How Long Should Wedding Musicians Play?

This is one of those questions that sounds as though it ought to have a very simple answer.

It doesn’t.

How long wedding musicians should play depends very much on the type of act, the instrument, the style of music and which parts of the day they are covering.

A solo classical guitarist has very different physical and musical demands from a jazz trio, a string quartet or a full evening band.

So rather than starting with a fixed number of hours, I think it is usually better to start with the structure of the day.

The three main parts of the wedding day

For live music, there are usually three obvious sections before the evening party:

• the ceremony
• the drinks reception
• the wedding breakfast

Solo classical or Spanish guitar can work beautifully for all three.

But playing all three sections is quite demanding.

Solo guitar playing is actually one of the more intense forms of performance. You are often playing the melody, accompaniment and bass line at the same time, using carefully arranged music that has been committed to memory.

That means the music can sound very complete and elegant, but it also means there is a limit to how long you can sensibly do it without a break.

The ceremony can be longer than you think

One thing couples sometimes underestimate is how long the pre-ceremony section can last.

You might imagine that guests will arrive 15 minutes before the ceremony begins.

In reality, it can easily become 30 or 45 minutes.

Guests come in, greet each other, find their seats, chat, wait, and occasionally the ceremony itself is delayed.

So if a guitarist is playing as guests arrive, they may already have done quite a substantial set before the bride has even entered the room.

That can be lovely.

It creates atmosphere and avoids that slightly awkward silence before the ceremony begins.

There is another point of view, though.

If there is no live music beforehand, and the first piece of live music begins exactly as the bride enters, that can make the entrance feel much more special.

I have written about that elsewhere in more detail, because I think both approaches can work well.

But from a practical point of view, pre-ceremony music does increase the total amount of playing considerably.

For solo guitar, shorter sections work well

If I were playing solo guitar for the ceremony, drinks reception and wedding breakfast, I would normally prefer to work in sections of around 45 minutes, with a short break in between.

That works very well.

When I take a break, I usually bring carefully chosen background music so that the atmosphere continues and there is no sudden silence.

That gives my fingers a rest without interrupting the flow of the day.

During the wedding breakfast, I also tend to change the style slightly.

There is more conversation, more background noise, and the room often needs something a little more upbeat.

Sometimes I will use a loop pedal, which can create the effect of two guitars and allows the music to become fuller and more rhythmic.

A duo can play for longer

One way to extend the music without overworking a solo performer is simply to add another musician.

For example, you might have solo classical guitar for the ceremony and drinks reception, and then move to a Spanish guitar duo later.

That immediately changes the sound.

It also changes the physical demands.

Playing accompaniment or improvising a solo over another guitarist is much less intense than performing complete solo arrangements continuously.

A duo also gives you more scope to change style, dynamics and atmosphere.

So generally speaking, duos can comfortably play for longer than solo instrumentalists. Sometimes, one player can continue while the other takes a break, so slotting in the occasional solo piece in can reduce the time needed for breaks.

This is one of those questions that sounds as though it ought to have a very simple answer.

It doesn’t.

How long wedding musicians should play depends very much on the type of act, the instrument, the style of music and which parts of the day they are covering.

A solo classical guitarist has very different physical and musical demands from a jazz trio, a string quartet, a ceilidh band or a full evening band.

So rather than starting with a fixed number of hours, I think it is usually better to start with the structure of the day.

The four main parts of the wedding day

For live music, there are usually four obvious sections:

• the ceremony
• the drinks reception
• the wedding breakfast
• the evening dancing

Each of these has a different atmosphere and often needs a different type of music.

Solo classical or Spanish guitar can work beautifully for the first three.

The evening dancing is quite different.

At that point, guests usually want something more energetic: perhaps a pop or function band, a ceilidh band, a soul band, a DJ, or another act that is specifically there to get people onto the dance floor.

That is why solo classical guitar, and usually even a guitar duo, is not really the obvious choice for that final part of the day.

The ceremony can be longer than you think

One thing couples sometimes underestimate is how long the pre-ceremony section can last.

You might imagine that guests will arrive 15 minutes before the ceremony begins.

In reality, it can easily become 30 or 45 minutes.

Guests come in, greet each other, find their seats, chat, wait, and occasionally the ceremony itself is delayed.

So if a guitarist is playing as guests arrive, they may already have done quite a substantial set before the bride has even entered the room.

That can be lovely.

It creates atmosphere and avoids that slightly awkward silence before the ceremony begins.

There is another point of view, though.

If there is no live music beforehand, and the first piece of live music begins exactly as the bride enters, that can make the entrance feel much more special.

I have written about that elsewhere in more detail, because I think both approaches can work well.

But from a practical point of view, pre-ceremony music does increase the total amount of playing considerably.

For solo guitar, shorter sections work well

If I were playing solo guitar for the ceremony, drinks reception and wedding breakfast, I would normally prefer to work in sections of around 45 minutes, with a short break in between.

That works very well.

When I take a break, I usually bring carefully chosen background music so that the atmosphere continues and there is no sudden silence.

That gives my fingers a rest without interrupting the flow of the day.

During the wedding breakfast, I also tend to change the style slightly.

There is more conversation, more background noise, and the room often needs something a little more upbeat.

Sometimes I will use a loop pedal, which can create the effect of two guitars and allows the music to become fuller and more rhythmic.

A duo can play for longer

One way to extend the music without overworking a solo performer is simply to add another musician.

For example, you might have solo classical guitar for the ceremony and drinks reception, and then move to a Spanish guitar duo later.

That immediately changes the sound.

It also changes the physical demands.

Playing accompaniment or improvising a solo over another guitarist is much less intense than performing complete solo arrangements continuously.

A duo also gives you more scope to change style, dynamics and atmosphere.

So generally speaking, duos can comfortably play for longer than solo instrumentalists.

String quartets and small ensembles

String quartets work particularly well for ceremonies and drinks receptions.

They can create a very elegant atmosphere and cover quite a wide range of repertoire.

Personally, I am less convinced by them for the wedding breakfast.

That does not mean it cannot work, but I think two sections — ceremony and reception — are often enough.

The same applies to other ensembles.

A jazz trio can work beautifully during the drinks reception.

But if the same trio then plays all the way through dinner as well, you may begin to lose some of the contrast between different parts of the day.

Sometimes less is more.

The evening is a different job

After the wedding breakfast, the musical role usually changes completely.

This is the point where people want to dance.

A DJ is obviously one option, but live music can be fantastic here.

A ceilidh band, pop band, soul band, function band or another energetic act can transform the atmosphere and give the evening a real sense of occasion.

This is also why I would not usually recommend carrying solo classical guitar all the way into the evening.

It has already done its job.

It may have created elegance during the ceremony, atmosphere during the reception, and something warm and relaxed during dinner.

But once the chairs move back and people want to dance, you generally want a different kind of energy.

Bands are different again

A full band usually belongs later in the day.

Most large bands are not especially suited to a ceremony.

A small jazz group or acoustic ensemble can sometimes work earlier, but a full evening band is really there to change the atmosphere and move the event into something more energetic.

That is why I tend to think of wedding music as a progression.

The music should develop with the day rather than simply continue in the same form for hours.

Cultural differences matter

There are also cultural differences.

At Greek weddings, for example, it is quite normal for musicians to play for a very long time.

I have seen bands playing for six or seven hours.

But this is a very different kind of musical culture.

We are often talking about rebetiko, laiko and other popular Greek styles, where the music is much more integrated into the meal and the social life of the evening.

Greek dinners can go on for hours anyway, and the music becomes part of that.

In the UK, musicians tend to work in much more clearly defined sets with scheduled breaks.

Neither approach is right or wrong.

They are simply different traditions.

Longer does not always mean more expensive

The financial side can also be a little counterintuitive.

Musicians are not always charging by the hour in the way you might expect.

Travel expenses remain the same whether a musician plays for two hours or three.

And in many cases, you are also effectively booking their date.

If you book a performer for 30 minutes on a Saturday in August, they may have to turn down another booking that would have occupied the entire afternoon.

So some musicians may charge almost the same fee for a short performance as they would for something considerably longer.

Others will charge more for additional playing time, but even then, the cost per hour may become better value as the booking becomes longer.

That sounds rather clinical when talking about a wedding, but it is useful to understand.

Work backwards from your ideal day

I think one of the nicest ways to plan music is to forget the numbers at first.

Imagine your perfect day.

Perhaps you want classical guitar for the ceremony.

Then perhaps the same guitarist continues into the drinks reception.

Or maybe you switch to a Spanish guitar duo.

Or a gypsy jazz trio.

For dinner, you might change again.

You could even bring back one of the musicians from earlier in the day after they have had a longer break.

Then in the evening, you might move to a ceilidh band, a pop band, a larger function band or a DJ.

Once you have your ideal musical structure, you can work backwards.

If everyone is available, the timings make sense and the overall cost is within budget, perfect.

If it comes out too expensive, then you can start simplifying.

You might keep the same musician for two sections instead of hiring two acts.

You might drop one part of the day.

You might reduce the size of an ensemble.

That is usually a much better way to make compromises than starting with a fixed number of hours and trying to force the music into them.

The right amount is the amount that suits the day

There is no rule saying that wedding musicians should play for two hours, three hours or four.

The better question is:

What kind of music works best at each stage of the wedding, and how long can that particular performer comfortably and effectively sustain it?

A solo guitarist may be perfect for two or three carefully structured sections.

A duo can often comfortably do more.

A quartet may be ideal for the ceremony and drinks reception.

And the evening dancing may call for something completely different.

It depends on the music, the musicians and the atmosphere you are trying to create.

If you begin with that, the timings usually become much easier to work out.

Good luck with your planning — and if we can help with anything, just let us know.