Wedding Band Prices in 2025 / 2026 What Couples Really Need to Know

How Much Does a Wedding Band Cost in 2025?

In the UK, the typical couple books a wedding band for £1880, with most bookings falling within a range of £1,200 - £2,500. Prices can stretch either side depending on band size, date, and location.

4 piece wedding bands like Riptide are most popular, costing from £1100 - £2500

To give you a clear picture, here’s what to expect across different line-ups:

Most couples fall into the 4-5 piece category, but if you want a statement band that fills the stage, expect to budget more like £3,000 - £5,000.

What Affects the Price of a Wedding Band?

Every band sets their fee based on a mix of factors. Here are the big ones that can swing a quote:

• Band Size & Musicianship - The more players, and the more experienced those players, the more wages. Add extra vocalists or a horn section and the price naturally climbs.
• Peak vs Off-Peak Dates - A Saturday in July will cost more than a Thursday in November.
• Travel & Accommodation - Distance adds fuel, van hire, tolls, and sometimes overnight hotels.
• Event Timings - Early load-ins or late finishes mean longer working days and overtime.
• Production Needs - PA and lighting rigs scale with your guest numbers; big marquees need more gear.
• Repertoire & Special Requests - First dance arrangements or bespoke medleys take rehearsal time.
• Experience & Reputation - In-demand, award-winning bands carry a premium.
• Agency Support - Booking through a reputable agency adds security and accountability (contracts, backups, emergency support), which is built into the fee.

With more members, bands like BrassWerk Orchestra will push your budget - but offer more WOW!

Where Your Money Goes: The Anatomy of a Wedding Band Fee

Couples might wonder what goes into getting their band on stage and performance ready. After all - "we're only booking them for a 2 hour performance - right?”

In reality, your fee covers far more - including an average 10-12 hour working day, door to door, for most weddings:

• Musician fees - Fair day-rates for each performer, including travel time, prep, performance time, instrument costs and upkeep, stage clothing.
• Rehearsals & learning - Especially if you’ve requested a first dance or specific songs.
• Sound & lighting equipment - Quality PA, lighting rigs, microphones, in-ear monitors, PAT testing, servicing, protective cases (the total value of an average wedding band’s equipment is over £15,000, excluding transport).
• Travel & logistics - Transport vans, fuel, parking, hotels when needed.
• Insurance & compliance - Vehicle and equipment insurance, public liability cover, contracts, tax.
• Planning & admin - Advance calls, liaising with venues, set curation, band communication & organisation.
• Contingency - Vehicle roadside cover, equipment spares, deputies (deps) on standby in case of illness.
• Promotional Materials - cost of producing promotional videos, audio recording sessions, photos shoots, website etc
• Marketing & Commissions - Direct marketing costs for google / meta ads, directory listings, SEO, fliers, and or commission paid to the band’s agent / manager for the same.

Based on an average fee of £400 per member (inc costs) and a 12 hour working day, the musicians’ fee comes out at approx. £33 per hour. If the band perform 50 weddings a year, this breaks down to £18 per hour after costs.

Regional Variations & Travel

Our booking data from the past 24 months shows only a £300 difference in average price paid across all regions of the UK (£1,800 - £2,100), with couples prepared to pay slightly more to have their perfect band travel to some harder-to-reach locations (like Cornwall, East of England, Scotland & Wales).

The South West region has the highest average spend at £2100 per band (£3,000 in Cornwall), whereas the North East has the lowest at £1782 per band.

Socioeconomic factors (plus travel and accommodation) will influence average prices and demand. Economically weaker regions of the UK like the North East and Wales, have the lowest number of wedding band bookings. The affluent South East counties account for nearly as many bookings as all the other regions combined. Although average prices in the South East are around £1868 - it's notable that both London and Berkshire average £2,100 per booking, 20% higher than neighbouring counties.

Although demand is very high in the South East, the large number of bands and musicians based in the region, coupled with excellent transport infrastructure - helps to keep costs competitive.

Regions that have the least consistent motorway access tend to have either weaker demand, or they must pay higher prices - with wedding bands in Scotland, Wales, Devon, Cornwall, and the East of England all charging higher than average prices due to extended travel time and overnight accommodation for band members.

Travel tips

Bands will always quote based on travel from their home area, and in most cases - are quite happy to travel very large distances to perform. However, a local Manchester wedding band is often going to be better value for a Northern wedding than bringing a Southern band up the M6, and a wedding band based in London is going to incur far less cost travelling into the city, than getting a band down from Leeds or Birmingham.

As a rule of thumb:

• Within 1 hour - Travel usually included.
• 1-2 hours - Small travel fee may apply to cover costs.
• Over 2 hours / late finish - Larger cost to cover travel time and hotels may be added.

International weddings

For destination weddings - travel costs are usually calculated separately to the band’s performance fee - so things like flights, ferries, transfers, accommodation, and even freight carnets (for EU shows) would be an extra cost that the customer would need to cover. If you’re considering an overseas celebration, Alive Network can handle all of this for you - to create one simple transparent quotation.

Destination wedding band prices will need to include flights, transfers and accommodation

Seasonality & Booking Timing

• Peak wedding season (May - Sept) and Saturdays always carry the highest demand.
• Winter weddings, weekdays, and off-peak months can bring meaningful savings.
• Booking 12 - 18 months in advance secures the best bands; leave it late and you’ll either pay a premium or have slim pickings.

Packages and Optional Extras (Typical Add-Ons)

Many wedding music bands offer more than just the evening set. Expect additional fees for:

• Ceremony music - solo piano, solo / duo acoustic guitar & vocals (from £250 - £600).
• Drinks reception sets - acoustic duo / trio / quartet, jazz sets, or roaming band (£350 - £1,000).
• All-day wedding packages - tailored music for your ceremony, drinks reception, wedding breakfast and evening party
• Band-run DJ playlist - often included in the price, can be customised, but often just left to run in the background.
• Premium DJ add-on - £350 - £600 - like having a professional wedding DJ, only it’s a band member manning the decks between sets, making announcements, plus extra DJ lighting
• Sax and DJ add-on - ideal for a post-band club classics set into the early hours
• Photo Booths - some bands offer photo booths and selfie pods as a fun addition
• Early setup / late finish - from £100 - £400 per hour - depending on band size.
• Upgraded production - extra PA and lighting for larger events or more WOW!

Prices will increase with premium production and lighting

Budget-Savvy Ways to Save

• Choose a local band to avoid travel/hotel costs.
• Opt for a 4-piece band with backing tracks (backing horns/keys) instead of a 7-piece.
• Consider a weekday or winter wedding.
• Let the band run a playlist DJ service instead of hiring a separate DJ.
• Keep timings realistic - don’t ask for a 2pm setup if you need them to start at 9pm.

For more smart ways to save money on your wedding band, read our helpful guide.

Quality Signals & Red Flags

When comparing quotes:

• Look for recent reviews from real weddings, quality videos and clear setlists.
• Ask to read contracts, check the cancellation terms aren’t one sided, and ask what emergency cover you’ll get if the band are ill or split up
• Check for PLI insurance and PAT certificates (most venues require them).
• Beware of booking any artist directly, without agency backing: you’ll get no protection, no accountability, and no support.

Our Live Videos

We film hundreds of live videos each year as part of our 'Live In Session With Alive Network' series. These videos are a great way to hear how good our bands sounds performing 100% live! Check out the example below:

How to Read a Wedding Band Quote

A professional quote should outline:

• Correct event details (event type, date, venue etc)
• The total price (specifying any costs that are not included in the quote)
• The exact line-up that the quote is based on
• Arrival & finish times
• Set lengths
• What PA/lighting is included
• Travel & accommodation terms
• Booking options (DJ playlist or pro DJ service, extra sets)
• Special requests (first dance etc)
• Access to full terms and conditions (read the cancellation policy)
• What security / emergency cover you’ll get
• That way you’re comparing like-for-like, not guessing why one band is £400 less than another.

Important: if you’re getting a quote from another agency, ask whether the quote is an official quote confirmed by the artist. Some agencies cut corners by giving out ball-park figures, rather than contacting artists to confirm availability and accurate pricing. If you’re comparing prices, it’s important to know you’re comparing real quotations.

Alive Network will always issue genuine quotes confirmed by the band, and we also guarantee to price match any genuine like-for-like quote for the same artist.

Entertainment as Part of the Overall Wedding Budget

With the average UK wedding now costing £23,250 and the average spend on wedding entertainment being £1000, or 4-5% of total budget (source - Hitched 2025 Customer Survey), it’s clear music loving couples are stretching the average budget to include a great live band (avg cost £1880) - or more likely - that professional wedding bands tend to be the choice for those couples spending over average on their big day.

For many couples in the lower wedding budget range, a wedding DJ remains the go to choice of musical entertainment, often bundled in with the wedding venue hire.

As wedding budgets have been stretched 30%+ over the past 3 years, we’ve also seen a trend towards micro weddings and lower cost wedding musicians, such as acoustic singer guitarists and saxophonists.

That said - a live wedding band is still the single biggest driver of guest experience - the thing that brings people together, and which they remember long after the flowers fade. In terms of impact and value for money on your wedding day, a band provides the best return on investment you’ll get from any supplier type - and it’s still the most popular type of entertainment that we provide for our customers by a huge margin.

A live wedding band is the single biggest driver of guest experience

2025 Trends Shaping Prices

• 3-5 piece wedding bands remain the most popular type of band customers are booking, but bookings are lower compared to previous years as couples opt for smaller weddings (or delay getting married) as the cost of living crisis impacts their ability to save, and as we recover from the covid engagement gap.
• With so many bands in the market, competition is high - and with reduced demand - bands must be able to demonstrate value and trust to win work. Bands who evidence strong customer satisfaction and engagement (good socials, recent reviews) and who keep producing high quality up-to-date promotional materials - will win the confidence of customers.
• DJ-Live, saxophonists and roaming acoustic bands are in hot demand, often priced in the £500 - £2,500 bracket.
• Large-scale show bands are increasingly booked for “statement weddings,” especially in marquee and ballroom settings.
• Rising fuel, van hire, and insurance costs mean professional bands are feeling the pressure to hold firm or increase prices, rather than undercutting.
• Post-covid cost of living pressures on individual band members, means more musicians are working in full time day jobs, causing a scarcity of reliable performers, and an unwillingness to take work that requires longer travel time. This is feeding an increasing cost pressure on band leaders to pay members more to maintain reliable line-ups.

Final Word

Your wedding band isn’t just “music on the night” - it’s the atmosphere, energy, and the connecting force that will bring your guests together to create memories that will last a lifetime.

Expect to pay around £1,200 for a solid 3-piece, £1800 for the most popular 4-piece format, up to £5,000+ for a luxury show band.

The key is to see your band as a professional service, not just a performance. When you invest in experienced, well-prepared musicians, booked via a reputable agency - you’re not only paying for their talent - you’re paying for peace of mind, seamless logistics, and a dancefloor that stays full until the very last encore.

Next Step: Browse Alive Network’s wedding bands to see who fits your style and budget.

More questions? Why not read our 'Complete Guide to Booking A Wedding Band'