Your reception · staged as a soul revue
Live wedding band
that keeps the floor full
from first dance to last song
A live wedding band should carry your whole night, not just fill the gaps. The Velvelettes stage your reception as a 1960s soul revue: three voices, horns, choreography, your first dance arranged for the band, from $6,900, insured and contracted. We are the Motown tribute band planners call when the couple wants a show.
★ 200+ shows · Insured & contracted · Backup-performer guarantee
The wedding night, on one bill
Every hour of your reception, mapped to a set
This is the program shape most couples book with The Revue. Your planner gets it as a timeline; our MC runs it to the minute.
4:30
Ceremony option
A stripped trio arrangement for the processional and signing: three voices and guitar, no PA hum, tuned to the room.
5:30
Cocktail hour
A softer songbook set while guests arrive and photos wrap. Volume sits under conversation; the horns stay warm for later.
7:30
The first dance
Your song, arranged for our horns and three voices by Theo Whitfield, performed live as your walk-in becomes the opening number of the show.
8:00
Dancefloor sets (3 × 40 min)
Classic Motown '64 into Northern Soul into modern hits re-charted 1964-style, with choreography and costume set pieces. DJ sets hold the floor between.
11:00
The last song
A full-room circle, one final chorus with every guest singing, and a clean end on your venue's curfew. No fade-out, a finale.
The moment they'll replay
A first dance that sounds like a record
Send us any song, from a 1962 ballad to something released last month, and Theo charts it for horns and three voices in our house style. You get a rehearsal recording two weeks before the wedding, so the first time you hear it live isn't a surprise, it's a promise kept.
Not sure where to start? Build your setlist with the program desk, type your first-dance idea into the search, and see how it sits inside a full night. The rest of the repertoire lives in the songbook, from the essential Motown songs to the 2026 re-charts.
The honest comparison
Wedding bands for hire, compared
A DJ is the right call for some weddings. Here is where each option genuinely wins, so you can decide with clear eyes.
| What matters | A DJ | A generic party band | The Velvelettes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical cost | $1,200–$2,500 | $6k–$15k | From $6,900, itemized |
| The first dance | The original recording | A cover, if it's in their book | Your song, custom-arranged for horns |
| Any request, any era | Yes, instantly | Within their setlist | Live songbook + DJ sets between |
| A show guests watch | No | Rarely, medley wallpaper | A staged revue with choreography |
| If a performer is ill | Usually a sub network | Your problem on the day | Rehearsed backup, guaranteed |
For your planner
The vendor your planner stops worrying about
Timeline calls
We call your planner directly 30 days out: load-in, stage plot, power, announcements, curfew. In writing afterward.
Insured, contracted
Liability insurance with COI for your venue on request, a signed contract, and a 50% deposit that holds the date.
Backup guarantee
Every front-line part has a rehearsed cover under the same contract. Your wedding never depends on one person's health.
Own production
PA, lighting and engineer travel with us to all 48 contiguous states. See the cities where the motown band plays most.
Kind words
From the couples and the clipboards
★★★★★
“Our first dance was At Last with live horns, and then the floor never emptied. Three months later our friends are still sending us videos.”
Maya & Jordan T.wedding, The Marigold Ballroom
★★★★★
“I put them on every timeline I can. They send the stage plot before I ask, their MC takes half my announcements off my plate, and the couple always thinks I'm a genius for finding them.”
lead wedding planner, Harbor & Vine Estates
Most weddings book
The Revue · from $6,900
7-piece with horns, three 40-minute sets, choreography, your first dance custom-arranged, and DJ sets between. Full inclusions, add-ons and deposit terms are itemized on the pricing page.
Before you ask
What couples ask us first
Can you play our ceremony too?
Yes. A stripped trio covers the processional and signing, then the full band takes over from cocktail hour. The add-on starts at $800.
Will you learn our first-dance song?
Any song, any era. Theo arranges it for horns and three voices, and you get a rehearsal recording two weeks before the wedding.
What happens between live sets?
Our DJ runs the floor from the same stage, mixed by our engineer, so the energy never drops while the front line changes costumes.
Will older and younger guests both dance?
The songbook runs 1962 to 2026, and we tune the mix to your crowd. Grandparents know the words; college friends know the drops.
One date · one band · one full night
Make your reception the wedding they talk about
Peak Saturdays book 12 to 18 months out. Tell us your date and venue, and our booking office replies within one business day.