Find trusted wedding bands near you

Hiring a wedding band through Airtasker is a convenient and reliable way to find entertainers for your reception and ceremony. The kinds of music that your local bands can play will vary, but with a properly filled-out task post and coordination with your chosen Tasker, you can pull off a memorable event together.  

When hiring a wedding band, be sure to ask for their rider - this is a document that states what the crew needs your wedding coordinator to provide. This may include water, dressing rooms, and transportation to and from the wedding venue. The contract rider may also include the number of sets, how long each break between sets will last, and the rules regarding overtime or extensions. 

Preparing wedding setlists

The first step for you and your wedding band is to prepare a setlist. This covers genres, artists, or songs you want to hear on your special day. It also includes tracks for key moments in the party (e.g. first dance as a couple, parent-child dances, last dance). Be involved as possible during this process since bands will work hard to perfectly perform the songs that help tell your story as a couple. 

It would help if you also informed the Taskers about your “do not play” list. This includes any songs that remind you of previous relationships, bring the vibe down, or could offend your guests. 

Equipment setup and soundcheck

The wedding band arrives at your venue and sets up their equipment. They will usually do a series of soundchecks and test their instruments to ensure that everything is in working order. In case of emergency technical problems, you can use our platform to find audio equipment repair experts near you.

To keep things running smoothly before you and your guests arrive at the reception venue, we suggest having the wedding band coordinate with the people in charge of the event setup. 

Live music

The Taskers will perform a series of sets with breaks in between. Each set may last from 30 minutes to one hour so that you could use the intervals between each set for toasts, speeches, or other entertainers. Some couples may even prefer timing the gap between segments with the meal so that guests can chat and relax without any loud music playing.  

Some - but not all - bands may take requests. If your chosen wedding band is open to this, but you’d rather that they not accept requests from guests. 

Hosting or MC-ing

Depending on the Tasker you get, some bands offer to host as part of their inclusions. This lets the host or vocalist have smooth transitions between program segments while the band starts playing appropriate music for the next part of the program. 

Choosing a band size and style for each part of your wedding

Different moments need different sounds, so it helps to match the line-up to the part of the day rather than booking one format for everything. This also makes live band hire easier to plan and budget for.

Ceremony: a solo musician, acoustic duo or string quartet suits the quieter setting. They’re easy to position, need little or no amplification, and can time the processional to your walk down the aisle.

Cocktail hour and dinner: a jazz trio or acoustic set keeps the atmosphere lively while guests talk. The volume stays low enough for conversation and speeches.

Reception and dancing: a four- to six-piece cover band gives you the energy of a full wedding band for the dance floor. Bigger line-ups need more stage space and power, so check both with your venue.

Many couples combine options, for example a string trio for the ceremony and a cover band for the reception, or a band with a wedding DJ covering the breaks between sets. Explore more wedding entertainment options if you’re still deciding.