Consider the venue

You'll need to check with your wedding reception venue that live music is permitted. Most venues have no problem with bands but it is worth checking all the same.

In particular you should check the size of the room you're hiring and the area the band will be playing in. Most venues will specify where the band should play so once you have these details you'll know what size band you can hire.

Most wedding bands have 3 - 6 members and will be suitable or most venue sizes. However, certain styles of music such as Soul/R&B, Latin/Salsa & 70's disco feature much larger bands with approx 7 to 12 members and you will need quite a large amount of space to accommodate them. Again check with the venue first as you may be able to re arrange the layout of the room to accommodate a larger band.

Arrival and set up times:
It will also be worth checking if the venue has any restrictions on arrival and set up times for the band. Set up time ranges from 60 to 90 minutes depending on the size of the band and how far the equipment needs to be moved.

If the band will be playing in the same room that you are having your meal in then you will need to make arrangements for the band to either arrive much earlier in the day, or you'll need to arrange for a 60min break after the meal so the band can bring their equipment in, set up and sound check. You could ask the venue if their is another room your guests can retire to whilst this happens and build this into your schedule.

One more thing to check with your venue is if they have any restrictions on volume levels. Some bands are louder than others and if the venue has another function going on next door they may place restrictions on what time the band can sound check, perform & finish.

In our next section we'll consider your budget.
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