Everything Irish couples ask us before booking, answered straight: timing, budgets, band-versus-DJ, venue logistics and the questions that separate professionals from chancers.
Before you compare bands, decide the shape of the evening: a drinks-reception set while guests arrive? A grand entrance? Two hours of live music at peak time, with a DJ either side? A day-two party? The best entertainment companies build the day around the music rather than bolting a band onto a schedule — and the earlier that conversation happens, the better the night flows.
The difference between a good night and a great one is usually logistics: whether the band has played your venue before, whether setup is finished before your guests are called to dinner, whether the venue's sound limits or house-PA rules are known in advance, and whether special effects like cold sparks have the venue's written sign-off. Ask any band you're considering how they handle each of these — venue knowledge is half the show.
Watch live footage (not just studio videos), read named reviews, and ask to see the band at a public gig or showcase before you commit. A professional outfit will have public liability insurance, a clear contract, transparent payment terms and a named point of contact who chases the details so you don't have to.
Ready to compare real options? See our wedding packages, browse the six bands, or read about taking the party abroad.
Peak Saturdays in summer and December go 12–24 months out. If your date is fixed, enquire early — established bands only take one wedding per night, and a booking fee secures your date exclusively.
Line-up size (a trio costs less than an eight-piece), whether a DJ is included, travel distance, whether the venue supplies sound and staging or the band brings full production, and extras like a drinks-reception set, grand entrance or day-two party.
For most weddings, yes. A band-plus-DJ package means the music never stops between sets and after the band finishes — and any request outside the band's set simply goes to the DJ, so nothing gets missed.
Ask who exactly will perform on the night, whether they've played your venue, what happens if a band member is ill, how first-dance customisation works, what's needed from the venue, and how timings flex if dinner runs late. Clear answers are the mark of a professional outfit.
Good bands treat the first dance as a production moment: acoustic intros that drop into the full track, mash-ups, live sax over a DJ version, an exact fade at the right bar. Send the exact version you love and ask how they'd stage it.
A live band creates the moments people talk about; the DJ keeps the floor moving between them. If budget forces a choice, prioritise live music for the peak two hours and a DJ either side — the format most Irish venues see work night after night.
Tell us the date, the venue and the energy you want — we'll come back with the line-up.
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