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Your wedding should be one the most important days of your life and if all goes according to plan then you should hopefully one have one of them. So getting things right becomes a big deal and there is no better way to have your big day ruined than by hiring the wrong entertainment. Thankfully there are some very practical steps that you can follow to make sure that you get exactly what you are looking for and that your wedding is as perfect as you have always dreamed. So here are the top 5 things that you should pay attention to before you say 'I DO' to anyone holding a guitar.

What are the venue's requirements?

The first thing check is what you are allowed to do. The venue will generally have a list of possibilities and restrictions which affect what you are able to do. This will include stage size and space, volume restrictions, load in options and also in house PA availability. This should be one of the first phone calls you make because these issues could affect which band you get but also whether or not the band feels like they are able to do a good job in your venue. Some venue managers can talk to you out of live music simply because it can be more hassle for them but do not let them put you off. Simply get their requirements and then go and find a band that is happy to work within those limits.

How many weddings have they already done?

Once you start looking for a entertainment you may find that there are a multitude of singers, duos and bands who are more than willing to take your money and do the gig. One of the first things to check is how many of these events have they played at and indeed, is this the sort of gig that they regularly play? Your wedding is not an average pub gig and those that will do the best job are generally those who currently make a living from specializing in weddings and corporate functions.

What songs do they play?

The world is full of songs and you want to make sure that the 40-50 songs that the musicians play at your wedding reception are at least songs that you want to hear. The best way to do this is to ask for a song list. Every artist will have one of these on their website and if not then you should request one. It is important to go through this list with your partner and make sure that there are enough songs there that you would like to be the soundtrack for your special event. If possible you could talk with the band about what sorts of songs you particularly like and also about how you imagine the event will go. Bear in mind that no musician will appreciate you prescribing to them how to do their job and exactly what songs to play, but they will appreciate knowing what you like and what you are expecting for before they come.

Go and see them play live.

The kind of band you are looking for will be playing regularly and the best way to make sure you get what you want is for BOTH of you to go and see them play live. The internet, photoshop and auto tune can be very deceiving and so you need to go and see for yourself. The first thing to look for is whether or not they look like they belong on stage. People that look confident will play better but more importantly they will put your guests at ease. There is nothing worse than being at an event where the musicians look awkward and timid. Secondly you want to make sure that they sound good. At weddings there is a lot going on and people will not watch the band like they would at a concert. In fact most of the time people will be listening to the music or dancing while talking to friends and family so you want to make sure that they play well enough to blend into the background at times. On top of all of this, going to see them play live gives you a chance to meet them personally and to get a feel for whether you are comfortable enough to work with them on this most special event.
Be realistic about the time frames and what role you want them to play.

I have played at many weddings and not one of them has ever run perfectly to schedule. At most weddings you will be requiring the band to play some quieter dinner music as well as some more tempo dancing music towards the end. For this reason you want to have though through your times fairly well and make sure you add about 30mins to whatever time you allow for speeches. It will be a great disappointment to book a band who is great for dancing only to find that uncle Bill went way over time on his speech and you now only have time for 3 songs before the penny kicks you out. Most bands will also be able to play background music from either your iPod or CD's so map it out carefully and make sure that the band you pick has enough time to do their thing.

When you have done these 5 things then you should feel pretty confident about the choice that you have made. From that point you simply need to decide what you are happy to pay but remember this is defiantly one area where cheaper is not always better. If you go through all of the above steps then I think you will have found a band that is perfect for your wedding and you can confidently pay them what they are worth.

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Source by Greache Dee