Planning your wedding reception is an exciting part of the journey, and choosing a live band like Full Frequency can keep the party rocking all night long!
But you might be wondering... what time does a wedding reception usually start? What should the timings be for the evening? What's the normal schedule for a wedding party? Don't worry, we've got you covered!
In this post, we'll answer some common questions we get from our couples about timings for their evening reception and hiring a live band. We'll give you some insights based on our experience playing weddings since 2018 and a guide for how you can plan your own reception.
Let's dive in!
When should the band arrive?
Most function bands prefer to arrive 2 hours before they start playing, usually between 5pm and 6pm. This will give enough time to make sure all the equipment is set up properly and that everything sounds great in your venue.
What time does a wedding evening reception start?
Most couples choose to have guests arrive for their evening wedding reception between 7:30pm and 8pm.
What time do most wedding receptions end?
Most wedding receptions end between 11pm and midnight. However, this will depend on when the music cut off is at your venue, so it's worth checking this ahead of time.
What is the normal schedule for a wedding reception?
Each wedding is different, but there tends to be a general schedule for all evening receptions.
Let's say you're planning on starting your wedding reception at 8pm and the music curfew at your venue is midnight. Here's an example of how the timings could look if you book a live band.
Note: this is just a guide and can be adapted to whatever you like!
5:30pm: Band arrives
At this point in the day you'll still be sitting down for dinner. While you're enjoying your food, your band will be arriving and unloading their gear, so they're primed and ready to set everything up once you and your guests have all finished eating and the speeches are done.
Once your speeches are done and your guests are starting to leave the room, your band will discreetly start moving their equipment into place and setting everything up.
7pm: Cutting the cake
Time to cut your wedding cake, and maybe stuff some in each other's faces! Your band will be focusing on quickly setting up their sound system first, so they can put some background music on for you and your guests.
7:30pm-8pm: Venue turn around/down time
Your evening guests are starting to arrive. Your venue may use this time to now properly turn the room around ready for the evening reception (e.g. taking out tables, chairs and your cake). It's also a great time for you to spend some quality time with your guests!
8pm-8.30pm: Evening guests arriving
Your evening guests will be arriving, giving you a chance to mingle and prepare for your first dance. While you're doing that, your band will be playing background music through their speakers while they finalise setting up their equipment.
8:30pm: First dance/first live band set
It's time for your first dance! Depending on what you've agreed, your band will either perform your first dance song as a live band, or play the track for you through their speakers.
Once your first dance has finished, your band will go straight into their first set, which will last around 45 minutes.
9pm: Evening food is served
This is a perfect time for your venue to start bringing out the evening buffet, or for a street-food van to start serving guests. Your band will still be playing at this point, and they can help make an announcement to let your guests know that the food is ready!
Once their first set is done, your band will take a short break of around 15 minutes, during which they'll play background music through their speakers to keep the party atmosphere going.
9:30pm: Second live band set
Your band will kick things off again with their second set of live music. This is usually 45 minutes, but they will often play a couple more songs at the end to keep everyone dancing!
10:30pm: Live music ends
This is when your band will finish their live set, and start packing down their equipment.
If you've booked an additional Spotify DJ service with your band, then they will continue playing a variety of hits and party classics through their speakers until your curfew at midnight.
Midnight: Music curfew
Time to put your feet up after all that dancing, maybe have a night cap and say goodbye to your guests!
Do weddings usually start on time?
In our experience, wedding receptions rarely run on time! It's quite common for the dinner and speeches to run over a little.
But, there's no need to worry! We strive to be as flexible as possible and we'll adapt to how your day is running. When we arrive at your venue, we will find our point of contact (provided to us on your booking form) and check in with them to see how things are going. We will co-ordinate with them to ensure that we work around any delays or changes to your plans where needed.
In summary
Every wedding is different, and it's completely fine for you to pick your own timings. In our experience, you can simply give your wedding band the time when you'd like your first dance and they'll help you fill in the blanks.
It's highly likely that everything will run over slightly. After all, time flies when you're having fun! However it's nothing to worry about - a professional function band like Full Frequency will make sure that you and your guests have a fantastic time and that your evening reception goes smoothly.
Contact us today to chat more about how we can help you plan your big day.
A bit about us...
We're Full Frequency, a top quality wedding and party band available for hire across the UK.
We've been playing functions, weddings and events across the UK since 2018 and provide our clients with top quality live music for wedding receptions, corporate events, birthday parties, New Years Eve celebrations, fireworks displays, and more.
We're friendly, reliable people that are committed to delivering an amazing night of live music for your guests. Our clients always comment on our professionalism, the quality of our performance and how we make the entire experience hassle-free!