After I said “yes!” and picked a date, I realized I needed to jump on finding wedding musicians, aka a wedding band. We had gone to a great wedding years ago and I remember Casey’s mom getting me the name of the music band and thinking, “Someday!” The band was so great, I reached out right away. Unfortunately, the band I had heard was unavailable, but he had a mirror band.
Using a “Mirror Band”
A mirror band is another band created to be like the first. Usually they are less expensive and have similar qualities to the original. If you want a wedding band, but have budget restraints, this could be a great option. Just ask.
They had some upcoming shows right outside of Boston. I said I would do my best to go. Okay, my brain was all in, but my body had no desire to go. 7:30 on a Sunday night, two hours south of me…did I mention there just happened to be a snow storm on its way? But I rallied my unknowing bridesmaids and made the trek to see the band. They were amazing! I talked to the band manager. He stepped away for a minute and my friend told me she had overheard another couple mention they had the same wedding date. I knew I had to move quickly–first come, first serve, right? I offered the manager a check on the spot.
Know Before You Go
In hindsight, I should have asked the band manager beforehand if they were in talks with any other couples who had my same wedding date. Another helpful tip is to ask about their booking procedure. Do they go with the first person that contacts them or the first one who pays?
When the manager realized I had the same date as the other couple he told me he would let me know. Seriously?! I waited two days. He called me three times. He first tried to get me to move my date…“Ummm, no!” Then he said he had to think about it. Finally, he said he was going with the other couple, even though I paid him first. After what felt like forever on the phone, (basically free therapy from me) he offered me $100 for my gas and time.
Now what?! The manager said he would get me in touch with an agent who should be able to help me. This guy was on it. He had a website and sent me links to bands in my budget range. After listening to five options, we narrowed it down. Honestly, I wasn’t sold on any of them. The agent had a showcase scheduled…you guessed it…7:30pm on a Sunday, even farther away than the last one. I was bitter and burnt out. I didn’t make it.
Evaluating Wedding Musicians
If you listen online to a wedding music band, ask if it has been edited or if it is a raw recording. I would say that one isn’t better than the other, but it is good to know. Then I would say you HAVE to see them live to really know if they are a good fit. Also, talk to the person from the band who will mcee the wedding — you need to have someone announce special dances and alert guests as to when the cake is being cut.
I read everywhere never to use friends as vendors, but I went against the advice, went on Facebook and connected with an old friend, who is in a band, to see if he had any recommendations. Shockingly enough, he said he would be interested, was free that date and could work with me to figure out what I was looking for. We headed to Lowell to check him out and it was awesome.
There were a few technical issues with an amp (or something) but most people didn’t notice. He spoke during the songs and got the crowd excited. PERFECT! He even got Casey to sing a few lyrics and he hadn’t even finished his beer yet! After the show, we discussed some additions to his group for the event and the rest is history! Sweep the Leg became our first booked wedding vendor!
Tip About Working with Friends
Keep in mind, if you are going to use a friend as a vendor, make sure they already do this work professionally and you can be honest with them. Figure out what is more important to you, the friendship or the service. Move forward accordingly!
