Frequently Asked Questions
Can the band perform or provide audio for ceremony?
Yes, if the ceremony is being held on-site. Please speak with EastCoast Entertainment for pricing. Unless otherwise contracted, this service is available for a very reasonable add-on fee. A live performance provided by the band would consist of either an instrumental guitarist or a guitarist with vocals. For pre-recorded audio, we provide a speaker, wireless microphone for officiant, and a wired microphone for a reader.
How many breaks does the band take?
Unless otherwise requested, the band will play live light background dinner music throughout the duration of the dinner service. Dinner music will pause for speeches, blessings, or any other announcements during the course of the dinner service. The vendor meals are traditionally provided when all guests have received entrees, at which point the band will break to eat as well and provide a quiet mp3 playlist of appropriate music. If the dance set at the end of the night allows for 110 minutes or longer, we prefer to be able to take a very short (7-10 minute) break if the client permits. If the cake cutting is to be formally announced, this is often when the band takes that short break. For a reception of 4 ½- 5 hours, the band requires one break of no shorter than 15 minutes during the dance set portion of the evening.
Can I make requests from the band’s song list for the set?
Yes! Request lists from clients range from a few favorites to covering the majority of our set list. If you choose to submit requests from our song list, please designate your favorites as “must play” versus those that you may wish to hear, and also feel free to designate songs as “do not play”. We invite you to submit as many requests as you wish, though we prefer you do not eliminate too many songs. Reading the crowd and adjusting the sets accordingly is one of our strong points and we prefer to have many options available.
Will the band learn songs specifically for my event?
Yes. As per the contract, the band is willing to learn as many as three songs that are not currently in our repertoire, IF NECESSARY. Please give the band at least 60 days notice to be able to learn any songs that are not in our current song list. Most often, we are asked to learn the first dance, unless the bride and groom specifically would like to hear the original version in MP3 form.
Parent dances:
Please check through our parent dance choices on our master song list. The band would feel most comfortable performing songs from that list since we are familiar with them and know that we can arrange them very well. However, if you already have chosen songs not included on this list, or if you and your parents decide upon specific songs that are not on our list, we will gladly listen to your requests and then learn and perform them if possible. We can cover a wide array of styles but occasionally there might be a song that is simply not musically feasible. In this instance, we will let you know and then we can either play your chosen song as an Mp3, or you may opt to choose a different song for the band to perform.
Dance set requests for the band to learn:
The band prefers to limit this to very important sentimental choices, such as an anniversary song for parents or grandparents, though we will absolutely make exceptions when necessary. We work very hard to find songs that we can perform very well that are popular for dancing at events, while trying to avoid those that do not translate well to the audience.
How many songs should I choose for the introductions?
We highly recommend using one to two songs for the introduction of the bridal party. As many as four could be used successfully without slowing down the process of the intros. Separate songs are sometimes used for any or all of these parties: ring bearers/flower girls, parents of bride/groom, bridal party, bride/groom. We do not recommend using separate songs for each couple in the party since the introductions, which are normally very smooth and energetic, can lose momentum.
Does the band require a stage?
We prefer to use a stage when one of an appropriate size is available to the client. Many venues do not have access to a stage or do not have the dimensions to accommodate one. However, we do require a minimum amount of space allowed for the stage area for the band, which is 8 ft. deep x 16 ft. wide, or any configuration of 144 square feet.
How may I complete final payment?
Final payment can either be submitted on the day of the event, or mailed to Blue Label Band. Please make the check payable to “Blue Label Band, LLC”. If you choose to mail final payment prior to the event, do not mail to East Coast Entertainment. Blue Label Band will provide you with an address to mail the payment.
How many vendor meals are required, and does the band have any food restrictions?
The band requires seven meals (six band members plus one sound technician). If possible, we appreciate if one of the seven is gluten free and another consists of any protein option besides red meat.
What is the band’s attire for an event?
For a black tie event, we will be dressed in the black suits as seen on our home page photo. For non-black tie engagements, we will wear either that same attire without the jackets, navy blue suits, or grey suit with white shirts as seen in the photos section. The client may request the specific attire for their event if they so choose.