Wedding Bands - €1k or sky the limit

23-01-2021 4:39pm #1

I'll have made more threads in this forum more than any other since I joined boards

We (me) are looking for a band. What sort of prices should one expect to pay? I've emailed Harlequin and from their response can assume they are very expensive but I've no idea what 'expensive' is. They could be €1k or 10k.
I also emailed The Trips but they are not available on our date and I also don't know their fee.

I've been having a listen to They Vinyls and they sound brilliant. They seem more suited though to a big event with hundreds of people and no Covid fear in the air

Our other option is a DJ but I just don't know about this. I want our guests to have a really good time and there to be a bit of a buzz about the place. The right music in my view can help create this.

Please give me your advice

dobman88 · 23-01-2021 4:43pm

Been looking at the wedding band association website and contacted a few. The band we both want quoted 3k. Still waiting on others to quote.

Also contacted a guy I've seen many times and I know is good and he quoted €250 for himself but don't think a 1 man band would suit a wedding unless it was a small gathering.

Electric Nitwit · 23-01-2021 5:05pm

Four years ago now, but these guys were €1,650 and were absolutely brilliant
https://www.surefiretrio.com/

Faith · 23-01-2021 6:09pm

I can't remember the specifics now, but I think we paid the bones of €2000 for The Bentley Boys with DJ set back in 2015. It might have even been €2200. I'd say the upper range is probably €3000-€4000, at a complete guess.

I know that people were raving about our band the next day, particularly my parents' generation who were delighted that the band "weren't too loud". I do think you get what you pay for, but that doesn't mean there aren't great bands at lower price points. It just depends on what you're looking for.

Edit: I went back and checked, and it turns out we actually paid €3000, which included a 5 piece band, DJ and travel, so my estimates of "top of the range" are probably way off!

23-01-2021 6:31pm

I would love a 5 piece and DJ and real party high energy vibe. I just don't know if it would work with 50 guests. So we should try for maybe a 3 or 4 piece.

dobman88 · 24-01-2021 9:14pm

[Deleted User] wrote: »

I would love a 5 piece and DJ and real party high energy vibe. I just don't know if it would work with 50 guests. So we should try for maybe a 3 or 4 piece.

We had the same reservations (will be about 65 guests) and we have mentioned it to any band we have contacted and they've all pretty much said the same. Whether its 25 or 250, they do their thing and try to make your day.

24-01-2021 9:18pm

dobman88 wrote: »

We had the same reservations (will be about 65 guests) and we have mentioned it to any band we have contacted and they've all pretty much said the same. Whether its 25 or 250, they do their thing and try to make your day.

How do you feel about having a DJ only? We are sort of considering one instead of a band. I've never been to a wedding that just had DJ and definitely prefere live music in pub over one. So I don't know.

24-01-2021 9:22pm

I'm also thinking that of we have a cut off time of 11pm (the horror) then we wouldn't need a band and DJ but of course we won't know that until who knows when.

dobman88 · 24-01-2021 10:45pm

[Deleted User] wrote: »

How do you feel about having a DJ only? We are sort of considering one instead of a band. I've never been to a wedding that just had DJ and definitely prefere live music in pub over one. So I don't know.

We both love live music, used to go to gigs big and small regularly pre covid, so its not a thought for us. I've been to weddings with 6 piece bands and DJ after and I've been to a wedding where the best man had spotify on his phone and played it over the speaker system for a small intimate one.

Both were fun in their own right. It's what you make of it on the day too. It's a wedding, people will be going to enjoy themselves regardless.

woodchuck · 24-01-2021 11:41pm

[Deleted User] wrote: »

How do you feel about having a DJ only? We are sort of considering one instead of a band. I've never been to a wedding that just had DJ and definitely prefere live music in pub over one. So I don't know.

We're just having a DJ, and we decided that long before the pandemic. We've been to weddings with a DJ instead of a band and we didn't notice a huge difference tbh. It's about having music so people can get up and dance and we couldn't justify the cost of a band (and the size of our venue is more suited to a DJ). We decided to shell out for a decent DJ though, with excellent reviews and great at reading the room and getting people on the dance floor. Even more recently he's gotten great reviews for weddings of only 25 guests!

niceoneted · 25-01-2021 11:15pm

Would you consider good lively entertainment for the drinks reception, examples Kooky yokes or manila strings, then DJ only for the evening. This is what we are planning.

MrMusician18 · 25-01-2021 11:18pm

One thing to remember, there is no correlation between the price of the band and the quality. An €8k band will not necessary be better than a €4k one.

More expensive usually just means more members.

25-01-2021 11:36pm

MrMusician18 wrote: »

One thing to remember, there is no correlation between the price of the band and the quality. An €8k band will not necessary be better than a €4k one.

More expensive usually just means more members.

I'm really hoping to not pay €4k. We were quoted €900 for Chiavari chairs earlier. Weddings are damn expensive.

25-01-2021 11:38pm

niceoneted wrote: »

Would you consider good lively entertainment for the drinks reception, examples Kooky yokes or manila strings, then DJ only for the evening. This is what we are planning.

That didn't occur to me at all. Thank you for the idea.

Alkers · 26-01-2021 12:44pm

Deleted User wrote: »

We were quoted €900 for Chiavari chairs earlier.

There was me googling them to see if they were a decent up and coming band

:rolleyes:

26-01-2021 2:00pm

Alkers wrote: »

There was me googling them to see if they were a decent up and coming band :rolleyes:

Meauldsegosha · 31-01-2021 8:45pm

Have you asked your hotel do the recommend any bands. Our hotel gave us the name of three bands who play regularly at the hotel and we used one of them. They were €1200. My husband, who never dances, spent most of the night on the dance floor. :pac:

31-01-2021 9:14pm

Meauldsegosha wrote: »

Have you asked your hotel do the recommend any bands. Our hotel gave us the name of three bands who play regularly at the hotel and we used one of them. They were €1200. My husband, who never dances, spent most of the night on the dance floor. :pac:

They did give us some recommendations. One we were advised against booking and the other two are booked out. We did find a really great band in the last week though and know they are available on our date. We are just waiting on them to get back to us. Fingers crossed.

My lad is the exact same! I had to say "you will dance with me won't you"

Wedding Bands - €1k or sky the limit

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