FAQs

We realise that some clients like the idea of live acoustic music for the early stages of their wedding reception/corporate event…and then move into a DJ for the later dance sets.  This is for a few reasons…

1.  It’s cost effective.

2.  You get a “best of both worlds”…chilled live music early on, then a DJ later to mix things up.

3.  You can closely control the DJ’s song list.

Please note, our combos with the soloist/duo + DJ permit the following:
– 5hr call, e.g. 6pm – 11pm.
– The live music sets feature up to 135mins of music, e.g. 3 x 45min sets.  But you can split the set times up however you please to fit around your formalities.  The only other parameter is that the live music sets must take place within the first 3hrs of the 5hr timeframe.  Here’s a sample run sheet:

6pm – 6:45pm: Acoustic Duo play chilled set
6:45pm – 7:15pm: Speeches
7:15pm – 8pm: Acoustic Duo play chilled set
8pm – 8:15pm: DJ control background music
8:15pm – 8:55pm: Acoustic Duo play chilled set
8:55pm: Bridal Dance performed live by band
9pm – 11pm: DJ takes over and plays upbeat dance music.

Our singer doubles as a DJ and has all required equipment for this stage of the set.  We are not precious when it comes to our DJ sets and we are more than happy to take requests on the night, or receive detailed song lists from a client prior to the wedding/event.

*If required, you can easily book additional DJ sets and/or live acoustic sets that extend beyond the 5hr call.  This is at a rate of $150 inc gst per performer per hour, or $75 inc gst per half hour.

For the acoustic soloist, this typically features male vocals/guitar (or keyboard – depending on the chord instrument of that singer).  We do have a couple of female singers who double on guitar/keyboard, but this is less common.

For the acoustic duo, there are quite a few options, please see below:

– Male Vocals/Guitar + Female Vocals (most popular)

– Male Vocals/Guitar + Percussion (also popular – particularly if you would like the duo to create a bit more energy early on, to potentially get the crowd dancing prior to the DJ)

– Male Vocals/Guitar + Saxophone (popular for people wanting a funky vibe.  *Also after the first 3hrs of the 5hr call, our sax player can remain behind to jam along with the DJ sets at a rate of $150 per hour).

– Female Vocals + Lead Guitar (If it’s a female singer you really want for the live sets, sometimes she has her preferred lead guitarist that she will want to work with).

You can generally add ceremony music or canapes sets at a later date if you are still deliberating. If the musicians are already locked in for your reception at night, they can come in a couple of hours earlier for your ceremony – it’s the evening which is more of an issue for availability. In regards to line up, most people book a soloist or duo for the ceremony. It’s overkill to have any more than a duo.

Soloist – Male Vocals/Acoustic Guitar: $450 inc gst

Duo – Typically Male Vocals/Acoustic Guitar + Female Vocals: $695 inc gst

Inclusions:
– 20 minutes of chilled music before the ceremony as guests arrive
– 3 x songs hand picked by you – one for the processional (walking down the aisle), one for the signing of the registry and one for the recessional (walking back down the aisle). As explained these three songs are up to you…they do not need to come from our White Tree website song list.
– All required PA equipment. The microphone can be used by your celebrant if required, however this is not a wireless mic – it is on a stand with a lead.

Why is ceremony music so expensive when it’s only half an hour?
The price doesn’t just include the musician’s time on the day; it also includes their time learning your requested songs prior to the wedding – which can be several hours of work. There are also numerous logistics with ceremony music, which often leads to significant administrative duties behind the scenes.

Do you need access to power for a ceremony performance?
Yes!  We only take on ceremony performances if there is access to power as the music can easily get lost in outdoor spaces, particularly if it’s windy .  Our PA speakers are of professional quality. We don’t use little battery powered speakers as a celebrant may.  We need one standard 240v power outlet. If there is no accessible power point then this may involve hiring a portable power supply. It is the client’s responsibility to organize a generator or battery inverter that functions properly. DJ hire companies have these items for around $70.

We understand that planning a wedding can become pretty overwhelming! We realise that booking a wedding band raises various questions – particularly with our business model that allows couples to DIY the configuration (incidentally, we think this is part of the fun!). To help with this decision, we hold regular public showcase gigs where we have all of our singers and instruments in attendance, so you can see and hear the options, and select a line up which will work for you.  We have also prepared some brief explanations and options for The White Tree Band’s different line ups below…

Firstly, please note that the size of the band also means the number of musicians. So a 3 piece band has 3 musicians, a 4 piece band has 4 musicians etc. Most of our male singers double as either a guitarist or keyboardist, so with them you are effectively receiving “2 for the price of 1”. Whoo hoo!

From our point of view, the bigger the band = the better the sound (and more fun for everyone). However, we obviously understand that there are budget restraints when planning a wedding or event, so we’ve come up with configurations that are designed to suit all budgets…

Also please note that the overall size and volume associated with the line ups below does not really vary much. The bulkiest bits of equipment are the drums, bass and PA system – and these are prevalent in every line up. As a rule of thumb, a band will take up about 3m deep x 4m wide (give or take a little). Also, the overall volume is controlled by the mixing desk, so again, the decibel level doesn’t change much between a 3 and 9 piece band – even early on in the night…we just play at a very soft volume so everyone can still chat.

1 & 2 Piece Band – *These are small acoustic options for laid back settings or in combo with our DJs.  Please see detailed information regarding our Acoustic Soloist and Duo within our FAQs.

3 Piece Band – This has the basic elements you need for a great band…A singer (important for obvious reasons), a chord instrument (which is guitar or keyboard – this offers the harmonic structure), bass (this fills out the bottom end of the sound) and drums (vital for the dance sets later on). Our male singers double as either guitarists or keyboardists, so even though there are only 3 musicians, you still have a solid core band. This line up cannot include a female singer as she does not double as a chord instrumentalist.

The 3 piece can only be Male Vocals/Guitar, Bass and Drums OR Male Vocals/Keyboard, Bass and Drums. A good 3 piece is fine for the early on chilled sets, and good for the dance sets too, but repertoire is slightly limited, and sonically it doesn’t sound quite as rich and full as the bigger band sizes.
It can also be a tiring gig for the singer as they need to cover all the vocals and all the chord parts by themselves.
Summing up…the 3 piece still does the job, and it’s good for the budget!

4 Piece Band – The 4 piece offers you the choice of an additional musician/instrument. In terms of the best instrument for the 4th, we strongly suggest adding the second chord instrument first, meaning a line up of Male Vocals/Guitar, Bass, Drums and Keyboard.
We understand that it’s tempting for couples to book a 4 piece with the addition of a female singer, but in our years of experience, it’s more important to fill out the sound first, by adding the second chord instrument. This leads to a much more energetic sound for the dance sets, and helps the male singer to rock out with support from the second chord instrument. The best way to explain the benefits of 2 x chord instruments is by a song example. Check out “Get Lucky” by Daft Punk. Have a listen to the band parts that are at work…the keyboard and guitar are both extremely prevalent. This is the case for 99% of all pop songs, that is, keyboard AND guitar are busy at work. If you are tossing up between a 3 and a 4 piece, we strongly suggest going with the 4 if budget allows…it’s a much more energetic line up.

5 Piece Band – This is an extremely popular line up for weddings and corporate events. It offers great repertoire versatility and a diverse sound.
Once you get up to a 5 piece, there are a few more options for you to take advantage of. Below are the 3 main line ups that we do for a 5 piece configuration…they all sound great…

5 piece option 1: Male Vocals/Guitar, Bass, Drums, Keyboard and Female Vocals

5 piece option 2: Male Vocals/Guitar, Bass, Drums, Keyboard and Saxophone

5 piece option 3: Male Vocals/Guitar, Bass, Drums, Keyboard and Latin Percussion

Option 1 sees the awesome addition of a female singer. Our female singers are the best in the country, and cover the top 40, pop and soul music extremely well.

Option 2 is the roundness of a 4 piece but with the funky addition of sax. Adding sax is great because it can give standard covers a new jazzy element which makes it sound more original…and less cheesy.

Option 3 is great for the dance sets. Adding Latin Percussion (congas, bongos and timbales) can add a lot of energy to the dance floor. Before you know it, your guests will be forming conga lines and dancing around the floor like tribal warriors.

6 Piece Band – This is another common line up for weddings and events, particularly with 130+ people. It offers great repertoire versatility and a diverse sound.
A 6 piece allows some great options for you to take advantage of. Below are the best options for this line up…

6 piece option 1: Male Vocals/Guitar, Bass, Drums, Keyboard, Saxophone and Trumpet

6 piece option 2: Male Vocals/Guitar, Bass, Drums, Keyboard, Latin Percussion and Saxophone

6 piece option 3: Male Vocals/Guitar, Bass, Drums, Keyboard, Female Vocals and Saxophone

Option 1 has the punch and excitement of a full horn section. Saxophone and Trumpet together sound awesome!!
*On that note, if booking only one brass instrument, you’ll notice that we suggest saxophone not trumpet, this is because sax blends better than trumpet with the other instruments). Here is a perfect example of saxophone and trumpet working together extremely well. *Skip to around 2mins if you’re time poor.
Option 2 is a great energetic sound for the dance sets. It has the drive of percussion and the funky sound of sax too.
Option 3 has the versatility of 2 x vocalists, and also the saxophone grooving away.

7 Piece Band – This is one of our favourite line ups for large scale weddings. It is incredibly impressive visually and sonically. It has the versatility of two singers as well as the punch of a full brass section.
There’s of course scope for choice, but the most common 7 piece line ups are one of two below…

Option 1 featuring Male Vocals/Guitar, Keyboard, Bass, Drums, Female Vocals, Trumpet and Saxophone

Option 2 featuring Male Vocals/Guitar, Keyboard, Bass, Drums, Female Vocals, Saxophone and Latin Percussion

8 Piece Band – The energy and sound just keeps getting better and better! The standard configuration we do for this band
size is as follows: Male Vocals/Guitar, Keyboard, Bass, Drums, Female Vocals, Saxophone, Trumpet and Latin Percussion.
If your budget allows, this is a knock out band line up!!

9 Piece Band – This is a brilliant band configuration for elaborate weddings and events with large guests numbers (200+). The sound is incredible.
The standard configuration we do for this band size is as follows: Male Vocals/Guitar, Keyboard, Bass, Drums, Female Vocals, Saxophone, Trumpet, Trombone and Latin Percussion. Adding trombone to the sound creates an extremely punchy and bright horn section – it has that real Big Band sound that’s classy and energetic.

Yes!  With our business model, we have several different female and male singers so you can choose your faves.  These singers have their rhythm sections that they work with regularly (= bass, drums, keyboard and guitar).  So effectively, the band line up is dictated by the singer(s) you choose.

The best way to choose your singer is by attending one of our live showcase gigs.  If this is geographically challenging or you’re time poor, you can contact the booking manager in your area and they can send you film clips of our different singers.

Based on our careful vetting and our great working conditions for the artists, we only have top quality, professional and highly experienced singers who work with us.  This is something which we are extremely proud of.

To see Australia’s best singers performing as part of The White Tree, click here

The White Tree Band’s prices include up to 5 hours attendance featuring 4 x 45min sets of live music, and DJ music controlled through our sound system during band breaks. Please note, the 4 x 45min set times can be adjusted to fit in with your specific running sheet – that is, the 180mins total playing time can be positioned however you like.

The 5 hour duration satisfies most wedding reception and corporate event durations as most venues work to 5 hour packages – usually 6pm to 11pm, or 7pm to 12am. If you would like the band at your reception for a period longer than 5 hours, that is of course fine but an additional cost may be involved.

The White Tree Band is based in all primary CBD areas of Australia, but we travel far and wide! We do lots of weddings, festivals and events in Byron Bay, The Hunter Valley, Southern Highlands, Margaret River, Barossa Valley, Yarra Valley, etc etc…we even travel overseas for gigs.

Travel is worked out on a per musician basis. Any location that is within 45 minutes of our HQ CBD areas has no associated travel fee. Beyond that, costs per musician are added to cover their travel time and petrol costs. Our booking managers can supply you with custom travel quotes when you notify them of your venue location. *Note, couples who get married very far from the CBD often opt for a smaller band size (say a 2, 3, 4 or 5 piece) as this keeps the overall cost down.

If you would like The White Tree Band to perform at your wedding or corporate event, you will first need to check we are available – we do book out well in advance (sometimes 2 to 3 years out!). If you would like to check out the band at a live gig prior to booking, you can attend one of our showcase gigs (no need to pre-book…just rock along!) Full details here.

Our online booking form requires you to fill out your contact details and select the band line up you would like. We are obviously on hand to help you with this decision. If you don’t know whether you’re after a 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9 piece band at this stage, then just enter a tentative band size for the initial enquiry purpose.

From there, we will send you preliminary booking info.  A 30% deposit is required to secure us for your event date.  Once that is received, we’re locked in!  We then send you a link to an online portal where you can select songs you like, set times and other important band instructions.

It takes us approximately 45mins to fully set up and sound check the band (note – as our first sets are softer, the sound check is NOT a loud or long process).

The set up time is not considered part of the 5 hour period and does not carry any additional cost. For example, if you book The White Tree Band for your wedding or corporate event which starts at 6pm and finishes at 11pm, we would arrive at 4:45pm – 5pm, so we are fully set up in advance of your guest arrivals.

If you require an earlier set up time for whatever reason, that is certainly workable but additional charges may be involved.

We have performed as a Jewish Wedding Band in Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Brisbane and Byron Bay!! We approach a Jewish Wedding Band gig the same as any wedding, but we understand that Jewish weddings require large energetic bands that really crank the dance floor…particularly the Hora set. With the Hora, we work with many Jewish wedding singers in Melbourne and Sydney who specialise in singing the hora. Tull Kidron and Isser Feiglin are a couple of our preferred singers to work with. We do not need to rehearse with these singers, they bring their charts, and then our musicians act as the driving rhythm section. The Hora set is a particularly enjoyable gig for us. It’s fun, energetic, wild and sweaty!

We’re based in the CBD locations of Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Hobart/Launceston, Perth and Brisbane, but we travel far and wide. We do lots of wedding gigs in Byron Bay, Noosa, Margaret River, Daylesford, Yarra Valley, Hunter Valley…and many other rural locations around Australia.  We love this, as this often makes for some of the best visual backdrops to work with.

Travel is worked out on a per filmmaker basis. Any location that is within 45 minutes of the CBD has no associated travel fee. Beyond that, costs per filmmaker are added to cover their travel time and petrol costs. Generally, if a wedding is around 2hrs from a CBD location, accommodation will also be required, and charged on a per filmmaker basis.  Our booking managers can supply you with custom travel quotes when you notify them of your venue location.

Obviously we are not to know a couple’s budget, so we can’t advise you in that area! But in terms of the offerings, the Levels are largely determined by the coverage and specific long form edits. So, if you’re not interested in having any of the reception covered or your formal proceedings are going to be short, then Level 1 would be a good option. But if you want your bridal dance and speeches covered, or right up to the final reception dance floor action captured, then you should go for Level 2 or 3.  The Level you require will also be largely determined by your travel logistics.  If your preps, ceremony and reception are quite far from each other then that may also mean you need to go for a higher Level as that takes up time.

To help you decide, here is a rough example of how the coverage of the 3 Levels can work…

Level 1 (3 hrs coverage – e.g. 3pm – 6pm)

3:00pm – 3:30pm: Preps (1 x partner only)
3:45pm: Pre-ceremony action
4pm – 4:30pm: Ceremony
4:30pm – 4:45pm: Family portraits and post ceremony action
4:45pm – 5:30pm: Location Shoot
5:30pm – 6pm: Canapes and Reception Arrival
6pm: Filmmaker(s) finish

Level 2 (6 hrs coverage – e.g. 3pm – 9pm)

3:00pm – 3:30pm: Preps (partner #1)
3:45pm – 4:15pm: Preps (partner #2)
4:30pm: Pre-ceremony action
4:45pm – 5:15pm: Ceremony
5:15pm – 5:30pm: Family portraits and post ceremony action
5:30pm – 6:15pm: Location Shoot
6:15pm – 6:30pm: Canapes and Reception Arrivals
6:30pm – 7:30pm: Reception Coverage
7:30pm: Speeches
8pm: Cake Cutting/First Dance
8:15pm – 9pm: Dance Floor Action
9pm: Filmmaker(s) finish

Level 3 (9 hrs coverage – e.g. 3pm – 12am)

3:00pm – 3:30pm: Preps (partner #1)
3:45pm – 4:15pm: Preps (partner #2)
4:30pm: Pre-ceremony action
4:45pm – 5:15pm: Ceremony
5:15pm – 5:30pm: Family portraits and post ceremony action
5:30pm – 6:15pm: Location Shoot
6:15pm – 6:30pm: Canapes and Reception Arrivals
6:30pm – 7:30pm: Reception Coverage
8pm: Speeches
9:15pm: Cake Cutting/First Dance
9:30pm – 12am: Dance Floor Action/Guest Coverage/Party Time!
12am: Filmmaker(s) finish

* As it gets closer to the wedding, if you feel you need some extra time up your sleeve, you can easily add 1 or 2 x additional hours to any level.

Whether you book us for Level 1, 2 or 3, you always receive a number of edits within two categories: The Highlights Edits (short form/tightly edited) and the Extended Edits (long form coverage of key stages of the day).

The Highlights Edits we deliver are:
The Cinematic Show Reel: A highly polished film with tight editing to a soundtrack of your choice.  This features the highlights of the day and acts as the ultimate movie memento.  Length: 3min (Level 1), 5min (Level 2), 7min (Level 3).

Instagram Edit: A condensed highlights edit with snappy editing to stock music so it can be shared freely on your favourite social platforms.  Length: 1min (for all Levels).

Bonus Instagram “Reception Highlights” Edit: Featuring the action from the reception only, edited to stock music.  Length: 1min (this is part of our Level 3 package only)

The Extended Edits we deliver are:
– The Ceremony Edit: Full coverage, the entire ceremony including the post ceremony celebrations and family portrait session.  All natural audio is professionally recorded with lapel microphones.  Length: 30min – 1.5hrs depending on length of ceremony.  This is part of all Levels.

–  Reception Speeches Edit:  All speeches (MC and guests) captured in full with professional audio, wedding party arrivals (if app) and reception venue shots.  Length: Completely dependant on the length of the speeches.  This edit is part of Level 2 and 3 only.

– First Dance Edit: The wedding dance (if app) captured in full.  This edit is part of Level 2 and 3 only.

– Bonus Dance Floor Action Edit: Rough cut of all the dancing and partying.  Documentary style using natural audio only.  Length: 10min – 20min.  This edit is part of our Level 3 package only.

We’re based in the CBD locations of Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Hobart/Launceston, Perth and Brisbane, but we travel far and wide. We do lots of wedding gigs in Byron Bay, Noosa, Margaret River, Daylesford, Yarra Valley, Hunter Valley…and many other rural locations around Australia.  We love this, as this often makes for some of the best visual backdrops to work with.

Travel is worked out on a per photographer basis. Any location that is within 45 minutes of the CBD has no associated travel fee. Beyond that, costs per photographer are added to cover their travel time and petrol costs. Generally, if a wedding is around 2hrs from a CBD location, accommodation will also be required, and charged on a per filmmaker basis.  Our booking managers can supply you with custom travel quotes when you notify them of your venue location.

Obviously we are not to know a couple’s budget, so we can’t advise you in that area! But in terms of the offerings, the Levels are largely determined by the coverage and number of images. So, if you’re not interested in having any of the reception covered or your formal proceedings are going to be short, then Level 1 would be a good option. But if you want your bridal dance and speeches covered, or right up to the final reception farewells captured, then you should go for Level 2 or 3.  The Level you require will also be largely determined by your travel logistics.  If your preps, ceremony and reception are quite far from each other then that may also mean you need to go for a higher Level.

To help you decide, here is a rough example of how the coverage of the 3 Levels can work…

Level 1 (3 hrs coverage – e.g. 3pm – 6pm)

3:00pm – 3:30pm: Preps (1 x partner only)
3:45pm: Pre-ceremony action
4pm – 4:30pm: Ceremony
4:30pm – 4:45pm: Family portraits and post ceremony action
4:45pm – 5:30pm: Location Shoot
5:30pm – 6pm: Canapes and Reception Arrival
6pm: Photographer(s) finish

Level 2 (6 hrs coverage – e.g. 3pm – 9pm)

3:00pm – 3:30pm: Preps (partner #1)
3:45pm – 4:15pm: Preps (partner #2)
4:30pm: Pre-ceremony action
4:45pm – 5:15pm: Ceremony
5:15pm – 5:30pm: Family portraits and post ceremony action
5:30pm – 6:15pm: Location Shoot
6:15pm – 6:30pm: Canapes and Reception Arrivals
6:30pm – 7:30pm: Reception Coverage
7:30pm: Speeches
8pm: Cake Cutting/First Dance
8:15pm – 9pm: Dance Floor Action
9pm: Photographer(s) finish

Level 3 (9 hrs coverage – e.g. 3pm – 12am)

3:00pm – 3:30pm: Preps (partner #1)
3:45pm – 4:15pm: Preps (partner #2)
4:30pm: Pre-ceremony action
4:45pm – 5:15pm: Ceremony
5:15pm – 5:30pm: Family portraits and post ceremony action
5:30pm – 6:15pm: Location Shoot
6:15pm – 6:30pm: Canapes and Reception Arrivals
6:30pm – 7:30pm: Reception Coverage
8pm: Speeches
9:15pm: Cake Cutting/First Dance
9:30pm – 12am: Dance Floor Action/Guest Coverage/Party Time!
12am: Photographer(s) finish

* As it gets closer to the wedding, if you feel you need some extra time up your sleeve, you can easily add 1 or 2 x additional hours to any level.

Whether you book us for Level 1, 2 or 3, you always receive an online gallery containing highlights shots, along with your full collection of hi res photos on (as colour and B+W) uploaded to a cloud platform for easy download.

The number of final photos delivered depends on which level you book – consult our Prices section for more info.