This sounds pushy but honestly, as soon as you can. We only say this for your benefit because the best wedding bands for hire in the UK get booked up FAST. Often a year or two in advance. The more popular the band, the more likely it is that they are going to be booked up sooner!

This is even more true if you have a ‘peak’ wedding date, such as a Saturday in Summer. Once you find a party band that you’ve fallen in love with, don’t hang around! If they are available, it’s key to snatch them up as soon as you can.

Another reason to get in early is if your band is a little bit ‘different’, like a lot of ours our! For example, if you’re desperate to get a live band with saxophone and you find one that is free on your date, pull the trigger as soon as you can and get them confirmed before someone else does.

A professional function band can cost anywhere from £1000 – £2500 depending on the size, experience and style of the act.

For example, a local 3-piece indie wedding band would likely cost less than a 7-piece swing band!

Other factors that can influence the cost of your wedding entertainment would be travel/fuel costs, your chosen event date, wedding venue location and additional add-ons. To get an accurate quote for a band of your choice, just get in touch now with your wedding date and we can advise.

The best thing about hiring your wedding music through Dirtbag Entertainment is that your party band brings absolutely everything needed for an epic night.

That’s right. No need to hire a PA, microphones, stands… your band arrives fully self-contained and ready to fill the dance floor! Your band will bring a full PA system, instruments, lighting, PAT and Public Liability Insurance certificates and a killer attitude!

More and more wedding venues around the UK have sound limiters installed, which can sometimes be detrimental to your night – depending on a few factors.

The very short answer to the above question is yes, you can still have a band. But there are some factors to consider. Essentially, not all sound limiters and noise restrictions are the same. Some venues have very hash restrictions on live wedding music with sound limiters that are designed to cut the power to the stage if the noise in the room goes over a certain decibel level – causing potential damage to the band’s equipment, as well as being a total vibe killer on the night!

Other venues simply have guidelines and will monitor the decibel level on the night with a handheld device, advising the band on when they need to adjust their volume levels.

Either way, it is imperative that you get as much information as possible about any noise restrictions at your wedding venue before you proceed with hiring your dream wedding band. The reality is, that most bands for hire can work with limiters. But for those that are more high-energy (which ours often are!), it can be quite frustrating for both you and the band if they have to compromise their excellent performance in order to not trip a particularly tricky sound limiter and cut the power. As musicians ourselves, we know the score so please don’t hesitate to get in touch and ask for more information if you’re stuck!

This is where things get really exciting. And also where Dirtbag Entertainment’s wedding band hire stands out from the rest!

We believe that the music choices on your big day should be a reflection of who you are as a couple. This is why we strive to not only have the highest quality wedding band music choices available in the UK, but also a massive cross-section of niched down styles for those who dare to be different.

Whether you’re into a Mumford & Sons friendly acoustic duo or a heavy hitting pop punk/emo sound, we have you covered. You can find jazz bands, modern rock bands with both male and female vocals, swing bands, indie rock, hip hop, alternative wedding bands, motown, roaming bands and contemporary pop artists on our site now!

Nothing can beat the energy and interaction that a wedding band can bring to your venue. The problem with the question is that a lot of couples assume it’s one or the other when hiring a DJ or a wedding band. But our professional musicians provide a DJ service as part of their package! So you can get the best of both worlds. If you want your party to really pop off and be remembered for years to come, getting the right party band on board goes a long way.

Any professional wedding band hired through Dirtbag Entertainment will be more than happy to learn and perform your chosen first dance song, provided they can make it work with their line-up and style. Having said that, our talented musicians are experts for a reason! We have some of the most versatile artists around. This means that even if you’ve hired a lively rock band for your wedding party, they can still cater and perform a bespoke version of your special song, regardless of whether the track has male lead vocals or female vocals.

Over the years, we’ve had some of the most weird, wonderful and off-the-wall song requests, and our UK wedding bands can easily advise on whether it’s best performed live, or just using the pre-recorded track through the PA.

It’s best to give your band as much notice as possible about your song requests so that they can prepare as much as possible and do you proud! To keep your wedding party flowing nicely and get guests dancing as soon as possible, we advise going straight from your first dance song into the first live band set. The best live wedding bands know to start this with a real bang to set the tone for a lively evening.

Most wedding bands can switch gears pretty easily due to their versatility and are happy to perform during the daytime or wedding breakfast in a live lounge acoustic style. We also have a wide range of acoustic bands available that may be suitable for your entire day! For more information on hiring wedding bands or acoustic duos for your celebration just get in touch and we can advise.

Typically wedding bands play for a duration of 2 x 60 minutes in the evening, with pre-mixed playlists in between sets to keep the party flowing.

Whilst you can opt for 3 x 40 minute sets from your live cover band, we advise that two hours live music split into 2 separate sets is the best way to get the most out of your wedding reception entertainment. You can always extend the party with a late finish or early arrival just by asking. Also, our professional bands can provide additional sets during the daytime or even during your wedding ceremony!