The logistics of being a wedding band

[Rich G.]

The bands I'm in traditionally shy away from playing weddings. The simple reason being I don't know what's required to legally play these of events. We get asked a lot about playing weddings so we're considering it. Can someone point me in the right direction here? Would we need insurance? What about music licensing? In the bars we play, it's up to the venue to have licenses for cover bands. Would the Bride & Groom be responsible for obtaining licensing? Anything else you can think of?

 

[Geezerjohn]

Weddings can be a lot of fun, and they can be a bit of a drag. It depends on the people attending. As for insurance, that depends. Insurance for what? Would the policy cover theft, liability? Personally, I think insurance is a good idea, but you have to be specific as to what coverage you are getting, and pay close attention to the exclusions in the policy. There is no such thing a generic insurance policy. The policy language spells out exactly what is covered and what is excluded. Also consider the deductible. A low deductible means expensive premiums and a high deductible means you pay most of the loss. Typically the policy is for property (your gear) or inland marine (transporting equipment).

As for licensing, if the venue is a typical wedding venue, the venue will cover the licensing, just like a bar would. If the venue is a rented hall, then you should discuss that with the bride and groom. If they want you to pick up the licensing fee, then consider that when pricing your gig.

Watch your volume. You can get louder as the people get bombed, but watch the volume. Learn a broad repertoire. You will get a lot of requests. You will need a good mix of dance tunes and slow tunes. The bride and groom get a chance to dance with their respective parents. You will need to honor those requests. Learn "Color My World" and "Feelings". Remember, nowadays a wedding is something most people only get to do two or three times in their lifetime. They want to have fun.

 

[Dendrite]

Generally, I've found the logistics of my wedding band to be minimal. It's primary job is to remind me not to be a shmuck, and let other people know to call me out if I'm being a shmuck. It never leaves my finger, so travel expenses are low. Room and board are covered by virtue of being attached to me. I think I cleaned it once, so there's that...

But my wife's has this double ring duet thing going on, and those diamonds are pricey!

OK... enough sarcasm. But every time I saw the title of the post this is where my head went! I blame it all on @Geezerjohn because he always has a snappy retort in his pocket and didn't pull it out this time!

 

[daschwarjazz]

Above all else, professionalism is the primary component of a successful wedding band. Start on time, end on time, have a contract that clearly defines the responsibilities of both the client and the band, and be well-rehearsed.

You also need to take into account how much you trust your band mates. There are people I don’t mind playing with in a club or bar, but there’s no way in hell I’d trust them in a wedding environment!

As Geezerjohn mentioned, having a large repertoire is important. When I was doing a lot of weddings, we had about 40 memorized songs that could be played at any time, plus a large binder of music that just had lyrics and chords in case we got an oddball request. The average wedding guest doesn’t really care how authentic a song is performed so long as you can make through without derailing too badly.

Ultimately, you just want to make sure you’re making things as easy as possible for the couple.

 

[bondsong]

There are 2 kinds of wedding gigs. The good ones are when the person organizing it has some experience organizing events i.e. a wedding planner or someone with similar experience. Its especially great if they just let you do the job they hired you for and go worry about other stuff.

The other one is a person who's never organized a thing in their life and wants to micro-manage the whole thing. These are hell. I've played lots of weddings and they are the same as any other event. After the bride has danced with her father you just get on with it. You read the crowd and the dance floor and adjust accordingly.

 

[barhrecords]

Licensing and insurance are the responsibility of the venue not the entertainment.

In the wedding receptions I've played, there are some differences from a typical bar gig.

They usually want at least one or two microphones for people to speak; give the toast; that sort of thing.

I would sort out the food / catering too. Sometimes they frown on the band eating from the buffet and sitting at a normal reception table. Or frown on the band going to the open bar during breaks. Best to have all that sorted ahead of time.

They will likely have one or two songs already picked they expect you to play / learn. I recommend really nailing these and take them seriously.