Cocktail-hour music: a wedding guide

Your wishlist

Answer these before you meet anyone.

• What kind of act are you dreaming of?

• What mood do you want during cocktails?

• Acoustic, or do you want it amplified?

What to ask each one

• What kind of act?

• Acoustic or amplified?

How it’s usually priced

Usually priced as one flat amount.

Possible extras: Extended set, Overtime (per hour).

What you settle once booked

• Where does the act set up?

  Roaming acts (a mariachi band working the crowd) need no stage — placement is still worth settling with the venue.

• Who takes over when cocktails end?

• Songs you want played

  Title and artist for each. Say which recording if a particular one matters.

• Songs to keep off the list

• The song for each moment

  One line per moment: the moment, the song and artist, which recording or version, and what cues it to start. The version is the detail that most often goes missing between the plan and the day.

What to look over

Correct these details as needed.

• When does the set start?

The day-of sheet

Confirm arrival, finish, who to call, access, a meal, and what is due.

Across the whole day

Choose which moments to include.

• Cocktail musicians setup
• Cocktail-hour set
• Cocktail musicians pack-out