When you are getting married in Scotland it really is traditional to get a band at your wedding reception. However, before you rush out and hire the initial band that you see, you should spend a little time thinking carefully about the kind of band that you truly want – and which type of band would be best for the wedding.
That is important, as your choice of band will either make or break the marriage reception.
In Scotland, you can find essentially four main types of bands you can choose for your wedding. Wedding Band Scotland Pop Covers, Ceilidh, Jazz, and Tribute Bands. Each band has it own benefits and drawbacks. So let us check out each type in more detail.
Pop Cover Bands
These are the normal forms of wedding bands in Scotland and they play songs recorded and made famous by other artists. Most cover bands, who specialise in weddings, will play a variety of hits from the 1960’s right up to current chart hits. As weddings include a fairly wide range of people and ages, the cover band’s plan would be to play a wide range of music that will keep everyone happy.
Although some cover bands may include a small amount of Ceilidh music or Jazz, they don’t have a tendency to specialise in these genres. The typical Pop Cover band will do about fours hours at a wedding and have a thirty-minute break.
Scottish Ceilidh Bands
Ceilidh Bands concentrate in providing Scottish ceilidh dances for for the wedding, including the Gay Gordons, The Military Two-Step, and Strip The Willow etc. If the marriage party is from Scotland, then they will know the dances because a lot of the dances are taught to Scots when they are at school. However, if there are lots of people at the wedding who are not Scottish, then your band may have to teach the steps and call the dances (remind people what to do during the dance). Fortunately that a lot of the dances are very an easy task to learn and may therefore be picked up very quickly.
Again, the normal Ceilidh band will play for about four hours at a wedding and have a thirty-minute break .
Jazz And Swing Bands
A good wedding Jazz Band will play a mixture of jazz standards and swing music e.g. Bobby Darin and Sinatra. Many good Jazz bands are very versatile and include some Pop Covers and Ceilidh dances. However, their main forte is Jazz. The typical Jazz strap will again do about four hours at a marriage and have a thirty-minute break.
Tribute Bands
Whereas a Pop Cover Band plays covers from the wide variety of artists, the normal Tribute band will concentrate in covering one particular band. This could be Abba, Robbie Williams, Take That, Slade, Queen – or any band that you could possibly think about. So, if you are a fan of a specific band, then a tribute band could be the ideal choice for you. Usually Tribute bands only do about two forty-five minute sets, so if you are experiencing a tribute band, you might need to hire another band or DJ to cover the last two hours at your wedding dinner.
These then will be the main types of bands which are popular for weddings in Scotland. Which band you choose will depend on the sort of music you like and, in the same way importantly, the type of band you think your loved ones and guests should.
Do Some Research
The easiest way to learn if your choice will be acceptable to many guests is to execute a little research. For instance, if you want a particular type of band, then ask your friends and relations what they think. Do they like this type of music? Would they get and dance to that type of music?
By asking people you will be able to build up an image of which kind of band would be the most popular together with your particular family and guests. The important thing to remember is that every wedding is different and the band that played at your friend’s wedding might not be the ideal choice for your wedding.
You are never going to please everyone, but by spending a little time at the look stage, you can try to ensure that the kind of wedding band you select could keep the dance-floor busy forever.
Ask An Expert
You do not have to do it on your own. If you want some specialist help and advice on the matter, then go to a reputable Entertainment Agent in Scotland. If the agent is good, it will cost you nothing, and you also find him an invaluable way to obtain information and assistance, in terms of deciding on the best band for your wedding.