Searching for live wedding bands in Dorset? You've come to the right place! At Entertainment Nation we offer an exciting range of experienced and talented Dorset wedding bands for hire. Whether you want to recreate your favourite festival with an indie rock band, get the dance floor bouncing with a soul and Motown band or create a beautiful atmosphere with live wedding music from a wedding string quartet, we'll help you discover your dream wedding entertainment.
We only work with the finest wedding bands in Dorset. We understand how important your wedding entertainment is to you, which is why every single act you see on the Entertainment Nation website has been checked and rated by the professional wedding entertainment experts on our team. When you hire your band through us, you know you'll getting an act of the highest quality to enhance your big day.
We make booking your band convenient and hassle-free. Browse the profiles of talented Dorset wedding bands and complete the short enquiry form located at the bottom of each profile for a quick and comprehensive quote. Give us a shout to discuss every aspect your wedding entertainment with our expert staff, who are always happy to help!
Excellent company from start to finish. When we initially enquired for a wedding singer we had very specific requirements for our wedding day. Having looked through the large portfolio of singers we found just the performer. We had everything lined up until a last minute change meant we had to change our singer. Entertainment nation were very responsive in their communication and extremely helpful. We owe a lot of thanks to these guys as they helped arrange a performer whom of which gave the performance of a lifetime, and truly made our wedding day a special occasion. Superb service and a company that massively cares about their customer's needs. Thanks again!!
James Cottingham – May 2024
First things first, you need to find the perfect band! That might sound like a big task but don't worry - we've streamlined the process to make your search simple and stress-free (and fun!).
You're already on the right page for wedding bands available in Dorset, which is a great start. To find a wedding band that matches exactly what you're looking for, you can get even more specific:
Then it's simply a case of browsing through our carefully-selected wedding bands until you find one you're interested in - once you do simply click "Enquire" while in the listings or "Enquire Now" on the band's profile and fill in your details and we'll get back to you ASASP with availability and your free quote. Feel free to do this for as many bands as you like (your details will be saved after your first enquiry) so until you find that perfect match... enquire away!
Once you've found 'The One', the only thing we need from you is a deposit to secure the act for your date. From there we can get the ball rolling, starting with providing a secure contract between you and your band so you can be sure you're covered for any eventuality.
Just like that, another thing ticked off of your to-do list!
If you're a little overwhelmed by choice, we don't blame you! With so many amazing acts to choose from, we know it can sometimes be tricky to find the perfect one for you. That's where our advisers come in - our friendly team are always happy to help narrow down your options and help you find the right band. All they need is a few details from you about what you're looking for, and they'll shortlist the best-suited available acts for you.
To get in touch, start a live chat in the bottom right corner, give us a ring on 0800 53 000 35 or fill out the simple form on our contact page and we'll get some hand-picked recommendations over to you right away!
Our advice is to book your wedding band as early as possible - some of our most popular acts can get snapped up quickly - we're talking two years or more in advance! If you can, we'd suggest getting your wedding entertainment sorted as soon as you have your venue booked to make sure you don't miss out on your dream wedding band.
Our Dorset wedding bands come in all shapes, sizes and styles! The bands we represent encompass all popular styles for wedding entertainment including acoustic, folk, jazz, pop, rock, soul, Motown, indie, disco, swing, vocal groups, contemporary, vintage, rat pack, rock 'n' roll, Britpop, world music, and bandeoke.
Whatever your tastes, you can find the act that suits your vision for the big day here, and if you're struggling to find them, don't worry! Give our team a shout over Live Chat, email or phone, let us know what you're looking for and we'll match you with the best wedding band for you.
You'll find wedding bands who cover pretty much any genre of music you can think of, including rock, pop, folk, funk, soul, Motown, disco, jazz, swing and many more! Our advice is to find the style you like best first, then have a look through the acts to find ones whose repertoires match your tastes. Our bands love reimagining songs in their own style too, so just because you book a folky acoustic band, it doesn't mean you won't be able to dance away to all your party favourites - even better, you'll get to hear your favourite songs in a cool new style!
If you're struggling for ideas, then you can always get in touch, let our team know the sort of music and songs you like, and we'll offer you some tailored suggestions.
We offer wedding music bands throughout Dorset, including recommended wedding bands in Bournemouth, Poole, Christchurch, Weymouth, Ferndown, Dorchester, Wimborne Minster, Bridport, Verwood, Swanage, Sherborne and Shaftesbury. Our Dorset bands for weddings have appeared at some beautiful local wedding venues, including Highcliffe Castle, Tythe Barn, Highcliff Marriott Hotel, Deans Court, Holway Farm, Kingston Country Courtyard and The Orangery Suite. You can also hire wedding bands in neighbouring areas, including Devon, Hampshire, Somerset and Wiltshire.
Feel free to have a browse through our specific local pages to see bands available in your area - if the band is showing up on this page, then they're happy to travel to Dorset. If you've fallen in love with a specific band, please do enquire and we will find out if the band can come to you.
Our bands are all highly skilled professionals, hand-selected by our team, who perform at hundreds of weddings every year - you can rely on them to get your dance floor packed with guests! Drawing upon their vast on-stage experience, our bands hone their set-lists to help your evening flow and ensure everyone has the best time possible.
With professionally recorded songs and music videos, as well as full repertoire lists available on every profile, we make it easy to pick the band that best lines up with your taste in music. If there are any songs on your band's repertoire you have to hear on the big night, let them know. The same goes for any songs you don't want to hear.
Many bands will also offer to learn a first dance song of your choice included in their fee, and some will even learn additional requests, sometimes for free, sometimes for an added fee to cover rehearsal costs and their time - check out individual act profiles to find out more.
Many bands are happy to learn and perform your First Dance of choice included within their price. If you wish them to learn other requests not contained within their repertoire, however, there may be an added fee (usually per track). This covers the band's time and any rehearsal costs involved.
The cost of hiring a wedding band depends on factors such as the size of the band, the band's availability, and how far they have to travel to get to the Dorset area, but there's an act for every price point. For example, for a smaller budget you might consider a solo artist or a duo rather than a larger band.
We recommend taking a look through the different band types and using our filter options to sort according to your budget. If you already have a style and a budget in mind and would like recommendations, give us a shout and our team will be happy to offer some suggestions.
Something else to think about: many bands offer reduced line-ups on request, so if you fall in love with a larger act who are out of budget get in touch with us to discuss your options. You never know!
Almost all of our wedding bands provide high-quality sound and lighting equipment as standard, so there's no need for you to worry about logistics. Unless otherwise specified, your band comes with everything they need to perform - and they'll set it all up too. The type of equipment each band provides will vary (for example, an unplugged acoustic duo don't need a massive sound system), so be sure to check individual act profiles for specifics. All equipment is fully PAT-tested with certificates available upon request.
Most of our wedding bands include a complimentary DJ service to keep the party going between sets. A "playlist DJ service" of party music played through the band's audio setup is typically offered as standard. Some bands offer a "manned DJ service" where a member of the band will be on hand to take requests on the night (usually for an additional fee) - this is definitely an option worth considering as allowing your guests to make requests is great for keeping them engaged and the energy high! Check individual act profiles to find out what DJ services they offer.
Of course, if you want the full DJ experience, be sure to check out our selection of top-class Pro DJs!
For evening wedding reception performances, your band will arrive at approximately 5-6pm, and once they've set up they'll be ready to get your guests up on the dance floor and keep them entertained all night long! The band will typically be with you all the way up to midnight.
Some bands are happy to accommodate early arrivals or late finishes, usually with an added fee to cover their time. If this is something you need, be sure to let us know and we'll discuss the arrangements with your favoured acts prior to booking.
Prices are, unless otherwise specified, for evening reception performances and are based upon a 5-6pm arrival and midnight finish, but many bands offer optional daytime sets to provide music throughout the day. Options include chilled afternoon acoustic duo sets, laid-back lounge sets and even full roaming band sets, where the band will perform as they wander amongst your guests.
You may also want to check out our range of daytime performers, which includes, singers, acoustic soloists and duos, pianists, string quartets, sax players, jazz bands, brass bands and more.
How long your wedding band takes to set up their equipment will depend on the intricacy of their set-up and ease of access to the venue (a parking space near to the performance area helps massively!). As standard, we'd advise to allow for at least 90 minutes to set up and sound check, giving your band enough time to be fully ready to get the party started!
Standard wedding band performance times are usually two 60-minute sets or three 40-minute sets of live music. This can vary depending upon the band - some bands even offer optional additional sets - so check out each band's profile to find out what their package includes.
