Booking a troubadour for your wedding: ceremony, drinks, dinner and sing-alongs
Short answer
A wedding troubadour is usually booked for one set during the drinks reception and two during dinner, sometimes with a rehearsed song for the ceremony. The price is usually SEK 6,000–15,000, with Saturdays in June–August at the upper end. Send a request on Jocky and get quotes from troubadours who are free on your date.
Few bookings give you as much at a wedding as a troubadour, an acoustic singer-guitarist who gets the whole room singing along. The same person can play your song as you walk into the church, keep the drinks reception lively while the photos are taken, play softly during dinner and then start a sing-along that gets even grandma singing. But a wedding has many parts, and a troubadour booked without a plan can easily end up getting in the way of the speeches. This guide shows how to plan the troubadour through the whole day, what it costs and how to make a troubadour and a DJ work together.
Where does a troubadour fit into the wedding?
The troubadour fits the parts of the day when guests are sitting, standing and chatting, or waiting: the ceremony, the drinks reception and dinner. For the dancing, a DJ is usually better, although many troubadours can keep a dance floor going for a while with backing tracks. The table shows the most common set-ups.
| Part of the day | What the troubadour does | Keep in mind |
|---|---|---|
| The ceremony | One to three rehearsed songs: the entrance, during the ceremony, the exit | Check with the officiant and the venue, acoustic or with a small sound system |
| The drinks reception | One 45-minute set while the photos are taken | A calm repertoire, the music should be easy to talk over |
| Dinner | Two sets spread between the courses | A break during the speeches, the toastmaster sets the timings |
| Dessert | A sing-along, one or two songs everyone knows | The moment guests remember |
A common set-up is one set during the drinks reception and two during dinner, with one or two rehearsed songs for the ceremony as an extra. The music for the whole day, from the ceremony to the last song, is covered in the guide to wedding music.
A troubadour for the ceremony
For the ceremony you usually book one to three songs: one as the bride or the couple walk in, perhaps one during the ceremony and one as you walk out. Choose the songs with the troubadour in good time, so they have time to rehearse them in the right key and tempo. In a church or chapel, a guitar and voice without amplification is often enough, while an outdoor ceremony or a large venue needs a small sound system. Check with the officiant what is allowed and how long the ceremony is.
A troubadour for the drinks reception and dinner
The drinks reception is the troubadour's easiest set: guests stand with a glass in hand, you are away having photos taken, and the music should make sure nobody looks at the clock. Ask for a calm repertoire that is easy to talk over. During dinner the toastmaster is in charge. Give the troubadour the toastmaster's schedule and ask them to talk before dinner, so the troubadour plays between the courses and stays quiet during the speeches. Over dessert it is time for the sing-along, the two songs that get the whole room singing and that are often what guests talk about afterwards.
How much does a troubadour cost for a wedding?
A professional troubadour usually costs SEK 6,000–15,000, and weddings often fall in the upper part of the range. The reasons are that weddings are almost always on Saturdays in high season, that the booking covers several parts of a whole day, that songs need to be rehearsed in advance and that the venue is often some distance away and has no sound system of its own.
Want to keep the price down? Book the troubadour for the drinks reception and dinner and use a recording for the ceremony music, or choose a Friday. What affects the price in detail is covered in the guide how much does a troubadour cost.
Troubadour or DJ, or both?
The most common set-up at weddings today is both: the troubadour takes the ceremony, drinks reception and dinner, and the DJ takes the dancing. They do different jobs and together cost less than a band. If you have a smaller budget and want to choose one, go for the troubadour if dinner and the atmosphere matter most, and the DJ if the dance floor does. Many troubadours can keep a dance floor going for an hour with backing tracks, which is enough at a smaller wedding where the party ends at midnight.
If you book both, let them get in touch in advance so the handover goes right: the troubadour's last sing-along song leads straight into the DJ's first track. How to choose between a DJ, a live musician and a band is covered in the guide to wedding entertainment.
Checklist before you book a wedding troubadour
- You know which parts of the day the troubadour will play: ceremony, drinks reception, dinner, dessert.
- The ceremony songs are chosen and sent to the troubadour in good time.
- The troubadour and the toastmaster have each other's contact details and a schedule.
- The sound is sorted for every location: the church, the drinks reception and the dining room.
- The quote states the number of sets, rehearsed songs, equipment, travel and overtime.
How to book a wedding troubadour with Jocky
- Tell us what you need. Give the date, venue, number of guests, which parts of the day the troubadour will play and any song requests.
- Get suggestions from available troubadours. The request goes to verified troubadours who suit the date and style, and you compare profiles, clips and prices in one place.
- Confirm the booking. Once you have chosen your troubadour, you confirm in Jocky, and the contract and invoicing are handled in the platform.
Want to get started straight away? You can book a troubadour on Jocky, and book a DJ for the dancing in the same request. You can see what Jocky costs on the pricing page.
Frequently asked questions about a wedding troubadour
How much does a troubadour cost for a wedding?
A professional troubadour usually costs SEK 6,000–15,000, and weddings often fall in the upper part of the range because they are on Saturdays in high season, cover several parts of the day and need songs rehearsed in advance. If you want to keep the price down, book the troubadour for the drinks reception and dinner and use a recording for the ceremony music.
Can the troubadour play at the ceremony?
Yes, many troubadours play one to three songs at the ceremony: as you walk in, during the ceremony and as you walk out. Choose the songs with the troubadour in good time so they can be rehearsed in the right key. In a church, a guitar and voice without amplification is often enough, while outdoors a small sound system is needed.
How many sets should the troubadour play at the wedding?
A common set-up is one 45-minute set during the drinks reception and two sets during dinner, spread between the courses. Add one or two rehearsed songs for the ceremony if you want the troubadour there too. Over dessert, the troubadour usually finishes with a sing-along.
Should we have a troubadour or a DJ at our wedding?
Most couples today book both: the troubadour for the ceremony, drinks reception and dinner, and the DJ for the dancing. They do different jobs. If you have to choose one, go for the troubadour if the atmosphere at dinner matters most, and the DJ if the dance floor does. Many troubadours can keep a dance floor going for a while with backing tracks.
When should we book a troubadour for our wedding?
As soon as the date and venue are set, ideally six to twelve months ahead. Saturdays in June, July and August are the dates that go first. On Jocky you only see troubadours who are free on your date, so there is no need to email around and wait for replies.
