Booking Music for Your Wedding

You've got the date, the venue, and the caterer lined up for your big day... what next? Music.

Booking musicians for your wedding can be difficult part of wedding planning because of the number of decisions you have to make about what you want. It's also easy to be indecisive due to the fact that the music that plays during your ceremony and reception needs to be reflective of who you are and the overall "vibe" you're trying to create.

Photo courtesy of Stitely Entertainment

So, here are some general guidelines to get you started, as well as some info about what costs go into hiring musical talent. First, you'll need to answer the following questions:

1) When do you need / want music? Ceremony, Reception or Both?

2) What type of ambiance are you trying to create and your ceremony and reception? They can, obviously, be different. A church wedding followed by a wild party will necessitate totally different types of music.

3) If you would like live music for your ceremony, will one violinist suffice or would you prefer a trio? If you're getting married in a church, you may have someone to play the organ or piano for you, but would you also like to have a vocalist or other instrument as well?

4) For your reception, the first question is this: live or DJ? Live musicians will be costlier than a DJ. However, there is a broad range available within the live music category. You can have a small four person band or an orchestra.

5) What kind of reception music would you like? A cover band that plays a wide range of music? A jazz band? A classical orchestra? Blues? Country? A DJ, on the flip side, allows you to be a little more flexible in terms of style, because, well, they can play whatever you want.

Photo courtesy of Rendezvous Music

What about costs?

When you request a proposal from a wedding band or DJ, you'll need to give them an idea of how long your ceremony and reception will be. The length of your party will absolutely affect the total amount of your contract. Your proposal will likely break down the evening then by hours, starting with the ceremony, and then by cocktails, dinner and dancing.

Charges you'll likely see on the proposal will include the sound system, lighting, and, of course, the musical talent themselves. A DJ + an assistant, obviously, is going to cost less than a 10-person orchestra.

You'll want to ask the vendor as well if there will be any additional taxes, fees or surcharges. Most vendors include these in their total proposal price, but it's always good to ask.

Finally, it's OK to ask about tipping as well. Whomever you work with to book your contract will be able to give you some solid guidelines on who to tip and how much based on the total.


Of course, we have some incredible Chicago musicians available for weddings on the Revelry Alliance website! If you're planning a Chicago wedding, we can't recommend them highly enough!