Your wedding is anticipated to be the most special day in your life, and naturally the ceremony is central to it. Irrespective of whether you are planning to marry during a church service or elsewhere in a civil ceremony, live music can play a significant role in creating a real sense of occasion.

Consider carefully how much and at which points before, during and after the ceremony you would like to have music played or sung. Talk to the vicar or registrar to help establish where and when music would be most appropriate, and take advice from the musicians who will be performing, as their experience in these matters may be invaluable.

Live music focuses the atmosphere

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To settle the atmosphere of growing anticipation during the anxious minutes as the guests assemble in expectation of the (fashionably late) arrival of the bridal party, a selection of calm, contemplative music will be a welcome distraction, soothing nerves and disguising coughs and whispers.

At a given signal, a fanfare and march are perfect to announce the bridal party and accompany their procession up the aisle. Perhaps you have a special piece in mind for this – discuss possibilities with the musicians beforehand, and don’t forget to inform the vicar or registrar of your choice, as there may be certain restrictions as to what music is deemed suitable.

Hymns, songs or instrumental music

In a typical C of E marriage service, hymns or psalms (and occasionally anthems) are sung as a regular part of proceedings. In a civil ceremony where religious music is not permitted, instrumental items or secular songs can be effectively substituted at corresponding points.

Music is appropriate in all cases during the interlude for the signing of the marriage register (which often takes quite a few minutes) before another fanfare-like piece can triumphantly announce the newlyweds as they are presented to their family and friends as man and wife.

The transition from formal to festive

The above-mentioned fanfare-like piece can be quite pivotal, as it simultaneously signals the end of the religious and/or legal aspects of proceedings and the beginning of the informal, celebratory elements of the occasion.

Where possible, it would be an excellent idea for the musicians to relocate outside (weather permitting) in order to sustain the cheerful atmosphere and entertain your guests with a further selection of light-hearted music while champagne is sipped and the photographs are taken.

Live music can play an important central role in defining, accompanying and announcing the various unfolding stages of a wedding before, during and after the actual ceremony.

If appropriate and logistically feasible, ask the musicians to stay on after the ceremony to entertain your guests for a while during the drinks reception. Above all, enjoy your wedding, enjoy the atmosphere, and enjoy the music!

Trad Jazz is an ideal style of music to add a celebratory atmosphere to a wedding reception party, especially outdoors, and as their name implies, The Al Fresco Trad Jazz Band are ideally suited to such an occasion.

Their lively, swaggering renditions of all the well-known classics of the genre performed in authentic New Orleans fashion will readily bring a smile to lips of all ages.

A strolling serenade brings happy music to your wedding guests

Find out more about booking Al Fresco Trad Jazz band for your wedding.

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The instruments that make up a traditional jazz band are entirely acoustic, and therefore not reliant on any electrical power source or other equipment. This allows them to switch locations with ease, even performing a strolling serenade when required to add novelty to the occasion.

Eye-catching sousaphone or tuba pins down the bassline and the beat, with banjo adding further harmonic texture and rhythmic punctuation. Meanwhile, trumpet, trombone and clarinet strike up a merry conversation in an interweaving melodic topline.

The Trad Jazz repertoire offers a broad selection of classic tunes

With a combined wealth of music-making experience built up over a number of years, The Al Fresco Trad Jazz Band have developed a 200-strong repertoire of well-known jazz standards and popular tunes, all presented with the consummate musical skill and panache of seasoned performers.

However, if you have a specific request for a tune they don’t regularly play, they will be happy to learn and perform it specially for you; assuming it’s in a suitable style and they are given sufficient notice, they’ll give it their best shot!

Iconic Trad Jazz costume adds to the visual effect

For a garden party or similar, the musicians can dress appropriately in traditional style, with striped blazers, bow ties and straw boater hats to help set the scene. For a more formal event, however, they are happy to appear in evening dress or similar smart attire; you can discuss dresscode with the bandleader beforehand.

No matter if you’re looking for background music to create a light-hearted, cheerful ambience during the champagne reception, or for more energetic tunes for dancing later on in the evening (or perhaps both), The Al Fresco Trad Jazz Band have the know-how, musical skill and experience to deliver on all fronts. Looking good and sounding great, their musical presentation is sure to delight your guests and enhance your wedding celebration.

The Mississippi Delta, where French and British cultures blend with African and Creole, is acknowledged as the birthplace of what has become known as Trad Jazz. An amalgam of blues and gospel hymns with European dance-tunes and song models, this idiosyncratic style of musical delivery appears to emerge in the popular marching church bands, especially in and around New Orleans, towards the end of the 19th century.

Trad Jazz fuses the hopelessness of the blues with the triumphalism of gospel, all wrapped up in an exciting, life-affirming march-rhythm with much interweaving melodic improvisation over the principal theme. As the 20th century dawned, the lyric message gradually became subordinated to the purely musical aspect, as the Dixieland marching bands highlighted instrumental development at the expense of vocal performance.

Trad Jazz puts a spring in the step

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The carefree sound of a Trad Jazz Band has long been associated with festivities of all kinds, and conjures up a sunshine, carnival atmosphere with the vivid imagery of the New Orleans Mardi Gras celebrations. What may have originally started out as solemn spiritual music to accompany a funeral procession finished up as the joyous soundtrack to a tickertape parade.

The iconic sound of Trad and Dixieland Jazz

Sousaphone or tuba pins down the bassline, banjo or piano fills in the rhythmic and harmonic texture while trombone, trumpet and clarinet carry on a frenetic counter-melodic conversation over and around the main theme. The overall effect is a lively, uplifting and irresistible fusion of rhythm and melody – contagiously cheerful and eminently danceable.

Expect to hear immediately-recognisable classics such as ‘When The Saints Go Marching In’, ‘Swanee River’ and ‘Georgia’ as staples in the repertoire, which were readily adopted and adapted into later jazz developments like swing, bebop and mainstream as the 20th century progressed.

Absolutely perfect for an outdoor reception

The instruments of a Trad Jazz Band are generally acoustic and easily portable, allowing the ensemble to perform a picturesque strolling serenade, absolutely perfect for an al fresco drinks reception. This brings the music to your guests in a delightfully informal, interactive way and can really help create a relaxed, celebratory atmosphere.,/p>

Many bands can come colourfully attired in what has become traditional ‘uniform’ for Trad Jazz – striped blazers, bow ties and straw boater hats, which adds an iconic touch of charming authenticity to the overall spectacle.

Want to spice up your wedding reception with some happy, jaunty music to create a relaxed atmosphere for your guests to enjoy? A strolling Trad Jazz Band playing a swaggering mixture of classic tunes from the popular, jazz and blues repertoire will bring that summery, strawberries-and-cream, ‘Henley Regatta’ magical ambience to your celebrations.

Most people will have attended weddings or parties where a live band has performed as part of the evening’s entertainment. It’s something that’s easy to take for granted, especially when everything went smoothly and the celebration was a huge success, with the music contributing much to proceedings.

Now it’s your turn to organise the live musical entertainment for your very own wedding reception. How do you set about it, and what can you reasonably expect from the wedding band?

Communication is the key – discuss everything in detail with the bandleader well in advance so everyone is clear about the performance requirements and other logistical aspects of the event.

Most wedding bands operate from a fairly standard plan

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Experienced wedding musicians tend to work around a basic outline of the evening’s proceedings when planning each performance, tailoring their sets to suit the timescale and other constrictions. In terms of performance duration, most bands will be happy to play for 2 hours or perhaps more within a 4-hour period, split into 2 or 3 sets with breaks in between, but this is generally negotiable with the bandleader.

Professional bands usually come fully equipped with PA, and some can supply lighting rigs and a dancefloor if required, so all they will need is a reliable power source and enough space for them to set up and perform – a stage is always welcome.

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In terms of dress, most bands have a clear idea of what they are comfortable wearing for performances; depending on the style of music they play, some may have a set uniform or even characteristic costumes. However, most musicians will be happy to fit in with any dresscode you require, so once again, discuss this with the bandleader beforehand.

Most aspects can be negotiated with the bandleader

The bandleader will be able to advise how long it will take the musicians to set up equipment and prepare for their performance, and how much room they will need to operate effectively. This varies according to the type of music and the size of the band – an acoustic ensemble such as a string quartet will only need a few minutes to prepare and tune up, whereas a large pop or swing jazz outfit with full PA and lights might require a couple of hours, and a lot more room.

In terms of repertoire, most bands will be happy to tailor their setlist to accommodate reasonable requirements. Again, speak with the bandleader about any specific requests you may have, for instance, the choice of music for the First Dance. Given enough time, many bands will be prepared to learn a special piece for your special occasion.

For peace of mind, book your musicians through a specialist wedding music agency

A specialist wedding music agency will be able to give invaluable and pertinent advice on the specific style of music you choose, as well as recommending a comprehensive range of professional bands in your area or from further afield.

Above all, they will be able to offer some level of guarantee of the performance quality and reliability of the musicians you engage – it is in their interest to represent or recommend only high-quality professionals. Set out in a legal contract between you and the bandleader, this affords you extra security and peace of mind.

Although generally working from a standardised performance plan, most bands will be happy to adapt this to fit in with your specific requirements wherever possible, including details of timings, dresscode and repertoire. The key to successful communication is your contact with the bandleader, who will be able to advise and negotiate on all aspects relating to the band’s performance.
A specialist wedding music agency is well-placed to offer general advice and expert guidance in your choice of musicians, and can reasonably guarantee a high standard of performance supported by a professional contract, so you can relax in confident anticipation of a memorable highlight of your wedding celebration party.

You don’t have to be Scottish to appreciate Scotland (although it probably helps). The breathtaking natural beauty of the landscape, both lowland and highland, combined with the historical mystique of a powerful, colourful, unique and indomitable culture, lends the territory north of the border an unparallelled attraction steeped in nostalgia and tradition.

Such a romantic kaleidoscope of vivid imagery makes an exciting and inviting wedding theme, the more so if there happen to be any Scottish connections in either or both families.

In keeping with its proud history, Scotland boasts a rich tapestry of traditional music and dance within its fiercely-preserved culture, and this can offer a hugely enjoyable opportunity for wedding entertainment in true Scottish style.

Round off your wedding celebration with a rip-roaring ceilidh

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No Scottish-themed wedding or anniversary celebration would be complete without a rousing ceilidh as the finale to the day’s proceedings. As traditional as bagpipes, kilts and haggis, a ceilidh is a session or two of organised country dancing to the music of a live band playing energetic Celtic dance-tunes.

The dancing is supervised by an experienced instructor or ‘caller’ who explains and demonstrates the various steps and moves for each new dance. Don’t worry if some of your guests have never been to a ceilidh before – the caller will be able to tailor the dances to suit their ability level, ensuring that even Sassenachs with two left feet can join in the fun!

Ceilidh dancing is an extremely popular social activity all across Scotland, and indeed the UK as a whole, and not just at weddings. Many an enjoyable evening is whiled away ‘Stripping The Willow’ to favourite tunes like ‘The Flowers Of Edinburgh’ and ‘My Love Is But A Lassie’.

The iconic sound of traditional Celtic music

If there’s a single national instrument that summons up the essence of Scotland, it would the bagpipes, and if you want a wedding with a real Scottish flavour, having a bagpiper in full national regalia to announce the arrival of the bride (and other important moments during the day) would be an excellent idea.

Bagpipes occasionally feature in ceilidh bands, but the accordion is a more regular choice to drive the music along. Add fiddles and maybe flute to carry the tune, and piano, bass and drumkit to pin down the rhythm, and there you have a typical Scottish ceilidh band line-up. The exciting tempo and infectious rhythm of the traditional dance-tunes quickly gets people up on their feet, ready for ‘The Gay Gordons’ or ‘The Dashing White Sergeant’.

For an inspirational wedding theme steeped in romance and heritage, you can’t go far wrong following the traditional Scottish example of how to celebrate your marriage in style. The Gaelic word ‘ceilidh’ loosely translates to ‘a visit’, or ‘a gathering of the clan’ – and if a wedding celebration isn’t precisely that, then precisely what is it?

This Bristol-based country and rockabilly band take their name and their musical inspiration from the iconic Lake Pontchartrain in Louisiana, USA. Successfully recreating an authentic Midwest sound is the foremost criterion in evoking the true spirit of American country music, and the band’s empathetic geographical location within the UK is a positive influence!

Performing an infectious blend of energetic musical styles that will keep the dancefloor full all night, Ponchartrain is the ideal band to entertain guests at a wedding reception, especially a party with an American theme.

Evoke iconic American imagery with nostalgic music

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Ponchartrain’s music immediately summons up a whole encyclopaedia of iconic, historic American imagery; the vastness of the landscape, the fragility of life in a pioneering environment, the lonely sound of the train-whistle pushing ever further westward, on to the Pacific, down to Mexico.

The birthpangs of a new civilisation rediscovering its limitations and reinventing its roots are encapsulated in the great folk storytelling tradition which is celebrated in American Country Music. Ponchartrain aim to keep that tradition alive and kicking in 21st century Britain.

Infectious rhythms and a lively tempo

Ponchartrain will get toes tapping and hips swinging from the very first chord they strike up, filling the dancefloor with their infectious blend of melodic and rhythmic styles. For many years now, the band have taken their music to audiences all round Britain and into Europe, performing at innumerable weddings, private parties, pubs, clubs and festivals.

Guitar and double-bass lay the ground rhythm, with accordion, dobro and fiddle colouring the melodic line, all topped off with sparkling harmony vocals delivering the lyric narrative. All this adds up to vintage Country Music, amplified through a high-quality PA system suitable for all but the largest venues. The musicians also dress the part, and encourage their audiences to do likewise!

If you’re looking to create an evocative atmosphere with an emotive American Western flavour at your wedding celebration, then Ponchartrain is just the band for you. Performing a selection of Nashville, Rockabilly, Bluegrass and Country classics, these excellent musicians deliver an infectious and entertaining show that will have your reception party rocking!

The cost of hiring musicians to play at your wedding will vary widely, dependent on a number of factors. The number of musicians involved will obviously have a direct bearing on the cost, along with the location of the wedding, the duration of the performance, the amount of equipment entailed and the style of music they play.

So it’s virtually impossible to generalise, other than aggregating these factors to reach a ball-park estimate for each individual case.

Professional wedding ensembles frequently calculate their fee per musician

Find out more about booking Live music for your wedding ceremony.

It’s a relatively straightforward equation – so much for each musician, plus expenses and administration costs – therefore, the bigger the band, the higher the fee. Some bands offer different line-ups to cater for different types of event, for instance, a compact trio for more intimate occasions right up to a more expansive 8-piece for large-scale functions, but the same basic formula is usually applied.

OK, so how much per musician?

Once again, this can vary quite widely, but you can expect to pay between £125 and £300 per man for a fully professional ensemble, the high end representing London prices.

Away from the capital you will typically pay rather less, but if a band charges significantly less than the suggested lower end price it’s likely that they’re not strictly professional, so you may be taking a chance on their performance quality or overall reliability.

Plan your reception party around the band’s main performance

Whatever the required duration of their performance, the musicians nevertheless devote the whole evening to deliver it, so will tend to charge as much for a short session as they do for a longer one. Most wedding bands charge a standard fee which includes a typical performance duration, say 2-3 hours within a 3-4 hour period. Any further performance time beyond this, or a late finishing time (after midnight) will usually attract an additional surcharge.

Bearing this in mind, make sure you get reasonable value for your money by careful timing and forward planning. Weddings almost invariably run late, so don’t forget to factor that in as well!

Musical style and genre can influence the cost

Popular musical entertainment such as Irish, ceilidh, standard swing jazz or pop covers bands tend to be relatively inexpensive because there are a huge number of such outfits to choose from and therefore fierce competition for engagements – supply and demand. However, if you’re looking to book something that little bit more esoteric or even exotic, like authentic African drums or a fully-fledged Bollywood troupe, you will probably be asked to pay considerably more for the privilege.

Given the price of petrol these days, it’s little wonder that travel expenses feature strongly in a band’s calculation of their overall fee. Similarly, the amount of equipment the band needs to transport (and maintain) will have a direct bearing on the cost. As mentioned above, bands in and around London tend to charge a premium, which is to an extent understandable, as central London gigs often present a logistical nightmare!

So, for economy and best value for money, source a compact local band (outside London) playing a style of music that is not too out of the ordinary, preferably performing entirely on acoustic instruments! OK, all this may not be practical, but if you apply the general guidelines outlined above, it should be possible to arrive at a working approximation of the likely cost of hiring high-quality sprofessional live musicians to play at your wedding celebration.

If you’re looking for a light-hearted, amusing theme to build your wedding reception party or themed anniversary party around, the American Wild West can be a surefire winner. After all the formalities of the earlier part of the day are done and dusted, everybody can finally let their hair down, kick off those Jimmy Choos and really celebrate. Thanks to the movie heritage of the John Wayne era, there’s a readymade treasure-trove of iconic imagery to draw on, easy to replicate, all-inclusive, and above all, great fun.

The decoration of your venue can be as OTT as you like, with flags, bunting, ‘Wanted’ posters and inflatable cactuses liberally displayed and distributed. A mid-evening buffet is easy to keep on-theme and is relatively simple to prepare and serve. Appropriate fancy dress is de rigeur – just don’t forget to tell your guests! Finally, the music – and what could possibly fit the bill better than a good ol’ Country’n’Western Band?

Easy-listening, easy-dancing, all-time American classics

Find out more about booking an American Country band for your wedding.

Guitar, bass and drums lay down the basic framework, with honky-tonk piano, pedal–steel guitar or fiddle adding colour and texture to the heartfelt vocal delivery. From ‘Home On The Range’ through ‘Tennessee Waltz’ to ‘Cotton-Eye Joe’ and ‘Hillbilly Rock’, the standard repertoire of the C’n’W genre is emotive, nostalgic and evocative of a bygone era, yet at the same time modern-sounding, varied in tempo and extremely danceable.

Country music has been a popular style in the UK for a number of years, and is performed with a great deal of respect, verve and passion by its many aficionados. The ‘old school’ of Johnny Cash, Hank Williams and Willie Nelson rub shoulders with female counterparts like Alison Krause, Dolly Parton and kd Laing in the playlist of a typical C’n’W band.

Line-dancing is all-inclusive, easy to do and great fun!

Seize the opportunity for all your guests to really get involved and show off their Wild West costumes with a session of line-dancing. Many C’n’W bands can bring along a specialist dance-instructor to show everyone what to do, and maybe throw in some square-dances for good measure. It’s a great way to get everybody up on the dancefloor, a-hootin’ and a-hollerin’ for all they’re worth!

After an energetic session of organised dancing and a well-earned rest, the band can slow things down a little and dim the lights for a more romantic atmosphere. Waltzes and smoochy ballads will appeal to the more mature couples, interspersed with funkier up-tempo numbers for the younger revellers. Country’n’Western music offers an extensive and wide-ranging repertoire with something for everyone to enjoy, and a skilful band will know from experience how to present their music in an all-round entertaining way.

A Country’n’Western Band is an absolute must for musical entertainment and lots of fun at a Wild West-themed wedding party. From the nostalgic, evocative classics of the genre through to a vigorous hillbilly-style hoedown with line-dancing ‘n’ all, C’n’W music is the ideal soundtrack to entertain your guests, summoning up the iconic cowboy imagery of a vanished America.

Live musical performance is generally welcomed during wedding ceremonies in a church or chapel, as well as at the majority of civil ceremony venues. Organ, choir, string quartet, brass ensemble, harpist, guitarist, pianist, vocalist, flautist; just some of the potential options available to perform live music suitable for a marriage ceremony.

Inform the vicar, registrar or venue manager of your plans

Find out more about booking Live music for your wedding ceremony.

Discuss your ceremony music at an early stage with the vicar or registrar, who will be able to advise on what is or is not permissible, or indeed logistically viable. Remember that they will naturally make the final decisions in such matters, so ensure everything is agreed beforehand.

Music played before the ceremony will help to settle your guests and set an atmosphere of anticipation. The bridal procession is most often announced with a special slow march, the lull in proceedings while the register is signed and witnessed can be wiled away with a suitably contemplative piece, and a joyful recessional march makes an effective climax as the newlyweds are received by their family and friends.

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Examine the physical logistics of your ceremony venue

Look carefully at the physical limitations of your chosen venue, be it a church, registry office or other independent location. It is usually possible to arrange for live music to be performed at most venues, although you may need to call on your powers of persuasion when dealing with a registry office! However, in most locations it is limitations of space that will be the decisive factor, depending on the number of musicians you are ideally planning to deploy.

For a church service, it would be advisable to choose acoustic musicians, for instance a string quartet or harpist, as a readily available power source may not be available for instruments requiring amplification. Other locations should generally be less problematic, but space might remain an issue.

Ensure your choice of music is appropriate for your chosen ceremony

The golden rule to always bear in mind is that any music performed as part of a church service should be religious in nature and content, but conversely, music of a specifically religious nature is not admissible in a civil ceremony. As with most regulations, there are grey areas, and much depends on their strict or otherwise interpretation. Discuss your ideal choices of music with the vicar or registrar – it’s up to them to make the final decision on anything contentious.

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Above all, choose music that suits the ambience of your surroundings – ‘Pie Jesu’ or ‘Stabat Mater’ would be equally inappropriate in a posh hotel as ‘Star Wars’ or ‘Match Of The Day’ would be in a church!

It is important to be fully aware of any potential restrictions on live music during your marriage ceremony, perhaps even before you finalise your choice of venue. Try to choose music appropriate to the location that can be effectively performed by your chosen musicians, and discuss your selections in detail with the vicar, registrar or venue manager so everyone is in the picture.
So long as certain guidelines are observed and logistics allow, it should easily be possible to have live music performed during your wedding ceremony.

Superb technical ability combines with sensitive musicality and an unrivalled repertoire to produce a fashionable presentation of light classical music at its finest.

A highly-trained group of young Guildhall graduates forms the central pool of this lively ensemble, who constantly seek to expand their repertoire to include the most up-to-date and unusual musical genres and styles.

An eclectic range of music to charm and delight

Find out more about booking Mancini String Quartet for your wedding.

The breadth and range of the Mancini repertoire is quite staggering. Hardly a single musical genre escapes their perusal, resulting in some very interesting fusions and adaptations. Modern pop, recent chart-toppers and West End hits sit side by side with iconic Movie and TV themes, supported by the more predictable light classical and swing jazz standards. This astonishing diversity of cross-genre performance from a sophisticated and stylish ensemble will win over the most fastidious of guests at a wedding ceremony or reception.

If you have a specific request that does not appear on their extensive playlist, for a modest additional fee the quartet will be happy to arrange and perform it specially for you – they relish a challenge!

Superb music superbly presented

The Mancini String Quartet pride themselves in the high quality of their musical performance; they also take great care in their immaculate presentation. The ensemble not only sounds great, it also looks every inch the part.

This carefully-crafted style-conscious approach to presentation results in a suave, sophisticated image to be further enhanced by their elegant, classy musical performance.

An impressive pedigree and an enviable reputation

The individual musicians who together make up The Mancini String Quartet can boast a wealth of experience across a wide spectrum of musical performance. As well as working with top orchestras like the LPO, members regularly feature in recording sessions with Robbie Williams and other artists of similar international calibre. TV appearances and radio broadcasts make up much of their daytime work, with concerts and other engagements filling the evening schedule.

The Mancini String Quartet were invited to play at the celebration of Queen Elizabeth’s Golden Jubilee, the City of London Festival, and performed at the official opening ceremony of the Millennium Bridge.

The Mancini String Quartet will add that intangible essence of class and sophistication to your wedding celebration. With their remarkable repertoire and impeccable presentation, the ensemble will help to set an appropriately elegant atmosphere and maintain a light-hearted sense of occasion, both at the ceremony and later at the reception.