WEDDING BANDS ON A BUDGET

Choosing the right entertainment for your wedding is key. You want to think clearly about what will go nicely with the style of your wedding and what your guests will enjoy. For most couples this will be their first time booking live musicians, so knowing where to start can feel like quite the task. Planning a wedding on a budget may also lead you to skip out on some of the most important entertainment aspects of your day. So, before you agree to have your third cousin play his banjo, take a look through all of Partybands entertainment and artists and let us help you keep your guests entertained on a budget.

We have come up with a little breakdown of our pricing. These prices are set as a guideline, as external factors such as location, venue, number of guests, travel and size of band all impact varying prices.

Solo musician - €250-€500

Duo - €300-€700

DJ - €400-700

3/4-piece band - €1,200-€2,300

5+ piece band - €1,500-€3,000

Ceremony music €350-€500

Cocktail reception music €300-€700

These prices are not set in stone for every band and we can tailor them to suit each individual wedding and budget. To make sure you are getting bang for your buck we have some tips and advice on how to save money on your wedding entertainment.

1. Book Off Peak

Wedding bands are always extremely busy during the summer and over the Christmas period so they will not be offering any special deals or discounts as they can get a full price gig no problem. So, if you plan your wedding in the quieter months of the year, January-March and October-November, your perfect band will more likely be available.

Artists love gigging in the quieter months as it is more relaxed for them after the hectic seasons. Booking off peak may mean receiving up to €200 off your wedding band – well worth taking the offer.

Another off-peak option is to have your wedding on a weekday. Unusual, yes. However, this is becoming increasingly popular. Many couples find celebrating their big day on a Thursday or a Sunday leaves them saving that extra few bob. We have also found this does not usually affect your guest list. Your family and friends will want to celebrate with you no matter what day of the week it is.

Holding your wedding out of the busy season has other advantages too. Your venue is likely to charge a bit less, you will have a greater choice of dates for your church, registry office or civil ceremony registrar and more guests might be able to attend as they will not have other weddings, events or holidays booked.

2. Wedding Band Full Day Packages

Booking a full day package at first glance may seem like the most expensive option but believe it or not it always works out to be the best value for money. Many couples will automatically book a band and a DJ for the evening entertainment but as wedding planning continues, the ceremony and cocktail reception entertainment springs to mind and sometimes couples are left booking all their entertainment separately. This is a quick way to burn a hole in your pocket.

Booking a package that includes ceremony music, cocktail reception, band, and DJ has its perks. Firstly, you are paying just one set of expenses. One deposit and one final payment and you have no more to worry about. Secondly, most bands offer flexible options such as an acoustic duo to play during the ceremony, drinks reception or the meal, and are then joined by the rest of the band to entertain your party. This is a fabulous way to save some money as you will only be paying for one set of travel costs and one set of equipment set up. Your guests will be well impressed by how versatile your artists are. Check out some more info on our wedding packages here www.partybands.ie/brochure

3. Reduce Your Bands Waiting Fee

Venues will often tell you that it is better to have the band arrive early in the day to set up and do a soundcheck so that they are out of your way by the time your guests arrive. While this is often a good idea in smaller venues it can also cost quite a bit more in waiting fees. Bands under the Partybands umbrella will charge an extra €200 if a set up before 7pm is requested.

Many function bands for weddings do not actually need to do this as in most venues there is easy access to the stage area where the band can set up discreetly. Our wedding bands are highly experienced in finding a window of opportunity after the meal and speeches to set up and do a quick soundcheck without intruding.

This is usually the time your guests start to wander around, mingle, grab a drink, or stretch their legs so you can rest assured the bands set up will go unnoticed. Trusting your band's instincts when it comes to set up is guaranteed to help you save some extra cash.

4. Book Local

Partybands is a Cork based company and all of our artists have travelled all over the country for weddings and events. Inevitably travelling does add an extra cost to a booking. It is well known that driving around Ireland is an expensive business when you add up fuel costs, road tax and the ridiculous price of food in service stations. The more you can reduce your band’s travel time and costs to your venue, the better.

The closer you are to us the less it will cost in extra fees. Our artists have played in almost every hotel in Cork and many more around Munster and further. If you are concerned about travel fees for your band just give them a call or email and they will discuss the breakdown with you before you agree to anything.

5. Book Early

Most couples start planning their weddings about eighteen months – two years before the date. Booking your entertainment takes some time and planning and is definitely not a task to be left to last minute. Check out your favourite artists and bands and try to seal the deal at least a year before your wedding date. You can pay a deposit and over the next year put away some money every week towards the final payment for your band. This way you will not be putting yourselves under any extra stress and unnecessary pressure and you can rest easy knowing your entertainment is sorted and paid for.

We hope these tips and tricks on how to save some money when booking your entertainment has helped. For more money-saving tips, feel free to consult any of the Partybands team. We are here to help. Fill in the contact form below and we'll get back to you with more information.