How Much Does Wedding Entertainment Cost?

You got engaged over the Christmas period and are now busily planning your wedding. But there’s a hitch – how much does all of this cost? From booking a cake to booking flowers and arranging the catering, there’s a lot to consider. We can’t speak for how much each parts of a wedding cost but what we can do is help you out when it comes to answering the question of “How much does wedding entertainment cost?”

In short, it’s hard to say. But let’s be honest, you probably expected that answer. When it comes to wedding entertainment, it’s best to say that it can cost as little or as much as you want to spend. If you are booking a wedding in London or a major city, everything will probably be more expensive due to increased overheads, whilst outside the M25 and in Devon and Cornwall, it should be a little cheaper (hooray!)

If you want to save money on the entertainment then there is of course the option to go without completely, but we think that’d be a shame. Even if you simply book a band or DJ for the evening, they really do add to the atmosphere and this is the best day of your life that you’re celebrating! Although it is possible to have a wedding with an iPhone or Spotify playlist, generally speaking a bride and groom prefer to have somebody else in control, able to adjust the tunes to the mood of the room. DJs and bands are extremely adept at knowing when to bring out a party classic and when it’s time for a slow ballad. Likewise, they are also good at taking requests, which a playlist doesn’t really offer!

The cheapest form of entertainment for a wedding is a pianist or guitarist. Although it depends on how long you are looking to book a pianist for, prices tend to start at around £250. A guitarist who can provide background music during the ceremony or drinks reception is a similar price while a harpist is ever so slightly more expensive. It all depends which instrument you’d like to hear on your wedding day! Naturally, the more musicians you book, the more expensive this will be; a string quartet are £595 excluding VAT. (Note: All prices exclude VAT). This could well be more expensive than booking entertainment directly but by going through a recommended supplier, you receive piece of mind and should anything unexpected occur ahead of the date, we'll make sure that nothing goes wrong on the day! 

The most expensive forms of entertainment are generally the function bands. If a wedding band is particularly popular, they bring experience and panache that is hard to ignore. As such, they may run into the thousands! That being said, most function bands are available for under that figure; it all depends which band you decide that you like the most and generally start at around £600. A good DJ will be cheaper but obviously doesn’t offer the full live experience – though they will also be able to put on a quality show.

Hopefully that gives you some idea of how much wedding entertainment costs, though naturally if you book more than one piece of entertainment, you might receive a slight discount from our bookers! Time of year and other considerations can change the prices but as a general guide, we hope this blog has been useful! Of course, nothing beats simply enquiring to our team via phone or email to see how much entertainment will be for your big day in the south west!