Santa Barbara Wedding Bands You’ll Love
From oceanfront celebrations along East Beach to elegant gatherings at the Four Seasons Biltmore or the historic Santa Barbara Club, this coastal city offers a stunning backdrop for live wedding music.
Whether you’re dreaming of a smooth jazz group for cocktail hour, a high-energy dance band to keep the floor packed or a unique act that reflects your style, Santa Barbara delivers.
Explore talented local and touring acts on FixTheMusic, watch performance videos and easily book the perfect live wedding band for your celebration.
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Browse Our Wedding Bands for Hire in Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara Wedding Bands – Frequently Asked Questions
How far in advance should I book a Santa Barbara wedding band?
Santa Barbara is a prime wedding destination, especially during spring and summer, so many popular bands get booked 12 to 18 months in advance. If your date falls on a Saturday between May and October, it’s smart to secure your entertainment as soon as you confirm your venue. Planning a weekday wedding at places like the Santa Barbara Courthouse or Belmond El Encanto might give you more flexibility, but early booking is still recommended.
Can we see a Santa Barbara wedding band perform live before we book?
Most professional bands only play private events such as weddings and corporate functions, so public gigs are rare. Some may occasionally appear at festivals or open events in the area, so it’s worth asking. In most cases, you can watch high-quality videos and listen to audio recordings to get a clear sense of their style.
Do Santa Barbara wedding bands provide all their own equipment?
Yes. Bands bring their own instruments, sound systems and basic stage lighting. If your venue has noise restrictions or a sound limiter, such as some locations near the waterfront, let the band know in advance so they can bring the right gear to comply.
How long do wedding bands in Santa Barbara usually perform?
The standard format is two hours of live music, often split into two or three sets. Some couples choose to have all the music during the reception, while others add an acoustic set during the cocktail hour at venues like Dos Pueblos Ranch or the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort.
Can the band play our first dance live?
Absolutely. Most wedding bands are happy to learn and perform your chosen song, provided you give them enough notice. If the track doesn’t suit their style, they can play the original recording instead to make sure the moment is perfect.
Will the band play music during breaks?
Yes. Many bands offer a playlist or “laptop DJ” service to keep the energy up when they’re not performing. If you’d prefer a professional DJ for a more interactive experience, you can book one to work alongside the band.
What happens if the band cancels?
While cancellations are rare, most professional bands have trusted backup musicians or “deps” to cover any unforeseen absences. If a cancellation is unavoidable, we work to secure a similar replacement so your evening entertainment is not disrupted.
Can we request specific songs for the band to perform?
Most bands will learn one or two songs outside their usual setlist, though additional requests may not always be possible due to rehearsal time. You can also share a “must-play” and “do-not-play” list so they tailor the performance to your tastes.
Are there noise restrictions at Santa Barbara wedding venues?
Yes, especially at outdoor locations or venues near residential areas. Many sites have a live music cutoff around 10 pm. Check with your venue about their rules so your band can plan accordingly.
Will the same musicians in the promo videos perform at our wedding?
Usually yes, but like most professional acts, bands sometimes use substitute musicians if a regular member is unavailable. These are always highly skilled professionals who know the setlist well.
Do Santa Barbara wedding bands perform at outdoor ceremonies or receptions?
Yes, as long as they have a safe, covered space and access to power. This is especially important for beach weddings or garden receptions where sun, wind or moisture could damage instruments.
Do we need to provide food and drinks for the band?
It’s not mandatory, but most couples choose to provide a hot meal and non-alcoholic drinks. Wedding days can be long for musicians, and a meal break keeps energy high for the performance.
What styles of music are available for weddings in Santa Barbara?
The city’s vibrant music scene offers everything from jazz quartets and string ensembles to energetic pop, rock and Latin bands. Whether you’re planning a refined evening at the Four Seasons Biltmore or a lively barn reception inland, there’s a local band to match your vision.
View some of our Santa Barbara wedding bands performing live
Why people love FixTheMusic
About FixTheMusic
FixTheMusic is a secure platform for hiring amazing professional wedding bands and musicians anywhere in the world. And it's completely free to use.
Founded in 2015 by two brothers who share a passion for great live music, FixTheMusic is a new way to find and book hand-picked bands for weddings, private parties, corporate events and charity events.
FixTheMusic is free to use – the price you agree with musicians is the price you pay.
We really hope you enjoy using FixTheMusic. If you have any feedback for us, please get in touch. Otherwise, read more about FixTheMusic, browse our FAQs or read our blog to find helpful articles, research, insights, definitive guides and much more!
As professional musicians, we realised how difficult it can be for event planners to find and book musicians for their event. So we decided to make it easy.
With FixTheMusic, all you need to do is tell us what you’re looking for and our system does the heavy lifting to get you offers from our carefully curated selection of amazing musicians.
We make it simple and secure for you to connect directly with the best musicians across the globe so you can book live music for any event within minutes.
Have a read of our highly curated list of 31 Best Wedding Bands in the UK ➡️
We're regularly mentioned in forums and wedding industry blogs and were recently featured in Vogue. Take a look at FixTheMusic in the press.
Check out our Instagram, YouTube and TikTok ♪ for videos and photos of our bands performing at real weddings, parties and events.
FixTheMusic is trusted by the world's most prestigious brands, universities, charities, wedding planners and events companies
FixTheMusic's corporate and government clients include Google, Facebook, Amazon, Lamborghini, Samsung, U.S. Department of State, Formula One, The Premier League, The Crown Estate, UNESCO, Playstation, Huawei, Hewlett-Packard, Pepsi, CHANEL, Dior, Bacardi, Unilever, Red Bull, Sky Arts, L'Oréal, House of Fraser, The Ritz, The Savoy, Johnson & Johnson, Aldi, the British Army, Ministry of Defence, Virgin Sport, WPP, W Series, KPMG, Deloitte, The Economist, G4S, Lavazza, University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, English Heritage, The Courtauld Institute of Art, The King's Fund and numerous luxury hotels and wedding planners around the world 🌍
FixTheMusic is proud to have provided live music for numerous charity fundraising events, including for London's Air Ambulance, WWF UK, The Zoological Society of London, Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, The Royal British Legion, Shelter, The Genesis Research Trust and The Pituitary Foundation.
Local professional musicians and function bands throughout the world
Beyond the UK, FixTheMusic has helped clients find amazing local musicians and book UK-based bands for destination weddings and events as far afield as Cyprus, France, Malta, Monaco, Ibiza, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Netherlands, Iceland, Finland, Poland, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Oman, Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Turkey, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Guinea, India, Israel, the Dominican Republic, Singapore and China.
We are the world's leading specialists in providing outstanding bands for weddings in France, Italy, Greece (and the Greek islands, especially Santorini), Spain, Portugal and Croatia.
We have ambitious plans to grow internationally over the coming years — we want FixTheMusic to be the first port of call for discovering and booking outstanding local musicians throughout the world.
View thousands of verified reviews of our wedding bands and book with confidence
We're proud that we have received consistent 5-star reviews on Facebook, Google and Trustpilot.
As well as offering only a carefully curated selection of hand-picked bands and musicians, we strive to provide world-class customer service so you can book with complete confidence. See what our clients say in our verified reviews.
FixTheMusic was a finalist in the Parmee Prize for Entrepreneurs at Pembroke College, Cambridge.
We have been an official supplier with Rock My Wedding. They choose only the very best wedding suppliers and we're proud that they invited us to join their hand-picked selection of outstanding suppliers.
We have become the first port-of-call for British couples looking to hire the finest wedding bands UK has to offer.
Having provided the live music entertainment for thousands of weddings and events worldwide, we were often asked by clients if we provided other entertainers aside from bands.
We now offer a full range of entertainment options for weddings and corporate events, from fire dancers and magicians to acrobats and stilt walkers, including other professionals such as wedding photographers.
To minimise our carbon footprint, for every 10 bookings on FixTheMusic, we provide funds to Trees for Cities for one tree to be planted. Trees for Cities is a UK charity which aims to plant urban trees and create greener cities 🏙️ 🌳
You can read more about FixTheMusic and their team of Ed, Adam, Zazie & Paul.