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1. What advice would you give a couple who have just started to plan their big day?
If you are on a budget the way to make your money go a lot further is to have the wedding as close to Dublin as possible and if you don't have it on a Friday or a Saturday your budget will go twice as far. As most of the decent bands and wedding service providers will give you a deal from Sunday to Thursday including the hotels
2. Would you have a band or a DJ?
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This is a list of stats that the wedding mags have done and I think they speak for themselves. Within one week after their reception, *78% of Brides say they would have made the entertainment their highest priority! *When asked 81% of guests say the thing they remember most about a wedding is the entertainment. *65% of all couples that chose a band to entertain at their wedding, said, if they had it to do over again, they would have chosen a disc jockey also. These statistics were published in St. Louis Bride & Groom Magazine. Sources include: Simmons, 2001; USA Today, 2002; National Bridal Service, 2001; The Knot, 2002; Brides Magazine, 2001
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3. What do I look for in a band?
Don't go just on your taste but on what your friends and family will enjoy. Everyone has a view and if you look at the wedding websites some bands get great reviews by one person and bad by another. It's all down to personal taste. Just don't take the wedding reviews to heart as some of the comments are posted by other bands who will slate a rival in order for them to rob the gig on them.
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Go and see the band and remember just like everything else on your big day.You get what you pay for.
4. What is the average price of a band?
Every one of us charges differently. We use professional full time musicians who have worked with the RTE orchestra and big stars such as Van Morrison and Paul Brady. The further away from Dublin the band have to travel the more it will cost. The things people remember about your event is the venue, food and entertainment and if it's a wedding the dress. So, this is where to spend your budget. Any of the in demand bands will charge from €2,000 and up depending on if they include a DJ, the size of the band and the location.
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5. What is the first thing I do to get a band?
Check availability. The hardest thing to do is get a good band for a Fri or Sat as most of us are booked a year in advance. Contact a few bands and see who is free and what they charging for the location of your event. Also see if they include a DJ. Make sure you get confirmation as some cheaper non-professional outfits will leave you high and dry if a better offer comes along a month before your wedding. |
6. If you guys are booked what do I do?
There are over 23,000 weddings in Ireland each year. The Irish Rat Pack are a professional outfit and do not mud sling our rivals. If you want a Swing type of classy show and we are booked will offer you one of two other shows who work with us "Sinatra and friends" and "Margot and Melody makers" Who we can guarantee will do a great job.
Other bands that do swing include Frankly Sinatra. If you want my top three other bands I would recommend "The Hit Connection" "The Camembert Quarte" or "Boogie Nights"
Hope this helps you. The Irish Rat Pack...
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