8 Best Wedding Bands in Derbyshire (2025)

The average price to hire a wedding band in Derbyshire in 2025 is £1,960. For this price, you can expect to book a 4-piece band performing two hours of live music, together with all of their own equipment and instruments. Larger bands in Derbyshire will cost more, whereas some smaller duos or 3-piece bands will be a bit cheaper.

You should aim to book your band as soon as possible. Most of our best wedding bands have bookings at least two years in advance. If your wedding is on a Saturday in May, June, July, August or September, you should really be looking to book at least a year in advance of your date. This is because most weddings fall on a Saturday during summer so our bands receive the most enquiries for these days. That said, there are more and more weddings taking place on Sundays and mid-week (especially on Thursdays and Fridays) so it’s best not to wait too long before locking down your band.

Usually it’s not possible to see the band live. Most professional bands perform at private events only, such as weddings and corporate events. It’s not usually possible for the bands to allow potential clients into these venues to watch them perform. It is occasionally possible so there’s no harm in asking. And sometimes wedding bands will do the odd gig at a pub or festival that’s open to the public.

Most wedding bands play 2 x 45 minute or 2 x 1 hour live sets at weddings. If you'd like your wedding band to perform for longer, just ask the band. It's usually possible but they might charge a bit extra.

Most wedding bands provide a “laptop DJ” service. This isn’t the same as providing the service of a professional DJ who reads the room and adapts to the feel on the night. Instead, they will have a playlist (usually on something like Spotify or iTunes) that they play out of their PA system.

Yes, usually you can send the band a list of requests before the wedding and the band will download them onto their laptop or device, ready to play on the night. Alternatively, you can compile a playlist and bring your own device to plug into the band’s PA system.

Most bands have a repertoire of songs that they perform regularly at weddings. This will be a tried-and-tested playlist that they know works well at weddings: it appeals to guests of all ages and keeps people on the dance floor.

Most bands will be delighted to learn your first dance song and perform it live for you on your wedding night. If it doesn’t fit the band’s style (e.g. if your first dance song is a jazz song, but you’ve booked an indie-rock band), then they might suggest you use the recorded version of the song and the band will play this out of their PA system. Some bands might charge a bit extra (often around £150) to learn a new song to cover rehearsal time.

Most bands will usually learn one song for your wedding that isn’t already in their setlist. Some bands will offer to learn 2 or 3 new songs, but in our experience they are rarely able to learn more than this. It can be very time consuming for the band to learn and rehearse new songs, and especially so for singers to learn all the new lyrics.

Most bands will be happy for you to indicate which songs from their set list you dislike and don’t want them to play, and songs that you like and absolutely want them to play on the night. The band will usually then build their setlist around these preferences.

Most bands aim to arrive at around 5pm to be ready to play by 7pm. During this time they will set up their equipment and carry out a sound check, essential to making sure the volume of the band is appropriate to your venue and that any sound / noise limiters are taken into account.

Yes, most bands will be happy to turn up earlier than 5pm, but you should expect to pay them for the extra time. A lot of wedding couples worry about the band setting up while guests are at the venue. Bands with lots of experience of weddings should be able to set up discreetly and without making too much noise and mess. The noisiest part is when they have to carry out the sound check, but this should only last about 15 - 30 minutes. Rather than asking the entire band to turn up early, it’s often more cost-effective for one or two band members to arrive in advance to unload most of the equipment and get set up, which saves having to pay an extra fee for every band member.

Most bands expect to finish by midnight. This suits most weddings as the majority of UK venues require live music to stop by this time.

Yes, but bands will normally charge a slightly higher fee to finish later than midnight.

Usually, yes. Though this will also attract a slightly higher fee, as it means that at least one band member has to wait until the end of the party to pack up the PA system and head home. Some band members might be a couple of hours’ drive away from your venue, so finishing at 1am means they won’t arrive home until 3am or 4am.

Yes. Professional wedding bands will bring their own equipment. This includes a PA system, mixing desk, some basic lighting for the dance floor and their own instruments. If you are planning a particularly large wedding with hundreds of guests, you might consider hiring in a larger PA system and more lighting.

No. Most bands are happy to perform without a stage, though it can look special if you can offer them a stage to perform on.

This will depend on the size of the band of course, but to give you a rough idea, a 4-piece band would usually need at least 5m x 4m. This is to provide room for not only the band members themselves, but also their instruments (keyboards and drum kits take up quite a bit of space) and other things like speakers and a mixing desk.

If you ask the band in advance, most will be happy to allow you or one of your guests to sing or play along with them for one or two songs. We always advise checking this with your band first. Some bands’ public liability insurance doesn’t allow wedding bands to permit guests to use their instruments or equipment.

Most bands will provide pre-recorded playlists between and after their live sets, so your entire evening will be covered. However, if you want a professional DJ who will adapt his music choices on the night and interact with guests, then it’s better to hire a DJ as well.

Bands and DJs will often share the same PA system, as it can look cluttered to have two sets of speakers around the dance floor. However, you’ll need to discuss this with both the DJ and band before the event to check the equipment suits everyone’s requirements and that everyone is happy to share. One problem can arise when the DJ is booked to provide music into the small hours, but the band is to finish at 11pm. In this case, it would make more sense for the band to use the DJ’s equipment to save the band having to wait until the DJ had finished his set.

Professional wedding bands will bring all their own technical equipment and instruments. However, most will expect to be provided with a hot meal each and soft drinks.The musicians will probably have left their homes around lunchtime to arrive at your venue in good time to set up and soundcheck. It can be a long day for them and they will be much more energetic on stage if they’ve had a good meal and refreshments before performing for you. The bands won’t expect to be given the same meal as you provide for your guests. Most wedding venues have an option you can purchase in advance for your suppliers or you can give the musicians access to your buffet if you’re having one.

Not always. Most professional bands will have a core group that plays at the majority of weddings they are booked for. However, they will also have a group of deputies (or “deps” as they are known in the industry) that they call upon frequently to cover for band members. This is a standard and essential practice in the music industry. Most musicians work as freelancers, meaning they might work for different function bands or tour with famous pop groups for example. Being able to draw upon a deputy musician to cover a band member who is unavailable (or ill) means the rest of the band can still work.

You should get a good idea of what the band wears from their videos online. Most will opt for a smart shirt, but if you have a particular theme or any requests, let them know well in advance. For example, if you’re having an 80s style wedding, you might want to check if the band could wear appropriate clothing to match!

Most bands will arrive by car as it’s the easiest way for them to bring their equipment and instruments. Having 1 or 2 parking spaces available for them to use that are close to the venue will be appreciated by the musicians. In certain cities, you might also need to cover the costs of parking.

Some wedding venues have what’s known as a sound or noise limiter installed. This is particularly the case with venues in built-up areas in cities or towns or where the owners have to be careful not to damage the building (e.g. a National Trust or English Heritage property). Most professional wedding bands are experienced at adapting their performance to the sound limit in place. You should make your band aware of this in good time before your event, as it might mean they need to bring an electric drum kit. Some bands might even refuse to play at venues with sound limiters in place. You can read more on our guide to sound limiters at wedding venues.

Most wedding venues in the UK require bands performing there to hold valid Public Liability Insurance (PLI). PLI provides protection from the financial consequences of legal action and compensation claims if anyone is injured or any property is damaged during the wedding. Your wedding venue will often ask the band to provide a certificate to show they hold up-to-date public liability insurance in advance of the wedding. Membership of organisations such as the Musicians Union usually comes with PLI included. Read more on our guide to PLI.

PAT stands for portable appliance testing. Most wedding venues will require your band to produce evidence that their equipment has been PAT-certified. This means that it has been tested to ensure it is safe to use. If your band can’t produce valid PLI and PAT certificates, you might question whether they are a professional band, as all full-time bands will have these documents ready to send to venues. Read more on our guide to Portable Appliance Testing (PAT).

If you’re getting married in the UK, it’s a good idea to make the most of the summer months and have as much of your wedding outside if possible. That said, the British weather isn’t the most reliable – so whilst many bands will be happy to play outside in principle, they will always require access to a shelter from the elements, whether that’s strong sunlight or rain. Musicians’ instruments can be worth thousands of pounds and a small amount of water damage can have a devastating impact on the instrument.

The most secure way to book a band is to do so via FixTheMusic. All bookings are governed by the agreement on our website, which is based on the UK Musicians Union standard contract and amended by the particular details that you agree with your band by email (date, venue etc.). The contract provides protection to both parties.

The best option is to submit an enquiry on FixTheMusic. The best bands will have the most limited availability, so the solution is to submit details of your event on our enquiry form to receive offers from available bands, after which you can be in direct contact with them and book your favourite band for free on our site. Furthermore, we curate our selection of bands so you will only receive quotes from top-quality UK acts and musicians

If you have your heart set on the wedding band playing during dinner (often called the wedding breakfast), then by all means ask them if they can. You could opt for your wedding band to provide some lighter, instrumental background music (for example an acoustic or jazz set) during the dinner, though they will charge extra for this. Another popular option during the wedding meal is an acoustic roaming set, with the band weaving between your guests, providing something unique and a real talking point!