Category: Wedding blog

  • What to expect from a quality function band you’ll find on this website

    What to expect from a quality function band you’ll find on this website

    When you want to hire a live band, you are not only looking for quality music but a number of other qualities that we hope you will find when sourcing a band from our function bands listing pages. Here are just some of the points we think you should look out for.

    1. Excellent customer service from the moment you enquire about availability.

    2. Strong communication skills and timely responses

    3. Customised quote to meet your requirements

    4. Willingness to be flexible on performance timings

    5. Ability to provide quality live music

    6. Excellent presentation on and off the stage

    7. Good quality sound system and basic lighting

    8. Punctuality

    9. Adaptability

    10. Able to advise on the best music to perform at your wedding

  • Why this site should be your first and last stop for finding a band anywhere in the UK

    Why this site should be your first and last stop for finding a band anywhere in the UK

    Live bands in every county across the UK

    It really doesn’t matter what county or region your are looking for wedding bands in, North West, South East or Central England, this website lists party bands who perform all over the UK. Whereas some of the live bands travel only locally others travel UK wide and even further afield to international weddings. Simply look through the acts and make contact requesting a quote mentioning the location of your wedding. Even where some bands do not normally perform outside a specific region, coving their travel and a nice meal may just sway them to perform at your wedding.

    If you are look at this site and based in another European country you’ll be pleased to know that many bands will travel internationally because of the availability of cheaper and cheaper flights. This means it is still worth making contact with the band that you like the sound of. for those people looking from outside Europe, be aware that musicians may require Visas and other documents to be able to perform at your event.

  • A few wedding jokes for you to enjoy

    A little light humour to give you a break from the planning of your wedding. These jokes have been taken from various sources on the internet. In no way do these jokes reflect our views on marriage :).

    wedding

    – Man is incomplete until he is married. Then he is really finished

    Two cannibals just finished a huge meal and one turns to the other while rubbing his stomach with his fist and says,  “You know, I just ate my mother-in-law, and she still doesn’t agree with me!”

    – The bride said she wanted three children, while the young husband said two would be enough for him. They discussed this discrepancy for a few minutes until the husband thought he’d put an end to things by saying boldly, “After our second child, I’ll just have a vasectomy.” Without a moments hesitation, the bride retorted, “Well, I hope you’ll love the third one just as if it’s your own.”

    – Marriage is not a word. It’s a sentence….(a life sentence!).

    – A woman was telling her friend , “It was I who made my husband a millionaire.”  “And what was he before you married him?” asked the friend.  The woman replied, ” A multi-millionaire”.

    – Love is one long sweet dream, and marriage is the alarm clock

    In the first year of marriage, the man speaks and the woman listens. In the second year, the woman speaks and the man listens. In the third year, they both speak and the neighbours listen.

    – Married men should forget their mistakes. There is no need for two people, to remember the same thing.

  • Why not consider a wedding abroad in the sun?

    What could be nicer guaranteeing a wedding in the sun? Not a lot really! With the UK being notorious for our bad weather it’s likely that the sun may not shine for you on your big day. Even weddings in the peak of summer can often be cold and fall on a miserable day. This summer for example has not given us the best temperatures despite all these claims of global warming on a daily basis in the press.

    Still, there is the option of going abroad and tying the knot in foreign lands. You’ll almost certainly be able to guarantee good weather, great food and excellent hospitality.

    When you consider the fact that your wedding guest list will likely be much smaller if you choose to go abroad, you could save a fortune. You can’t expect everyone to be able to afford the flights and accommodation so you’ll have be catering for less, have less to organise, save on invites and an overpriced venue in the UK. Your savings together can be allocated to sending close family and friends to a far away paradise for a memorable and intimate wedding.

    You may choose to have a beech wedding, a wedding in a small church in the south of france or even in the Alps, 5 star treatment in Bali or tie the knot on a tropical island. There are even weddings on board cruise liners and smaller ships available. Whatever you choose, you’ll likely find it to be logistically easier, cheaper and more unique than the average English wedding.

  • Top tips when hiring a wedding band

    Top tips when hiring a wedding band

    When hiring we wedding band you probably have lots of questions you want to ask them. No questions are silly and so here are a few tips on what you may want to ask a prospective party band.

    1. Do you have public liability insurance?

    2. Can you play something for both the old and young?

    3. Do you take requests?

    4. How many musicians are in the band?

    5. Can you provide references for recent performances?

    6. How much does it cost to hire you?

    7. If things run later than expected are there any additional costs?

    8. Do you provide lighting?

    9. How long to you play for?

    10. Can you play our first dance?

    11. How long do you require to set up?

    12. What do you wear when you perform?

    13. Do you require feeding and soft drinks?

    Well there are are few for you to consider asking and we are sure you can think of many more.

  • Trust your live function band to play the most suitable music

    Trust your live function band to play the most suitable music

    When running a successful function band you dread the moment the bride decides she is going to decide on your set list. If you are one of these brides do bare in mind that the musicians you have selected to perform at your wedding probably know better than your good self what a good party needs in terms of music. Whereas this is the only wedding you will likely ever organise, remember that the band you have got performing do this for a living. If you have selected a band from one of our listing pages then you’ll be sure to have a band who knows what they are doing. So, our best advice it to select a band based on the demos and the set list they have displayed on their site and trust that they will deliver exactly what is needed. Not every song will please everyone but you can be sure they will keep the dance floor alive.

  • Will your best man break the record for the longest speech?

    Very often you’ll have a very tight schedule and you will want things to run smoothly and to time. Up to the point where the best man takes the microphone it normally does. One hour later people have been known to be falling asleep round the fringes of the room with the best man continuing to enjoy his moment of glory as if it was a substitute for not making it into the Manchester United football team earlier in his life and scoring the winning goal at a final in Wembley. You feel powerless and have the sit there for the duration while he inflicts wounds to your memories of the evening.

    best man

    OK it is not always like that. More often than not the best man makes a good speech and doesn’t humiliate anyone too much. Here are a few guidelines for your best man to keep him on track. Feel free to point him to this page for a read and he as well as your guests will appreciate it.

    Guidelines for the best mans speech

    – Keep it under 15 minutes if possible

    – Introduce yourself ( not everyone will know you )

    – Try not to be too funny but humour is good

    – Be sincere

    – Do not bring up past relationships

    – Keep a positive sentiment

    – Share a few good memories

    – Give some attention in the speech to the bride and not just your mate who she has just tied the knot with

    – Speak loudly and clearly

    1. Make large notes if you are not a good speaker

    (also have a back up copy handy)

    1. Do not read an essay

    2. Write the speech notes yourself

    3. Wish the couple a happy future together

    4. End the speech by asking all to raise their glasses

    5. Perhaps offer to shake the hand of the groom and offer the bride a kiss on the cheek.

    All these things may sound obvious but the times I have heard speeches that have ended up a disaster. Good luck and remember you only get one chance at this…

  • UK Tribute bands available worldwide

    UK Tribute bands available worldwide

    Tribute bands available to hire
    As part of our International Live Music Agency here at TUKWB we are representing a wide variety of tribute bands and artists. Many of these bands come complete with live bands for an authentic and unrivalled experience. We have selected only the very best tribute artists from around the UK and make your booking experience informal and easy. Simply contact topukweddingbands@googlemail.com and let us know which imitation artists you would like to book. Please provide us with as much information as possible about your event, venue, capacity and audience as possible.

  • Book your function band now to guarantee you get the best band

    Book your function band now to guarantee you get the best band

    Early booking is essential

    You’re now planning your spring or summer wedding and it is time to get your wedding entertainment sourced while the good function bands are still available. After the Christmas period through January and February scores of coupes prepare their wedding plans. At the top of the list should always be your entertainment and as such many couples are booking bands up. So the take home message from this post is to go to the wedding band listings and to get your enquiries in to the bands you like the sound of.

    Options for wedding entertainment

    If you are wondering what kinds of entertainment you can book for your wedding as well as wedding bands then think about the following. Classical guitarists or solo musicians, magicians, string quartets, comedians and DJs are all ideas that you may want to include in your special day. You may think of something a little more unconventional, but at the end of the day, it is your wedding and you should have what you want even if it means spending a little more than planned.

    For more advice about booking wedding bands that you can also apply to other bookings please check out our advice page.

  • Flora Special Occasion

    Flora Special Occasion

    “Flora Special Occasion specialists in Wedding Flowers & Decorations can transform your Wedding venue into a beautiful, romantic setting. With years of experience in decorating venues in the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & London areas, you are sure to be pleased with their services, expertise & helpful advice. Not only do they supply beautiful wedding flowers, but also provide balloon decorations for something more unusual as well as chair cover & linen hire, so why have three suppliers, when you only need one? Contact Flora Special Occasion now for a free no obligation consultation at your chosen venue to discuss your requirements.”

  • Hiring a wedding band from abroad – Useful information

    Hiring a wedding band from abroad – Useful information

    OK, if your searching the web in India, the USA, Mexico, China or anywhere else in the world looking for a British band to fly out and entertain you at your wedding read on…

    You are probably on this website because your looking for the best band possible for your international wedding (that is away from the UK). On our homepage listings you’ll see a number of bands available that are willing to travel worldwide including the top band ‘The Venue’. Visit their page and get directly in contact with them but it is important to be realistic of what to expect. In the case of hiring a UK band to perform outside of the UK you will need to think about the travel and accommodation issues as well as visas in some cases. Always check with the band that all members are legally able to travel to the destination. They may require a little time to check for that particular destination with the relevant authorities.

    It is probably best for you to arrange all the flights and accommodation needs of the band such that you can manage the costs yourself. However, bands are often willing to manage this themselves but do expect in these cases to have to stump up a deposit that covers all of these costs as well as up to 25% of the bands fee for the performance.

    Always work with a trusted band that can provide strong real testimonials and that can provide references. Booking through an agent may set your mind to rest in some ways but remember you are unlikely to get the very best band available and it will be at a substantially higher cost.

  • What should I be looking for in a wedding venue?

    There are a vast range of venues to choose from when deciding on where to have your wedding. You may think about going abroad for a small and intimate event with just a few friends and family or you may decide that you’ll be having your wedding in your own home. However, most people decide on venues like farms, manor houses, town halls or marquees in country pubs.

    Location location location

    If you don’t want to be too disappointed in the response from your guest list then you may want to think about having your wedding in a place that is located around most of your guests. OK that is unless you are set on having your wedding abroad. You’ll probably find after making your exhaustive list of and family and friends that they cluster around specific areas. You could try to find a nice venue around there as a reasonable starting point.

    Out in the country

    For some couples it is important to get married in a scenic area. You’ll find many wonderful venues in the Cotswolds including some wonderful pubs with gardens that can house a marquee.  Maybe it is not such an obvious advantage of weddings out in the sticks, but the fact is, you will be less likely to encounter strict early deadlines on loud live or recorded music beyond midnight. The disadvantage is the rather costly taxi fares for guests to a suitable place to sleep.

    A few things to look out for

    – Late music licence

    1. Late bar licence

    2. Local places where your guests can stay

    3. Taxi firms willing to travel a little further

    4. Friendly experienced staff

    5. Good online reviews

    6. Good management

    On the last few points, it is those around you who play a big part in making or breaking your wedding day. By that I mean that you should really be conscious of who will be ‘at work’ on your wedding day. You should ask the venue about the staff, their attitude, experience and mention that you expect them to look like they are enjoying working on that day. Far too many weddings have been the workplace of staff who really don’t want to be there.

    Presentation of the staff is as important as the venue

    Too many wedding venues forget that their staff should not only work hard but that they are representing the couple getting married. I’ve seen weddings in which the manager of the staff has been wearing dirty clothes and look like they have just woken from a deep sleep.  It would be a good idea to visit the venue during someone else’s wedding and just popping by to see for yourself the general conduct of the staff.