Tips for choosing wedding bands in Essex, Suffolk & East Anglia.
I’m Tracy – Wedding & Events Singer. I’ve been singing at weddings, parties and all types of events for over 20 years. A big part of my experience has been fronting some of the best Essex wedding bands with some hugely talented musicians. So, I thought I’d put all of that experience into a blog to help all of you brides and grooms decide how to choose the right band for your special day.
There is a huge range of choice when it comes to wedding bands in Essex. Different ranges of experience, different styles, different sizes, acoustic options, the list goes on! So let’s break down how you can find one of the best Essex wedding bands for you!
1. What kind of music do you like?
This has to be the first question! What style of music do you listen to? If you like Soul and Motown then an Indie Rock band probably isn’t going to be for you! If you’re not sure on a particular style then make a list of all the songs and artists you like as this will help you work out what you want. Do you want a band with a horn section or do you like acoustic bands with an upright bass? Do you prefer the sound of a female or male singer?
2.Pick a band that’s versatile.
Once you’ve decided what style of music you like, it’s equally as important to envisage what your guests will dance to as well. As a couple, you might love heavy metal but will that get your Gran on the dance floor?! It’s important that you choose what music you want but if you want your guests to dance and stay for the whole evening then you do need to think about that as well!
So, if you want a lad band that play pop punk then that’s absolutely fine as it’s your day! But maybe find one of the wedding bands in Essex that can also play other styles so that you can have a few party classics thrown in for good measure & that will guarantee that your dance floor stays full!
My band goes out under a range of names when people want a specific style. For example, I have an 80’s band and a country band. But, my main band, ‘Old Skool’ can play all of those styles. I believe this makes us one of the best Essex wedding bands as we can cater for so many tastes, but please have a look and decide for yourself!
3. Decide on your budget.
Just like every other part of your wedding you will need to have decided on how much budget you want to put aside for your evening entertainment. Wedding bands in Essex can range from £300 to £20,000! Although, I wouldn’t class a band at that lowest price as an experienced wedding band! Maybe you’d be happy with a few of your Dad’s mates that play the local pub to come and have a go but you are not going to get an experienced band that will set up discretely & have all the correct insurances and PAT testing in place. Also, that top price is extremely excessive but trust me, there are bands that charge it! However it doesn’t necessarily mean they are the best! Essex wedding bands come in all different sizes so if you want a bigger band remember that will cost a bit more. If you decide you want one of the best Essex wedding bands then you will need to pay a certain amount for a quality product but there are also some bands that will try to take advantage! I have starting from prices on my website which might give you a rough idea.
4. Look at some band websites & social media.
Once you’ve decided what style of band you are looking for you can look around at some promo videos and most importantly some live video clips. A lot of wedding bands in Essex will not be performing in local venues. This is because the best Essex wedding bands will be booked up performing for private weddings and events. So don’t assume you’ll be able to go and see a band live before you book. This is why it is important to check out lots of clips & read their reviews.
All professional wedding bands will have a main promotional showreel. These cost us a lot of money and take a long time to produce. However, I would also advise you to find live videos. This is because some promo videos can feature instruments that aren’t automatically included in the normal line-up, extra backing singers and in some cases they can be so highly produced that the band doesn’t actually sound like that live at all. For example, if you are watching a 4-piece band but can hear trumpets and saxophones then that will probably be on a backing track.
Note – Lots of bands do this! It might mean you can have a bigger sounding band for the price of a smaller band. But, if you want a band with real live authentic horns then I can help you out with that!
5. Ask for quotes & check out package deals.
Fill in a few enquiry forms and get some quotes. Try to give as much information on the form as possible such as where your wedding is, how long you want the band to play for, even any special songs etc. The more information you can give will help you get a realistic quote.
Top Tip – Check out if the band offer any package deals. For example, a lot of bands offer a complimentary playlist during their break so you can save money on hiring a DJ as well. Or, does the band also offer solo singer or acoustic options for earlier in the day? Often, the best Essex wedding bands can offer you a whole day of entertainment and the more that you book, the better deal you can get!
6. Choose a local band.
Try to choose a band that is reasonably local to you. If your wedding is in Essex then there are plenty of amazing wedding bands in Essex which could play for you. If you choose a less local band then be aware that you will incur travel costs, possibly accommodation costs and it could be risky overall in case of travel issues on the big day which make it less likely that your band will be there in plenty of time.
7. Double check with your venue.
It’s worth double checking that your venue doesn’t have any restrictions linked to live music. Make sure that there is enough space in the performing area for the size of band you have chosen. Also, and this is a big one! Check if the venue has a sound limiter. Ask what it’s set at and where it is located. You’ll need to let your band know about this as this might be the deciding factor if they can perform for you or not. I have performed with a 7-piece band with brass section at venues with sound limiters before so it is do-able! (Check out Copdock Hall – a gorgeous Suffolk wedding venue where the sound limiter wasn’t an issue at all!) Some venues only allow bands with electric drum kits and some only allow the band to use their in-house PA system so be aware! A lot of the best Essex wedding bands will want to use their own equipment so that they sound perfect for you.
8. Choose an experienced wedding band.
There are so many wedding bands in Essex to choose from. But the best Essex wedding bands are ones that are experienced with playing weddings. You want the band to sound great, obviously! But you also want a band that knows what a wedding day entails. You want a band that will arrive with plenty of time and have top quality equipment. A band that can set up discretely whilst speeches are taking place and don’t bang their drums as loud as possible to do a sound check! A bride once told me that she didn’t even know our band had arrived! We were just all set up and ready for when it was time to play!
You also need a band that will go with the flow (within reason)! Weddings are famous for running late so you don’t want to battle with a band that says “sorry, you only booked us until 10pm, we’re off now” after only 1 set.
Choose a band that can read the room, switch things up if certain songs aren’t working, fronted by a singer that interacts well with you and your guests.
Check out my band!
Hopefully I’ve given you some things to think about & helped you navigate what makes the absolute best Essex wedding bands and sets them apart from the rest!
If you’re interested in having a chat about what I can offer with my band then fill in my enquiry form and I’ll get in touch with you.
My band is hugely versatile and can play a range of styles from Country to Motown and Jazz to Rock! We can be booked as a 6-piece band with our horn section or we offer a range of smaller line-ups.
We even offer an acoustic duo which is popular for wedding reception drinks, but we can also add a small drum kit to this to make our acoustic trio – we have performed many evening wedding receptions with this acoustic line-up. Check out my acoustic options here.
Thanks for reading & I hope to hear from you soon!
