The 4 most popular wedding music options for 2021

The 4 most popular wedding music options for 2021

Planning a wedding during a pandemic isn’t easy. 

Government guidelines seem to change every minute, guest lists need updating and not even the scientists seem to know where we’ll be in 6 months time.

As Benjamin Disraeli might have said if he was a wedding planner, the best policy is probably to be prepared for the worst, but hope for the best. 

At Encore we’re in the business of helping match you with the very best music for your day, whatever the circumstances. In this article, we’ll talk you through the most popular COVID-friendly wedding music options we’ve seen our couples pick through the pandemic.

Let’s jump in!

Reduced line-ups: shrinking the band

Probably the most important trend we’ve come across is that people are now looking for smaller bands.

If you have COVID restrictions at your venue one quick way to reduce the size of your band is to imagine the band you’d ideally book and then remove members until you get to a size that matches your numbers limit.

Take a sophisticated classical string quartet and strip away the viola player and the extra violinist and you’ve got yourself a string duo. Or why not just have a single string player with backing tracks. Solo violinists and cellists are particularly popular (even Will and Kate went for a cellist at their wedding!).

Or a swinging jazz band could become a gypsy jazz guitar duo or a solo cocktail jazz pianist. Want something more poppy like a cover band that will play hits from the last few decades? Sub them out for a smooth acoustic duo or a single singing guitarist who’ll serenade your guests.   

Postpone and go all out

Booking a large band for a wedding in 2020 is looking like an unlikely possibility.

But we’ve seen plenty of couples postpone their weddings until 2021 or 2022 and booking a full all-singing, all-dancing wedding band (like an 8-piece party band or a traditional Scottish ceilidh band). 

There’s a good chance that by then COVID restrictions will have lifted, or at least we’ll have adapted to the ‘new normal’ in a way that makes larger weddings possible.

Plus most agencies now offer flexible booking terms so you don’t need to worry about losing out on huge deposits if things change later down the line. At Encore, for example, we’ve reduced our deposit amount and offer our customers free of charge postponement on any booking that’s affected by COVID.

Mobile jingles: going for a roaming band

The strict government regulations on COVID relate to indoor performances and gatherings. So one way to get around that is to host part or all of your wedding outside. 

When it comes to outdoor entertainment, one of the most popular options is a roaming band. These travelling vagabonds will move through your event offering their songs to your guests while on the go.

Plus they sing a cappella (no electronics needed) and are loud enough to perform at a distance from your guests, so they’re a perfect solution to your outdoor wedding entertainment needs.

The most common types of roaming bands are pop roaming bands, Mumford and Sons-style folk bands, or for something a little different a Mexican Mariachi band.

DJ live: going electric

Another popular way to reduce your band size is to opt for a DJ. 

A DJ alone can supply all your functional music needs for the night, but increasingly we’re seeing that couples want something with a bit more energy. Enter DJ live. These groups mix of a DJ with accompanying instrumentalists like a saxophonist and a percussionist to produce incredible high octane live shows. 

But don’t take our word for it, check out DJ LIve group All the Feels here:

There you have it – our top 4 wedding trends! We really hope you found this useful for planning your wedding music during the pandemic. You can browse thousands of other great acts on Encore here or if you have any questions drop us an email on [email protected] or call us on 020 3111 1480.