4 Big Mistakes Most Brides Make When Hiring a Wedding Reception Band (and How You Can Avoid Them)

Photograph of Super Deluxe at the Barr-Gorsché wedding courtesy of ourbeautiful.com

Mistake #1: Brides Hire a Band Based on Price Alone

This is a big one because you tend to get what you pay for. Sometimes you can get a great band at an extremely attractive rate, but this is the exception, not the rule.

If you hire your cousin’s band because he’s your relative or if you let your friends come and jam because they are willing to play for food and drink, then that’s exactly what you are going to get... your cousin’s band or your friends jamming. But is that what you really want?

The reception is an experience that will create a memory just like your wedding ceremony. You can have the best venue, the best food, the best drinks, and the best floral arrangements, but if the music is lame, then you and your guests will remember your reception as lame.

The music at your wedding reception will be the sound track to the memories of your big day. The music at your wedding reception will be the catalyst that will get your multi-generational family on the dance floor at the same time. The music at your wedding reception will make or break.

You can avoid Mistake #1 by hiring your band, not on price alone, but on quality, experience, and customization.

Mistake #2: Brides Wait ‘til the Last Minute

This is another big one because most of the bands that brides want to play at their wedding reception get hired way in advance. Way in advance. Typical lead time for hiring top-tier bands can be 12 months or more.

What happens when all the bands you want to hire are already booked to play someone else’s wedding reception? You have to go with second best (maybe your cousin’s band). This really stinks because nobody wants to go with second best.

A few recommendations:

• Shop early, contract early, plan the music early (first dances), and communicate with the band early (and often).
• Don’t put off hiring the band before you secure your venue and hire all your other vendors. This not only leads to you hiring second best because the bands you desire are already hired, it leads to you hiring second best because of budget constraints.

You can avoid Mistake #2 by hiring your band well in advance so you can choose the band you want rather than hiring the bands that are left.

Mistake #3: Brides Hire a Band That Has No Credibility

One of the things that your cousin’s band and your friends that like to jam don’t have is credibility.

What is credibility?

Credibility means that you have experienced and thoroughly enjoyed the band’s live show.

Credibility means that the band has plenty of upcoming shows (probably plenty of wedding receptions) on their calendar.

Credibility means that the band comes highly recommended by a personal friend or they have an abundant number of glowing testimonials either on their website or customer review sites (like Google Maps and SuperPages).

You can avoid Mistake #3 by hiring a band that has credibility so that you feel comfortable and confident in your purchase.

Mistake #4: Brides Hire a Band That Does Not Match Their Style or Expectations

A lot of brides think that all bands are the same.

They are not.

Some bands specialize in doing acoustic, bluegrass, and folk music. Some bands focus on 80’s pop and rock. Some bands like Super Deluxe cover a wide variety of popular styles with a focus on party songs and dance music.

All bands are not created equal. And all bands are not willing or able to play songs that you like and request.

You can avoid Mistake #4 by hiring a band that fits your musical style and your expectations for how you want the reception to feel.

If you are looking for first-class music services and high-energy live performances from a high-quality band for your high-end destination wedding reception, then contact Charleston's Premier Party Band℠ today.