Scottish Wedding Bands and Musicians

So, you are having a Scottish wedding and would like to hire a wedding band? Well, before you even start looking at bands, you should have a serious think about what type of music and band you would like at your wedding. This will save you a lot of time and ensure you hire the most suitable band for your wedding.

In Scotland, there are essentially four main types of bands you can choose for your wedding. Pop Covers, Ceilidh, Jazz, and Tribute Bands. Each band has it own advantages and disadvantages. So let us take a look at each type in more detail.

Pop Cover Bands

These are the normal types of wedding bands in Scotland and they play songs recorded and made famous by other artists. Most cover bands, who specialise in weddings, will play a wide range of hits from the 1960's right up to current chart hits. As weddings comprise of a fairly broad range of people and ages, the cover band's plan is to play a wide range of music that will keep everyone happy. Although many cover bands may include a little bit of Ceilidh music or Jazz, they do not tend to specialise in these genres. The typical Pop Cover band will do about fours hours at a wedding and take a thirty-minute break.

Scottish Ceilidh Bands

Ceilidh Bands concentrate in providing Scottish ceilidh dances for for the wedding, such as The Gay Gordons, The Military Two-Step, and Strip The Willow etc. If the wedding party is from Scotland, then they will know the dances because most of the dances are taught to Scots when they are at school. However, if there are many people at the wedding who are not Scottish, then the band may have to teach the steps and call the dances (remind people what to do during the dance). The good news is that most of the dances are very easy to learn and can therefore be picked up very quickly. Again, the typical Ceilidh band will play for about four hours at a wedding and take a thirty-minute break.

Jazz And Swing Bands

A good wedding Jazz Band will play a mixture of jazz standards and swing music e.g. Bobby Darin and Sinatra. Many good Jazz bands are very versatile and can include some Pop Covers and Ceilidh dances. However, their main forte is Jazz. The typical Jazz wedding band will again do about four hours at a wedding and take a thirty-minute break.

Tribute Bands

Whereas a Pop Cover Band plays covers from a wide range of artists, the typical Tribute band will concentrate in covering one particular band. This could be Abba, Robbie Williams, Take That, Slade, Queen - or any band that you could possibly think of. So, if you are a fan of a particular band, then a tribute band may be the ideal choice for you. Usually Tribute bands only do about two forty-five minute sets, so if you are having a tribute band, then you may have to hire another band or DJ to cover the last two hours at your wedding reception.

These then are the main types of bands that are popular for weddings in Scotland. Which band you choose will depend on the type of music you like and, just as importantly, the type of band you think your family and guests will like.

Do Some Research

The easiest way to find out if your choice will be acceptable to most guests is to do a little research. For example, if you really want a particular type of band, then ask your friends and family what they think. Do they like that type of music? Would they get and dance to that type of music?

By asking people you will be able to build up a picture of which type of band will be the most popular with your particular family and guests. The important thing to remember is that each wedding is different and the band that played at your friend's wedding may not be the ideal choice for your wedding.

Expert Advice

If you would like some expert advice on the matter, then go to a reputable Entertainment Agent in Scotland. If the agent is good, then it will cost nothing, and you find him an invaluable source of information and assistance, when it comes to choosing the right band for your wedding.

Remember, you are never going to please everyone at your wedding. However, by spending a little time thinking about what type of band you want and which band would be most suitable for your guests, then you will increase your chances of keeping the vast majority of people happy and dancing all night.

Have a lovely Scottish wedding!