The first question you should ask is.What is my budget for entertainment? By deciding on just what budget you have to finance hire of an artist or band, you can easily exclude entertainers who want a fee higher than you are happy to pay.
Question two would be.. What type of entertainer do you need? If you are looking for a singer, try to choose an artist with a broad appeal to as many of your guests as possible. You may be a big fan of 'Mega-death' or '50 Cent' but you can probably imagine the reaction of your Auntie Maud and many other members of your family and friends when a band or singer begins to belt out a 'tribute' to one of these artists
Which leads me to suggest that you consider a popular and well known 'Tribute Artist' to entertain you and your guests? Artists such as Elvis Presley, Tom Jones, Rod Stewart etc. are well known to young and old and there will be a song or two that everyone will recognise and enjoy ?
Your artist must be dependable,skillful, a great performer and a top quality singer. This event is the most noteworthy day of your life, so you can't afford to be let down 'on the night'? So how can you confirm that you pick the right perfomer or musical group? The entertainer you engage must be experienced, professional, a superb musician or vocalist and terrific entertainment for all.
So, what do you need to keep in mind when choosing the most suitable wedding singer or band?
You could query about this with your wedding representative or with the hotel that you are using. They sometimes keep a list of top-notch entertainers that they have personally seen perform and they will perhaps have a contact number or e-mail for you to ascertain their fee and availability .
A second way is to employ a respected and well organized entertainment agency, who can guide you towards a top quality artist. They may also be able to inform you on nominating your D.J. and/or Master Of Ceremonies and any other unique entertainment, such as table magicians, paparazzi photographers to take photographs of your guests, ice statues etc.
A third way is to pick out your artist direct from their website, usually by doing a search on Google, using keywords such as 'Elvis Presley impersonator' or similar. You will be presented with a listing of artists to take from, and most websites will have demo sound-tracks to listen to and photographs or video of their performances.
If you are picking your performer from a website, take care to remember the following...
If you are choosing a Tribute Artist, do they sing really well and, most importantly, do they in point of fact sound like the artist they are setting out to impersonate? Every person will assert to be number one or list out of this world concerts and places that they have sung at. This is all very commendable, but don't be persuaded by promotional hype.Take a very good look and listen, preferably together with a few friends and family and make sure that you opt for somebody who sounds truly good and creates a good illusion of the original artist. This is highly valuable as you will be listening to them for about an hour or more at your reception, so they must be exceptional!
You should also apply to see proof of their 'Public Liability Insurance' which should provide for for up to at least five million pounds, plus an up to date 'PAT' testing guarantee, which proves that their sound and lighting appliances has been checked by an engineer inside the last twelve months and proved to be in healthy condition. Many venues will not accept performers minus these two certificates, so check that you get a photocopy conveyed to you, or your event organiser.
Make certainyou get a written bond from the performer, guaranteeing their attendance at your event. Some less scrupulous artists will attend a separate event on your date if they are offered a higher fee, so make sure you fix your engagement arrangements in writing. This should be in the shape of a written contract and, if the artist cannot or won't arrange one, this undoubtedly throws doubt on their professionalism and sincerity, so you may need to look somewhere else?
Finally, endeavor to make sure that the artist is furnished with some food and drink during the initial section of the evening. They will perform much better if they are fed and watered before they go on stage!
But what about your venue? You will need to check whether they sanction live music? A few venues only endorse recorded music ( i.e. a D.J. or similar )
Do they have a well-kept, secure changing space where the artist can prepare for the show?
Do they have a 'Noise Limiter' - these are routinely situated when there has been a recognized objection from local people respecting noise levels coming out of the venue. Some artists will not perform at venues which have a sound limiter as, when they are activated, they instantly cut the electrical supply to all sound and lighting apparatus, which means they are probably harmful to sensitive and very expensive sound equipment - Some Noise Limiters are levelled so low that the artist can't competently perform their show and they will refuse to play at the venue. This may well be set out in the fine print of their contract and you will still be committed to pay their full salary, so it is well worth checking this out!
A lot of these provisions will be addressed by your wedding organiser, if you are using one, but don't leave anything to providence. Use this composition as a check-list to liaise with your organiser/artist/wedding venue and check out that all of the points are scrupulously covered.
Good luck with all your preparations and have a superb and remarkable wedding day!
The writer of this article is a qualified singer, with many years of involvement performing in the UK and abroad. He is one of the distinguished Tribute Artists, headlining a show true to the incredible hits of Sir Tom Jones! He encourages questions or dialogue with respect to singing via his e-mail address, You can also find out about more of his work at his website at tom jones tribute and at elvis impersonator