This one comes up a lot.
If you’re in the middle of the wedding planning process and wondering what the best live music setup is for your wedding day, you’re not alone. We hear it all the time:
“We know we want a live band, but how many musicians do we need? Is a 6-piece enough? Do we need horns? What about a DJ instead?”
Fair questions and the answer really depends on your venue, guest list, budget, dance floor, and the kind of wedding entertainment you want to bring to life.
Whether you’re envisioning an all-night dance party or something more laid-back and acoustic, we’ve played every type of setup imaginable, and we’re happy to help you find the right band for your wedding.
Let’s get into it.
What Size of Band Is Right for My Wedding?
Side One gets over 700 inquiries a year and it usually goes something like this:
“We are getting married and you’ve come highly recommended. Our wedding is on date-x at location-y and there are around 200 people coming. We wanted to get some prices and see if you’re available. Thank you!!”
You’ll then hear from Margaux (we love Margaux and you will too) with some options. 90% of the events we play involve our dance bands and that’s generally what most people that are interested in hiring Side One are looking for when they inquire.
Our FULL dance band is our 10 piece but depending on budget and space, we can expand or contract this to some other configurations. Let me drill down on this a bit:
The Beatles are John, Paul, George, and Ringo. That said, there’s a horn section on songs like Got to Get You Into My Life, a string section on Elenor Rigby, Eric Clapton played guitar on While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Mick Jagger sang backups on All You Need is Love, and Billy Preston played the keyboards on Get Back while George Martin piano on In My Life.
The George, Paul, John, and Ringo of Side One is our 6 piece band and our dance band repertoire was built around this as the skeleton but then we can dress it up (or down). Our 6 piece is made up of these instruments:
- Male Lead Vocalist
- Female Lead Vocalist
- Guitarist
- Keyboards
- Bass
- Drums
Occasionally a client will be shopping around and notice that more band members cost more money, and perhaps a band they came across is advertising a 5 piece dance band (or less) and wondering why we can’t do the same. Fair question!
First off having both a male vocalist AND female vocalist allows us not only to cover the full spectrum of music out there as accurately as we can, but secondly with 2 singers we can bounce back and forth between singers without wearing either of them out. Band breaks are the enemy of the dance floor and while most bands do 45min sets and then take a break, the 2 singer alternation allows us to extend our sets up to 90 mins without a break and in fact if you want us to do only 1 set, we can extend all the way to a 120 mins without taking a break (the Power Set!).
Another trim that some bands make is to not have a keyboard player and the band plays to pre-recorded tracks that have keyboards, background vocals, and sometimes even lead vocals (gasp!). Please know that Side One plays EVERYTHING live and one of the things that set us apart is that we use no pre-recorded tracks. Believe it or not, this is a rarity in the cover band world these days and we have always felt passionately that music should be played live by musicians and that our clients shouldn’t be playing thousands of dollars to a band that’s essentially air banding for you. Check out some of Paul’s magic HERE or check out Tristan:
Speaking of keyboards, in the 6 piece configuration, any of the horn parts are played by the keyboard as you saw in the Uptown Funk video. If your budget allows, adding our horn section (tenor sax and trumpet making the 6 piece into an 8 piece) really takes the sound of the band (and look) to the next level. Here’s a video of a wedding classic with the hardcore folks hanging around at the end and features the horns:
And come on, who doesn’t want the horn side step ….
Some people have asked about having just the trumpet or just the sax but our arrangements are written for the minimum of 2 horns as the sound of a horn section is exactly that: a section. Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band was able to get away with just one horn as Clarence on the sax was used more for the occasional improvised solo rather a parts player throughout each song like our horn section is. We also offer a 4 horn option by adding another trumpet and baritone sax that is a HUGE sound and incredibly powerful visually on stage. If you have the budget and room on stage, this is the full classic horn section experience.
Background vocals are handled in the 6 piece by the lead vocalist who’s not singing plus two of our talented instrumentalist who can sing and play at the same time. If you want to step up to the next tier, you can add our 2 dedicated female background singers making the 8 piece into a 10 piece or what we call our full dance band. This is our marquee dance band and if you budget allows, this is Side One at its best. Here’s our 10 piece rocking some Lizzo at Westjet’s holiday party:
When events have limited guests or space, we offer our smaller “acoustic” bands. They replace the drummer playing a full drumset with a percussion instrument called a cajon (kah-hone), the electric guitar with acoustic, and remove the keyboardist. The entire spectrum of the Side One dance repertoire is still playable but more in the style of MTV’s unplugged series.
This is also an ideal configuration if you expect your party to be more chill and unsure if people are going to dance or not. For dancing you should have percussion, acoustic guitar, and 2 singers at the very least and bass is more likely to help the dance floor if you have the budget and space. Some of our singers play percussion, so depending on the singers that we have available for your event, they maybe be able to a trio instead of a quartet or quartet instead of quintet.
If you’re not expecting any dancing or there are certain parts of your event that don’t have dancing (cocktail hour or ceremony), we have a bunch of different options available depending on the mood you want to create, the repertoire, and your budgets. You can have solos or duos, string quartets, jazz combos, etc. I’ll leave you with one of our favs from Matt with our Seattle team:
Acoustic vs Electric: What’s the Difference?
If you’re deep in the planning process and wondering what type of band should I hire for my wedding, this is one of the big decisions that’ll shape the vibes of your wedding day.
Let’s break it down.
Acoustic Setups
With their smaller footprint and ‘unplugged’ arrangements, our acoustic groups can deliver everything from a relaxed, inviting atmosphere to high-energy singalongs and, yes, even packed dance floors with guests letting loose.
Acoustic doesn’t have to mean low-key; it means the same talented musicians performing your favourite songs in a way that fits sound or space constraints — whether that’s for your ceremony, cocktails, or an all-out party.
If your venue has restrictions or you’re seeking a particular atmosphere, an acoustic band can still keep the energy high, get everyone singing and dancing, and create an unforgettable experience.
Electric Setups
Our electric dance bands feature powerhouse, multi-piece lineups with dual lead-vocalists, electric guitar, keys, bass, drums, and even live horns for that huge, dynamic sound. Our flagship bands deliver a concert-level experience, bringing together layers of harmony, rhythm, and spectacle you can see and feel.
With our dedicated production team on hand, the electric band commands the room. Whether you choose our barn burning six-piece or the twelve-piece big band, every note is meant to get your entire guest list on their feet.
We’ll help you choose the setup that fits your venue, guest list, and budget, while bringing the style and energy you want for your wedding celebration.
And hey — every wedding’s different. You might be planning a backyard wedding with a smaller group of friends, or a ballroom bash during peak wedding season. We’ve done it all. From acoustic trios to our smashing 12-piece, we’ll provide the wedding entertainment that’s right for you.
So… What Should You Actually Do?
If you’re reading this thinking, “Cool, but I still have no idea what kind of wedding band I need”, here’s the cheat sheet:
- Big venue, big crowd, big energy? You’re probably going to want the full 10-piece (or even more musicians if you want to go full horn explosion).
- Medium wedding reception, decent dance floor? Our 6 or 8-piece lineup will light it up and leave room for guests to move.
- More intimate, low-key? Our acoustic configurations are great for smaller weddings, cozy venues, or if you’re just not sure how many people will end up dancing.
- No dancing at all? We’ve got solo musicians, jazz trios, and more for everything from your ceremony to cocktails. Perfect if you’re leaning more “elegant background” than “crowd surfing.”
And if you’re comparing to other bands, here’s our two cents:
Most bands aren’t doing what we do.
Whether you hire one musician or 12, we deliver world-class musicianship with no tracks, no fake backing vocals, no airbanding. Just real, professional musicians who love what they do and show up ready to play.
What Kind of Experience Do You Want? Ceremony vs Reception
It’s easy to get caught up in planning the wedding reception music, but don’t forget about the ceremony. Each part of your wedding day has its own mood, and your live music should match it.
If your wedding theme leans classic or elegant, consider live wedding musicians like an acoustic duo or solo guitarist for the ceremony. They’re perfect for emotional key moments like the walk down the aisle or the first kiss, and they set the tone in a way recorded music can’t match.
Then, when the reception rolls around, bring out the live band and open the dance floor. Want something low-key for cocktails and dinner? We’ve got you. Want to go full 10-piece band for your wedding and keep the energy high all night long? Even better. It’s your special day, build the soundtrack that fits.
The big thing is making sure the wedding entertainment matches the moment. Chill ceremony, high-energy reception? Great. Something a little more acoustic start to finish? We’ll help shape that too.
Let’s Build the Right Band for Your Wedding
Whether you already have a clear idea of your wedding reception music or you’re just starting to explore options for your wedding entertainment, we’re here for it.
You tell us your venue size, your wedding date, what kind of party you’re throwing, and your general musical taste, and we’ll come back with the ideal band setup.
We’ve played in castles, barns, ski lodges, hotel ballrooms, beaches, and people’s backyards. Whatever your wedding theme, we’ve probably been there and we’ve got band members who know how to match the mood and keep the energy high all night long.
