By Katy Palmer, lead singer of Soulstar Music.
The most useful questions to ask a wedding band are whether they're free on your date, who will actually be performing, what's included in the price, whether they have public liability insurance and PAT tested equipment and what happens if someone is ill.
Here are the ten I'd ask, with straight answers for Soulstar, a live wedding band playing weddings across Dorset and Hampshire since 2010.
1. Are you free on our date?
Ask this first, because popular dates go quickly. Most couples book 9 to 18 months ahead, especially for summer Saturdays.
We play every day of the week, so Fridays, Sundays and midweek weddings are very welcome too.
2. Who will actually be performing?
Some bands are booked through agencies, so the line up on the night can be different from the one you’ve seen online or go to see live.
Soulstar isn’t an agency. I’m always your lead singer (unless I’ve lost my voice! - see question 6) and your single point of contact from our first chat to the final encore. The musicians behind me can occasionally change, for reasons like being away on tour, a prior commitment or illness, but they’re all trusted professionals who have played with me and the band many times. Our evening band is a 4 piece, and you can add sax or keys for extra wow.
3. How long do you play for?
Most bands will play for 2 × 60 minutes or 3 × 40 minute sets.
Our evening band plays 120 minutes of live music in two sets, usually a short set after your first dance and a longer one later in the evening.
For your ceremony and drinks reception, you choose 4 songs for the ceremony and we play a 90 minute set while your guests mingle and the photos are taken.
4. What's included in the price?
This is the one to look at closely, because a headline price can hide extras.
Our evening band starts from £1,950 and includes 120 minutes of live music, travel time and costs, professional PA and lighting and setup. And learning your first dance too!
I’ve seen that some bands charge extra to learn your first dance, so make sure you ask.
We also ask for food and soft drinks for our band during your wedding day, which can be as simple as including us in your evening food numbers.
Optional extras such as sax or keys, or adding a ceremony and drinks package, are clearly listed on our quote so you know exactly what you're paying for. Every quote is tailored to your venue and timings.
Our acoustic duo singing a bride down the aisle.
Photo credit: RAW Weddings
Dance floor mayhem!
Photo credit: Emma Frances Photography
5. Do you have public liability insurance and PAT tested equipment?
Yes, we have both. Many venues ask for them, so it's worth checking before you book. We contact the venue before your wedding day and make sure they have everything they need from us, including sending these documents over to them.
6. What happens if a musician is ill?
We're all full time professional musicians. I have a trusted network of players who have performed with me and the band many times, so in the rare event of illness or an emergency we can still deliver a seamless, high quality performance.
The same goes for me. If I’m ever too ill to sing, I have singers who can cover, so your day still runs exactly as planned and you won’t be left without a great night.
7. Can you work with our venue's sound limits and space?
Yes. I speak to your venue before your wedding to coordinate setup times, space and any sound restrictions, so everything runs smoothly on the day.
A standard 4 or 5 piece setup needs space plus approximately 60 minutes for soundcheck and setup. If your day is running behind, we'll do everything we can to get back on time for your first dance. And if not, we’ll catch this up during the evening and liaise with caterers for the timing of evening food around our sets.
Gorgeous first dance photo at Sopley Mill by Pip & Clo
8. Can we choose the songs?
Yes! You can choose songs from our hand picked party song list and tell me which songs you love (and if there are any you don’t!), plus any song you like for your first dance. We love to learn and play a last dance too, so just send us the version you'd like us to play.
If there are any song requests on the night from yourselves or guests, we will try our best to play these (if we know them) or perhaps throw a chorus of it in over another song we’re already playing.
9. What happens between sets?
We can provide pre-chosen party playlists for before, between and after our sets, which saves you the added cost of a DJ. If we time the band’s sets right, the only downtime on the dance floor will be whilst people are eating.
If you'd like to be more involved with song choices, send me your own Spotify playlist and I'll play it through our system.
We're also very happy to work alongside a DJ if you'd like one, or if you want to party into the night way past our bedtime!
10. Can we see you live, and what do your couples say?
Watch us on our Watch page, where you'll find videos of the band and our acoustic duo at real weddings.
You can also get in touch to see if we have any rare public gigs coming up! These are usually in Bournemouth, Dorset at a fun venue to enjoy listening to us and seeing us interact in real life!
You can read our 5 star Google reviews, which are the most of any wedding band in Dorset.
And if you'd like to chat first, I'm always happy to have a quick 10 minute call.
Pylewell Park wedding party!
Photo credit: Samantha Davis Photography
Ready to ask me?
If you're getting married in Dorset or Hampshire, tell me your date and venue and I'll let you know if we're free.
Check your date or see our Weddings page and Hampshire page for packages and prices.