Wedding Plans: How Do You Choose The Entertainment?

Posted by Nick Niesen on October 27th, 2010

As with anything else, wedding entertainment is a minefield. There are thousands of Wedding DJ?s, Bands, magicians and Singer?s alike out there, waiting, eagerly to take your money for a service that could be either fantastic, or not so good. The key is this: THOROUGH RESEARCH!

With this particular product, you can?t always see what you are buying until you have actually bought it. You can?t easily see the full product range as there are so many types out there. And when you?ve finally found something you like, can you have it? And will it be reliable enough to show for the biggest day of your life?

Here are a few simple measures you must take when researching and booking your wedding entertainment:

Use the Internet: You will find some of the largest directories for entertainers this way. Browse various websites for Bands and Singers. Use various search methods and phrases such as ?London Wedding Singer? or ?Wedding entertainment in Liverpool?, paying attention to sponsored ads that highlight your chosen phrases.

Take your pick! Once you?ve found something you like the look of you?ll want to find as much information on this service as you can, even before the contact stage. For example if it?s a band, do they have online demos? Images? Testimonials? You want to be at least semi-sure before you hand over an email address. Narrow it down to say, your favourite 5 bands, before you start any contact.

Obtain a quote and Availability: Money is always an option for most of us! I wouldn?t want to spend half of my wedding budget on a band or singer, no matter how good they are, so I?d be on the look out for realistic pricing. You don?t want to book someone who is overly expensive, but you also don?t want to pay £200 for a singer who will tell you ?yeah, I?ll sing for you and I?m also a DJ!? When you first contact the entertainer(s), you would first enquire about availability for the date in question, then a price. Also how long will your entertainer perform for? Performance times can vary, though most singers and bands perform for 1 or 2 x 45 minute sets, depending on their pricing structure.

More information: If you can, get more information about their service. Can you visit them live? Do they have more demos? A repertoire? It is always good to meet up and discuss things in person, this way you?ll get a feel for who they are and what they do.

Book and Secure This of course is the most crucial part. Most Bands/ Singers will take a deposit/ booking fee (anything up to 50% is normal), so you must be completely sure of your choice at this stage. It is always wise to obtain an invoice, receipt and most importantly a contract of agreement.

This way you can be 99% sure that they WILL be turning up on the day and if they don?t, you have the necessary means to be compensated in full.

By this stage you are well on your way to having an unforgettable evening. You can then use the remaining time before your wedding day to liaise with the DJ/ singer(s)/ Band etc. giving them your first dance, requests, schedule and any other information they may require.

Organising wedding entertainment can be very stressful, even on the day, but if you make the right choices early and are prepared to research and book in advance, you will save yourself and your partner at least one set of Wedding worries.

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