When piecing together your big day it’s often the case that you will want one element to complement another; from the dress, hair and makeup, to the venue, styling and flowers. Entertainment is another factor often chosen to complement the wedding setting and theme – so those wanting timeless and traditional will look to string quartets and classical pianists, while those taking their celebrations outdoors for a festival style affair will be on the hunt for rocking bands that can really get the party started.
Keen to help you line up which live acts will fit in perfectly with your plans and vision, we’ve asked our amazing Sponsor, live music agency Entertainment Nation, to advise on the best types of musicians to suit varying styles of weddings.
Hooking up brides and grooms with top acts from across the country day in day out, it’s fair to say these guys know their stuff and help to make the booking process as easy as possible with a user-friendly website and friendly staff on-hand to answer any questions or queries.
So, without further delay, we’ll hand you over to Steven Robertson, Content Manager of Entertainment Nation, to share his expert opinion on which musicians to book for which settings…
historic castle
We’re so lucky in the UK to have an abundance of gorgeous historic venues in which to celebrate a wedding. If you’re getting married amidst the grandeur of a majestic castle, the evocative strains of a string quartet reverberating around those ancient stone walls provide a suitably stately accompaniment to the bridal entrance.
For your evening party, how about flipping your guests’ expectations of traditional entertainment and opting for an act that’s as current as they come? Fresh from the Ibiza club-scene, DJ Live acts combine all the best bits of hiring a wedding DJ and live musicians. DJ Live acts mix pumping dance tunes spun by a pro DJ with live saxophonists to pick out those catchy melodies, percussionists to intensify the beat and live vocalists to bring it all together. We’ve seen wedding guests go wild to these acts, so if you’re in the mood for a medieval mash-up, a DJ live act can’t be beaten.
Entertainment Nation suggests…
Ceremony and daytime: Gracella Strings
Evening: DJ Union Collective
city centre hotel
For ultra-slick cosmopolitan hotel venues, you’ll want to supplement the cool, contemporary surroundings with cutting-edge wedding entertainment. We’re again suggesting a string quartet to supply your ceremony and daytime wedding music, but this time a string quartet with a difference. The addition of a beatboxer brings a brand-new dynamic to this traditional form. This modern twist on the string quartet will deliver string arrangements of the freshest chart tunes with added percussive punch.
And for the evening? Reach for show-stopping, globe-trotting, dance-along extravagance with a premier international show band. Taking their lead from the unrivalled musicality, dazzling choreography and sumptuous stage production of the spectacular world tours of superstars like Justin Timberlake, Beyoncé and Bruno Mars, international show bands supply a live wedding music experience that’ll be right at home in the most opulent of city centre hotels.
Entertainment Nation suggests…
Ceremony and daytime: String Box
Evening: Jam Hot
outdoor tipi festival
The UK festival scene has never been more vibrant. The traditional titans like Glastonbury, Reading & Leeds, Download, Creamfields and the rest have been joined by an explosion in smaller festivals that offer a more curated experience. If you’re a dedicated festival-goer, why not create your very own festival line-up at your outdoor tipi wedding?
Kick things off with a chilled solo set from a singer-songwriter style singer-guitarist, before upping the ante with a roaming set from a folk-pop band. Roaming sets always go down a treat with guests, allowing them to feel part of the show as they sing and dance along to an up-close performance from wandering musicians.
As the (hopefully) sizzling sun sets and the torches are lit, get ready to let loose to all the biggest indie and rock anthems by monster bands like Arctic Monkeys, The Killers and Kings of Leon from a mainstage-headliner covers band.
Entertainment Nation suggests…
Ceremony: Sean the Guitarist
Daytime: Acoustic Roaming Set from The Wayfarers
Evening: Indie Kings
rustic barn
Converted barns are prevailingly popular choice of wedding venue and it’s little wonder: what could be more romantic than celebrating your special day under timber beams, surrounded by rustic stonework, dust motes dancing in fanned rays of light piercing the barn’s atmospheric shade?
Pairing perfectly with a rustic barn wedding is a Mumford and Sons-style modern folk band. Versatile and upbeat, a modern folk act can supply entertainment for every aspect of your barn wedding: laid-back acoustic duo music for your ceremony, an afternoon roaming set and a fully amplified evening set of uproarious modern folk and folky spins on classic songs from throughout the decades.
Entertainment Nation suggests…
Ceremony, daytime and evening: Wandering Wings
urban warehouse
Banish all your preconceptions about cheesy wedding bands – the wedding entertainment scene is thriving right now and attracting the best young musicians around. This influx of top young musicians has led to a diversification of the styles of act on offer, so if you’re getting wed in an urban warehouse, you can hire on-trend wedding entertainment to match your slick, modern venue.
Narrowing down our wedding music selections for an urban warehouse wedding has been tough. So tough in fact, we’ve gone for two evening acts.
Starting with the infectious soul, hip hop and RnB of an urban-themed acoustic duo to perform during the early evening, things start to heat up with a mic-dropping showcase of beatboxing skills from a beatbox crew. To take you into the early hours, the booming sound of a modern brass band collective, whose New Orleans-style reworkings of rock, of songs will have the dance floor bouncing.
Entertainment Nation suggests…
Ceremony and daytime: Soul Junkies Duo
Evening: Block Beatbox and Drum N Brass
quintessential country hall
If you’ve got a fairy tale wedding planned at a quintessential country hall, a wedding pianist is a sublime daytime entertainment choice, especially if there’s already a grand piano present at the venue. Creating a refined and romantic ambience, a pianist is also versatile enough to tailor their sets to suit your taste and themes. The soothing sounds of classical music partner beautifully with the clinking of champagne glasses, while mellow modern ballads form a subtle backdrop to the conversations of your guests. For your evening reception, retain the air of sophistication with a smooth performance from a premier jazz band to get heads nodding in appreciation.
Entertainment Nation suggests…
Ceremony and daytime: Piers
Evening: Jazz Empire
elegant marquee
The spacious luxury and the glowing purity of sunlight filtered through translucent white canopy makes a marquee wedding a tranquil delight. Complement the peaceful setting with the timeless melodies of classical guitarist. As well as impressively performed music from the great composers, a classical guitarist can perform intricately picked arrangements of popular modern songs for unobtrusive background music that lends your day an elegant ambience.
By day, a marquee may be a peaceful haven in which to share congratulations and reminisce with friends and family; by night, it is transformed into a space for ebullient celebrations and some seriously questionable dance moves. A high-end Motown band, resplendent in sharp suits and graceful gowns, will deliver classic songs by the likes of to compel you and your guests to flock to the dance floor.
Entertainment Nation suggests…
Ceremony and daytime: John Pizzati
Evening: Motown Inferno
grand manor house
National Trust members know well the joys of spending a weekend rummaging around carefully restored period properties. There’s something revivifying about being surrounded by such splendour, especially as many of these properties are home to exquisite grounds that sing with the sounds of nature. It’s easy to forget that a grand manor house was once a home, a living building that housed lavish banquets and magnificent balls – why not reinvigorate these storied halls with a decadent performance from a high-end, luxury soul, funk, Motown and pop wedding band?
Entertainment Nation suggests…
Ceremony and daytime: Elegant Strings
Evening: Prestige
