The Wedding Guitarist Booking Guide: Tips, Costs and Logistics
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- Updated: 14th February 2024
While wedding music trends come and go, a single instrument has stood the test of time, transcending cultures, genres, and eras. Far from being a fleeting fad or mere background noise, the guitar has been entertaining wedding guests for generations, making it a go-to choice for nuptial celebrations worldwide.
From the characterful, feel-good vibes of flamenco and gypsy jazz to the vast spectrum of classical and contemporary music on offer, there's a wedding guitarist to cover all bases.
Whether you're after popular wedding music from Pachelbel and Ed Sheeran or something in the style of Django Reinhardt or Rodrigo y Gabriela, it's essential to know what type of wedding guitarist you're looking for at the outset.
In our booking guide, we cover every important aspect of hiring a wedding guitarist for your big day. From choosing the right style of guitarist to ceremony music picks, timings, set-up, costs and logistics, we leave no stone unturned.
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Why Book a Wedding guitarist?
For many couples, live music plays a pivotal role on their big day. Not only does it entertain guests and enhance the atmosphere, it serves as a way to inject a touch of their own personality into the day, seamlessly complementing the wedding theme and decor.
Versatility
A wedding guitarist has the ability to adapt their sound to every key part of your day, from elegant ceremony entrance music to a bring-down-the-house first dance - and all with just one musician.
Budget
Booking a larger line-up, such as a duo or band, may often be the first port of call, but if you're working with a moderate budget, you may find you can cover your whole day at a fraction of the price with just one musician. We'll talk more about pricing later on.
Mobility and Easy Set-Up
The final thing to note about solo guitarists is their compact set-up, often incorporating a single handheld amplifier into their set-up. With just a guitar and amp to transport, they can change locations with ease, moving from one part of the venue to another with minimal downtime in between.
Types of Wedding Guitarists
If you and your partner have wildly different tastes in music, a guitarist could be just the ticket. With their ability to seamlessly transition from intricate classical masterpieces to contemporary favourites, guitar players appeal to a wide audience, meaning you and your spouse-to-be can both get involved in the music choices.
Many guitarists focus on a particular style or genre, such as jazz, classical or Flamenco, but the first thing to settle on is whether you're looking for an instrumental guitarist or a wedding singer who plays guitar. Whilst both types of act may sit under the 'wedding guitarist' umbrella, they are, of course, entirely different.
You'll find wedding guitarists usually fall into two main categories: exceptional instrumentalists who focus on classical, Flamenco or jazz guitar, or versatile performers who sing while accompanying themselves on the guitar.
Let's look at the type of wedding guitarists below to get a good idea of what you can expect.
Classical Guitarists
Classical wedding guitarists usually offer a varied repertoire of instrumental music that includes a mix of traditional wedding music, contemporary pop classics and Latin/Spanish. Classical guitarists are typically well-versed in reading sheet music and can turn their hand to just about any style. Similar to their harpist and string quartet counterparts, they may also have a wide range of jazz music, show tunes and film scores available, meaning they can tailor their set list towards your individual tastes.
With their incredible flexibility, classical guitarists are a fantastic choice for wedding ceremonies, drinks receptions, and the wedding breakfast.
Singer/Guitarists
If you're more Beatles than Beethoven, a singer-guitarist could be the right pick for you. While a classical guitarist is often considered background music, a singer/guitarist is naturally more of a focal point, performing everything from Ben E King and Bob Dylan to Ed Sheeran and Eva Cassidy.
The beauty of a singer-guitarist is their ability to transition from low-key background vibes to upbeat entertainment. For this reason, they're a popular choice for everything from the ceremony and afternoon champagne reception to evening entertainment.
Flamenco Guitarists
Sometimes, the key to live entertainment is the wow factor, and a flamenco guitarist will undoubtedly add some flair to your big day. Bringing showmanship and excitement to the table, a flamenco guitarist is a great way to kick your off your afternoon with some high-energy vibes.
Many flamenco guitarists specialise in their genre, but if you're after more traditional music during your ceremony, you'll certainly find a handful of guitarists happy to learn a song or two for your special day.
Jazz Guitarists
For jazz aficionados looking to make a strong impression, nothing says sophistication like a solo jazz musician. Performing jazz standards from the American Songbook, you can expect to hear a repertoire that's both familiar and yet completely unique to your big day.
If you love the thought of booking a jazz guitarist but would still like something more traditional for your ceremony, then fear not. With a high level of musical expertise, jazz guitarists can usually accommodate a song request outside their standard jazz repertoire.
How to Choose Your Wedding Guitarist
Now you've decided on the type of guitarist you're after, it's time to start making your shortlist. But what are the key things to look out for and how do you decide on a guitarist?
Location
Before getting into the nitty gritty of set lists and playing styles, finding local guitarists in your area is an excellent place to start. At Bands For Hire, we have regional pages for our wedding guitarists and acoustic acts, each listing the most local and popular acts at the top.
Style and Repertoire
As we've discussed, there are a wide variety of different guitarists, so start by listening to those who provide the service you're after, whether that be classical wedding guitarists or singers. Every guitarist will have a profile page or website listing their full repertoire so you can instantly decide if they're your cup of tea.
Videos and Audio Samples
Whilst it's always nice to meet prospective suppliers up close and personal, it's rarely an option, given how busy musicians can be. For this reason, every guitarist on our roster has put together a range of live music videos and mp3s so you can tell they're the real deal.
Experience and Professionalism
Like any profession, the music industry has musicians with varying levels of expertise and professionalism. While videos and demos can give you a sense of a guitarist's musical skills, it's crucial to choose someone who has experience earning a living as a professional musician.
When you book through an agency like ours, you can rest assured that every guitarist meets our stringent criteria. However, if you're booking directly with a musician, be sure to do your homework: check their online reviews and social media presence to get an authentic overview of the musician. Even the tone of their email and text responses can speak volumes about the level of professionalism you can expect in the run-up to your wedding.
Personal Preference
Everybody has their own personal tastes, and so this should ultimately be the deciding factor. If a guitarist just seems to hit the right note (pun intended), they should most certainly be at the top of your shortlist.
Costs and Budgeting
The average price for a wedding guitarist is about £350 locally, but this can vary enormously, with numerous factors affecting the price, such as travelling distance, performance times, timeframe at the venue and additional song requests. Let's investigate these in more detail to ensure you get the most bang for your buck.
Travel
It goes without saying that when musicians travel, they need to cover their fuel expenses. But another consideration is the time spent on the road - if a guitarist is quoting for an event a couple of hours away, they'll most likely need to account for four hours on the road and factor this into their fee.
If you want to maximise your wedding budget, we recommend always starting your search locally.
Performance Times and Timeframe
Wedding musicians tend to charge a base fee to cover the first hour or two of performance, which then increases if you require longer sets. As an example, a guitarist might charge a base rate of £350 to cover 2 x 60-minute sets over a maximum three-hour period.
But what if you want 20 minutes of music as guests arrive, 15 minutes during the ceremony and an hour during drinks? As long as this falls within the 3-hour time span, you should find this falls within the same quote.
However, suppose you're looking to stretch things out to cover the drinks reception and wedding breakfast. In that case, you'll likely exceed the initial 3-hour timeframe, in which case additional charges will apply for the extra time the musician spends at the venue.
Level of Expertise
The industry is jam-packed with wedding musicians of varying degrees of ability and professionalism. As guitarists progress through their careers, you can expect their fees to increase, reflecting their experience and popularity.
Additional Song requests
Most musicians are more than happy to accommodate special songs for your wedding ceremony or first dance, but it's worth bearing in mind that these can be very time-intensive. Singers and guitarists often limit the number of requests per event to noe or two, charging a small fee to learn additional songs.
If you've already selected your ceremony songs, feel free to include these in your initial enquiry so the guitarist knows exactly what they're quoting for, and you can avoid any surprises down the line.
Song Choices
Now that we've chosen your guitarist and the budget is in good order, it's time for the fun part - the music!
Choosing your special songs for the big day is a deeply personal choice, influenced by your musical tastes and the tracks that hold significance for you as a couple. But, if you're struggling for inspiration, we've included a few of our favourites below. If you're looking for more ideas, head over to our wedding music section, where you'll find thousands of song ideas to cover every aspect of your big day.
Instrumental Guitar Wedding Songs
- Thinking Out Loud - Cole
Play - Canon in D - MichaelPlay
- Wonderful Tonight - PacoPlay
- Over The Rainbow - MichaelPlay
- A Thousand Years - GuyPlay
Singer/Guitarist Wedding Songs
- Can't Help Falling in LovePlay
- Wicked Game - AbigailPlay
- Make You Feel My Love - NatPlay
- Faith - MatthewPlay
- How Deep Is Your Love - AlexanderPlay
What to Expect on the Day
When it comes to set-up and logistics, it couldn't be easier. Unlike a jazz band or wedding band, a solo guitarist comes with minimal gear that takes just a few minutes to set up.
Arrival
At Bands For Hire, we always ask our guitarists to arrive an hour prior to the performance, giving them plenty of breathing space if they run into traffic or get held up on the day.
Power
Most instrumental guitarists play through a small guitar amp, while singer guitarists usually provide a compact PA system to amplify their vocals. In both cases, a single 13-amp power socket is usually all that's needed.
For outdoor ceremonies, make sure you have either an extension lead running from the venue or a small generator at hand.
Soundcheck
For classical guitarists and instrumentalists, a 2-minute soundcheck is all that's required to ensure the volume is at an appropriate level and there are no issues such as feedback.
For singer-guitarists, it's best to allow 15-30 minutes of set-up time, as there's a little more gear to unload and set up.
Space Requirements
Although one musician takes up very little room, it's a good idea to give them sufficient space to set up their gear, ideally around 2 x 2 meters. Think carefully about where they're situated so that they're close enough to be an integral part of the atmosphere but not so close that they take centre stage during the ceremony.
Weather Contingency
For outdoor weddings, it's crucial to have a weather contingency plan. We strongly recommend arranging a small gazebo or marquee to shield musicians from potential rain. Just a few droplets can risk damaging costly equipment, and ultimately, it's the musician's call on whether they feel at ease performing outside without adequate cover.
Breaks and Intervals
In general, guitarists are happy to perform for up to an hour before needing a break, but if you'd prefer to divide the performance into shorter segments, that's no problem. We find that a 15-minute interval between sets provides ample time for the musician to rest and reset.
For daytime bookings, it's common to supply musicians with refreshments such as soft drinks/coffee/tea and a light lunch. For evening bookings, your guitarist may request a meal as part of their rider.
Ready to book your wedding guitarist?
Now that you've got a clear plan of action, it's time to start planning. At Bands For Hire, we represent only the highest quality guitarists across the UK. To find local wedding guitar players in your area, head to the top of the page and select your region. Once you've found someone you like the look of, drop us an enquiry through the contact form, and a member of our team will get back to you with a quote and a breakdown of what's included.
