Top UK Wedding Bands

Category: Wedding blog

Capture your Yorkshire wedding with ‘Dunelm Video’
When you have been to all that trouble to plan your Yorkshire wedding carefully by booking a great band, arranging splendid catering and taken care of all those tens of other things you have had to do by your big day, it is reassuring to know you can re-live the moments years later watching your own DVD, enjoying the music again, listening to the speeches, soaking in the atmosphere and reminding yourself of how special your day was.
Yorkshire’s Dunelm Video enjoys a sense of occasion, recording and editing your perfect day in a narrative style. Packages start at only £595 including 3 HDVideo DVDs and music recording licences. Dunelm are a trusted resource, friendly and experienced videographers.
Tel: 01325 718 188
www.dunelmvideo.com
December 11, 2012
What to say and what not to say on your wedding day if a function band disappoint you
There are many reasons why you may end up a little disappointed with a band that you hire. If you have paid peanuts then expect to be hiring monkeys and for things not to go exactly as planned. However, you do have the right to expect a band to set up at the agreed time and perform at the agreed set times.
If a band is late setting up
Usually bands are very good and arrive in good time but remember that they may be travelling a long way to get to your wedding and are also at the mercy of things like traffic. There may also be other valid reasons why they are late. So you are much better off staying calm and being understanding. The last thing you want to do is confront the band who are already late and put pressure on them. You will just be delaying their set up further and upsetting the very people who are supposed to entertain you. That would never be a good move. You are best off leaving them to set up their gear and if anything simply asking if everything is OK. You’ll soon get a feel for the reasons they are late.
If the music is not up to scratch
If the band is not up to scratch then you should have paid more attention when booking them. They are still doing a job, well that perhaps they shouldn’t be doing, so you’ll have to take some of the blame. Always hire a recommended band such as those you find on this website. That way you will be sure to get a great band.
Badly dressed badly?
OK sadly there are still band that dress up in matching whites or funeral blacks. Make sure you ask what the band will be wearing and insist the they look their best. If you hired through an agent and the band turn up in rags make sure you let the agent know.
Limited set list
Many bands are unable to quickly move out of their standard set list and work an audience. If you notice this the dance floor will go static. Check you bands ability to diversify before you book then.
Always be polite if confronting a band with an issue and if you have booked through an agent and are unsatisfied then make sure you get at least your deposit returned. it is their job to make sure you get what you are looking for. Again, the band on this site have already been vetted so y0u can book directly, cheaper with confidence.
June 4, 2013
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.
September 20, 2013
Finding a live party band for your new years party or wedding
Booking a band for your new years eve party
Although this website is dedicated to top quality live wedding bands, it doesn’t take a genius to realise that these acts are also available for corporate parties and events including new years eve performances. Take a good look through the bands listed and make direct contact with each band. Booking an band is easy. Once you find the live act you are looking for, email the for a quote with details of the location, performance time and what you are looking for from a live band.
October 29, 2013
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 :).
– 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.
September 7, 2011
Your wedding schedule planned out to perfection
You’ll do well by simply starting off with a list of all the things your hoping to get through on your wedding day. Begin with the ceremony through to the pre-dinner drinks, the reception and dinner, speeches and cutting of the cake before you hit the dance floor with your first dance. Perhaps you are not planning for all these things and want something a little more simple. Maybe you’re going to plan every detail including your exit and farewell drive to your hotel room or honeymoon destination.
Regardless of the complexity of your wedding your list of events is really important. Writing them down in order, starting with the final event is a good idea. You can then work backwards such that everything fits in time. You are better off leaving reasonable gaps between the ceremony, reception and evening party rather than cramming everything in as early as possible. This means you wont have your guests waiting around for long periods getting tired and a little restless.
With the hundreds of weddings I’ve been to you can bet your bottom dollar that things will run late. Usually this is a function of the best man (and other speeches) running on and on. Weddings that do stick exactly to the planned schedule are often rigid and the bride and groom are more conscious of timings than the fact they have just got married.
The more flexible you are with timings on your big day rather than being rigid to your proposed and contracted timings, the better your wedding will be. Stay relaxed and enjoy your day.
September 4, 2011
What music should we have for our first dance?
People spend a lot of time planning their first dance. Since you are reading this blog post then you’ll also probably be taking it very seriously. It’s important for you both to be comfortable with the song in a number of ways. Firstly the sentiment of the song then the pace of the song and also the length. The groom will often want as short a dance as possible while the bride is lapping up the attention and savouring the romantic moment and memory of the only time in history she has seen her partner dance ( well, other than perhaps their first ever date ). It’s probably best that the song is no longer than 3 and a quarter minutes long. In that time your guests will have snapped up tens if not hundreds of photos, the bride will have had wonderful moment of togetherness with her new husband and the groom will not have felt exposed for too long.
Some examples of popular first dance tracks include
Have I told you lately – Van Morrison
Wonderful tonight – Eric Clapton
The way you look tonight – Sinatra
Let’s stay together – Al Green
Eternal flame – The Bangles
Other perhaps more obscure first dances have included the following and are typically chosen by those who don’t take themselves too seriously
Reach for the stars – S Club 7
Walk this was – Aerosmith
Ice Ice Baby – Vanilla Ice
OK, there are not that many who go for these but believe me, there are a few. We have even know ‘Golden Brown’ to be performed as the first dance.
At the end of the day you can’t go wrong with a bit of smooching and if you’re not to keen on being exposed on the dance floor you can always invite your guests to join after a few minutes to get the party started. Good luck…
September 6, 2011
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.
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…
September 7, 2011
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.
May 2, 2013
Time may be running short to book a quality live band this summer
If you have started planning your entertainment late then you may be quite worried that the best bands will have already been booked up. That may be true for some acts but this year has been one of the quietest years for live bands in for many years. The recession has resulted in couples often booking bands based on price rather than quality. It has resulted in many of the best bands being available during the peak season. Therefore, it’s still a great idea to keep browsing and contacting the bands on this site who are amongst the best in Britain. Lucky for you, you may still be able to book an excellent band late this year. Mind you, don’t wait too long as great bands are also pro-active and make sure they are busy being musical.
March 19, 2013
Help choosing your wedding music
Choosing the playlist for your big day can be hard. Usually, the bride and groom choose their favourite songs that are most meaningful to them. But with all the different types of dances; mother-son & father-daughter dances, dollar dances, interludes & preludes and the wedding reception itself. Naturally, It can be difficult to find enough songs!
Below are some of our recommendations for the various different wedding songs required throughout the day:
First Dance: Harry Connick, Jr. : It Had to Be You
The first dance is usually a song that the bride and groom share, sometimes it reminds them of when they first met but mainly it needs to be romantic and easy to dance to!
The Mother Son Dance: Stevie Wonder – ‘You are the sunshine of my life’
A Mother-Son dance is a tradition where the groom and his mother dance. Often the dance takes place after the first dance.
Father Daughter Dance: The Temptations – ‘My girl’
Father-Daughter dances where the bride dances with her father is much like the Mother-Son dance. It usually comes directly after the Mother-Son dance.
Dollar Dance: Dire Straits – Money For Nothing
The Dollar Dance originated in Poland in the early 1900s. During the dollar dance the male guests have the opportunity to dance with the bride. Occasionally the female guests pay to dance with the groom.
Ceremony Hymns: Give me joy in my heart
Ceremony hymns are quiet, background music. Suitable for a wedding ceremony.
Bouquet Toss/Garter Toss: Cyndi Lauper – Girls just wanna have fun
Traditionally the bride tosses her Bouquet over her head to her brides maids. The woman who catches the bouquet is supposed to be the next to get married! Occasionally, the bride will toss her garter to the male guests (after removing it from her leg of course!).
The wedding reception playlist!
We have put together what we consider to be the definitive collection of tracks to make up the perfect wedding playlist. Judge for yourselves below:
Robbie Williams – She’s the one
Madonna – I’ll remember
Bruce Springsteen – Secret garden
Bee Gee’s – How deep is your love
Take That – Back For Good
Don McLean – American Pie
Michael Jackson – Thriller
Wham! – I’m Your Man
Gnarls Berkley – Crazy
Robbie Williams – Angels
The Foundations – Build Me Up Buttercup
George Michael – Freedom
Michael Buble – Haven’t Met You Yet
Rod Stewart – Have I told you lately
Aerosmith – I don’t wanna miss a thing
Katrina and the waves – Walkin’ on sunshine
Tony Christie – Is This The Way To Amarillo
The Monkees – I’m a believer
Mighty Tubadours – She’s too fat for me
May 5, 2014
What makes a great wedding band?
Below is a simple check list of some of the main factors that makes a quality function band. You should expect all wedding bands on this site to meet most of these criteria.
– Excellent communication with you the client via email and throughout the booking process
1. –Great playing and performance
2. –Superb sound
3. –Tidy gear
4. –Immaculate presentation – ( ‘All whites’ are not cool and ‘all backs’ is simply lazy )
5. –Reliability on the day
6. –Punctuality in their communication and on your special day
7. –Flexibility on timings
8. –Versatility within the music
9. –Desire to please every client
10. –Follow up after your big day
11. –Public liability insurance
June 20, 2013