• Professional-grade instruments 
• Production and sound equipment (and sometimes crew)
• Travel to and from the venue 
• Physical labor to set up and break down equipment
• The musician’s brand
• Performance lighting
• Hours of rehearsal time 
• Years of education and training
• Other business and personal expenses (many musicians do this full-time!)

It depends on what part you’re booking for. In our experience:

• Reception/Party: 3-4 hours
• Cocktail Hour: up to 1 hour
• Ceremony: up to 1 hour

It is common for bands to set a 2 or 3 hour minimum performance price to ensure they are being fairly compensated for everything that goes into the performance (noted in the first question). Meaning, if you inquire about a band’s pricing for a 3 hour party and later determine that you only need them for 90 minutes, the price may not change. The work-related parts of playing for a wedding (like travel, set-up/breakdown, rehearsals, etc.) are all things that factor into the need for a minimum.

For maximum play time, 4 hours may be considered for a reception. Some bands will consider playing for longer if discussed ahead of time, but 4 hours is quite long for any band to play. If you are in need of live music for longer than 4 hours, consider inquiring with us about splitting time between a band and one of our DJs, or about any of our bands that include a DJ as part of their lineup (like Straight Fire, for instance). A Key Signature representative would be happy to help you figure out the logistics and production of having multiple live music components at your wedding reception, including multiple artists or multiple set-ups.

For cocktail hour and ceremony music, please contact a Key Signature representative.

General rule of thumb for weddings: inquire as far in advance as possible.

For a solo musician to play during a ceremony or cocktail hour, we can help you find that a few weeks to a few months out. For a wedding reception cover band, we advise a minimum of 6 months to a year in advance for the best chances of finding the best options.  

Also consider that the more specific constraints you have on your desired musician or band, the more difficult they will be to book due to supply. For instance, if you want a German polka band that wears authentic lederhosen on a Saturday in September, don’t wait until summer time to start looking!

No matter where you are in your planning process, when you reach out to Key Signature Weddings we will do our best to find the perfect live music for your event.

In a few words: connections, transparency, speed, and experience.

Key Signature has been around since 2009 and was built on trust and respect within the hospitality, music, and wedding industries. Since then, we’ve grown a vast talent network and have successfully served thousands of private events. Any person can say that they’re a musician and set up a website or facebook page, but it is difficult to determine their professionalism and skill level without references, reviews or personal experience working with that individual musician or band. Luckily, we already have those references, reviews and experience, and it is our job to listen to your needs, respect your budget and determine the best live music options for your or your client’s wedding.

As a full service live music booking resource for weddings, Key Signature Weddings can book professional musicians from solo acts to 12+ piece cover bands and jazz bands for the entire wedding from start to finish. This includes rehearsal dinners, wedding showers, ceremonies, cocktail hours, receptions, after parties, and even anniversary parties if the first time was just that good.

Key Signature Weddings also has access to a variety of non-musical performers upon request. Please contact a Key Signature representative for details about your unique entertainment needs.

Once a contract is fully executed, if the wedding performance is cancelled by the Purchaser outside of 28 days of the contracted date, the 50% deposit is forfeited by the Purchaser. If the event is cancelled within 28 days of the contracted date, the full contracted payment is due to the Artist.

In the extremely rare case that the musician must cancel their appearance or does not appear as agreed, there is an additional policy to make sure everyone is covered.

In short, unless there is a government mandate directly prohibiting the event from happening at the time that it is contracted to take place, our normal cancellation policy stands. Please read the terms in our contract before signing; we keep it very short and simple for the sake of transparency, and every item is in place for a reason.

Rescheduling the wedding appearance is determined by the musician’s availability and flexibility. Our ultimate goal is to be as accommodating as possible with all parties involved, but it is often difficult to reschedule a professional musician within a short amount of time because their schedule has been filled. In cases where a musician is able to be flexible enough to reschedule, additional fees may be incurred.

If you have any additional questions about our cancellation policy, please call us at 704-568-1958 or send us an email.