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Fresh Phenomenon or Tired Tradition?

The wedding band! It strikes me as sad that such a concept now exists. Yet there it is, hand in hand with the balding DJ and the drunken Uncle. Although granted statistics would most probably prove that a classical string quartet, or an 18 piece jazz band feature more often on the big day it remains that mention the term to anyone and they will dexterously paint you an image of a shoddy bunch of casual, sloppily dressed individuals of very mixed ages, parading tight trousers, mullets and handlebar moustaches like the 80’s never ended, busking together arrangements of Abba’s Dancing Queen or something from the soundtrack of Grease, whilst gyrating their hips and inappropriately shouting things like “Hey…..Everybody on the dance floor”, “Shake your hands in the air like you just don’t care” and “ Aww…look at all the happy couples!”

I first started thinking about this the other day when I read an article about a wedding band from somewhere in the less liberal parts of the great USA, which had been banned from weddings in one state, because the 60 something year old drummer had married the 15 year old singer. Some people were offended and yada yada yada, but I won’t go into that, as ‘critique’ of conservative Americans is not really the point of this article.

The question is this: Is it in fact that this musical crossbreed of popular culture is, despite much deliberation and consideration, the only form of entertainment that will appeal to all ages and cater for all tastes? Is this jack of all trades master of none solution the only practical answer to the wedding entertainment problem, or has the wedding band in fact succeeded in wrapping itself in that tenacious self-knitting shawl of wedding tradition?

Do mullets and moustaches now belong at weddings as much as white dresses and bridesmaids? The thought is a scary one, though I guess they would count as the bride’s ‘something old’!

One reason for generic wedding band popularity has to be that by the time the band get around to performing everyone is so drunk on the free wine they don’t notice the S-club medley that segues neatly into Axel F. People in the end like music that they know; music that they can sing and dance along too. The actual quality is often somewhat of a moot issue. This is a shame.

For a diverse and varied selection of quality musicians who are campaigning to redefine the meaning of wedding entertainment and who do know their Sinatra's from their Spice girls search entertainment directory now for your wedding band!

Related: Party Bands | Covers Bands | Wedding Singers | Wedding Music | Wedding Reception Music | Wedding Ceremony Music

About hiring a band from us

With Last Minute Musicians you get a guarantee of quality and professionalism. For more than a decade we have been providing music, bands and entertainment related services to the wedding, party, corporate event and private function industries. All of our artists have a full profile page where you listen to them playing, look at photos, watch videos and read previous client testimonials and sample repertoire lists. Here are some of our main services: Hire Band - Find a suitable ensemble to play at your upcoming event. Live Wedding Bands - Find a great outfit to perform at your special day.

Here are some styles of music which we cover with our ensembles: Jazz Bands - Tribute Bands - Classical Soloists - Function Bands London. We can offer music for marriage ceremonies and civil partnerships which cover every imaginable style of music out there. Simply use the links above to navigate your way around the site and find yourself the perfect live band for hire.

Wedding Reception Bands

How to choose a wedding reception band…

How do you decide on the best Wedding Reception Band for your wedding? Don’t worry, help is at hand! Many new couples find the task of finding a wedding reception band very daunting. Jazz bands tend to be very popular at wedding receptions. A mix of repertoire to suit all ages throughout the day is the key. A lot of wedding reception bands have huge repertoires covering jazz, pop, blues, soul, etc. It is best to discuss with the band beforehand exactly what styles you want them to perform.

If you book a tribute band, try and make sure they are fairly “likeable” by most people. For instance, a tribute band to the Spice Girls might not be the best choice for the wide audience that will be attending! If you think volume might be an issue, be sure to discuss this with the venue and the band well in advance. There are plenty different styles of music and songs to choose from - old and new, but most couples choose something with a special meaning to them. Consider whether your guests are likely to want to mainly get up and dance, or mainly chat over the music. If it is the latter, you should ask the band for more background music so as not to “take over” the show and drown all conversation! Make sure you decide carefully what style of band you want for your wedding reception band!

Wedding Reception Songs

Help me choose a wedding reception song!

When choosing your wedding reception song, try and think of something that is easy to dance to (not too fast!) and something with a special meaning to you. This might be a song you listened to when you first met, or simply a song with poignant lyrics. There are many CDs available with preset wedding music; however I would always recommend hiring a live band for at least the first part of the dancing in the reception. The band you hire will probably be able to provide you with a list of their most popular wedding song requests. Other popular suggestions for wedding reception songs are:

Have a look at this list of wedding music samples for great recommendations. Most couples have a first dance song, but others also have special songs for the father/bride dance songs and mother/groom dance songs, cake cutting songs, bouquet toss music, songs for grandparents and many more wedding reception songs!