I have spent years managing and booking bands that play receptions. Over the years utilizing countless brides, I have arrived at learn that the most important part of an excellent wedding dinner is establishing accurate expectations for that band as well as the buyer at the beginning of the process. Surprises should never be good and can almost always be ignored. Here are the top five approaches to make certain that expectations are appropriately set.
Work with the band directly.
Bands could be booked directly or by way of a so-called booking agent. When it comes to wedding bands, rarely does the agent represent this rock band. More likely, the "agent" brokers an agreement involving the buyer and also the band. This is not to express that the good agent isn't helpful, nonetheless it ensures that they aren't a part of this guitar rock band's organization. Whether you book the band directly or via a booking agent, it is critical which you produce a relationship with all the band's contact person. why not try these out is probably a band leader or possibly a manager.
Why is important? We all know the "telephone game" where a single person whispers something towards the person alongside him who whispers towards the next person and so forth. By the time the message gets to the end, it has completely changed. Removing the middle man removes the potential risk of the message changing once it gets on the intended recipient.
The other likelihood of not communicating directly with the band is that this message simply never helps it be to the band. I once stood a situation getting through a reputable agency in which the mother in the bride requested the band play numerous songs. The request was sent to the agent who never forwarded it to me. I only found as soon as the wedding dinner when I contacted the caretaker from the bride to check out up. Dealing directly while using band removes any chance of messages getting warped or lost and it will give you and also the band confidence which you are both on a single page.
If a representative will not let you speak with the band directly anytime in the procedure, run! This is a sore point that the agent is much more interested in managing the transaction to safeguard his / her interests than they are about addressing your needs.
See the band live at another wedding party prior to the hiring decision.
There isn't better approach to be sure of the items you get than seeing this rock band doing his thing at another wedding reception. As a band manager, I always encourage prospects to see all the bands they're considering in a live concert before you make their decision. I do this for 2 reasons. First, I can mention what this rock band does until I'm blue hard, though the fastest, easiest and quite a few accurate method to understand it is to determine it. Seeing this guitar rock band removes any potential for misunderstanding or confusion. As Elvis Costello once said "Writing about music is like dancing about architecture." It's a lot more effective to merely go go through the building. Second, you may notice all of the bands you are looking at, you will have absolute confidence in your decision - no second guessing that the band you have hired is probably not good enough or that other bands might be better.
When you go to find out the bands you are looking at, make sure to discover their whereabouts at the similar event. Every event type differs from the others and each has an original role for the band: at a bar, the job is usually to sell beer; in a charitable event, it is to raise money; etc. Professional bands will build different set lists and perform different shows in line with the unique demands from the particular event. That is why it is important to see the band with a wedding reception. And, if you see several band, see them on the same part of the evening. You don't want to catch one band through the "dinner set" as well as the other in the final dance set. Doing that could leave you while using inaccurate impression that this "dinner set" band can be a low energy act a lot more reality these are appropriately holding back because circumstances dictate. Whether it's type of event or timing throughout the evening, make sure to compare apples to apples.
Hire an experienced and established wedding coordinator.
I know what you're thinking: "What does getting a wedding planner have to do while using band?" As it turns out, a lot! Wedding planners make it their business to understand vendors. Because they work weddings day in and outing, they have a far better perspective around the consistency of bands as well as other vendors compared to bride you needed a reference who caused a vendor once. Wedding planners also have the experience to ask the correct questions and raise the proper issues to successfully get what you need.
Once you have made your hires, a event planner can really help the afternoon run smoothly. They can make sure all the vendors aren't trying to get into the loading dock on the same time, make certain this rock band's electrical needs are met, coordinate other vendors with all the band's performance, etc. Wedding planners can be extremely knowledgeable about how looking after with the big day can affect other aspects and these are skilled at ensuring all vendors are aware with the issues and they are working together to create an excellent event.
Hire a professional band familiar with receptions.
Whether you aren't you employ a wedding planner, employ a band with experience performing receptions. As I stated earlier, all events are different and require different skills of the band. An experienced and professional band won't understand how to structure the show, but additionally will alert you to issues that should be considered. For example, your decision to have a buffet versus a plated dinner will modify the structure of the dinner set. What are the benefits and drawbacks of starting the evening with the first dance? When when you schedule the cake cutting? Once the dinner may be served, it's this guitar rock band that essentially runs the show. Because of that, experienced bands are in a very unique position to raise potential issues beforehand so that they tend not to become problems in the time.
Communicate regularly with the band.
It is vital to maintain this guitar rock band informed wonderful developments. If you want the band to create announcements, let them know as far beforehand as is possible what those announcements will probably be so when you would like them made. With the few super professional bands which have no break between songs, it may be difficult, though possible, to generate unscheduled announcements unless this guitar rock band knows to expect unscheduled announcements. If you are looking at making changes towards the schedule, let this rock band termed as early as possible and preferably before the decision is done. This will allow this guitar rock band to raise any issues that you simply may not have thought of that could affect your selection. Of course, when a change is created, make sure the band knows as soon as is possible. Changing a dinner set to your dance set, for instance, will require the rearranging from the set lists for that entire evening and is not the kind of thing that you just want to spring on this guitar rock band in the very last minute.
Following these guidelines should create appropriate and reasonable expectations for everybody involved and ensure an even reception.