When you’re going through the selection process to hire a band for your wedding there are some key points that you’ll want to find out before making a final decision. If you’ve never hired a band before, here are a few questions you should be asking before signing any type of contract.
Payment arrangements
Before finalizing anything with the band find out what payment arrangements are going to be expected. Some bands will ask for payment up front while others will only request a deposit. There aren’t many bands that will accept full payment after playing since they are dedicating their time to your wedding and will be refusing any other offers to perform on that day. Most bands will accept a check since there will be time for it to clear before they need to perform.
Hidden costs
This is something that you won’t want to experience on your wedding day. Find out if there are any hidden costs that aren’t being expressed upfront. As well, it is a good idea to get everything in writing so that you don’t get hit with an extra bill after the wedding is over. Most bands will agree to play for a set number of hours and then will charge extra.
Types of music
Ask the band what types of music they can play. If you’re looking for a certain genre of music, try to find a band that can play that type of music but also has the flexibility to play other songs as well. It’s nice to play a few tunes that will resonate with people of all ages.
Song requests
Make sure the band will take song requests. Although it may seem strange, some bands don’t like to take song requests since they have a limited repertory of music that they feel comfortable playing.
The best thing you can do is schedule an appointment with the band leader so that you can sit down and have a conversation with him. Just by talking you’ll have a better idea of what these musicians can offer to your wedding. If the leader of the band is a stuffy type of fellow, you can be pretty confident that the rest of the musicians will be as well, and this is not the type of band that you’ll want to hire for a festive wedding.
Sharon Freeman loves everything about weddings. She writes about trends in weddingbands and music selection for JMDentertainment
