Function bands
Background musicians
Function bands
Background musicians
End your reception on an epic note – exclusive live wedding music bands for hire, across the UK.
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Fun and totally unique party band with male and female vocals, playing retro swing, vintage jive and rock'n'roll through to 80s funk, 90s R&B and quirky takes on modern chart.
World-class pop, funk and soul function band, refreshing and recreating the classic soul sounds of the 60s, 70s and 80s, alongside soul-infused contemporary pop and R&B.
Amp up your party with Rockit: a sensational party band with a huge catalogue of rock, indie and pop floor-fillers from Chuck Berry and The Beatles to The Killers and Ed Sheeran!
Party down with Party Up, the slickest pop, soul and funk band in the South East! The band offer either male or joint male and female vocals and count Sky, Cadburys and the actress Emma Thompson among their regular clients.
Exceptional party and wedding band playing everything from vintage 1950s rock’n’roll to cutting edge pop, indie and R&B. High profile clients include BT, Mini Cooper and Microsoft!
Youthful, charismatic new 4-piece, channelling rock, dance, hip-hop and soul influences. The band have caught the attention of a major label – catch them now while rates are low!
Outstanding wedding band playing chart, indie, rock anthems and Britpop and featuring guitars, keyboards and vocal harmonies for a big, versatile sound!
Stylish, globe-trotting function band featuring powerhouse vocalists and gigs for KPMG, Gucci and Jaguar alongside weddings in London and Dubai.
Max out on soul and sophistication with Soul Club, a high energy show band comprising musicians who have toured with Stormzy and Dua Lipa. Expect stunning vocals and unparalleled musicianship.
Dynamic Motown, pop and soul band with stunning female and male lead vocals, impressive industry credentials and a playlist of soulful floor-fillers by artists such as Marvin Gaye, Justin Timberlake and Rihanna.
Young and animated brass band who never fail to get the party jumping with their funky take on the traditional brass format. The band can roam amongst guests or perform in one place. Male or female vocalists optional.
With a powerhouse vocalist up front and a backing band of unrivalled funkmeisters, Smoke & Mirrors put on a fun, rip-roaring show which your guests will never forget.
Authentically recreated indie rock covers by The Killers, Blur and The Kinks sit alongside funkier pop by Bruno Mars, DNCE and Pharrell Williams. For value and impact, wedding bands don't come better than this.
Turbo-charged wedding party band performing danceable rock 'n’ roll, indie, 80s pop and RnB. Optional "heavy set" for die-hard rock fans, featuring artists such as Guns n' Roses and Rage Against The Machine!
The Crossfades serve up the best vintage and modern rock, pop and indie covers with a side of crowd-pleasing charm. Keyboardist, DJ service and solo acoustic set available.
Dressed to the nines and touting a crowd-pleasing, quickfire set of R&B, pop, hip hop, classic soul and funk, Superstrut will have your guests moving and hollering from the first note.
Soulful, danceable pop from the West Midlands, with both female and male lead vocals and a song list of danceable rock, soul and pop anthems from Chuck Berry to Clean Bandit.
Knock-out party band featuring members who have recorded and performed at Abbey Road and Glastonbury and playing some of the biggest soul and pop floor-fillers of all time.
Ultimate live music experience featuring a centre-stage light up drum kit that delivers a feast for the eyes and ears. This slick outfit brings you supreme talent and a large repertoire of chart hits. Additional musicians, jazz sets and DJ service available.
Charismatic new wedding band performing upbeat, catchy covers with a folksy, festival feel. Expect to hear artists as diverse as Avicii, Blackstreet and Lionel Richie. Also available as an unplugged, acoustic roaming band.
Since weddings are mixed generation events, the majority of our wedding bands perform pop songs across the decades, designed to appeal to all ages and fill your dancefloor.
These bands can be broadly divided into two categories:
A typical wedding band set might include upbeat, danceable songs by artists as varied as The Beatles, Prince, Oasis and Dua Lipa.
If you're looking for something more unusual, our brass and drums bands are an increasingly popular alternative to the classic guitar band format, whilst ceilidh bands go down well with kids and grandparents alike.
You can also check out our soul & Motown bands or jazz & swing bands.
For more offbeat wedding band music ideas, see our alternative wedding bands.
The average cost of hiring a wedding band in 2020 was around £1200.
Wedding bands range from around £650 for a band with 3 members, to upwards of £3000 for 9- or 10-piece line-ups featuring brass sections and backing vocalists.
If you haven't yet set your wedding date, consider booking a midweek or winter wedding to take advantage of the most competitive rates.
If you don't have the budget to hire a band, it's worth browsing our duos instead.
The majority of wedding bands for hire tend to get booked up between 6 and 12 months in advance, but the best bands are snapped up even earlier.
For that reason, we recommend starting your search as early as 18 months before your wedding. This is especially important if you're planning a Saturday wedding between April and September.
If you're planning an off-season wedding (between October and March) or a weekday wedding, you can probably afford to start looking a bit later.
Budget and space permitting, we’d always recommend hiring a wedding band over a DJ.
Live music has a way of unlocking emotions and strengthening social bonds. It creates a unique and inclusive atmosphere that you and your guests will remember for years.
Bear in mind that if your wedding band can't cover a specific song or genre, most can play recorded music through their PA between sets, and some even offer their own DJ service.
For example, you could ask a swing band to play chart music before, between or after their live sets.
That said, there are of course some scenarios where a DJ wins out.
The best wedding music bands in the UK can be found on, ahem, Function Central!
We've spent years handpicking the most talented bands from all corners of the UK and gathering them together in one place.
To be accepted onto our books, acts must meet the strictest standards of quality and professionalism. We monitor feedback closely and only retain bands who consistently achieve a 5-star performance rating.
If you're finding the choice of bands too overwhelming, browse our top 10 most requested wedding music bands in 2021.
A standard live wedding band performance is two hours, split over 2 x 1-hour or 3 x 40-minute sets with short intervals.
But bands can play for less time, or longer (usually for an additional cost) if it suits your event better.
All our wedding bands for hire provide mp3 music during their interval, free of charge. This means they'll be able to keep the music going until closing time.
Many bands are able to upgrade to a more advanced service using virtual DJ software so that they can mix songs and take your guests’ requests.
Check out the band's song list on their profile page, to see if they already know the song.
If not, most wedding bands will be happy to learn and perform your first dance, often free of charge. Send us the song request as soon as you can, so we can make sure the band has adequate time to learn it.
If the band can’t perform your song live, they can play it through their PA system instead. They can either use their own device to play the track, or plug your device into their system instead.
There's a higher chance the band will know the song already if it's included on our most requested first dance song list.
Yes (to an extent). Have a look at the band's song list on their profile page, then compile a list of your preferred songs and send them to us.
The band will then try to include as much of your favourite wedding band music as they can on the night.
Do be aware though, that they may not be able to fulfill each and every one of your requests. This is because they may need to add or remove songs with certain tempos or dynamics, "on the fly", depending on audience reaction.
All our bands for weddings are fully self-contained. This means they'll bring their own sound system, microphones, backline amplifiers and instruments. This equipment is suitable for most events up to around 250 guests.
If you're expecting more than 250 guests, let us know, so we can check whether the band’s system is large enough.
Most bands will also bring lighting for both the stage and dancefloor.
Check out the band's profile page for more details, as well as other optional add-ons to enhance the show!
Bands performing at a typical evening wedding party would normally arrive at around 5pm or 6pm. They would then take 60-90 minutes to unload their equipment, set up and soundcheck.
Most wedding music bands will aim to begin their first set anytime from 7.30pm, after the first dance. But we recommend they start later than this if possible, particularly in summer.
Feel free to ask us about any specific timing requirements you may have. For example, you may need the band to avoid sound-checking during dinner or speeches.
As a rough guide, a 3-piece wedding band will require a space measuring approximately 3m wide x 3m deep. Add an additional square metre of width for each extra band member.
A raised stage always helps a live wedding band make a bigger impact but this isn’t essential. The performance space mainly just needs to be flat and dry!
Before you speak to your venue, you might like to check out our handy venue checklist. This contains all the questions worth asking your venue before you book a band for a wedding, from sound limiters to curfews.
Just make sure that the band has access to a power supply on the day, and a minimum of two separate domestic power sockets to plug into.
Please also make sure your wedding band has the food and refreshments that they need on the night. Bands performing in the evening will require a hot meal to keep their energy levels up!
Depending on the venue, some bands will also need reserved parking or a secure changing room. Check the band's profile for more details.
Many venues have sound limiters installed. These are designed to cut off the power to the band when the music or the crowd’s applause exceeds a certain volume, which can damage band equipment.
First, check whether your sound limiter can be turned off for the performance.
If not, don't panic - most live wedding bands can perform within the limits of a sound limiter set to 95dB or higher.
If your venue's limiter is set to a lower threshold than this, let us know so we can check this isn't a problem with the band. We may need to suggest an acoustic act, or bands using electric drum kits.
Great! If you would like to book a wedding band and you've already received a quote from us, simply email or call us on 0333 242 0560.
We'll draw up a secure booking contract between you and the act immediately.
You’ll need to pay a deposit by credit or debit card to secure the band, with the rest payable nearer, or on, the event date.
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Function Central is the leading UK wedding band hire agency. Use the menu below to find outstanding local bands for weddings nationwide.
Hiring a local wedding band can save money on travel and accommodation costs.
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