.”
Floorfillerz. Described as “very very very accommodating, laid back, fun. Understood what makes a good wedding disco, lots of funky well known music for all styles. No-one left the dance floor for more than 5 minutes – floorfillerz by name and by nature!”
Freak Music – Scottish company that has a huge and high quality selection of wedding bands in Scotland and across the UK. They supply bands and DJ’s to some of Scotland’s largest events, high-end bars, nightclubs and weddings. According to a recent client”Very accommodating and will find you a band to suit your taste and budget.”
Fudge Machine – Described as four versatile music graduates whose repertoire incorporates a wide range of music from the 60’s to the present day, even including ceilidh and big band. Our client told us that “they were really versatile and did some of the most up to date stuff I have heard from a wedding band. They really catered for everyone’s tastes – young and old – they were able to gauge quickly what was popular with guests so knew what best to play. We did put a couple of requests in before the big day for some of our favourite songs that we saw from the list on the internet that they covered. Our guests raved about them at the time and for weeks later any time we saw someone that had been at the wedding they mentioned the band. A number of our guests there that had a wedding or party coming up tried to book them for their event! The one thing I did not want at my wedding was an empty dance floor and I can safely say that was not a problem!”
Hector McKenzie Bon Accord Band – Our client described this band as a ‘wicked’ ceilidh band who also played some requested 80s favourites. “Everyone loved the ceilidh and it got everyone on the floor”.
James Honey Band – our client reported that they were “AMAZING and guests said best band ever. Two vocalists, full band sax players etc They even have own sound guy! Paid more but worth it! Heard the band first before we booked them managed to see them at another wedding.” Another of our clients who used the James Honey Band said “They’re are a 9 piece band who play everything live. No backing tracks! They have 2 great male and female vocalists who share solos. As well as guitar, bass and drums they also have a reed section which means the band can play a variety of styles from jazz and pop to soul. They do a huge variety of songs and have a set list which you can see before your wedding to choose exactly what songs you want. Our guests loved the band and as a result the band have had at least 3 other bookings for weddings!”
Kilter Described as a modern, fun ceilidh band. Our client told us “Guests loved them, they really made the evening reception. They’ll call out the dances for those who don’t know them, and did some quirky non-dances to get everyone up on the floor, and were excellent musicians. Older aunties appreciated their good looks too!! I recommend them to anyone who wants a good fun ceildh as their evening reception”
Roadhouse – as our client told us “the way I would describe them really is rockers, they were fantastic everyone commented on how great they were and they had a very wide range of music.”
Silk Strings (cello duet). Our client who booked Silk Strings commented that they were very pleased with them, they provided a classical festive element for a December wedding and played during the drink reception followed by a ceilidh band later. Contact Maya silkstrings@live.com
So from the wealth of experience held by our previous clients, what gems of advice can we share with you to help with booking your evening entertainment?
- try not to get hung up on what everyone else likes as you can’t please everyone. As long as you have a good feeling about them that’s all that matters.
- bear in mind the size of your venue to the size of your band and ask what their set up is and if you need your venue to provide anything.
- if possible see the band live in action before making a decision, many bands have online film clips or will play a showcase at other venues so you can “try before you book”
- know exactly what kind of music you want at your wedding and then try and see as many bands as possible to make absolutely sure.
- be prepared to book early to get your first choice of band
- Don’t try and please everyone…. You’ll always end up with compromise. Try and get a band or DJ that suits the mood of your day.
- talk to the wedding organiser at your venue who may be able to help with your decision
- make sure you pick a band that can do more than just one style to make sure there is something for everyone
- check if the band will adjust their playing list when it is obvious what people are mostly getting up to
- a cello duet is just as effective as a string quartet and more suited to a smaller venue
- make sure your ceilidh band are able to set up their own equipment – one couple found they were required to help the band move and set up their equipment
- talk to your band about the required volume level if you want to make sure your guests can still talk while in the same room
- check whether the band will be assembled from a pool of musicians or if it is an established group who play together regularly – one of our clients wishes (with hindsight) that they had checked the latter was true for their band
- make sure that you’re clear on what you want music-wise. As one client suggested “Also ask for references, don’t just go with their website. My venue provided 4 DJ’s that they regularly use, and I picked from there.”
- make sure you hear how they sound live rather than relying on a CD, even better if you can see them for a minute or two actually performing at a wedding
