Talk to Your Wedding Venue Before you even think about booking a wedding band, you need to have a frank conversation with your wedding venue. For varying reasons, many wedding venues enforce restrictions on live music. Therefore, you must check whether your venue allows live music and, if they do, whether they impose any volume restrictions. If there are any restrictions in place, it’s your responsibility to inform your band before you book to ensure they are happy to work within limits.  Many venues use a sound limiter to ensure volume restrictions are adhered to. If your venue uses a sounds limiter, you must determine the decibel limit and inform your chosen band of the limit before you book. Most bands can modify their performance to fit within all but the strictest decibel limits, but they’ll need to know in advance so that they can bring along appropriate equipment. If all this talk of sound limiters leaves you puzzled, don’t worry, entertainment agencies are experienced in working with venues with sound limiters and can answer any questions you may have. Book Through a Trusted Agency Booking your wedding band through a reputable wedding entertainment agency brings with it a host of benefits. First, a good agency gathers a wide range of quality-controlled wedding bands in one place, making it easier for you to contrast and compare different acts all at once, whilst being safe in the knowledge that each band is a professional outfit you can rely upon to deliver high-quality performance on your big day. Entertainment agencies are also a godsend if you’re not quite sure what you’re looking for in a band. Experienced advisers will speak to you to know all about your wedding and then make expert suggestions based on your specific requirements. These advisers will also talk to bands on your behalf, so you only have to communicate with a single named contact even if you inquire about multiple acts. Another area in which agencies excel is in the security of the booking process. Established entertainment agencies offer online payment through secure third-party payment systems. In addition, they will draw up legally binding contracts between you and your chosen act, giving you the peace of mind that your booking is set in stone. Always make sure you find reviews of both the agency and your chosen wedding band on independent review sites like Trustpilot, Facebook and Google. Set Your Budget The price you can expect to pay for a live wedding band varies dramatically, ranging from the hundreds of pounds up to the tens of thousands. In general, the more band members in a band, the more you should expect to pay. Other factors included the experience and popularity of your favoured band and how far they’ll need to travel to perform at your wedding - travel expenses and accommodation fees soon add up. The average cost of a 4-piece band is around �900 to �1300. If this doesn’t fall within your budget, you can still secure top-class live musicians for your big day. Many bands will be happy to offer a reduced lineup to bring their fee more in line with your budget, or you could opt for a solo or duo act. With clever loop pedals and professional backing tracks, solo and duo performers can skilfully replicate a full band sound for a much lower fee. Select Your Sound No matter how out there your musical tastes are, there’s a band out there who can deliver a performance to suit your style. If you’re browsing an entertainment agency website, you’ll find that bands are conveniently split into different genres and styles, doing your search for the perfect act all the simpler. So if you’re struggling to find a band that fits the bill, get in touch with the agency - after a quick chat about your preferences, they should be able to reel off a host of suitable acts.  When choosing your wedding band, do spare a thought for your family and friends. If a full dance floor is your priority, consider a band with the ability to perform songs from various genres. That way, everyone gets their turn to let loose to a favourite tune.