HOW TO HIRE · EVENTS & ENTERTAINMENT

How to hire a wedding singer in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

Wedding singers need no licence in the UK. Here is what the venue needs, what to ask and what the quote must say.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a wedding singer in five steps

  1. Hear them liveA real wedding set from the wedding singer, not a studio recording.
  2. Check the venueIts music licence, sound limiter and finish time.
  3. Choose the key songsCeremony, first dance, a must-play. Give them early and ask about learning charges.
  4. Get the illness clauseA named stand-in or a refund if the singer cannot make it.
  5. Book in writingSets, times, microphone for speeches, travel and meals.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

Nobody licenses wedding singers in any of the four UK nations, and the law asks for no training or qualification. A wedding cannot be rerun, so the illness and stand-in clause matters as much as the voice.

Ask the wedding singer for references from the last few months and read the written terms before paying.

Music licence and event licensing where the wedding singer plays

Live or recorded music played in public needs TheMusicLicence from PPL PRS, which replaced the separate PRS and PPL licences; playing without one infringes copyright and can lead to a claim for damages. At a hotel, pub or licensed function room the venue normally holds it, so the wedding singer does not need their own. In England and Wales, music or dancing at a place with no premises licence is a licensable activity and needs a Temporary Event Notice: under 500 people, given to the council at least 10 clear working days before. In Northern Ireland, live entertainment indoors, and open-air music on private land, needs a district council entertainment licence whoever performs; staging indoor entertainment without one risks a fine of up to £20,000. In Scotland, ask the venue or council what the event needs before the wedding singer is booked.

Ask the venue whether it holds TheMusicLicence before anyone charges you for one for the wedding singer. Ask the venue whether it is licensed for live entertainment, or who will give the notice or hold the licence for the wedding singer's performance. gov.uk →

Safe electrics and insurance for the wedding singer

The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 require electrical equipment that could cause injury — the wedding singer's the PA, microphones and lighting included — to be kept safe, though HSE says they do not make yearly PAT testing a legal duty. Venues often ask for a recent PAT record on the PA, microphones and lighting and for public liability insurance anyway, at a level they set.

Ask the venue what it needs, then ask the wedding singer for the PAT record and the insurance certificate. hse.gov.uk →

Trader status and cancellation terms

Booking a wedding singer who does this for a living means dealing with a trader: the Consumer Rights Act 2015 applies, including the duty of reasonable care and skill. What usually does not apply is a cooling-off period — regulation 28 of the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 takes services for leisure activities or catering on a fixed date outside it — so read how the wedding singer handles cancellation and deposits.

Get the wedding singer's terms on cancellation, date changes and illness on one page before you commit. legislation.gov.uk →

VAT

A wedding singer's sets are standard-rated at 20% if the singer is registered. Among wedding singers, any with taxable turnover above £90,000 must be registered, add the VAT and show it apart from the net figure.

Ask the singer whether they are VAT-registered, and if so for the number and the 20% under the fee. gov.uk →

“Can I see a full song from a real wedding?”

A good answer: A phone video of the wedding singer in a real room, not an edited showreel.

“Will you sing at the ceremony as well as the evening?”

A good answer: Yes or no, and how the singer moves kit between spaces.

“Can you learn our first-dance song?”

A good answer: Yes by a stated date, with any charge on the quote.

“Can we use your microphone for the speeches?”

A good answer: Yes, with a set-up time agreed, or a clear no so you can plan.

“How many sets, and what fills the breaks?”

A good answer: Set lengths and a playlist or DJ service between them.

“What happens if you are ill on the day?”

A good answer: A named stand-in singer of similar style, or the deposit refunded.

“Can you play within the venue's sound limiter?”

A good answer: A wedding singer who has worked limited venues and knows how.

Getting the quote right

  • The date, venue and set times the wedding singer will perform
  • Ceremony, drinks and evening sets — which are booked
  • First-dance or entrance songs and any learning charge
  • PA, lighting, DJ service between sets and microphone for speeches
  • Travel and overnight stay
  • The singer's VAT number, if registered, and VAT under the fee and travel
  • Deposit, balance date, cancellation terms and an illness clause
  • Who actually attends: the singer you heard, any band or DJ, and whether they are employed or subcontracted

Walk away if

  • No live footage of the wedding singer
  • No illness or stand-in clause in the contract
  • No PAT record or insurance when the venue requires them
  • The full fee demanded far in advance
LOW
£320
TYPICAL
£550
HIGH
£1,000

What a wedding singer costs: £320–£1,000 per booking

Wedding singers quote per booking by the parts of the day covered and the number of sets; learnt songs, lighting and travel are added. Wedding Singer price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

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  1. Set up and sound checkThe wedding singer sets up and checks sound within the limiter before guests come in.
  2. Ceremony songIf booked, sung on the cue agreed with the officiant or registrar.
  3. Drinks receptionA gentle set while guests mingle.
  4. First dance and eveningThe first-dance song on cue, then livelier sets with playlist music between.
  5. Finish and pack downMusic ends at the venue's curfew, kit cleared, balance settled.

Set
One block of live singing, often around 45 minutes.
First-dance song
The song for the couple's first dance, often learnt specially.
Backing tracks
Recorded accompaniment the singer performs over.
Sound limiter
A venue device that cuts power above a set volume.
DJ service
Recorded music the singer plays between sets.
Stand-in
A replacement singer named in the contract in case of illness.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the contractIt records the wedding singer's sets, songs and fee.
Note the setsStart times and songs against what was agreed.
Ask about recordingsIf the singer filmed the first dance, ask for a copy and agree how it may be used.
Leave the reviewReviews on Locufy come only from booked jobs, which is why one about the wedding singer carries weight. If something went wrong, the make-it-right step comes first: the wedding singer is asked to put it right before the review goes live.

STEP 1Put it to the wedding singer in writingExplain in writing what fell short — a missed first-dance song, short sets, a late start — and whether you want part of the fee back or the work redone. Section 49 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 builds reasonable care and skill into the contract; for a one-off occasion, a reduction in price is the usual remedy.
STEP 2Use the make-it-right step on LocufyRate the wedding singer below four stars and you are asked whether to send the problem to them first; we follow it through, then your review is published.
STEP 3Advice and Trading StandardsComplaints about wedding singers have no regulator to go to. If the trader will not engage, Citizens Advice (0808 223 1133) covers England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland (0808 800 9060) covers Scotland, and Consumerline (0300 123 6262) covers Northern Ireland; each can pass a complaint about wedding singers to Trading Standards.
STEP 4Money the wedding singer will not returnWithout a solicitor, a refund from the wedding singer can be pursued up to £10,000 on the small claims track in England and Wales, up to £5,000 under simple procedure in the sheriff court in Scotland, and up to £5,000 in the small claims court in Northern Ireland.

Hiring a wedding singer: questions people ask

No — there is no licence for wedding singers themselves. Licensing here is about the place and the event, and a licensed venue normally holds the music licence.

Not by law. Safe electrics are the legal duty, not a PAT sticker, and cover is optional — but expect your venue to ask the wedding singer for each.

£320 to £1,000 per booking, typically around £550. See the wedding singer price guide for what moves the figure, or search your town above for wedding singers nearby.

Not in England and Wales: a civil ceremony must not include anything religious. Tell the singer what type of ceremony it is.

Most solo wedding singers do. If you want live accompaniment, book a duo or band.

The contract should name a stand-in or give a refund. Ask for that clause before paying a deposit.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in events & entertainment

How to hire: Live BandHow to hire: Acoustic DuoHow to hire: Solo MusicianHow to hire: Wedding DJHow to hire: String QuartetHow to hire: HarpistHow to hire: Pianist for HireHow to hire: SaxophonistAll 701 hiring guides →

Wedding singers near you

Wedding singers in LondonWedding singers in ManchesterWedding singers in BirminghamWedding singers in GlasgowWedding singers in BelfastAll wedding singers on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. gov.uk — licence to play live or recorded music
  2. gov.uk — Temporary Events Notice
  3. gov.uk — entertainment licence (Northern Ireland)
  4. HSE — portable appliance testing FAQs
  5. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 28 — contracts the cancellation right does not cover
  6. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  7. gov.uk — make a court claim for money: court fees
  8. mygov.scot — make a court claim for money
  9. nidirect — small claims process
  10. Citizens Advice — more help with a consumer issue (England)
  11. gov.uk — marriages in England and Wales: plan your ceremony
  12. VAT rates — VAT rates for goods and services: standard rate 20% on most goods and services
  13. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register