Most Irish weddings follow the same musical shape. Gentle music for the ceremony and the drinks reception, a relaxed playlist over dinner, then the live band opens the evening with your first dance and plays two sets into the night, while a DJ fills the break and carries the floor to close. The planner above turns your own times into that running order. Here is the thinking behind it.
The shape of a wedding day, in music
A wedding day has four musical moments. Each one asks for something different. The ceremony wants warmth and a little ceremony, so an acoustic guitar and a singer suit it perfectly. The drinks reception is for mingling, so a relaxed acoustic set sits underneath the chat without taking over. Dinner wants a background playlist tuned to your taste. Then the evening is the main event, where the live band lifts the whole room and the dancing begins.
What time should the band start?
The band almost always starts in the evening, once the meal and the speeches are done. As a rule of thumb that lands around two and a half to three hours after your guests sit down. So a five o’clock sit-down usually means the band is on at about half eight. The planner uses your sit-down time to place the band sensibly, then leaves room for the DJ to close.
How long does the band play?
A standard booking is two live sets of roughly an hour each, spread across the evening rather than played back to back. That pacing keeps the floor full, gives the room a breather and lets a DJ or a playlist bridge the gap so the music never stops. If your night runs late, the DJ simply carries it further.
Where the first dance fits
The most popular choice by far is to open the band with your first dance. It is a clean, natural signal that the evening has begun. It pulls everyone onto the floor at the very start, so the band plays to a full room rather than an empty one. The planner places your first dance at the top of the first live set for exactly that reason.
Do you need a DJ as well as a band?
You do not need both. Most couples choose both anyway, with good reason. The band gives you the live peak of the night and the moments people remember. A DJ fills the break between the sets and keeps the floor moving to the very last song, with the range to take requests and stretch the night as long as your venue allows. Because we provide both in one booking, it is one team, one setup and one quote.
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What time should a wedding band start?
Most Irish wedding bands start in the evening, after the meal and the speeches, usually around two and a half to three hours after guests sit down. The band opens with your first dance and plays into the night.
How long does a wedding band play for?
A typical booking is two live sets of about an hour each across the evening. A DJ or a playlist fills the break between sets, so the music carries from your first dance right through to close.
Do you need a DJ as well as a band?
You do not need both, though most couples choose both. The band gives you the live peak and your first dance. A DJ fills the break and keeps the floor full to the very last song. See the full-day extras for how it fits together.
When should the first dance be?
The most common choice is to open the band with your first dance, straight after the meal and the speeches. It gathers everyone onto the floor at the start of the evening, so the room is full from the first song.