Behind the Scenes of Wedding Music: Why We Charge What We Charge
I absolutely love playing weddings. It’s an honor to be chosen as the entertainment for a couple’s big day, and it gives me a sense of pride and accomplishment like no other gig. Each wedding is unique, and I love the variety that comes with customizing the music to suit
the couple’s vision. Delivering their chosen songs with artistic flair is deeply fulfilling. For more on this, read my article called “Why I Love Playing Weddings.”
I am completely transparent with my pricing when talking to couples who are in the planning states, and I feel that they should understand how much work goes into providing the perfect music for their once-in-a-lifetime event, and why we charge what we charge. While some vendors may mark up their rates simply because it’s a wedding, I can assure you that every penny we charge reflects the amount of work, preparation, and experience involved.
I. Preparation
A. Repertoire Selection
One of the most exciting and often time-consuming aspects of preparing for a wedding is planning the repertoire. Couples sometimes love to dive into our extensive repertoire list, marking songs as “must play,” “maybe play,” and “don’t play.” This is a fun part of their wedding planning journey, but for me, the next step involves hours of work organizing these selections into manageable face sheets for the event. Some couples request specific songs for different portions of the wedding, such as during the ceremony, cocktail hour, or the dance set after dinner. I take great care to ensure that every song is played at the perfect moment. The amount of detail that goes into this process is something many of my band members don’t even realize—it’s all part of ensuring the night runs smoothly.
B. Timeline Navigation
Another key element of wedding preparation is navigating the event timeline. Often, I’ll receive lengthy documents from wedding planners detailing every step of the event. While these documents are invaluable, they aren’t always practical for a musician to flip through on the bandstand. I spend additional time condensing these into easy-to-follow formats, organized by time and event type. It’s a time-consuming process, but it ensures that every moment of the night—from the processional to the last dance—runs like clockwork.
C. Special Requests
I offer couples up to three song requests that are not already part of our repertoire list. These are often meaningful songs for the ceremony or first dances, and learning them takes time and dedication. I spend hours transcribing, learning melodic phrasing, and preparing the
arrangement for the band. It’s important to me that we don’t just perform the song but truly own it, delivering it with the same emotion and nuance as the original. To perfect these requests, I often record myself performing them and listen back while driving to the event to make sure I have the song down to a science.
D. MC Duties
I’m happy to take on the role of MC for weddings at no extra cost. While this might not always be a significant amount of extra work, it does require careful coordination. When couples provide specific scripts for introductions or announcements, these need to be woven into the overall planning process, ensuring that everything happens at just the right time and with the right words.
II. Physical Work
A. Managing Gear
One of the often overlooked but critical components of being a wedding musician is managing 
and transporting gear. Every gig requires checklists to ensure that nothing is forgotten—from instruments to amplifiers to backup equipment. I prepare all my gear at my studio, pack my car, and ensure everything is ready for the event. For larger weddings, I even bring extra equipment to accommodate different parts of the event (ceremony, cocktail hour, reception), which requires a significant amount of logistical planning.
In addition to regular setup, there are maintenance concerns that need constant attention. For example, I recently had to replace the battery in my amp after it started malfunctioning at the very end of a ceremony. It was during the final song and almost all the guests had left the ceremony area, and I was grateful it did not happen any sooner! Finding time to troubleshoot these issues is another hidden cost of the job (as I now have contacted the manufacturer for a replacement battery, and will have to learn how to install it.) Temperature changes, especially at outdoor events, can also affect equipment, adding stress to the process.
B. Endurance Requirements
The physical demands of performing at weddings cannot be understated. Even a three-hour reception requires at least 90 minutes of setup, 45 minutes of teardown, and packing/unpacking on either side of the gig. That quickly turns a three-hour event into six hours of labor. For longer events that include a ceremony and cocktail hour, I might be on my feet for up to 10 hours. While there are typically a couple of
breaks during the evening, they often get filled with managing wireless mics, adjusting volumes for speeches, and handling other last-minute details.
III. Time Investment
On top of the time spent at the event itself, there’s often a significant amount of travel involved. I typically travel up to three hours one way, meaning that a wedding an hour and a half away involves an additional three hours on the road, not counting potential stops, traffic, or wrong turns. In cases where the venue is over two and a half hours away, I might book an AirBnB for the night, which of course also requires extra planning and time.
Besides travel, there’s the time spent preparing the music, scheduling Zoom meetings with the couple, drafting contracts, and booking musicians. All these tasks quickly add up, and it’s not uncommon for the total time investment for one wedding to reach 15+ hours.
IV. Post-Wedding Tasks
Even after the wedding is over, there’s follow-up work to be done. I often reach out to the couple to ask for a review, edit any videos I recorded during the event, and decide whether to add any of the special requests to our permanent repertoire. There’s also the task of uploading photos and videos to our website and social media accounts. These post-wedding duties might seem small, but they are crucial for maintaining a strong presence online and generating future business.
V. Conclusion
Weddings are a labor of love for me. I pour everything into making sure that the couple and their guests have the time of their lives. It’s an honor to play such an important role in someone’s wedding, and I take that responsibility very seriously. I hope that after reading about all the work that goes on behind the scenes, you can see why we charge what we charge. Every detail of the music at your wedding will be attended to with care and expertise, so you can relax and enjoy your big day, knowing that the entertainment is good hands, with someone who has decades of experience and deeply cares about your event’s success!
If you’re planning a wedding and would like to explore your options for live entertainment with me, then book a free music consultation with me or reach out through the contact page.
