Sometimes, rolling the dice on the English weather just isn’t part of the plan for your special day.

More and more brides are swapping Paddington for Paris and Mayfair for Madrid, looking for guaranteed sunshine and an exotic vibe to their wedding. Our artists have performed at hundreds of events all around the globe, and there is something special about bringing your nearest and dearest to sunnier climes to celebrate.

But there are obviously more challenges to a having wedding in Lisbon than there are in London.

Choosing your location

This will normally come down to a personal connection with a place, rather than be influenced by the logistics, but bear in mind the costs involved. If you’re hosting a wedding in the western parts of Europe (France, Belgium, Holland) then you are within easy driving distance for musicians and bands to make their way over. Not only does this save on flight costs, but crucially it means that your performers can bring all of their equipment with them.

It also means that you may not have to pay for elongated accommodation costs, as some performers will be willing to drive back after the performance; or at least only stay for one night.

When you’re looking to save costs hiring a wedding band to play in Europe, consider the age and situations of your choices. Younger performers are more likely to want to travel, and may cover their own costs, whereas more experienced musicians will treat it more business-like and charge for all of their time. It’s a question of finding the balance between cost and quality.

The numbers to consider

If your wedding is too far for musicians to drive, then your main concern will be organising suitable hire of equipment. Performers will be able to bring smaller instruments (guitars, violins, saxophones) but they won’t be hauling their drum kits, PA systems and amplifiers on Easy Jet. To give you a flavour of the type of costs you can expect when hiring an English band to play abroad, scan the list below:

  • Performance fees (standard price for hiring the musician(s))
  • Return flights from the UK
  • Parking and fuel expenses
  • Accommodation (one or two nights depending on timing)
  • Airport transfers and travel to venue
  • Food and drink for duration of stay
  • PA system and backline equipment hire

Ask the musicians specifically for their system and equipment requirements, then give this to a local provider who will ensure that everything is ready for their arrival. Your venue will likely be able to help with this.

British bands playing abroad is becoming more and more common – and therefore much easier to manage. Abu Dhabi and Dubai invite hundreds of UK performers every year, whilst the more traditional European scene sees thousands of British musicians tour the continent annually. Many event performers specialise in European destinations – so don’t let the logistics put you off having the dream sound to accompany your special day in the sun.