We have teamed up with Ian from Music8 Agency to bring you the top tips to consider when choosing live music for your big day. Whether you’re dreaming of a string quartet to accompany your ceremony or a live band to entertain you and your guests into the night, take a look at Ian’s top 5 tips below.

Music8 Agency are an online music agency who provide live bands and artists for events, weddings, and parties throughout the UK. With a catalogue of hand-picked musicians spanning styles and genres, Music8 Agency make it easy to hire the perfect band or artist for your event.

5 Tips on Choosing Live Music for Your Wedding Ceremony & Reception

In this article, we will share with you some invaluable tips on choosing and personalising the live music for your wedding ceremony, and share a few ideas for your wedding musicians. We hope it will answer a few questions and give you a little inspiration along the way. Ready? Then let's get started.

Tip 1: Do Plenty of Research

It is important to do your research when searching for a band or wedding musician. With a huge choice available how do you know what is right for you? A music agency will help you find which musicians are available and provide prices for your budget.

You will find videos and song repertoires plus reviews from previous clients on each artist, so take your time to research and review each band or musician.

Tip 2: State Your Preferences to The Artists

Once you have chosen your artist and have booked, you can speak to your musicians. This is the period to give them a feel of what you expect and any preference you might have. If you find you are not quite sure yet, ask them for some advice. They will be glad to suggest a few tips based on the mood of your wedding ceremony or evening reception. Then you can add some input into the songs you like, and they will create the perfect selection for your wedding day.

Tip 3: Making a Special Request

If you have a song that you’ll love to have for your first dance or a walk down the aisle, go ahead and share them. All wedding musicians are ready to learn a new song so you can have it. They are here to make your wedding day a day to remember, and all you have to do is say the word.

Tip 4: When Do You Need Music During Your Ceremony

You will need live music at many points during your wedding ceremony. Here are some key times where you can expect to hear music:

While waiting for the couple to arrive (The Prelude)
The Processional (The walk down the aisle)
During the hymns
When signing the register
The Recessional (When the couple leaves)

Tip 5: Type of Musicians That You Can Hire for Your Wedding Ceremony/Drinks and Evening Reception

String quartets and wedding pianists are the most common choices when it comes to a wedding ceremony. This is because they are considered very flexible and can be booked for both the ceremony and the drinks reception. You do not have to limit your selection to these, however. All of the following musicians are equally suitable for a wedding ceremony.

Classical Guitarists
Classical Musicians and Ensembles
Classical / Opera Singers
Pianists
Solo Singer / Acoustic Guitarists
Solo Violinist or Harpist

Afternoon Drinks Reception & Evening Entertainment

If you are looking to hire a band for the afternoon or evening, we have put together a couple of ideas you may not have thought of having.

Acoustic Roaming Band – These are a group of wandering musicians that will roam around our private grounds here at Blackfriars, performing songs that you can sing and dance to while having a cooling drink or having a barbeque on a lovely summer’s day. A roaming band could consist of a couple of acoustic guitars, a snare drum a double bass and even a saxophone player.

Mumford Style Band – How about a Mumford and Sons Folk band performing at your evening reception? Blasting out songs acoustically and with electric guitars, performing hits from of course Mumford and Sons, The Lumineers and solo artists like George Ezra. These folk-rock bands sound amazing and look the part, and guarantee to have the dance floor bouncing all night long.

Vintage Style Bands - Would you be interested in a vintage band that performs music from various decades, such as the 1920s, or a rock and roll band from the 1950s? Is it your first-time hearing about a Postmodern jukebox-style band? These bands have gained enormous popularity as a result of Scott Bradlee's Post-Modern band. They will take a popular modern chart hit and perform it in the style of the roaring 20s, giving it a completely new twist. Not only will a vintage band sound great they will also look amazing. A vintage band would certainly raise a few eyebrows and add a touch of class to the evening.

In Conclusion

Choosing live wedding musicians or having a live wedding band is a great idea. They will have an extensive repertoire of music and can easily work alongside you to personalise your playlist. Just remember to allow them to guide you while making your decisions, as they will have performed at many weddings and have a lot of experience.

You deserve to have the best music at your UK wedding so, make sure you take the time to find the right artists. Here at Music8 Agency, we believe that live music is the cherry on the cake for your wedding day.

Guest Blog: Music8Agency's 5 Tips on Choosing Live Music for Your Wedding