Wedding Singer vs Wedding Band: How to Choose?

What you get when you choose a wedding singer

By the evening, the speeches are done and your guests are ready to dance. My job is to keep them on the dancefloor. I travel through the decades, so there is a song for everyone in the room, from your grandparents to your friends. I can also get amongst your guests, dance with them and make them feel special.

I like to talk with you before the day too. We chat about your first dance, your walking in song, and the songs that matter to you. That way the music feels like it belongs to you both, not like a playlist anyone could have. I also never repeat a song, so your guests hear something new all night.

A solo singer fits easily into small and intimate venues, rooms with no stage, and places with strict sound limits. My set up is really simple. I use a MacBook for backing tracks and a microphone, and as long as I have time for a line check (a quick check that everything is connected and working), I can adjust the rest of the sound as I go. That means I can set up and pack away much quicker than a band, and I won't disturb a wedding breakfast that might be going on next door.

If you have a DJ for the evening, I can work closely with them. We plan it together so the music flows and stays at a balanced volume.

I also bring my own lighting: a disco ball, soft colour changing uplights and vertical glowing sticks. It helps the room look as good as it sounds once the dancing starts.

A solo singer is also a more budget friendly option, and you still get the energy of a live performer. Evening wedding reception prices start at £425 for one 60min set for weddings in 2026/27. Get in touch and I'll send you a quote for your date and venue.

Evening dancing at Villiers, Buckingham, with DJ Mark Rizby of The UK DJ.

What you get when you choose a wedding band

I love a live band, and I've booked one for my own wedding. If you book a four, five or six piece band, your guests get lots of eye contact and interaction from the stage. The band has fun, and your guests feel their energy. Live drums just make you wanna move your feet!

A band does come with more to organise. They need to soundcheck, which means playing at full volume, each instrument on its own first and then all together. They do it to get the balance and EQ right, and to remove frequencies that might feed back. Every room sounds different, and a high ceiling or a hollow suspended floor will change how the music sounds. A band also needs more room, and can be harder to turn down once it is playing.

Obviously, bands cost more to hire, and they should! They often have to pay for rehearsal rooms to prepare song requests. They very often have much more expensive, larger speaker systems too. If you book a pro band that works all the time, they are worth the price tag of around £2k or more, believe me.

My venue is really large, and the band can set up before we all arrive, so for us that works perfectly. If your venue is big, or you have the space and no sound restrictions, a live band could be the icing on the cake!

Hollie Marie singing with party band Pure Genius at Holiday Inn Corby, with stage lights and a full dancefloor

Whichever you choose, go and see them live first

I have sung with bands at lots of weddings, so I know the good ones are brilliant. Unfortunately, on some agency websites the band advertised is not the band that turns up to perform at your wedding. I have known agency bands where the musicians meet for the first time on the day. They are often session musicians and highly skilled at their instruments, but I think it is misleading, and honestly, it's not fair. That being said, most bands have a pool of deputy musicians they can call on if a member is ill or unavailable.

So I would highly recommend asking where they are performing and going to see them live. Look on their social media for live clips too. It is also worth asking whether the musicians you see will be the ones on your day. Good musicians are happy to answer that, and to chat about your venue and any songs you would like.

I perform regularly across Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire and Oxfordshire. If you would like to hear me before you decide, get in touch and I'll tell you where I am singing next.

Planning a wedding in Northamptonshire or nearby?

I'd love to hear about your day. Tell me your date and your venue, and I'll let you know if I am free.

Get in touch