How to Choose the Perfect Luxury Jewish Wedding Band for Your Celebration
Mazel tov! If you’re getting married and looking to incorporate traditional Jewish elements into your special day, you’ll know that music and dancing are essential inclusions. You need a band that can match the elegance and energy of your celebration, while also respecting tradition and ensuring that their performance can meet all of your needs.
Whether you’re getting married yourself, planning a wedding for a happy couple, or simply curious about the process, let’s shine a spotlight on Jewish wedding band music and recommendations.
Understanding Jewish Wedding Traditions
Music is an integral part of Jewish weddings. There are traditional songs and pieces of music that can be used at every part of the wedding, from the entrance of the rabbi to during the circling ceremony and all the way to the iconic Hora.
No matter how many traditional elements you’re looking to include in your wedding, you’ll definitely have at least a few moments that you’ll want to embellish with music. Decide on these moments before reaching out to potential bands, but also be open to suggestions from the performers themselves, especially if they have lots of experience performing Jewish wedding band music.
Musical Preferences and Expectations
You might decide that you want a mixture of traditional songs and contemporary hits used throughout the day. Whatever your musical choices (be they Jewish, Jew-ish, or secular), it’s a good idea to discuss them with your rabbi ahead of time to make sure your selection is appropriate. For example, while Richard Wagner’s ‘Here Comes the Bride’ may be a classic choice for many, it is often avoided in Jewish weddings due to the fact that Wagner was a confirmed antisemite.
Exploring Bands with Experience in Jewish Wedding Celebrations
Jewish weddings aren’t as long as other religions’ traditional wedding ceremonies, but that doesn’t mean that they’re any less action-packed. Maybe the most famous of the Jewish wedding traditions is the Hora dance, where the happy couple are seated in chairs and lifted up into the air while the rest of the wedding party dance around them. At some weddings it can last as long as 20 minutes! What a showstopper!
This is usually a euphoric highpoint in the celebrations, and it’s understandable to want a band with experience in the Hora to ensure that they’ll be able to bring the energy that is needed. See if any family or friends have recommendations from their own wedding parties, and ask to see footage of prospective bands performing. You’ll want to confirm that they meet your expectations before booking them.
It’s highly advisable to confirm that your chosen band have experience with accommodating Jewish wedding traditions and music into their performances. Enthusiasm doesn’t trump experience when it comes to religious practices.
Coordination and Communication with the Band
Come prepared to ask questions and keep the conversation flowing between yourself and your chosen band. Here are some things to make sure you discuss well in advance:
- How many musicians you want the band to consist of
- How many singers you want (e.g. a soloist, with or without backing singers, or a chorus)
- Whether or not you want more traditional instruments involved (e.g. accordions)
- How long you want them to perform for
- How technical their set up will be
Budget Allocation Tips for Selecting the Perfect Band without Overspending
The cost of hiring Jewish wedding bands based in the UK can range from the hundreds into the high thousands – it all depends on the calibre of your event, and the amount of your budget you want to dedicate to ensuring the perfect soundtrack for your big day. Keep this in mind when discussing the previous bullet points.
Embrace the future and tradition at the same time
There are always ways to incorporate all of your desires into your wedding. If you love traditional Jewish wedding music, but want the night to end feeling like an exclusive disco, why compromise? Have both. Once you’ve performed as a luxury Jewish wedding band, you’ll understand that there’s no party quite like it – we should know. Get in contact today to see what music we can make for you.
