Here at The Band Boutique we pride ourselves in offering awesome and unusual entertainment to get your guests up and dancing at an evening wedding reception, but what if you want some music throughout the day? It is natural for a wedding to have some down time and no one wants their guests dropping off while the family takes photos so why not keep them amused by hiring some great day entertainment.

We've identified 4 key events during the wedding day where music can be most crucial.

• The ceremony.
• Photo hour.
• Drinks reception.
• During the wedding breakfast.

Before and During The Ceremony

A great time to have some meaningful background music is the wedding ceremony. There is usually 15 or 20 minutes before the bride arrives and the music used here can set the tone for the whole day. We work with a range of great acts that specialise in ceremony music. They can offer a few requests for the bride to walk down the aisle, during the signing of the register and for the happy couple to walk out to.

The following acts are some examples of the musicians we put forward for ceremony music...

Acoustic Trio - MK3

MK3 are an acoustic trio with double bass, guitar and vocals. They perform at many ceremonies and drinks receptions and their full 5-piece often rock up to make the evening party go off with a bang. An example service for the day includes 3 requests for your ceremony, 15mins of pre-ceremony music and up to 2 x 40mins of live background music for during your canapés or drinks reception.

Acoustic Music

There is something really special about a solo guitar and vocal. It's very intimate and in a small setting can work well without invasive amplification. We have several acts who offer a great ceremony service and can also include music for later during the drinks reception if needed.

Greg is a solo singer and guitarist. He has a wide repertoire and great voice and is based in Cambridgeshire.  Check him out here.

Anabel offers a female vocal and guitar duo. The duo are very experienced in playing ceremonies and wedding music. They are open to learning a few new special songs for you and can even add more members to rock your reception later on.

Wandering Band

Some of our bands can perform fully acoustically while wandering around your drinks reception or meal. Our favourite at the moment is Fiddler's Elbow. They are a trio of acoustic guitars, vocals, and violin that play a mix of classic and modern pop tunes that your guests will love to sing along to.

Photo Hour

This is the time during the wedding day where you'll want to get some great pictures of the bride and groom with various family members and friends. While this is definitely not something that can be skipped the guests who aren't having their photos taken will need something to do while they wait. It has become very popular in the last year for couples to hire wandering bands for this sort of time and we have a few to choose from.

One of our favourites is the Mariachi Busking Band.

These guys offer a great selection of rock and pop in a mariachi style. They are experienced in weddings and offer a great range of tunes everyone will know. They can play fully acoustic and wander between groups of guests so are ideal for the photo hour. Check them out here - Mariachi Busking Band.

Another great themed act for this time is The Cotton Piccadilly's. A bluegrass and country styled band playing rock and pop tunes with banjo, mandolin, acoustic guitar and double bass.

Both these bands will add a touch of fun to your day. They are unique and different and your guests won't expect it. Check out the bluegrass band here.

Drinks Reception Music

It is often nice to have something sophisticated during your drinks reception. This can be in the form of a jazz act, or vocal trio. It's also nice to have something fun and upbeat. Having music during the drinks reception will give your chatting guests something to focus on while they mingle. It can also be an ice breaker for people who may not know each other so well.

We recommend some of the following acts for this time...

Sophisticated Drinks Reception

How about laid back jazz for a sophisticated drinks reception. No one does it better than these guys... The Swing Kings. Check out their lead singer's vocals. We think you'll be blow away.

Upbeat and Fun Background Music

Classic Kanish offer upbeat background music that's ideal for getting your guests warmed up for the party later on. As they play with fully acoustic instruments they can play as loud or as quiet as needed. Here's a video of their more light sound...

To check out more from Classic Kanish click here. The band can also offer electric tunes for your reception.

Wedding Breakfast Music

Music for the wedding breakfast needs to work for a similar criteria as the drinks reception but be slightly more low key. We find an acoustic duo or band works well for this time.

Here are some suggestions...

Helen offers a cool laid back piano and vocal solo act. She can also add a jazz guitarist as accompaniment.

Find out more about Helen and Paul here.

Music For Your Wedding Day

We hope you enjoy some of these acts. We work with many others that are ideal for wedding day music. Some even offer evening reception services as well so you can kill two birds with one musical stone.