Wedding Band Bookings: Set Lists, Contracts, Referrals

A private-event booking is more than a strong set. The organizer needs clear terms, a band that can pace the room and confidence that changes will be handled calmly.

Build a set list for a four-hour night

A wedding or party band needs more music than a club showcase, but the answer is not one uninterrupted block of dance songs. Ask when guests arrive, eat, make speeches and dance. Ask which cultural or religious traditions the couple and their families are including and what music each needs, rather than assuming from names or the guest list. Put fixed moments on the run sheet: introductions, first dance, parent dances, cake cutting and last dance. Build flexible sets, breaks and agreed break music around those moments: familiar lower-volume songs for arrival and dinner, a clear dance-floor opening, then runs that can rise or cool without emptying the room. Mark reliable openers, songs that can bridge a slow floor and closers that work even if the schedule slips.

Write the song list in keys and tempos that your actual lineup can deliver. Rehearse transitions, endings and the moments when the bandleader addresses guests. Plan breaks with the organizer and decide who provides music while the band is offstage. Keep enough prepared material to handle a delayed dinner or an extended dance window without repeating your strongest songs. For cover acts, a current live video and a song list should show range without pretending every request is already rehearsed.

Quote the full job, not just stage time

Before sending a quote, ask for the date, venue, schedule, indoor or outdoor setup, travel, load-in access, sound needs, guest count, room size and any ceremony or cocktail-hour music. Clarify the lineup they want (full band or a smaller configuration) and whether they want recorded music between sets. List what your quote includes: performance window, setup, sound and lighting responsibilities, travel, breaks, an overtime rate and any requested extra player. Keep the amount and deposit terms in writing; a casual phone agreement is easy to remember differently.

Send a concise offer that names the lineup and the event schedule as currently understood. Ask who has authority to approve changes on the day. If an agency or planner is involved, know whether they are your client, a coordinator or a referral source. Do not hide a required sound rental or travel cost until the contract stage. If the budget does not fit, offer a smaller lineup only if that format genuinely works.

Use a clean contract checklist

A simple written agreement should name the parties, event location, date, arrival and performance times, lineup, services, total fee, deposit, payment due date and accepted payment method. Add who provides power, shelter, stage, sound and a safe load-in route. Set out break timing, overtime approval, weather or venue changes, cancellation and rescheduling terms, and the point person for day-of decisions. State that the band may use substitute players of comparable standard, and name any guaranteed member, such as the lead vocalist. Keep a copy both the bandleader and client can access.

For an outdoor reception, ask what happens if weather makes the stage unsafe; do not promise to play through rain around powered equipment. Ask the venue coordinator directly what vendors must provide: a liability insurance certificate, electrical safety testing where required, the load-in window, the sound limit and whether a limiter cuts power, and the curfew. Requirements vary by venue and country. Include a meal, a place to change, parking and attire in the agreement. State that the date is held only when both the signed agreement and the deposit arrive. Share a final schedule and contact list before the event. A complex booking may need professional contract advice, especially if travel, equipment rental or agency terms add obligations.

Handle song requests without losing the set

Ask for must-play and do-not-play songs well before the event. Separate songs already in your repertoire from new arrangements that need rehearsal or another vocalist. Confirm the key, version and whether a special moment needs a live performance or a recording. A first dance, processional or entrance cue needs an agreed start signal and a backup playback plan. If a requested song does not suit the lineup, say so while the client can choose another approach.

On the night, give the bandleader one channel for requests through the planner or designated contact. Guests can ask, but the bandleader decides and checks every request against the hosts' do-not-play list. Keep the dance set coherent: do not drop a slow ballad into a full floor solely because somebody shouted it. If you can play the request, note when; if you cannot, offer a nearby song or an honest answer.

Run the room and earn the next referral

At load-in, meet the planner, venue manager and sound contact. Confirm where cases can sit, when speeches start and who gives cues. Keep cables clear of guest traffic. Watch the room: a dinner crowd may need space to talk, while a lively floor can carry a longer run. Announce only what you were asked to announce, pronounce names correctly and hand the microphone over promptly when a speech begins. Calm changes matter as much as good playing.

Set the balance due before the event where you can; if any is due on the day, collect it on arrival from the designated contact, never by chasing the hosts at the end of the night. Afterward, thank staff and load out cleanly. Send the planner or host a short thank-you and ask whether a brief live clip or review may be used in future pitches. If an agency or planner booked you, route every inquiry from the night through them and leave your own cards at home unless your agreement allows otherwise. Ask the venue coordinator how vendors get onto their recommended list, and send the coordinator and planner a clip the hosts agreed you could use. With each vendor's OK, publish a public recommended-vendors page using the local link list guide. For more public-facing exposure between private bookings, use the local exposure guide.

Keep public band dates on MetroMeet

Never add a private wedding or party as a show: its title, venue and time appear on your public link, and followers may get an alert. Make your free artist page through Menu (More on a computer), Artists, then the plus button; only an artist name and page address are required. See the artist page guide.

Your public link, metromeet.app/artist/<page-address>, opens for anyone without an account. The Share button copies or shares the link. Send it to fans or turn the link into a QR code for a flyer. Visitors can tap Follow on MetroMeet, then join or sign in to follow your page (MetroMeet is for adults 18+).

Add a bio, up to three genres and one 30-second preview of your own recording already on Apple Music or iTunes; there is no audio upload. Up to six links cover Spotify, Apple Music, Bandcamp, YouTube and two Official site slots accepting secure links, such as your booking website. If you have no Apple recording, skip the preview and link your live promo video on YouTube.

When adding a show, enter the venue's ZIP or postal code (US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the Philippines or Singapore). Followers within their own reach of that venue get one alert. Publish a show as a Plan for RSVPs and a same-day reminder: up to three upcoming Plans, each at most 60 days away.

Published September 29, 2026 · MetroMeet