6 Ways to Save Money on Your Wedding Band

1. Save on travel and accommodation by booking a local band

Wedding and party bands can charge quite a lot to travel, and the costs soon add up – especially if they’re travelling so far that they need to stay overnight, when you’ll be paying hotel costs as well as a certain amount per mile. To save money by hiring a band in your area, try our search tool on the Function Central website - you can search by act and genre as well as region.

2. Have a winter wedding

Whilst wedding bands tend to be solidly booked during the summer months, many a muso will spend their winter penniless by the fireside supping on broth! In order to fill the quieter months, many bands offer great discounts between October and March, to ensure the bookings keep coming in. If you're unable to hold your wedding in the winter, bands often offer discounts on Sundays to Thursdays throughout the year.

3. Hire a band with fewer members

Wedding bands come in all shapes and sizes – from premium bands with bolt-on horn sections and several backing singers to three-piece rock bands, acoustic duos and even soloists with backing tracks. If you’re looking to save money without losing danceability, try hiring a band with fewer members, or look at flexible bands who can add or remove members to suit your venue and budget.

If you’re looking for maximum boogie for your buck, drop the lead guitarist and look for a great vocalist who also plays rhythm guitar, but make sure your band has a drummer, percussion or at least rhythm tracks. A funky beat always gets people on the dancefloor!

4. Take advantage of the band's DJ services and afternoon sets

Ask your band to provide you with an iPod DJ service during the interval between sets instead of hiring a separate DJ. Most function bands will be happy to do this free of charge, saving you money. Some even offer a more sophisticated laptop DJ service, which will offer a wider selection of music and still be much cheaper than hiring a DJ.

Many bands offer jazz or acoustic guitar sets for your afternoon reception or wedding breakfast. Usually one or two band members will provide this and will be joined by remaining band members for your party later on. This costs a fraction of hiring in a separate band, not only saving money on travel and refreshments for the act, but venue space too.

5. Save money on early arrival and late finish fees

Venues often ask bands to set up early on in the day, but the reality is that most bands will charge more for arrivals before 5 or 6pm. In our experience, this is unnecessary – if you can arrange a brief window after your meal/speeches for the band to gain access to their performance area, they'll be able to set up quickly and discreetly and keep noise levels to a minimum.

Likewise most bands charge a premium for finishes later than midnight – don't get caught out!

6. Beware of false economies

Illness or an unexpected event, such as a family emergency, can sometimes mean that the wedding band you’ve booked might not make it to your reception. If you book through an agency, you’re guaranteed a great band on the day, since they’ll have instant access to replacement bands and musicians at the last minute, and at no extra charge.

You’ll also get an experienced party band who know exactly what to play and how to get everyone on the dancefloor. You might think you’ve got yourself a bargain by booking a band directly rather than through an agency, but you might not actually be saving anything. If you do decide to book direct, make sure you compare their rates to agency rates. Bands who work through agencies often offer cheaper rates anyway, in return for more bookings.

We hope this is helpful! If you’d like to find out more, or get a quote for a wedding or party band in your area, get in touch!