When you are getting married in Scotland it really is traditional to have a band at your wedding reception. However, before you rush out and hire the first band that you see, you need to spend a little time thinking carefully about the type of band that you truly want – and which type of band would be best for the wedding.

That is important, as the selection of band will either make or break the wedding reception.

In Scotland, there are essentially four main types of bands you can decide for your wedding. Pop Covers, Ceilidh, Jazz, and Tribute Bands. Each band has it own benefits and drawbacks. So let us have a look at each type in greater detail.

Pop Cover Bands

These are the standard types of wedding bands in Scotland plus they play songs recorded and made famous by other artists. Most cover bands, who specialise in weddings, will play a variety of hits from the 1960’s right up to current chart hits. As weddings include a fairly wide range of individuals and ages, the cover band’s plan would be to play an array of music that will keep everyone happy.

Although some cover bands can include a small amount of Ceilidh music or Jazz, they don’t tend to specialise in these genres. The normal Pop Cover band will do about fours hours at a marriage and take a thirty-minute break.

Scottish Ceilidh Bands

Ceilidh Bands concentrate in providing Scottish ceilidh dances for for the wedding, such as The Gay Gordons, The Military Two-Step, and Strip The Willow etc. If the wedding party is from Scotland, they will know the dances because almost all of the dances are taught to Scots when they are in school. However, if there are lots of people at the wedding that are not Scottish, then your band may have to teach the steps and call the dances (remind people how to proceed during the dance). Fortunately that most of the dances are very an easy task to learn and will therefore be found very quickly.

Again, the normal Ceilidh band will play for approximately four hours at a wedding and have a thirty-minute break .

Jazz And Swing Bands

An excellent wedding Jazz Band will play a mixture of jazz standards and swing music e.g. Wedding Band Scotland Bobby Darin and Sinatra. Many good Jazz bands are very versatile and can include some Pop Covers and Ceilidh dances. However, their main forte is Jazz. The typical Jazz strap will again do about four hours at a wedding and have a thirty-minute break.

Tribute Bands

Whereas a Pop Cover Band plays covers from the wide range of artists, the normal Tribute band will concentrate in covering a definite band. This may be Abba, Robbie Williams, Take That, Slade, Queen – or any band you could possibly think about. So, if you are a fan of a particular band, a tribute band could be the ideal choice for you personally. Usually Tribute bands only do about two forty-five minute sets, if you are having a tribute band, then you may have to hire another band or DJ to cover the final two hours at your wedding dinner.

These then will be the main forms of bands that are popular for weddings in Scotland. Which band you select will depend on the kind of music you like and, just as importantly, the type of band you think your loved ones and guests should.

Do Some Research

The easiest way to find out if your choice will be acceptable to many guests is to do a little research. For example, if you want a particular kind of band, then ask your friends and family what they think. Do they like that type of music? Would they get and dance to that type of music?

By asking people it is possible to build up a picture of which kind of band is definitely the most popular together with your particular family and guests. The main thing to remember is that each wedding is different and the band that played at your friend’s wedding might not be the ideal choice for your wedding.

You are never likely to please everyone, but by spending a while at the planning stage, you can test to ensure that the type of wedding band you choose will keep the dance-floor busy forever.

Ask An Expert

You do not have to do it all on your own. If you would like some specialist help and advice on the problem, then visit a reputable Entertainment Agent in Scotland. If the agent is good, you will be charged you nothing, and you also find him an invaluable way to obtain information and assistance, in terms of selecting the right band for the wedding.