Averting the wedding band disaster – pt.3

Your guests and playlist

By now you have probably chosen your band and are thinking about the rest of your wedding. The last thing you want to worry about is how they are going to deliver on the night.

Choosing your first dance

Any group will be more than happy to learn your special song for the first dance. Good practice is to let them know what it is with at least 6 weeks notice. This will give them plenty of time to prepare as they will very busy during November and March, a time of year often referred to as ‘wedding season’.

As professionals they should strive to be as true to the song as possible. Often they may put their own ‘flavor’ to it. If this is the case then it is alright to ask them for a recording of their rehearsal to check how it sounds.

The big day

You want every person at your reception to have a great time. Often when a lot of friends and family are invited it includes great Aunt and Uncle Betty and Nev, their children Nan J and Pop D, you, and more often that not, your guests children and /or your own children.

With this in mind, it is vitally important to tell the band what to expect so they can prepare their song list.

Often their playlist will contain twice and sometimes three times the amount of material used on the night. It allows you to pick and choose what you like so that you can make your night that much more enjoyable.

A playlist that can cater to a wide range of age groups is great, however something to consider is most of the ‘old timers’ will be tired and considering leaving after the first hour (about 9-10pm).

To ensure all of your guests enjoy the entertainment, the playlist should ideally have a good range of 60’s and 70’s pop hits for the first hour. After this, the band should have adjusted their playlist so that it is a little more focused on ‘two more hours of power’.

If you have done your research and clearly communicated who your audience is going to be, your party will be almost certainly be memorable.