Time is of the essence when it comes to wedding planning. To ensure everything will go smoothly on the big day, it is vital to prepare things as far ahead of time as possible. Unfortunately, some to-be wed couples consider booking a live wedding band as an afterthought. They hire a group on the last-minute, only to regret their decision later on because the group just did not deliver.

So if you are getting married and it is in your plans to hire a live wedding band, it is a good idea to avoid doing it on the last-minute. That way, you will avoid the potential disasters written below.

Fewer options

As a rule of thumb, a live band must be booked at least six months up to a year before the wedding. This is to ensure you will have more options to choose from and you will have better chances of landing an act that you want. If you try to push your search on the last-minute, not only will your choices be limited, it is even possible you will end up empty-handed, which will not do your wedding any good.

Higher rates

There are musicians who will agree to be booked on the last-minute. However, they will probably do it at a price higher than you are willing to pay for. This is because they will have to squeeze your wedding in on their schedule and they are left with little time to prepare their music.

If you are working on a tight budget, your best bet is to start searching once your wedding date has been finalized. Doing so will enable you to save cash and use it for more important details of your big day.

Lamer song choices and bad performance

As the bride or the groom, you do not want to get the shock of a lifetime because the band you have hired played an offensive song. Sadly, this can happen, especially if you book the group a few days or weeks before the wedding. This is because it is likely that they have limited time left to practice the songs in your playlist and they may even choose to do covers of songs that are not actually on your list. The result? A bad performance that could either put your guests into snooze or scrambling away from the dance floor.

Keep in mind that months down the road, your guests may entirely forget the taste of the food served in your reception. However, they will surely remember the dancing, vibe, and flow of the night. All these are the results of an excellent wedding band, which you can only achieve if you book them ahead of time.

Similar to other aspects of your wedding, you should deal with your big day’s music judiciously. If you want to make sure the crowd will enjoy and you will not end up dealing with the problems mentioned above, book a group wisely and do so in advance.

Ericka is an avid writer knowledgeable about weddings. She specializes in discussing topics related to live wedding bands and is currently a regular contributor for Northern Star.