Wedding FAQs

Your wedding’s as special and unique as you are and that’s how it should be. That being said.. there’s some questions that we are asked time and time again.

Below are some wedding specific FAQs. Please see our FAQ page for more general FAQ’s about the band!

Of course if there’s something you’d like to know that isn’t answered on one of these pages, drop us an email and one of the team will get back to you with an answer straight away!

What times do you come?

Typically, the band’s arrival time is 6.30pm and they’re on site with you until 12.30am. Of course, each wedding is unique and this can be extended (at a cost) depending on your requirements.

How long do you play for?

As standard, the total playing time is usually 3 hours. This can be broken down in whatever way works best for you though 3 x 1hr sets is the most popular format and the one that we recommend.

Can you perform our first dance?

There’s no binary answer to this unfortunately. The answer to the question depends entirely what your first dance is. The band are able and willing to learn first dance requests if they’re suitable for the instrumentation and lineup of the band, and of course the timbre and range of the lead vocalist. There is a charge to learn a new song to cover the additional time and expense of rehearsing a new tune just for your wedding. If you decide not to have the band perform your first dance, they’ll still look after everything: download it, cue it up and play it back on their system so that it’s not something that you have to worry about on the day.

Can we meet you before hand?

The band aren’t able to meet with clients beforehand, sadly. As lovely as it would be to get to know everyone, schedules of the musicians don’t allow for that. That being said, all couples who book will have direct access to the band’s professional management team who will be on hand anytime to answer any queries that you have and get all the logistics in place for you. The week prior to the big day, one of the band will give you a call to say hello and introduce themselves as well as going through all the booking info to double check that everything is correct and and perfect in advance of your big day.

Can you perform in the afternoon too?

Absolutely yes! About half of couples that have a band in the evening also hire the musicians for an afternoon acoustic set. This can take the shape of a soloist singer/guitarist or a duo. The afternoon acoustic set lasts 60 minutes and you can schedule it any time from 2pm onwards. You can add this at the time of booking by selecting the option you want on the ‘Afternoon Entertainment’ tab on the booking form.

What about Ceilidh dances? Can you play these for us?

If you fancy having some Ceilidh music as part of the your celebrations, you’re covered! The Valleytones offer two options for this. Firstly, you can include a 40 minute Ceilidh set within the 3 hours performance time that comes as standard with the booking. Alternatively, for an additional cost, you can extend the live performance time (to a total of 3hrs 40mins) by adding the additional 40 minute Ceilidh set.

Who will help us get all the arrangements in place for the day?

Due to popularity of the band and their focus on the entertainment side of things, they use the services of a professional management company whose job it is to answer any questions, sort any issues and get everything ready for you big day. They’re always at the end of an email to help any way they can, as quickly as possible.

We’ve read that some bands don’t let us take photographs of them whilst they’re performing. Is that the case with you?

Absolutely not. Snap away. We’re even happy to pose for you…

Can we use your sound system for speeches?

This all depends on when and where the speeches are and if you’ve got the band booked for an afternoon acoustic set or just the evening. Because every wedding is unique, if this is something that you’d like to do, it’s best to reach out to the management to see how and if this is something that band are available to accommodate for your unique booking.

Do you bring a stage and dance floor?

Wedding bands don’t bring their own stage or dance floor to their engagements but The Valleytones are more than happy to play on the floor without a stage as long as it’s a safe, flat and a clear area with a good, solid electrical supply. If you want to put a stage in place, that’s fantastic and the band would love that – but they certainly don’t expect to have one. If you speak to your venue, they’ll be able to advise you of a local stage hire company that will be able to help if they haven’t got their own.

How do we get in touch with you if there’s a problem on the day?

In the very rare instance you have a problem on the day and need to contact the band, you’ll have been given an emergency, on-the-day, mobile contact number for one of the members who you’ll be able to reach out to. The band’s management will give you and your venue this number the week prior to the performance date. They’ll also get an emergency contact number for the day from you so the band can reach you if they need you for anything e.g. if they’re having difficulty finding the venue.

Do we have to have any licenses for you to play?

Any licensing for live music is the responsibility of the host venue, not you or the band. As long as your venue confirms you’re ok to have live music, that’s it – there’s nothing else to worry about!

Hopefully those questions are helpful. As time goes on, the band will add any other questions that they think might be useful to you and other couples.