How do I make a booking?
Ready to get the party started? Here’s how it works:
- Pick your entertainment and either drop us an online enquiry using the enquiry form, email us at hello@live-weddings.co.uk or give us a call on 0800 6346799.
- We’ll chat about what you need and get a confirmed quote straight from the artist.
- Happy with your choice? Great! We’ll send over a booking contract for you and the artist to sign.
- Pay a small deposit using credit/debit card, cheque or BACS transfer.
- Usually, you’ll pay the rest directly to the artist on the event date or 14 days prior at their request. If you prefer, you can pay the full amount upfront to Live Weddings and we’ll handle the rest.
What payment methods do you accept?
You can pay your deposit with a credit/debit card or BACS transfer. Just a heads-up, we don’t accept American Express (AMEX).
Usually, you’ll pay the rest directly to the artist on the event date, or 14 days prior at their request. If you prefer, you can pay the full amount upfront to Live Weddings and we’ll handle the rest.
Can I amend my booking?
In most circumstances, yes. Have a chat or send an email to your Live Weddings coordinator and they’ll sort out any changes to your booking. If you need the artist to stay longer, show up earlier or change location there might be some extra costs. The artist will need to approve these changes and will do all they can to accommodate your requests.
All changes need to be on your contract, which only Live Weddings can re-issue (don’t worry, it’s free!).
Can I cancel or rearrange my booking date?
Sometimes, life throws a curveball and you need to cancel or rearrange a booking. We understand that this can be tough and upsetting to talk about. Rest assured, if you need to cancel, we’ll always handle the situation with respect and compassion for what you’re going through.
Re-arranging a booking is possible but it is still technically a cancellation. It is down to the artists discretion as to whether they will alter the date of the booking, factoring in the notice period and whether they can fill the date that has been changed.
If you need to cancel or rearrange a booking, please get in touch with your Live Weddings coordinator as soon as possible. If you don’t have their number, call reception on 0800 634 6799. For the fastest response, try to speak directly with your coordinator by phone. If that’s not possible, send us an email detailing the reasons for cancelling or rearranging. Ensure your email is received since spam filters can block messages. Avoid cancelling by email at short notice, as we might not see it before the artist heads to your venue.
Once we know you need to cancel or rearrange, we’ll notify the artist and begin the cancellation process, including calculating any applicable fees.
Cancellation Consequences and Costs
All bookings are secured with a legally binding contract, so there are consequences for cancelling. A cancellation fee will be due if the reason isn’t covered by a ‘force majeure event’ and the artist can’t secure another booking of equal value for your date. If the artist does secure another booking of equal value, you won’t owe any fees.
Force Majeure Event. A force majeure event includes situations beyond your control, like war, fire, serious illness, epidemics, accidents, civil unrest, national emergencies, government orders, or acts of God. In simple terms, you can only cancel without penalty if an unforeseeable disaster occurs, like a national calamity.
The cancellation fee is a percentage of the artist’s net fee, excluding travel and other costs. The artist can only charge for actual losses, which in this case would be their lost earnings.
What if the artist cancels?
Unless you’ve booked an artist with a rare clause in their contract allowing them to cancel due to an unforeseen tour or TV work (which would have been clearly highlighted when you booked), the artist is legally bound to your contract just as you are. They can’t cancel for any reason other than a ‘force majeure event’.
If your artist cancels due to a contract breach or a force majeure event, we’ll inform you immediately and help find a suitable replacement. We have a 24-hour emergency cover service, so even at very short notice, just give us a call, and we’ll support you in finding a new artist.
Can I see the artist perform live before booking?
In most cases, this isn’t possible because we work with bands and artists who specialise in private events. Since these shows are private, we can’t just pop in for a sneak peek.
Can I speak with the booked artist directly?
Once you’ve booked, Live Weddings will put you in direct contact with your artist 6 weeks prior to your event to make sure your requirements are still the same and dot the I’s. If you need to talk to the artist sooner, we can arrange it, but most of the pre-event planning should go through your Live Weddings coordinator. We’re here to make sure everything is noted properly, so nothing gets missed!
Most artists won’t do site visits—they’re usually not necessary. If there’s a special circumstance that really needs a site visit, we can set it up, but there will likely be a fee to cover their time and travel.
Can I choose the songs my artist plays?
Most bands love it when you have a little input. Deciding on songs from their list that are definite go’s and no’s. However, we don’t allow the client to have ultimate control over the band’s playlist. We hope you can trust them work their magic to create the perfect soundtrack. They need to think about a lot of factors to make sure the set flows smoothly, and the singer will probably want to avoid putting certain songs back-to-back.
Feel free to share your input, but trust the band to use their expertise to finalise the playlist for an amazing evening!
Will the artist play my first dance?
If the band offers this service, you’ll see it listed as a booking option on their profile page. Not sure? Just ask your agent!
If the band thinks the song isn’t one they’ll perform again, they might charge a fee to cover rehearsal time and renting a rehearsal space. They’ll also typically agree to learn a song only if it works with their usual instruments. For instance, a guitar-based band might struggle to nail a Frank Sinatra tune without the piano and orchestra.
My venue has a sound limiter. What does this mean?
Sound limiters can be party poopers! If you’re not familiar, they’re devices that measure the volume in a room and cut the power if it stays too loud for more than 10-20 seconds.
If you have a venue with a limiter, choose a band that can comply. Your entertainment co-ordinator can help you with that. Please make Live Weddings aware of the sound limiter as soon as you find out, as this could have an impact on your performers.
- Bands are loud – not on purpose, but it’s just the nature of them. They’ll try to work within the sound limiter’s rules, but it’s tough if the limiter is set too low. The band can’t play any quieter than the natural volume of their drum kit, which is pretty loud even without amplification. Choose bands that offer a cajon or percussive options instead of drums or artists with backing tracks instead of drums.
- Volume Balance – The minimum volume is set so that other instruments and vocals can be heard over the drums. This varies by band and style. Pop/rock bands tend to be louder due to their energetic drumming. Jazz bands, with their softer brush sticks, usually don’t have this problem.
- Venue Cooperation – Often, if the venue sees the band making an effort to comply, they might turn off the limiter or raise the threshold if issues arise. This is not always an option.
- Thresholds – If the limiter is set around 95dB, most party bands can play without much trouble. Any lower, and even audience applause could cut the power!
- Electronic Drum Kits – Some bands offer electronic drum kits that look like regular drums but are much quieter, with sounds coming from PA speakers. These are great for venues with strict sound limits.
What are the benefits of booking with Live Weddings?
Expert Advice: We make sure you get the perfect entertainment for your event, with nothing left to chance. We are a personal business who cares about your party.
Quick and Friendly Service: We’re here to answer your questions promptly and give you all the help you need, even after you’ve booked.
Rock-Solid Contracts: No funny business here! Our safe and secure booking contracts guarantee the performance you asked for, exactly as you wanted.
24/7 Emergency Support: If the unexpected happens, we’ve got a round-the-clock emergency service to set things right.
Great Value: We ensure you get the best deal possible. No surprise markups—what you receive in your quote is the price you pay!
Trusted and Established: We’ve were established in 2015 and we’re not going anywhere. Your booking is in good hands.
Top-Quality Artists: Our artist liaison team vets each act, and we continuously monitor their performance. Any act that doesn’t meet our standards is politely shown the door.
Reliable Pros: Our artists are professional, ethical, and have glowing references from previous clients.
User-Friendly Process: From enquiry to booking, we keep it simple—no jargon, no stress, no hassles. Try us out and see how easy it is to book amazing live entertainment!
How does Live Weddings choose its acts?
Tough Love: Every artist has to go through our rigorous application system, overseen by our dedicated artist liaison. Only 40% of acts make the cut.
All the Goods: Artists must complete a detailed application form and submit top-quality demo materials. We need proof they’ve played professional gigs before and are experienced in events and weddings.
Chat Time: We chat with each artist on the phone, digging deep to make sure they’re team players who’ll represent us well.
Thorough Vetting: If they make it this far, we gather references from previous clients, collect feedback, and then their application goes to a final review by Lucy, our MD.
Ongoing Quality Checks: After every event, we ask our customers for detailed feedback on the artist’s performance, attitude, and behaviour. Our artist liaison team monitor this closely. Any negative comments, even minor gripes, are addressed with the artist. If improvements aren’t made, they’re deactivated.
No Room for Slackers: Our reputation is too valuable to work with artists who don’t meet our high standards. Only the best make the cut!
Why shouldn’t I book the local band?
Tempting, But Risky: Sure, booking a local band might seem like a great idea, but it can be a risky move and a false economy.
No Safety Net: Booking a band directly means no real cover if things go south. If you don’t know the band personally, they have no loyalty to you and might not worry about their reputation. The biggest risk? They could get a better offer and cancel your event. That’s not an option when they’re contracted through an agency.
Book with Confidence: When you book through Live Weddings, you’re covered by a contract, the band’s loyalty to us, and our professional, reputable team ready to find a replacement in an emergency. We care about our reputation, and we won’t let you down.
Quality Matters: Local bands only answer to themselves, so there’s no guarantee on quality control, behaviour, song choices, appearance, or equipment. With Live Weddings, our artists pass strict application guidelines and are accountable to us based on client feedback. This ensures you get a reliable band with no nasty surprises.
You Get What You Pay For: Often cheaper local bands often sound, well, cheap. Professional function bands have top-notch PA systems, lighting, instruments, and performance skills. Your event is important—don’t cut corners with the music! You wouldn’t hire the local chip shop owner to cater your event, right? The difference in quality is noticeable, and you’ll wish you’d booked a professional band.
Peace of Mind: If you pay a deposit to a local band and they split up, disappear, or stop returning your calls, who’s going to help? You’ll end up coming to Live Weddings anyway and paying another deposit. Book with us from the start for security and peace of mind, with no risk of being messed around.
What rider do I need to provide?
Afternoon Acts: For daytime musicians and entertainers, soft drinks, water, tea, and coffee are usually perfect.
Party Bands & Evening Entertainers: These artists often need a bit more sustenance, which is covered in their contract.
Why the Fuss? Most evening artists are away from home for 12-16 hours, from the time they leave until they get back. They need a hearty meal to keep their energy up, so hot food or a quality buffet is the way to go. If feeding the artist at your venue is a no-go, please let them know well in advance and we can arrange a per diem.
Meal Timing: Make sure your hotel or catering staff know that the artist(s) needs to be fed, ideally right after their first performance. If they’re hitting the buffet, it’s helpful if the caterers can plate it separately so the artist doesn’t have to wait in line and miss their chance to eat before the second set.
Drinks: Ensure the bar staff knows that soft drinks and tea/coffee are free for the band (or arrange to have plenty in their changing room). You don’t have to provide alcohol, but a complimentary beer after the performance is often appreciated for the none drivers.
What if I have a complaint?
Rare But Ready: While complaints are thankfully rare, we’ve got a super-efficient system to handle them with care and thoroughness.
Got a Serious Complaint? Chat with your entertainment coordinator, who will formally bring your complaint to the artist’s attention. We usually do this in writing to keep everything clear and accountable. The coordinator will mediate with the artist, get their side of the story, and relay it back to you in writing.
Finding a Resolution: If the artist’s response or any compensation offer doesn’t hit the mark, your coordinator will keep working between both parties until everyone’s happy. If no agreement is reached, you’re entitled to take legal action against the artist directly (most are represented by the Musicians Union or Equity), and your solicitor can offer more detailed legal advice.
Artist Accountability: If we find that an artist has caused unnecessary trouble or doesn’t fully cooperate with the complaint process, they’ll be removed from our agency immediately.
Complaints About Us? If you have an issue with Live Weddings or your coordinator, you can email our MD, Lucy Campbell.
Still Unhappy? You can also complain to Trading Standards, get advice from The Office of Fair Trading, or visit Advice Now.
We’re here to make sure everything runs smoothly, and we’re committed to resolving any issues with a smile!