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Wedding reception musicians

Your party gets started at your drinks reception, so don’t forget the music! Hire weddings musicians for your drinks reception or breakfast to create a magical atmosphere and help break the ice.

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from£450

Rosa Illona

  • London
  • 1
  • (7)

Female pianist with an impressive client list, performing an uplifting and diverse selection of classic and modern pop by artists including Sam Smith, Coldplay and Adele.

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from£500

Gold Duo

  • Hampshire
  • 2
  • (31)

Contemporary & stylish ‘live-lounge’ covers duo with eight years of experience; performing at UK Festivals including, Hyde Park for the London 2012 Olympics and The Formula 1 Grand Prix at Silverstone. Party duo with backing tracks also available.

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from£1,095

Third Light Trio

  • London
  • 3
  • (46)

Featuring rich three-part harmonies and the silky tones of the sax, Third Light acoustic band play covers of all your favourite feel-good tunes, from Lionel Richie and Whitney Houston to Taylor Swift and Bastille.

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from£1,350

Bertie And The Spiffs

  • West Yorkshire
  • 4-5
  • (26)

Hugely entertaining and swinging 1920s-style jazz band, who have previously performed at Wembley Stadium. The band put their own unique and eccentric take on modern pop, from Taylor Swift to Motorhead! DJ laptop service available on request.

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from£675

Satin Strings Ensemble

  • London
  • 4
  • (27)

A dazzling string quartet from London playing a huge mix of classics and modern music with a classical twist!

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from£640

Cherry Hill Duo

  • Manchester
  • 2-5
  • (17)

Dynamic and soulful acoustic duo boasting both male and female lead vocals, an extensive repertoire, and a cool dynamic, specialising in soul, funky mashups, dance, and R&B.

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from£450

Alexandra Katerina

  • London
  • 1-4
  • (7)

Best Harpist of the Year winner with a wealth of experience and a fantastic repertoire that includes classical wedding music, jazz, blues and popular music as well as hits from the musicals. Also available to play with a flautist, cellist or violist.

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from£580

Tempo Latino

  • Leeds
  • 3
  • (31)

Latin flavour to soul, funk, pop and reggae classics, as well as hip-shaking Buena Vista salsa and Latin jazz/soul favourites! Ideal for filling dancefloors, or to add cool, background sophistication.

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from£590

The Soul Gazers

  • London
  • 2-3
  • (27)

Featuring fantastic female vocals and tasteful acoustic guitar playing, this duo delivers an intimate and charismatic performance perfect for any event.

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from£1,170

Knights of Swing

  • Kent
  • 4
  • (26)

Highly experienced and entertaining jazz / swing function band playing the classic hits from artists such as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Michael Bublé, and more.

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from£360

Boutique Sax

  • Wakefield
  • 1-2
  • (10)

Electrifying female saxophonist with a captivating repertoire spanning soul, chart, Motown, Ibiza, dance, and more.

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from£425

Stephanie Blue

  • London
  • 1
  • (15)

Soulful singer guitarist who covers contemporary and classic RnB, pop and soul. She performs with an acoustic or electric guitar at private and corporate events including weddings, award ceremonies, birthdays, product launches and staff parties. Second guitar, cajon and drums also available.

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from£490

The Heartbreakers Duo

  • Manchester
  • 2
  • (15)

The Heartbreakers Duo are a versatile duo available to hire for all kinds of events, playing a wide variety of acoustic arrangements of classic & contemporary songs from Adele to The Killers & more!

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from£360

The Swan Cello Duo

  • Manchester
  • 2
  • (7)

Refined cello duo playing a range of classical, popular, jazz, folk, traditional and Bollywood music. The duo have played with orchestras and bands, in theatres, at festivals and on TV and radio all over the world! Cello quartet also available.

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from£555

Sultans of Swing

  • London
  • 2-5
  • (21)

Versatile jazz trio bringing mellow jazz vibes to any occasion, perfect for background ambiance or jazzing up a themed party. The trio can expand to include a singer or drummer on request.

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from£550

Saxogroove

  • Birmingham
  • 1-3
  • (6)

Talented saxophonist and DJ, covering a wide range of genres, from chill-out, Ibiza hits, club, dance and house to disco, funk, R&B, 80s, and electro-swing. Over 10 years experience in the UK club scene, festivals, and global events.

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from£615

Stereo City Duo

  • London
  • 2-8
  • (12)

Experienced duo who have performed all over the world, covering everything from jazz standards and soul classics to pop and 90s R&B. Requests are always encouraged, as is dancing and singing along!

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from£555

Trio Luna

  • London
  • 2-3
  • (22)

Uplifting Latin band featuring acoustic guitars, vocals and percussion and performing a heady mix of Latin music from across The Caribbean and South America.

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from£495

Acoustic Sunset

  • London
  • 2
  • (11)

Enchanting duo blending powerful vocals with acoustic guitar and loop station, and featuring a wide-ranging set of current chart, dance, pop, folk and jazz standards. French and Italian songs also available on request.

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from£410

Aura Star

  • London
  • 2-4
  • (5)

Impressive harpist who’s performed for The Queen, The European Parliament and the late King of Thailand. With an extensive repertoire including pop, jazz, classical, world and Bollywood music, additional musicians are also available.

Guide to booking wedding musicians

Weddings are unique events. Each wedding drinks reception or wedding breakfast will have a different combination of guests, venue and entertainment requirements, so finding the perfect wedding background music can take some time!

The choice you make depends on what you would like live music to do for you. Do you have a lot of very young guests who would love some entertainment while they’re waiting for the cake? Would you like some gentle wedding background music as a soundtrack to a formal wedding breakfast or drinks reception? Or would you just like to hear your favourite sounds and share them with your friends?

You might be wondering what kind of live music your guests would enjoy, and how you can make that work with your budget and venue. Fortunately there are a huge number of options available, so we’ve written this guide to take you through some of the most popular and more unusual ideas.

All wedding reception musicians

Choosing a genre

For some old-fashioned glamour, hire a jazz band; they make the perfect soundtrack for a classy, vintage wedding. For the full vintage experience, see if they can stay on for the reception party and play a swinging set with drums and a vocalist, to get the dancing started.

If your venue is tight on space, a solo guitarist can fit in almost anywhere – choose between flamenco and classical or acoustic pop with or without vocals. Likewise a solo sax player can squeeze into most spaces.

Classical musicians are a wonderful complement to an elegant wedding reception and the perfect enhancement to a grand Georgian wedding venue. And don't forget, while all string quartets, harpists, wind trios and other classical groups will have a repertoire of classical favourites, most can extend their range to include pop hits, medleys of folks songs and even Bollywood material.

For outdoor receptions, nothing beats a steel band or dixieland jazz band for creating an upbeat, joyful atmosphere.

All wedding reception musicians

Wedding reception musicians on a budget

Want live background music without compromising on the dress, the food and the drink? Rather than hiring a cheaper act, the best way of saving money on your wedding background music is to ask the band if they can reduce the number of musicians in the line-up. That way you still get the best quality, but won’t have to break the bank.

The cheapest option is a soloist. A wedding pianist, harpist or classical guitarist, or sax player can provide gentle sophistication and a musical background to your wedding reception or wedding breakfast without being intrusive. Some even play with backing tracks for a fuller sound.

If you've already booked a wedding band it's worth checking to see if they can provide a smaller line-up for earlier on in the day, such as an acoustic guitarist/vocalist, a cocktail pianist or a jazz trio. Using the same musicians for wedding background music earlier in the day could save you money and help keep stress levels to a minimum!

After booking

Make sure you get in touch with your wedding musicians well before the actual day, so that you can explain the arrangements to them and they can make sure you’re happy with the music they plan to play, giving you the chance to specify any special favourites.

Wedding musicians always have to work around the rest of the day’s events, so will be keen to hear about your plans and what you’d like them to do. They usually provide all their own equipment, so you won’t have to worry about organising this - though it’s always worth checking with them beforehand!

Some venues are designed with live music in mind, and some can easily accommodate it. Others might be a little more difficult because of noise or space restrictions, but you can work around these kind of problems. It’s easy to keep the volume down by using an adjustable backing track, or save space (and money) by using fewer people.

Good wedding musicians will have experience of many places, and will be able to adapt to your requirements with enough notice, so make sure you tell them as much as you can about your venue.

All wedding reception musicians

How much do wedding musicians cost?

You will always be able to find musicians to suit your budget: live wedding background music ranges from very simple and inexpensive solo acts and duos to 10-piece show bands with brass, backing vocals and percussion.

If you want one of the bigger bands, but can’t afford the full show, there are bands available in all genres who offer compact versions of their full show, perhaps playing to a backing track or using fewer members.

Jazz trio: from £545

String quartet: from £465

Steel pan duo: from £480

Acoustic rock/pop guitar/vocalist: from £250

Acoustic rock/pop guitar/vocal duo: from £415

Rat pack singer with backing track: £330

Solo male or female pop singer to backing tracks: from £250

Harpist: from £255

Cocktail pianist: from £230

Solo guitarist: from £230

We keep our rates as low as possible – but if another agent offers you one of our acts at a lower price, or on better terms, we’ll match their offer. The price we quote for an act includes all costs, (such as travel, VAT, and any accommodation necessary), unless we say otherwise.

Top Wedding Musician Genres

Sax player header

Wedding Saxophonists

Hire a solo saxophone player for mellow mood music during a wedding reception or meal.

String Quartet Hire 2

Wedding String Quartets

An elegant, timeless addition to a wedding ceremony, drinks reception or garden party

Acoustic Duos Bands For Hire

Wedding Acoustic Duos

Ideal for afternoon receptions, garden parties and venues with noise restrictions.

Steel Band Hire

Wedding Steel Bands

Laid-back, tropical steel bands for garden parties and outdoor wedding receptions.

Singers For Hire 2

Wedding Singers

Wedding singers, Rat Pack style crooners, guitar vocalists and vocal groups

Pianist Hire

Wedding Pianists

Background pianists and singer pianists playing jazz, classical, film music and pop.

Guitarist For Hire

Wedding Guitarists

Classical, flamenco and pop guitarists for weddings and parties, with or without vocals.

Wedding Jazz Bands for Hire

Wedding Jazz Bands

Swing, blues, dixieland or bebop – hire a jazz band for mellow background music or dancing.

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The easy way to book wedding reception music

Function Central is a wedding music agency specialising in wedding musicians who have been hand-picked for their talent, professionalism and reliability. We take over 600 wedding music bookings a year and get great feedback from our clients. We make choosing and booking your wedding entertainment easy, providing support and advice right up to the day, and even a 24-hour helpline.

Choosing wedding background music doesn’t need to be a chore – we hope you enjoy browsing the site and listening to our bands! If you’d like more information and suggestions, get in touch.

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