Wedding Bands, DJ's and Function Bands to Hire
Bands For Hire Blog

Welcome to the Bands For Hire blog featuring weekly snippits from the Bands for Hire Agency, tidbits from our bands and artists, recent clients, the latest acts on our roster as well as special entries from recommended wedding suppliers and party planners. If you'd like to keep updated with all the latest news, you can subscribe to our RSS feed here.

Choosing Your First Dance

Choosing your first dance can be a tricky one, unless of course you've shared that special song from the start of your relationship. Most couples tend to go for a classic love song, old or new, but I've had the pleasure of witnessing some first dances with a difference. In fact, one couple opted for a rocking Billy Brag number with some uninhibited bouncing around, as apposed to the classic 'spinning a circle for three minutes'. With years of playing weddings myself, I thought it was quite nice to see.

With programs such as Strictly come Dancing on the TV, it's quite the trend these days to learn a few ballroom dance moves, (perhaps in secret to really make an impact). It's always a really great touch to get the guests on their feet and ready for some entertainment.

If you're stuck for that perfect song, here are a few ideas to get you started:

  • Everything – Michael Buble
  • Make You Feel My Love - Adele / Bob Dylan
  • You and Me Song - The Wannadies
  • One Day Like This - Elbow
  • Wonderful tonight – Eric Clapton
  • Can't fight this Feeling – REO Speedwagon (Extra Mature Chedder!)
  • The First time Ever I Saw Your Face - Various Artists
  • Have I told you Lately – Van Morrison
  • Greatest Day – Take That
  • Chasing Cars – Snow Patrol
  • Perfect Day - Lou Reed
  • Better Together -  Jack Johnson
  • Move Closer - Phyllis Nelson
  • Greatest Day - Take That
  • Too Good to Be True (I love You Baby) - Andy Williams

Should the Band play the first dance?

Some bands will learn the first for free where as others may charge a fee. If you do decide you'd like the band to perform the first dance, it's usually best to kick in with their first set straight away afterwards. Bearing this in mind, it's often a good idea to delay the first dance slightly instead of bringing the bands first set forward. From a bands point of view, it's never nice to start to early in the evening - Some guests may need a drink or two before committing to the dance floor, especially us Men!
 
  • Life In Stereo Life In Stereo
    From £1500
    Life In Stereo are one of the UK's leading cover bands, made up of four world class session musicians, together they produce a sound you'll find difficult to match. The band's reputation has gone from strength to strength having made a name for themselves… Read more...
  • Artel Avenue Artel Avenue
    From £1150
    Artel Avenue are a young and energetic 4-piece function band. Playing a range of contemporary Indie / Rock songs with a few classics thrown in along the way, they are guaranteed to have the crowd on their feet. The band is made of 4 multi-talented musicians all coming from… Read more...
  • The Mesh Band The Mesh Band
    From £1000
    The mesh band are a 4-piece wedding and function band for any occasion. The band play a variety of party music, from 50's Rock 'n' Roll greats to recent chart hits. With two members having performed multiple live sessions on Radio 2 and with… Read more...
  • The Upshot The Upshot
    From £2300
    The Upshot are a 5-piece party band made up of some of the most talented musicians on the circuit. The band have performed for clients such as O2, BMW, MTV and SKY as well as performing alongside some of the biggest names in the music industry. Many of the band's… Read more...
  • The Super Rollers The Super Rollers
    From £920
    The Super Rollers present their own blend of blues, soul, indie, funk, reggae and rock 'n' roll from the 50's and 60's to the present day. The 4-piece band can also be extended to a 5-piece to include Keyboards or a 6-piece to include… Read more...
  • Wedding Music
  • Function Bands
  • Jazz Bands
  • DJ's for Hire
  • Ceilidh Bands
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Live wedding music and wedding bands to hire

What's Right For You? When it comes to your big day, you'll want to book the right wedding music to suit you and your guests. Whether that's a String Quartet during the ceremony, Jazz Band throughout the wedding breakfast or a Function Band for the evening reception, finding the right balance can make your wedding day even more memorable. Perhaps you have a special song in mind that you would like for your First Dance or one song in particular that you would like to end the night with? All of the bands on our books will learn that track just for you, usually at no extra cost. Wedding reception music is always a nice touch to really add to...
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Function Bands For Hire

Booking a function band can be a difficult task, especially when overwhelmed with the vast number of bands on offer. Some entertainment agencies take on as many bands and acts as possible, but here at Bands for Hire, we believe it's our job to sort through those bands first. This means we do all the hard work and you can rest assured that all our function bands are of the highest quality and not just here to make up the numbers. A function band is a great choice of entertainment for any occasion, with set lists that often display a broad range of music suitable for everyone. From weddings and parties to formal events and corporate award ceremonies, our function bands are experienced in every area.
FUNCTION BANDS

Live Jazz Bands For Hire

Jazz Bands are ideal for corporate parties and wedding receptions. Perhaps you're looking for live background music as guests arrive, or something during your wedding breakfast. We provide Jazz bands big and small, for large Corporate Events to quiet dinner dances to large. Whatever your budget, Bands For Hire will find a solution that suits you. Jazz bands will often have a repertoire that ranges from familiar Jazz Standards to Contemporary Jazz and even Jazz versions of modern pop songs. Whatever type of Jazz band you're looking for, we can help. Take a listen to some of the bands in our Jazz and Swing Bands section...
JAZZ BANDS FOR HIRE

DJ's for Hire

Booking a DJ for your event is quite often the key to an evening that runs smoothly from start to finish. Most bands provide music between sets via ipod or CD's which is a great way of keeping the party going, but, If you really want to keep the crowd on the dance floor, then booking a DJ may be the way to go. We work with a number of DJ's, all experienced in Corporate events, Wedding receptions and Parties. Our DJ's can play a wide range of music, tailor made to suit your event. So whether it's Jive, Rock 'n' Roll and Sinatra, 80's disco classics or Contemporary Chart music, we can provide the right DJ for you. To enquire...
HIRE A DJ

Ceilidh Bands

Bands for hire will soon be offering Ceilidh bands to really get your guests going! With a mixture of music and carefree audience interaction, a Ceilidh band will provide you with an atmosphere that no other band can create!

About Bands for Hire

With 10 years experience in the entertainment business, we understand just how important your event is to you. We pride ourselves on our simple and straight forward approach to event organisation and client satisfaction. Organising an event can be a stressful process and the one thing you'll want to get right is your entertainment for the evening. At Bands for Hire, we're committed to only working with the most talented and reliable musicians in the UK today, so you can rest assured that you're in safe hands. We realise that there's an ever growing market for modern and contemporary function bands made up of professional musicians, active in every corner of the music industry...
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