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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£570

On Broadway Duo

  • London
  • 2
  • (19)

Two seasoned, award-winning musicians who have showcased their talents at prestigious UK jazz venues such as Ronnie Scott's and the 606 Jazz Club, as well as enlivened countless weddings and private events.

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from£725

Take Two

  • London
  • 2
  • (18)

Award-winning saxophone and guitar duo playing sophisticated standards for a wide variety of events and celebrations.

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from£305

Richard James

  • Cheshire
  • 1-2
  • (15)

Refined virtuoso guitarist with more than twenty years performance experience who has played guitar for international chart acts and performed on the Jools Holland Show. Duo with female vocalist also available.

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from£615

Nick Pauli

  • Southampton
  • 1
  • (12)

Virtuoso singer guitarist, with a distinctive, unique and unforgettable voice who can perform a wide variety of instruments and genres.

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from£615

Dolphin Dance Duo

  • London
  • 2-7
  • (24)

From the smooth sounds of classic jazz to the upbeat rhythms of swing and Latin, this talented saxophone and keyboard background duo are happy to tailor their performance to your exact preferences.

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from£615

The Sunshine Strutters

  • London
  • 3-7
  • (17)

Inspired by the jazz of the 1920s and 30s with a few interesting numbers from other eras thrown in to spice things up, their trade-mark is the variety, freshness and fun that they imbue all their performances with.

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from£950

The Twelve O Clock Highs

  • Nottingham
  • 2
  • (21)

Laidback acoustic duo with both male and female lead vocals, playing soulful covers from the likes of Al Green and Marvin Gaye through to Ed Sheeran, Coldplay and Adele.

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from£480

Jon Jones

  • London
  • 1
  • (24)

A versatile and professional pop and jazz singer-pianist, known for a smooth vocal quality, skillfully performs a wide range of music with a repertoire spanning from classic hits by Frank Sinatra to contemporary favorites by Bruno Mars.

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from£1,355

Scotch and Soda

  • London
  • 3-5
  • (19)

Focusing on the vibrant music of the roaring twenties and capturing the era's glitz and glamour, Scotch & Soda stand out as the premier 1920s jazz band on the boardwalk.

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from£1,255

Golden Hour

  • London
  • 2
  • (35)

Transport your guests to golden hour at the beach club with this sophisticated live DJ and live trumpet duo, offering chilled lounge music at afternoon and early evening reception.

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from£565

Acoustical

  • Warwickshire
  • 2
  • (15)

Cool and contemporary acoustic guitar duo, performing live lounge style arrangements of modern pop songs by artists such as The Foo Fighters, John Legend and Coldplay. Ideal for chilled afternoons as well as evening parties.

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from£795

Mersey String Ensemble

  • Liverpool
  • 3-4
  • (17)

Formed at Paul McCartney's music college, the quartet have been performing at weddings and events around the UK for many years and have recorded at Abbey Road Studios with Nile Rodgers!

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from£740

Sundown Duo

  • Birmingham
  • 2-3
  • (30)

Sundown Duo are a high-energy pairing specialising in medleys, mash-ups and a hugely diverse set list – great value for evening parties.

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from£485

Quintessence Sax

  • Weston-super-Mare
  • 1-2
  • (10)

Quintessence Sax, the award-winning wedding saxophonist, is widely acclaimed for her exceptional performances that encompass a range of musical styles and moods. Her repertoire effortlessly spans from classic love songs for weddings to the vibrant Ibiza style, soul, Motown and more.

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from£370

Tommy B Magic

  • Wiltshire
  • 1
  • (13)

Professional magician with a personable approach, your guests will witness the impossible whilst feeling relaxed, excited & entertained... it's the perfect magical ice-breaker!

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from£900

Vive la France!

  • London
  • 3-4
  • (6)

Charming and sophisticated act performing classic French chanson, gypsy jazz, French film music and Parisian musette for listening and dancing. The soloist or group can perform unplugged allowing them to roam between tables or guests.

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from£865

Stefano

  • Eastbourne
  • 1
  • (6)

An Ed Sheeran-style singer-guitarist who can rap and beatbox while using a loop pedal. Perfect to set the mood for your party - to entertain guests in the background or get them singing along!

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from£320

Eastwind Oud

  • London
  • 1-3

Captivating oud player blending North African rhythms with jazz, blues, and fusion in a contemporary style.

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from£435

Georgia T

  • Brighton
  • 1-2
  • (6)

Versatile and adaptable singer with a repertoire of over 500 songs and two duo options also available.

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from£2,150

The Wandering Blues

  • London
  • 4-5
  • (12)

Your go-to acoustic roaming band for a dose of blues and charisma. These guys take your all-time faves and sprinkle 'em with some bluesy magic, making them sound like nothing you've ever heard before.

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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