What factors affect the overall cost of a wedding band?
Numerous factors affect how much wedding bands cost, from the band’s popularity to the time of the year.
Let’s look at these in more detail:
1. How in demand are the wedding band?
Being a wedding musician is similar to any other job or business; if a great band has been going for many years, that will no doubt mean that there’s a lot of work coming in. Over the years, the band may choose to increase their price to reflect their experience.
2. Seasonal prices / Last-minute bookings
Fridays and Saturdays in the summer are the busiest time for every wedding band, so there isn’t usually room for a discount. If you’re getting married in February and March, some bands may quote slightly lower than they would in the summer months. Similarly, if you’re organising a last-minute wedding and need a band in, say, 4 weeks, you can expect bands without a booking to offer a more competitive price. However, most bands on our books are fully booked for the summer by January, so try not to wait too long!
Tip: As a general rule, the average cost per wedding musician is $600-700. This means that a 4-piece wedding band might cost anywhere from 2400 for the evening’s entertainment.
3. Travel Expense / Time Spent Travelling
Most live wedding bands are used to travelling and realise it’s not always easy to find a band in the same town, but as diesel prices continue to soar, fuel costs are inevitably passed on to couples. Another thing to consider is that a couple of hours travelling to and from the venue can mean 4 extra work hours for 4 to 5 people. Some bands may consider this before quoting.
4. Arrival Time / Finish time
With travel time taken into account, a band can often expect to work 12-hour days. This is based on a 5:30 pm-6 pm arrival time, and any earlier will mean a price increase. Quotes are usually based on a midnight finish, and you can expect to pay more for the band to stay until 1 am or later.
5. Set Length / Performance time
Bands generally perform two sets of around an hour. That’s just an average, some bands offer 2 x 45 minute sets, whilst others prefer 3 x 45 minutes. If you have specific timings in mind, just let your band know and they may be able to offer a suitable package.
6. Accommodation
If the band are based 3-4 hours away, they may need to stay over in a hotel, and this is also considered when calculating a quote.
