Blue Wave Band

If you are reading this review and contemplating whether or not to have a band at your wedding and if it's worth the cost, take my word for it and BOOK THEM. My (now) husband and I were wavering and almost went with a DJ due to the cost of a live band. Luckily we took a moment to revisit our vision and how WE wanted to be represented on our big day. We bit the bullet and booked the Blue Wave Band. Other than marrying my husband, this was the best decision we made when it came to our wedding (hands down). Our guests didn't sit the entire night. A song would end and everyone would turn to get a drink, grab a piece of cake or sit down and the next song would come on and you couldn't not stay and dance. Moreover, I talked with the band manager a few times leading up to the wedding. I told him what my first dance song was and to play music people loved to dance to. That was it. By far the easier planning/prep when it came to my wedding. After our wedding, every person we talked to, first and foremost, commented on the band (before the food, venue, my dress, the weather, etc.). If you can afford them, book them. If you can't, cut corners somewhere else and book them.

The best of the best! If you are looking for a great band for your wedding, this is it. We have worked with Blue Wave Band for multiple weddings as the coordinator and are always impressed. They can get anyone out on the dance floor - parents, grandparents, everyone - and will keep the festivities going. They are professional, well organized and great to work with!

Trent was so wonderful to work with- he let me choose who I wanted to be the lead singer, and he put together a perfectly complimentary band that everyone was just raving about! We all had so much fun, and I would absolutely recommend Blue Wave!
They were an eclectic mix- and people just loved them. They played good songs, and they're not the typical country club rotation bands that you always hear at events in Portland. People kept coming up to us, and complimenting the band and their song choices. Trent went above and beyond to make sure they knew the songs I wanted for the special moments, and they hit it out of the park through the night.

An incredible experience from the day we selected them to the night they performed at our daughter's wedding in Mt Hood, Oregon. Very professional, extremely organized from the contract to the very unique band planning page - nothing was left to chance. We received plenty of advice and were given lots of flexibility (the groom's friend played for all 3 first dances using the band's sound equipment). The MC kept the night flowing and the music kept our guests dancing until the last note. If we lived on the west coast, we wouldn't hesitate to use them again. There isn't a music genre that they cannot play and they can provide up to 12 musicians if needed. Their talent is only surpassed by their ability to take care of the whole process - we never had any questions, because everything was presented from the beginning - timeline, contact info, schedule of songs...if it pertained to a wedding, they had it covered. I did all the research, so you don't have to - book Blue Wave Band and enjoy your wedding without a worry! We only wish we could have extended the night another hour - not enough time to enjoy them - everyone wanted to dance longer. We received so many compliments about our choice of music from our guests. What a huge success!

The band was phenomenal. Their pre-wedding prep was minimal (I was in charge of all band stuff for my wedding, so I was the only person working with them) but sufficient, their forms for making the music and night perfect were handy and easy to fill out, their day-of needs were really easy and quick, and then their energy throughout the night was really perfect, and made our event that much better. I really don't have anything but glowingly positive things to say about the band, from booking to prep to performance, it was far less stress and far more reward than I was expecting.

We paid this band close to $4,000 to play at our event. Instead of sending ANY of the people displayed in the pictures you see both here on gigsalad and their personal website, they sent 4 surly, middle-aged, un-groomed men, and a woman who started the night setting up in a random corner of the room without checking with anyone, and then got upset when we asked them to set up on the STAGE provided in the middle of the room. Once they started playing (late) their levels were WAY too loud, their set-list obscure, and their harmonies off and jarring. They had lulls between each song that further drove people from the dance floor, and chose to play a slow song 3 songs in with no momentum to carry them through. After less than an hour of playing, they had chased everyone - not just from the dance floor - but from the event entirely.

Never have we ended our annual gala so early.

While we sadly cleaned up tables we had spent more time setting up than being used, we were treated to the band members joking and laughing about how quick they had killed the night.

The event was for a non-profit school. We feel completely swindled. Two days ago we reached out to them to make this right, but have yet to hear back. Hopefully they realize this money could be better used for kid's scholarships at our non-profit than paying for their sub-par, unprofessional "performance".

Blue Wave Band played our wedding reception and were absolutely terrific. They are a talented group of musicians that were able to read the room and keep the room dancing all night long. People were cheering for an encore when the venue shut the wedding down. We requested a mix of funk, jazz, folk, swing and some pop...and they nailed it all. Beyond being great musicians, they were easy to work with, professional, timely and communicative. Highly recommended!!