The last few weddings I have coordinated the day and evening entertainment has been superb. It can be quite tricky deciding on what is right for you and of course you have, or should have your budget to consider. The next two blogs are dedicated to helping you choose the right entertainment for your wedding. I will give some examples of entertainers you can afford within certain budgets too so that you can see what is possible.
Lets start with how much to spend out of your budget.
The average percentage is between 5 – 8% of your wedding budget. If you are a follower of the Wedding Genie then you know we believe in working out your priorities right at the beginning of your wedding planning. That way you will know right away if entertainment features highly. If so you can always spend more and cut back in other areas, but as a guide this is the average percentage.
Top Tips for Sourcing Entertainment Companies
There are many agencies on the internet where you can find excellent entertainment, many of them specialise in wedding entertainers. Their websites should be informative, have pricing guides, question and answer areas and a good selection of entertainers to choose from, along with clips of sound tracks and choices of music. It a good idea to ask for references of past clients. Talk to your friends, family or your venue coordinator to see if they know of anyone or have recommendations. Word of mouth is always a safe bet. You may have been to a wedding recently where the band or DJ was fabulous. I chose our magician from a friends wedding. I swore I was not going to have one, its not one of my things, but hey this guy made me laugh so much I booked him on the spot.
Go and see local bands in your area and if you get chance to see the band that you think you may want to book then you will have first hand evidence they are right for you. The other answer is to use a wedding planner, we work with reputable companies and can vouch for their standard of service. They will also understand exactly what type of entertainment is suitable for you and within your budget.
How do You Decide What Kind of Entertainment You want?
I guess to a certain extent its down to your personal style, and what kind of atmosphere you want to create at your wedding. Do you want high energy grooving or a sophisticated jazzy feel? Are you a country music fan or a rat pack lover? Perhaps you want dancing but without the disco, such as a Ceilidh band. Maybe your wedding has a particular theme that certain music and entertainment lend itself to. Think about what your friends and family like and how you want them to remember the evening. The more of an idea that you have will help you choose what type of entertainment is right for you.
Another factor that will help decide is the size of your venue; fitting an eight piece band into a small intimate room is not practical, also you have to check out if yur venue has a licence for entertainment. Lastly your budget will help you decide but if you choose wisely you can still have really good entertainment, just shop around and think about it carefully. Obviously the main part of the day to provide entertainment for is the evening reception, but if you have more in your budget then it’s great to have something going on to keep your guests entertained whilst you are having your photographs taken and through the drinks reception if you are having one.
Make sure you strike up a relationship with your entertainment provider
Its very important, the supplier should be able to understand what you want from your wedding day so that they can recommend the right kind of entertainment for your celebrations. If they don’t take any time to talk to you and determine what would be the best recommendation go elsewhere. The entertainment is a big part of your wedding and you want to be sure that the money are are spending is directed at the best type of entertainer for you whether its a DJ, band or magician etc. You should be crystal clear about what is included within the contract, how long the entertainment lasts for, what they need in terms of set up, and riders that are included of what you have to provide in terms of food, drink and rest areas.
I hope thats a good start, on Friday I will give you examples of entertainers you can afford with different types of budgets. If you have had great entertainment for your wedding, please let me know, I can pass them on to other brides. Also if you have any ideas you would like me to blog about just shout! And yes that is Dominic from the X factor in that picture. He was a real sweetie and brilliant. Let me know if you would like his details.
Until next time, happy planning.
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