wedding couple having their first dance

Wedding and Party Blog

Everything Your Florida Wedding Band Wants You to Know

Everything Your Florida Wedding Band Wants You to Know

To ensure you have the kind of entertainment you’ve dreamt of on your big day, it’s helpful to be on the same page with your Florida wedding band.  Keep reading for some tips on how to most effectively communicate with our Florida wedding band, CTO High Voltage.

How to Work with a Florida Wedding Band to Customize Your Reception?

It’s best to think ahead about the theme of your wedding or general feeling you want to convey before you book your Florida wedding band.  Most wedding bands or DJs have a repertoire of songs that they offer, and you should explore the catalogue of songs available before booking.  Once you do book a Florida wedding band, make sure you communicate with the band about the target theme so that the music can match the theme or at the very least, not clash. You don’t want a music set that does not fit the mood of the event.  

How to Decide on a Song List with Your Wedding Band Cover?

First, talk to your Florida wedding band about what genres they are willing to cover. Gather inspiration from Spotify or recent movies. Once you have an idea of what type of songs you want to be played on your special day, start selecting specific songs by starting with the big ones you know you’ll need like the first dance.  Work with the band to fill in the rest of the reception with a mixture of songs.

Choosing Songs for Different Parts of the Reception

There are a couple of songs that people will remember from your wedding and that should be carefully chosen.  First is the reception entrance song. Choose a song that reflects the atmosphere of the event and invites people to get excited about the rest of the evening. Next is the First Dance song.  This song is the debut for you, the happy couple, so choose a song that reflects your personalities and your special relationship! Other important songs include the Father/Daughter dance and the Mother/Son dance.  These songs are usually slow but can also be more upbeat and are always sweet and sentimental. Send your guests a signal that it’s time to get the party started with a party-starter song! Last, choose a song for the exit that will end your wedding on a positive note. 

wedding couple

Find the Best Way to Communicate with Your Wedding Band

First and foremost, you should ask the potential Florida wedding band questions.  Are they available for your wedding date? What’s their experience? Can you contact other couples for references?  Ask what kind of music they specialize in, how big and what their music library contains, what their entertainment style is like etc. Do they take breaks? What is their rate? Do they include setting up and breaking down in their rate? What do they charge for overtime? What’s the cancellation policy? What do you need to provide versus what will they provide when it comes to equipment? What size stage do they need? When will you meet to discuss song requests? As always, it’s best to have an initial meeting in person, but subsequent collaboration should be done via whatever communication platform is most convenient for both of you.  Email is a great way to keep a written record of what has been agreed upon.  

Things to Tell Your Wedding Band

Besides the most obvious thing you need to tell your wedding band (what to play and for how long) you will need to keep your Florida wedding band in the loop on other details of the wedding to make sure they are fully integrated.  For instance, if there is a theme to your wedding, make sure the band knows so that they wear the correct attire. Let your wedding band know exactly how to announce names by providing phonetic spellings. Lastly, consider informing your Florida wedding band of any bad blood or sensitive family matters so they can use discretion or care when making announcements.  

Should You Feed Your Wedding Band?

It is the polite thing to do to feed your Florida wedding band.  Just like the photographer videographer or wedding planner, if your wedding band is working during the reception etiquette strongly suggests you provide them with food. Whether you choose to do this or not, make sure you agree upon it ahead of time with your Florida wedding band and include it in the contract you sign before booking. 

Should You Tip, and When Should You Tip Your Wedding Band? 

Although not required, it is suggested you tip your wedding band, especially if they’ve made custom changes to the setlist and have accommodated requests.  According to The Knot, it’s customary to tip your Florida wedding band $25-$35 per band member. 

Man with a Wad of Dollar