Music Entertainment
Bacchus Wedding Bands
Congratulations on your upcoming wedding celebration; and thank you
for considering our internationally-acclaimed wedding bands for your
most important and sacred day.
Bacchus produces the world's finest, most exciting, diverse and original wedding bands. We've created the live music entertainment for the most beautiful, romantic, elegant and fun weddings in Europe, North America, South America, the Caribbean, Asia and Africa. We offer you an unparalleled selection of experienced wedding bands and smaller ensembles including:
| • | Orchestra of the Americas ... fun, upbeat, romantic, elegant variety wedding band ... 2500+ repertoire and a unique mix of jazz, big band, swing, Sinatra, R&B, soul, Motown, funk, disco, rock, pop, reggae, Caribbean and Latin |
| • | Bacchus Soul Orchestras ... authentic 100% soul, R&B, Motown, funk, disco wedding bands |
| • | Sorcerers of Swing ... authentic classic all-American big band, swing, Sinatra, jump, jive, jazz wedding band |
| • | Frankie Baby! ... Jazzy Sinatra wedding band |
| • | ¡KÚBA! ... authentic Latin wedding band ... international repertoire from Cuba, the Caribbean, South America, Brazil and Spain |
| • | The Flamenco Kings ... authentic Spanish flamenco wedding band ... Rumba music of the Gipsy Kings |
The World's Finest Wedding Band Musicians
Bacchus wedding bands feature the world's finest, full-time, professional
recording-session and touring musicians - no amateurs, "weekend
warriors", "part-timers", "bar lizards" or
"Top 40 band drones". Our artists are the creme de la creme
of the music entertainment industry.
For example, our New York wedding band musicians regularly perform with Paul Simon and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra; our Chicago wedding band musicians work with Earth, Wind & Fire and Ramsey Lewis; our Los Angeles wedding band musicians perform with Prince and the Playboy Jazz Festival Orchestra; our San Francisco wedding band musicians work with Santana and the Count Basie Orchestra; our Philadelphia wedding band musicians perform with Erykah Badu and the Mercer Ellington Orchestra; our Boston wedding band musicians work with Billy Joel and the Phil Collins Big Band Orchestra; our Washington DC wedding band musicians perform with Arturo Sandoval and the Louis Armstrong Tribute Orchestra; our Las Vegas wedding band musicians work with Celine Dion and the Ray Charles Tribute Orchestra; our Dallas wedding band musicians perform with Shania Twain and the Buddy Rich Orchestra; our Houston wedding band musicians work with Bonnie Raitt; our Phoenix wedding band musicians perform with the Dixie Chicks; our Miami wedding band musicians work with Gloria Estefan; our Orlando wedding band musicians perform with Marc Anthony; our Atlanta wedding band musicians work with Sheryl Crow; our New Orleans wedding band musicians perform with Dr. John; our Toronto wedding band musicians work with Donna Summer; our Montreal wedding band musicians perform with Diana Krall; our London wedding band musicians work with Sting; our Brussels wedding band musicians perform with Elton John; our Paris wedding band musicians work with Johny Hallyday; our Nice wedding band musicians perform with the Gipsy Kings; our Madrid wedding band musicians work with Shakira; our Barcelona wedding band musicians perform with Chick Corea; our Lisbon wedding band musicians work with Djavan; our Milan wedding band musicians perform with Andrea Boccelli; our Rome wedding band musicians work with Zucchero; our Berlin wedding band musicians perform with Dire Straits; our Munich wedding band musicians work with Enrique Iglesias; our Zurich wedding band musicians perform with Tina Turner; our Vienna wedding band musicians work with Herbie Hancock; our Copenhagen wedding band musicians perform with Wynton Marsalis; our Hong Kong wedding band musicians work with Jennifer Lopez; our Tokyo wedding band musicians perform with Madonna; our Sydney wedding band musicians work with Cristina Aguilera; and our Cape Town wedding band musicians perform with Quincy Jones.
Secrets For Selecting A Great Wedding Band
The band is the most important element of a memorable wedding party.
Long after your soirée is over, guests always remember the wonderful
magical moments created by a fun, talented, original wedding band. Only
live music has the power to create the magic.
As you evaluate your wedding band options, please consider the following suggestions, based upon our decades of experience:
| • |
Contract your wedding music entertainment as early as possible.
|
| • | There's a lot of mediocrity and mendacity in the
so-called "wedding band" market. So don't just settle
for the least expensive band or the most convenient one or the one
which "everyone" uses. You should really "flip"
over them. If you can't honestly exclaim "I love this wedding
band!", then keep searching. You'll be glad that you went the
extra mile. (Insight: Set your sights on finding a superior wedding band and you will not be disappointed.) |
| • | Insist on meeting the wedding band leader in person. He is your personal music entertainment director - your personal "music magician" - and your rapport with him is crucial for a memorable wedding dance party. If you don't like him; if the "chemistry" is not there; if he's the "pushy salesmen" type; or if he dictates that you do "what everyone else is currently doing", find another band ... fast. ( Insight: Trust your instinct.) |
| • | If at all possible, attend a live rehearsal. A rehearsed
wedding band is far superior to a hastily assembled group of unrehearsed
musicians who will "practice" at your wedding and "fake"
the music. Attending a live rehearsal also gives you a valuable
opportunity to observe the relationship between the musicians and
the wedding band leader. (Insight: Good camaraderie and mutual professional respect between musicians always translates into a memorable wedding band performance.) However, if you are not able to attend a live rehearsal, do not use this as an excuse for not booking a particular wedding band. This should only be one factor in many which informs your final decision. If you trust the wedding band leader; if you like the quality of the music on their demo CD; and if their references are stellar, then by all means, trust your own instincts and go with them. |
| • | Tell the wedding band leader early-on which special
songs you want performed for your special wedding dances, i.e.,
the "First Dance", the "Father-Daughter Dance",
the "Mother-Son Dance", etc. He may need to prepare and
rehearse them - especially if you've selected songs which are not
in the wedding band's regular repertoire. (Insight: Review our list of popular and not-so-well-known Special Request Songs.) |
| • | If budget is an important consideration, choose
a wedding band which features versatile multi-instrumentalists and
vocalists. This allows you to use the same core group of musicians
for each segment of your evening and add-on musicians for the final
dance segment. (Insight: For weddings of 200 or less guests, a Solo Pianist for cocktails and dinner is perfectly acceptable. The money you save here affords you a larger group for the dancing portion of the evening.) |
| • | If budget is not an overriding consideration, then
the final size of your wedding band depends on the styles of music
you want performed and the size of your reception venue. (Insight: Bigger is not always better. However, realistically, in order to perform authentic big band, swing or Sinatra; R&B/soul/Motown; or authentic Latin music, you'll need a 4-6 piece Horn Section. If you want Beach Boys or any of the Motown vocal groups, you'll need at least 3-5 lead vocalists.) |
| • | Be extremely skeptical of wedding bands which claim
they play everything well and don't rehearse. The versatility of
a wedding band is directly proportional to the talent of the musicians;
the diversity of their repertoire; and how often they rehearse.
To perform any song properly, musicians must rehearse it carefully.
To perform it beautifully, they must "get inside of it";
and this means: rehearse, rehearse, rehearse. There's no way around
it. (Insight: All of the greatest legendary bands and orchestras, e.g. Ellington, Basie, Sinatra, Blood Sweat and Tears, Chicago, Earth, Wind & Fire, Santana, Prince, et al., are firmly committed to the rehearsal process. Amateurs and part-time musicians don't rehearse. Full-time professionals do.) |
| • | Insist on a written Performance Contract and make
sure it clearly stipulates everything you discussed with the wedding
band leader. This binding document should include clauses regarding
performance fees, any reimbursable travel expenses, actual playing
time and intermissions, dress code, food and beverages for musicians,
and arrangements for overtime (if any). (Insight: Insist on a "play or pay" contract which prohibits an unscrupulous wedding band from abandoning your event for a better paying one.) |
| • | Do business only with wedding bands who are members
of the following professional organizations: AFM (American Federation
of Musicians), NARAS (National Association of Recording Arts and
Sciences), Chamber of Commerce, Convention Bureau, Better Business
Bureau, MPI (Meeting Professionals International), ISES (International
Special Events Society), NACE (National Association of Catering
Executives), SITE (Society of Incentive Travel Executives), AAPOL
(American Association of Professional Orchestra Leaders), etc. (Insight: Professional wedding bands are members of one or more of the above business associations.) |
Secrets For Selecting A Great Wedding Band: Additional Advice
Below are some specific suggestions for wedding music ensembles during
the Ceremony, Cocktails, Dinner and Dancing
CEREMONY. Wedding ceremony music can be as short as 15 minutes
or as long as 1 hour, depending on whether you want: a) music as guests
first enter the ceremony venue ("Prelude"); b) music in specific
sections of the ceremony; and/or c) music at the end of the ceremony
("Processional"). Some ceremony options include a harpist,
a classical string quartet, a brass quintet, an organist, classical
guitarists, piano/flute duo, etc. The possibilities are limitless and
depend solely on your creativity, personal taste and budget.
(Insight:
If it's an outdoor Ceremony and you expect 100+ guests, insist on a
small p.a. sound system with clip-on wireless lavaliere microphones
for the officiant and the groom, and a separate microphone on a stand
for the reader and/or vocal performer.)
COCKTAIL RECEPTION. Whether you have 50 or 500 guests, it's
a classic catering rule to allow at most only 1 hour for the wedding
cocktail reception. For a guest list of under 200, a Solo Pianist is
perfectly fine. However, have him play up-tempo, fun, joyous, celebratory
music and leave the soft romantic background music for Dinner.
(Insight:
If the venue has an acoustic piano, use it; and insist that the venue
tune it the day of and after they've moved it to it's final position).
For a guest list of 200+, you'll need more than just a Solo Pianist. Our Bacchus Trio (piano, acoustic upright wooden bass and drums on brushes) performs classic and modern jazz; pop favorites; Broadway show tunes; Italian, Irish, Jewish and Spanish evergreens; and even classical pieces with verve, taste and sophistication. Never loud or imposing, the Bacchus Trio provides spirited quality background music conducive to festive cocktail conversation.
DINNER. Allow 1 hour for a buffet-style dinner and 1.5 hours
for a sit-down dinner. No matter how large your guest list, under no
circumstances should you force your wedding guests to sit for longer
than 1.5 hours. This is a surefire recipe for disaster.
(Insight: If
the caterer cannot feed all of your guests within this time frame, then
have them hire more labor or get another caterer.)
If you're on a strict budget, then a Solo Pianist or beautiful CD's played through the band's p.a. system is perfectly acceptable. However, if you want dancing between courses, then you'll need more than just a Solo Pianist or CD's.
Our Bacchus Trio performs quiet, soft, lush, beautiful, romantic
North and South American classics while guests eat; and then kicks-up
the beat for dancing between courses.
(Insight: Save your money and
refrain from using horns and/or vocalists during Dinner. The volume
is much harder to control.)
DANCING. Everyone's favorite part of the evening. Allow 3 to 4 hours for dancing, depending on the inclination of your wedding party. Keep in mind that normally the more mature members of your party do most of their dancing earlier in the night. Consequently, you want to make sure the wedding band plays their more classic big band, swing and Sinatra numbers then. As the evening progresses, the band can kick-up the beat and the repertoire can reflect the tastes of the younger members of your party.
Our Orchestra of the Americas is one of the most popular variety dance wedding bands worldwide because of its versatility, taste, sophistication, timing, volume control, diverse 2500+ repertoire and unique ability to read your wedding party. Their years of experience, rehearsals and natural talent allows them to consistently perform the right song at the right moment. Now that's magic.