Question 1

Should I hire a local band or an English band from the UK for my wedding?

Answer

The answer to this question will vary according to a few factors. Probably the first consideration is your budget: flying a band from the UK to your destination wedding is rarely a cheap thing to do. The biggest expenses (apart from the band’s performance fee itself of course) are usually the cost of flights and equipment hire locally. Secondly, whether you need to fly in a band from overseas will also depend on local talent available. There are many great bands based in countries across Europe – unfortunately not all of them have the best online presence, which can make it difficult to discover them when trying to organise your wedding from another country. FixTheMusic has curated a growing selection of local bands, DJs and musicians in countries such as France, Spain, Italy, Greece and Cyprus. So you might want to check out the local talent as well as international bands.

Question 2

How do bands quote for destination weddings overseas?

Answer

When it comes to the band providing you with their price, there are usually two ways they do this: some prefer to provide a quote for just their performance fee and then require the client to cover all of their expenses. Other bands are willing to provide the client with an all-inclusive quote, which includes their accommodation and travel expenses. Usually the cost of hiring a PA system and any other equipment is not included as it can be quite time-consuming to obtain quotes from local suppliers for this and the prices can vary widely between suppliers. FixTheMusic has a network of trusted equipment suppliers in many locations across Europe so please let us know if we can help with this.

Question 3

What expenses do bands normally need to be covered for them?

Answer

As mentioned above, some bands prefer not to provide all-inclusive quotes; instead, they quote for just their performance fee and request the client to pay for all of their additional expenses. These usually include flights from their nearest airport (with some baggage allowance for instruments), transfers in the destination country (e.g. taxis), accommodation, food and drinks, and PA system / equipment hire.

Question 4

What are the pitfalls to avoid when hiring a band for a destination wedding?

Answer

Probably the most frequent issue couples encounter when trying to hire a destination wedding band is finding reasonably priced suppliers to hire a PA / sound system and equipment from. In the past couple of years, we’ve seen prices for hiring a basic PA system range from €250 to €2,000. Often your wedding planner can help put you in touch with trusted local suppliers, or feel free to get in touch with us – we’re always happy to help hunt for the best equipment hire companies. Another dilemma couples often face is whether to arrange for the band to arrive the day before the wedding or on the day of the wedding itself. Many bands will charge an extra fee to arrive the day before – as it means they can’t accept any other work or gigs the night before. But it can be risky having the band arrive on the morning of the wedding as it doesn’t leave much time for flight delays or other disruptions to the band’s journey.

Question 5

How can I get the most out of a band when hiring them for my destination wedding?

Answer

If you’ve booked a UK band for your destination wedding, many will offer to perform for other parts of your wedding day at a heavily reduced rate, e.g. during the ceremony or some background musical entertainment at your drinks reception. Although most UK weddings tend to finish by midnight, weddings on the continent usually go on until the small hours. Bands experienced at performing for destination weddings will know this already and be ready to extend their usual timings until 1am or 2am (though some may charge extra for this or timings later this).