Entertainment is the pivotal aspect of the wedding reception. Without music and a master of ceremonies, the event can fall flat, with guests sitting in chairs under a hushed air of boredom. One surefire way to bring that necessary spark is to hire a live wedding band, and Richmond is fortunate to have a multitude of ensembles available. For fans of Motown, yacht rock and beyond, couples have a diverse range of sounds within easy reach. Performers can even incorporate elements from multiple genres into a single set — as Dance Candy band leader and trumpet player Mark Ingraham (aka Smoochie Jankins) puts it, “We do everything from ‘Stand by Me’ to ‘Back That Thang Up.’”
So how do you select just one band from the many options available? Start by pinpointing the mood and atmosphere you’re trying to establish. Are you looking for a classic, swing band-style affair or a get-Grandma-out-of-her-chair rock show? Be sure to factor in budget and venue size, and book early so you can lock in your performers of choice.
From trios to 40-piece arrangements, live musicians pride themselves on their sound and their contributions to the big day. Some fold surprises into their sets and have even honored unusual requests (go ahead and ask; they’ve heard it all). We spoke with five Richmond area wedding bands to get their takes on everything from tips for hiring performers to their current most-requested song.
Good Shot Judy (Photo courtesy Good Shot Judy)
Good Shot Judy
Eight- to 16-piece dynamic swing band led by lead vocalist Brett Cahoon
Richmond Bride: What’s the band’s origin story?
Brett Cahoon: My brother [and Good Shot Judy bassist] Jeff and I grew up playing punk rock music together. I had an interest in jazz and big band music for probably the last 30 years or so, and it was just sort of a sideline thing. I learned to accompany myself on piano to sing some jazz standards. [After starting as a trio] in 2011, the band grew, and we played our first public performance in 2013. Now, the smallest ensemble is our eight-piece band, and during the holidays, we have a 20-piece mini orchestra for our holiday shows. The largest thing we do is perform with the Williamsburg Symphony Orchestra — upwards of 40 people. I’ve seen some magical first dances and some really fairy tale-like wedding stuff that I was really thrilled to be able to provide.
RB: How would you describe your sound?
Cahoon: We jokingly refer to the sound of Good Shot Judy as big-amp jazz, because of someone years ago who asked us to turn down “those big amps.” It’s high-energy swing, sort of like Sinatra on steroids.
RB: How does live music elevate a reception?
Cahoon: There’s just no substitution for live music. It’s a conversation and a transference of energy between the people performing and the people either listening or dancing, and it’s a two-way communication. I think it’s what’s so special about [weddings], that we come together to celebrate life that way.
Bachelor Boys Band (Photo courtesy Bachelor Boys Band)
Bachelor Boys Band
Customizable three- to 14-piece energetic ensemble including band manager and bassist Adam Hopkins
Richmond Bride: What’s the band’s origin story?
Adam Hopkins: Bachelor Boys operates in a few different cities. [The band] started 13 years ago in Baltimore, where I’m from. I went to grad school at Peabody [music and dance conservatory at Johns Hopkins University], so we put it together with musicians I’ve played with most of my life. It was really successful in Baltimore, so we decided to start a branch in Richmond, where I live now. It’s been a lot of fun, and we’re still going.
RB: Do you have a favorite song, or is there a most-requested tune?
Hopkins: It’s funny because, often, the most requested songs are also the most requested do-not-play songs. Half of our clients want to end their night on “Don’t Stop Believin’,” and half of our clients absolutely do not want to end their night on that. We play a pretty wide variety of music, which I think keeps it really interesting. We really love playing Motown and old soul music, because that’s the stuff that gets everybody on the dance floor.
RB: What advice do you have for couples?
Hopkins: We want to know what all the announcements are going to be but allow for the band to have a little bit of flexibility, because we can surprise people with stuff that’s going to go over really well. We just know what is going to pack a dance floor. So, hire a band you trust and let them roll with it.
J Baxter & The Sauce (Photo by Brett Denfeld Photography)
J Baxter & The Sauce
bookece.com/artists/jbaxterandthesauce
Twelve-piece party-rock and soul band founded by CEO and singer Jason Baxter
Richmond Bride: What’s the band’s origin story?
Jason Baxter: The band formed 10 years ago from a talent show called RVA Has Talent. I finished runner-up in that competition, and I was awarded a one-man show. I put together a band. It was amazing, and we haven’t looked back ever since.
RB: What advice do you have for couples?
Baxter: Look at the band beyond just the music. We’re all doing the same music. It’s more of a [group’s energy and personality] that makes you feel like you’re going to have an experience. [Additionally], we give every wedding couple a gift: a glass crystal globe engraved with their name and congratulations from myself and The Sauce band. We present that to every wedding couple after the first song.
RB: How does live music elevate a reception?
Baxter: There’s no replacement for a wedding band because there’s nothing like being able to touch people. There’s nothing like sharing a space with other amazing energies. Music is the most powerful tool, the most powerful gift in the world, no matter how you look at it. Anybody who has a gift of music of any kind, we have to be aware that we have something special. Wedding bands are never going away, because you can never get that type of intimacy and that type of human connection from a DJ. There’s nothing like it.
Three Sheets to the Wind (Photo courtesy Three Sheets to the Wind)
Three Sheets to the Wind
Six- to 10-piece yacht rock performance crew including founding member Jack Shannon
Richmond Bride: What’s the band’s origin story?
Jack Shannon: We formed 15 years ago with friends who played in bands [and have now] played in 15 states. A lot of people in the band had record deals back then, and then we just thought this would be fun to play the ’70s and ’80s underappreciated yacht rock. We thought it would be just kind of fun as a lark for a few gigs, and it’s turned out to have way more staying power than we thought it ever would.
RB: Do you have a favorite song, or is there a most-requested tune?
Shannon: It’s less about playing one song and playing medleys of song into song. It’s more of the vibe of a set driven by music that’s linked together; how many songs we can string together without a single second of dead air. That’s what’s more fun — getting those transitions between songs that make sense musically. Building the energy is way more important than any one song will ever be for us.
RB: How does live music elevate a reception?
Shannon: A band is a group of people who have an unspoken means of communication, the way that you listen and play together. A band is something that is greater than the sum of its parts, and charisma and chemistry born from hundreds of hours together. That kind of chemistry cannot be duplicated in any way other than seeing it happen live and in person.
Dance Candy (Photo courtesy Dance Candy)
Dance Candy
samhillbands.com/bands/dance-candy
Seven-piece high-energy group led by trumpeter Mark Ingraham
Richmond Bride: What’s the band’s origin story?
Mark Ingraham: In college, I started a band called Bungalow Six, and [we played] all original music that I was writing. And then [it evolved into a group] called Beast Wellington. We did half covers and half originals, and I noticed we started getting hired for a bunch of weddings because they liked the arrangements of the covers we were doing, and I said I’m going to make a band just for this.
RB: Do you have a favorite song, or is there a most-requested tune?
Ingraham: We have a bunch of arrangements that people like. We do “No Diggity” into “Come Together.” We’ll play “When the Saints Go Marching In,” but immediately go into “Valerie” and then “Faith” by George Michael. “Valerie” crushes once people have a couple drinks in them, almost anything [will] that has a sing-along aspect to it.
RB: What advice do you have for couples?
Ingraham: Be true to yourself. If you’re not dancers, it’s going to be awkward if you get this big band and have to do all these dances. Some people will learn a routine, but I try to make sure guests or the bridal party get people on the dance floor. If you want people dancing, it also matters what time of day you [host the reception]. People are going to be more excited later in the evening.
