Wedding Attire?

[NZBassman]

Just want your opinions here folks.....
In my last band of 6 years our singer always reminded us (rest of the band) that for weddings we HAD to wear black trousers / pants, black shoes and a black or white collared dress shirt... she wanted us to look and play professionally - which we did

I've been in my current band about 8 months now and we are doing our first wedding this Saturday night.
I asked the band about the 'dress code' and both guitarist and keys player said 'we don't need to dress up - as we don't want to look like just another wedding guest....'
Guitarist said 'we need to look like we're in the band'.

what's your take on this??

I'm happy to go with the flow and wear some nice jeans and a nice casual shirt, but I was surprised by their 'casual' attitude.

 

[Fathand]

Personally I don't play in Wedding bands, but I know a few people that do and they usually take at least the "business casual" look. So not necessarily a full suit, but at least a single color shirt with or without a tie and tidy straight pants. I guess depends on the requests of the marrying couple as well.

Makes sense - If you have an expensive wedding and like everything top notch, I assume the band should fit the bill as well and not look like a Stoner Band on a Saturday night. Then again, if it's a biker type couple that Stoner Look might fit in like a glove.

 

[DWBass]

I've never played a wedding without a suit or tux. I would get clarification from the wedding party.

 

[biguglyman]

Personally, I've ALWAYS "dressed up" for wedding gigs. Better to be overdressed than underdressed.

 

[buldog5151bass]

Weddings are not like they used to be, and they are a lot more diverse. But I would clear it with each client, and unless they specifically tell you otherwise, you treat it as a formal gig - nice dark pants and collared full button down shirt at the very least. It's their special day, not a bar gig.

 

[friskinator]

I've never played a wedding without a suit or tux. I would get clarification from the wedding party.

Yup. Best to ask the client what they'd prefer. Weddings aren't the time to express your creativity or stand out from the crowd. I would never wear jeans to play a wedding. Ever.

In my previous wedding band, we all wore matching suits (dark charcoal gray, not black) with a black tie. Never had any complaints from the clients.

 

[WI Short Scaler]

First thing to do, IMO, is ask the wedding couple what they would prefer. If your band doesn't want to honor that then you'll have a decision to make to stick with the band decision or go with the opinion of the people that hired you.

 

[And I]

Ask the client, wear what they want you to.

 

[hrodbert696]

If you show up overdressed, you can always take off the tie and jacket. If you show up underdressed, there's nowhere you can go. Show up overdressed. Unless, as others have said, the client has indicated their preferences.

 

[JRA]

what's your take on this??

on rare occasions = my wedding band was asked not to be 'dressy' --- the bride/groom designated their event as "casual."
mostly = they have been dress-up affairs and the bride/groom didn't want casual --- they wanted "dressy."

IME: it's all about the bride/groom wishes and has nothing to do with what the band thinks is appropriate. FWIW: the wedding band has several 'uniforms' ranging from ties/jackets (and even a tux sometimes!) to more casual stuff.

good luck serving your market!

 

[mrcbass]

+1000 for over dress vs under dress and to check with the happy couple to be sure. You can't choose wrong if you simply follow directions.

IMO, this is the kind of scene where - as a rule - you want to dress like the audience.

 

[GBBSbassist]

I wouldn't show up to a wedding gig in casual attire personally.

I agree that the BL should ask the client. Think of it this way. If the baker didn't have a detail about what they should do for the wedding cake, they wouldn't guess. They'd contact the client and ask. You're providing a service for their wedding. It should be what they expect.

 

[DWBass]

Even if the wedding party said the reception was casual (never seen it personally), I'd still show up with a white shirt, tie and black slacks and shoes. If I'm able to remove the tie and roll up my sleeves....cool but..........

 

[MultiScaleMale]

Ask. The. Client. Unless it’s a $300 (total) wedding gig, then wear what you want.

 

[redwingxix]

It depends if the guests will be wearing their "weddin' jeans" or not.

 

[growlypants]

We wore formal (ruffles) shirts, with a clip-on bow tie. That's all you really need. In fact, we had blue AND pink shirts, and the band leader had to specify which color the gig was going to be!!

 

[bass12]

It depends on what the client expects but I've never played a wedding where jeans would have been appropriate. Keep in mind that part of the reason some folks hire a band for the wedding is that they want to add a degree of class to the event. Unless there's a casual theme then black tie is a safe bet. On a side note, it never ceases to amaze me how many musicians need to be told how to dress for more formal occasions. The clothes I've seen musicians (who should know better) show up to the gig in is astounding. It's always good to remember that people tend to listen with their eyes before their ears.

 

[RustyAxe]

I'm happy to go with the flow and wear some nice jeans and a nice casual shirt, but I was surprised by their 'casual' attitude.

Dress up. We played an outdoor tent wedding, on a farm ... and the bride specifically stated "dinner dress". Every guest was dressed "to the nines", and we were fine in white shirts, black pants and shoes, but each of wore a different solid color tie. She was happy.

I think your band mates have an ego problem ... many bands do. If you're playing a wedding it is NOT about the band, it's all about the bride. No one cares if you're in the band, so why go to lengths to stand out from the guests? If the bride wanted a raggedy bar band she'd have held the wedding in a bar.

 

[lfmn16]

The guitarist and keys players need to grow up. A wedding gig is not about THEM.

 

[Ronzo]

Most weddings in downstate New York and South Florida required a tux. Your area may have different expectations.

As another poster said, you can always dress down formal wear, but you can’t dress up from casual. The advice to dress one level up from the guests is good, too.