Weddings
Hey there, lovebirds!
You’re about to embark on a journey of a lifetime, and we’re here to make sure your wedding entertainment is nothing short of remarkable! Our highly experienced, handpicked artists are here to help you create unforgettable memories.
From the ceremony to the reception, we’re your trusted (other) partner in this journey!
We believe every couple and every wedding is unique, and that’s how we approach them. We take the time to listen and learn about your individual goals and preferences and then create a personalised experience that’s just right for you.
We’ve got insider knowledge of Melbourne’s most prestigious venues and venue teams, so we know exactly what kind of entertainment works best in each setting. Whether it’s a suave wedding DJ that leaves a lasting impression, an epic DJ Band that nails those peak moments, or a live band creating cool vibes, we’ve got the calibre of artists and booking expertise to make it happen.
In addition to providing a hassle-free booking process, our office staff have lived and breathed weddings for over two decades as wedding venue managers, DJs, singers, and MCs and now even as wedding celebrants!
Oh, and let’s be real; we all know what your guests will remember most – the entertainment! 81% of guests say the thing they remember most about a wedding is the entertainment, so let us help you get it right!
So, get ready to dance the night away and create memories that’ll last a lifetime with Top Dog – The countdown to the best night of your life starts now…
Melbourne Wedding Entertainment Booking – Made Easy!
We’re here to make your wedding entertainment journey as smooth as silk. We’ve mastered the art of a hassle-free and easy booking process, so you can focus on the important stuff—like practicing your dance moves and perfecting your wedding hashtag.
Here’s why choosing Top Dog is like finding the perfect dance partner:
- You’ll hear back from us within 1 business day of submitting your enquiry.
- Once we have all the information we need, we’ll be straight onto investigating your talent options.
- You’ll have one point of contact from start to finish.
- Even before committing, you are welcome to come into our beautiful office to meet and discuss anything wedding and music related! We are available anytime during the week or after hours upon request.
- You’ll receive a tailored wedding presentation with suggested (and available!) talent that will be exclusively on hold for you.
- You get to pick your artist(s) – you have complete control (if you want it) and will know who is going to play at your wedding before committing.
- We take care of all the behind-the-scenes stuff: artist breifings, liaising with your venue and suppliers and coordinating the technical requirements.
- We’ll give you access to your own online wedding portal where you can enter all the key details of your wedding, including the all-important music requests.
- You will have a personalised phone consultation with your chosen performer(s) to dot the i’s, cross the t’s and run through your wedding music playlist.
- You also have access to a heap of useful free stuff. Actually you can access all that already: our wedding Spotify playlists, Blogs, and DJ mixes (ask us about these). We have insider secrets and expert advice to make your experience exceptional.
We’re not your average entertainment company. We’re a team of music enthusiasts, party starters, and happiness creators. You will receive the highest level of personal customer service from the moment you contact us, and we’ll guide you through the process with a cheeky smile and contagious energy.
Live Music
Unleash the musical magic at your dream wedding with our electrifying live music options! From talented soloists to captivating duos and more, we have the perfect artists to set the stage for your wedding.
Picture this: an acoustic soloist or duo serenading you with guitar, piano, violin, cello, or harp as you walk down the aisle; goosebumps guaranteed!
And why stop there? Elevate your pre-dinner drinks by adding a sensational sax player or captivating vocals. Visualise the enchantment as their melodies mingle with the clinking of glasses and the buzz of conversation, creating an ambience that will enthral your guests.
Are you up for amplifying the energy at the reception? Add some extra vocals and drums to kick the party into overdrive.
With hundreds of Melbourne’s finest artists, we’ll guide you through the options with biographies, images, and videos.
Get ready for a customised line-up that will make your wedding day legendary!
DJs & DJ Bands
Level up your wedding entertainment with the ultimate combination of a DJ with live musicians.
We were the pioneers of the DJ Band movement over a decade ago, and guess what? It’s still the talk of the town!
Here’s the deal: we take the DJ’s electrifying beats and elevate them to a whole new level by infusing the hottest live elements.
Imagine a saxophonist, a percussionist, and even a singer joining forces at precisely the right moments throughout the night.
Or up your game and pull something rare out of the bag: a mind-blowing collaboration featuring a rapper, an electric guitarist, or perhaps a dynamic brass duo, all bringing explosive energy to your DJ’s already killer music!
We’re all about pushing boundaries and making your wedding an unforgettable extravaganza. Our DJ Bands are fully customisable, and we’ll work closely with you to design the perfect format that seamlessly integrates with your formalities.
Get ready to witness the magic as Top Dog reveals the secret to a wedding party that will leave your guests in awe. Let’s make it happen!
Melbourne wedding articles you should read
Cracking The Wedding Code: Your Questions Answered!
You think you’ve seen it all at weddings, but trust us, planning your own is a whole new ball game! And hey, we get it; your wedding isn’t just another run-of-the-mill annual birthday bash. So, if you’ve got some curly questions, don’t hold back; we thrive on being kept on our toes.
To ensure everything sparkles as brightly as the glassware at your wedding, we’ve gone ahead and gathered our most frequently asked questions. Think of it as our way of shining a spotlight on those burning inquiries that keep your curiosity fired up.
So dive into the Q&A session below because nothing should be left to chance when it comes to your big day.
Because we seriously give a FAQ!
Music is the most important part of the night for me; How can I be sure Top Dog is my best fit?
Ummm, read our reviews, watch our videos, or speak with one of our team.
Or better still, come into our epic office and meet us in person to chat.
What is Top Dog’s style?
At Top Dog Entertainment, we bring the wow factor to weddings. Our style is effortlessly sophisticated, irresistibly cool, and guaranteed to make your special day exceptional. With a handpicked team of talented artists, DJs, and performers, we nail every detail to create an atmosphere that’s electric.
From the perfect music selection to flawless timing, we keep the energy flowing and your guests on their feet.
How much experience do your wedding DJs have?
Plenty!
We take every gig very seriously and only book experienced DJs. Top Dog DJs have at least 2 years of working experience in the wedding industry.
All Top Dog DJs are individually selected based on their ability to provide quality entertainment to a wide range of age groups, play music from multiple genres and read a crowd.
Our wedding DJs are not uni kids, or people that taught themselves during Covid – they are professionals with real wedding experience – DJs that know how to ‘rock a reception’ and not churn out the same music as every other wedding!
Can I select my wedding DJ, or will it be a lucky dip?
Most of our customers book through Top Dog based on reputation, service and performance. They trust that we will provide the best DJ for their event.
You can request a specific DJ if you know what you want or let us expertly match the best DJ for your brief and music tastes.
Some DJs have a higher rate than others, and initial quotes can increase depending on who your DJ is.
One thing we do guarantee, is that you will know who your DJ is well in advance and get to speak with them in the lead-up to your wedding.
I’ve got quotes for a wedding DJ from other agencies that are lower than yours.
You might find a lower price, but will you find a better DJ?
‘Quote hunting’ without looking deeper into the quality of your DJ is dangerous.
You’ll find plenty of smaller agencies that will charge you cheaper rates, especially DJ-only agencies.
If you are looking for the lowest price in the industry, that’s not us.
If you are looking for the best value for money, that’s where we believe we fit into the marketplace.
In our industry, you will get what you pay for.
If you work with Top Dog, you are choosing:
- A reputable agency
- Experience – from our performers through to our office team
- A very well-reviewed agency online
- An agency that is recommended by Melbourne’s most prestigious wedding venues
- An agency that is involved in some of Melbourne’s finest major events
Will You Match This Quote from another agency?
No, we won’t – we’ll actually beat it by 10%.
Apples with Oranges – No.
Apples with Apples – Yes.
Confused …?
Many of Melbourne’s most popular artists work for multiple agencies to maximise the amount of work they pick up.
We guarantee to beat any competitor agency’s written quote by 10% for the same performer, band or DJ for the same enquiry (venue, date, etc).
At Top Dog, we fully support artist opportunities and development, whether it be under our banner or someone else’s.
If you have a written quote for the same artist, we will beat it by 10%, on the condition that:
- The performer(s) are available
- The performer(s) can be released (if on hold with another agency)
We want to work with happy clients who have access to the best artists at the most competitive price.
How much should I spend on my wedding entertainment?
Ask yourself the following:
What is most important to you at your event?
What do you remember about a sensational night out?
What will your guests remember?
What do you want them to remember?
At a wedding, for example, consider what you spend on other elements – flowers, food, bridal cars etc.
We want to help you make the entertainment a highlight of your wedding and have your guests walking away with sore feet, talking about how much fun they had!
Can we see our preferred wedding musicians play live before booking?
As most events we perform are private, it can be difficult to see the band or DJ perform before the night; however, if an opportunity arises, we will definitely let you know. Also, the style of music they play at a public event may differ from that personally tailored to your event.
We pride ourselves on our video content, so you will know how the band looks and sounds before committing to booking them.
Our musicians all have video demos (as well as audio samples) that you can watch. We also have some sample DJ mixes for you to listen to as well.
Please visit either:
– our Vimeo channel for professional music videos (videos are categorised in alphabetical order and match the service categories on our website)
– our YouTube channel for nonprofessional music and other entertainment videos (videos have been sorted into playlists – again matching the service categories on our website for convenience).
Will I have control over what music is played on the day?
You can have as much or as little control as you like.
You will receive access to your own online wedding music portal, where we deep dive into getting to know your style:
- Asking what vibes you want over pre-dinners, dinner and on the dancefloor
- Key Songs
- Wedding Party Entrance
- Newlywed’s Entrance
- Cutting The Cake
- First Dance
- Song that follows your First Dance
- Bouquet (and/or Garter) Toss
- Final Circle (or Last Song)
- We ask your MUST PLAY songs
- We ask your DO NOT PLAY songs (these are crucial )
- There are prompts for you to share Spotify wedding playlists with us (we recommend creating a master wedding playlist as a fun, collaborative activity with your partner in the months leading up to the big day)
Oh, and we have Spotify playlist ideas for all these categories to get your creative juices flowing!
We recommend only giving us your absolute favourites, and our performers will read the room and use their professional ability to survey the crowd and play the best songs on the day.
Can live musicians learn our special song(s)?
It is always best to try to select songs from the band’s current song list.
If the song you want is not on the list and if it is in the same genre as the band already performs, then we can request this from the band.
Usually, the band will advise us whether this is possible, and on most occasions, they will be happy to learn 1-2 songs for your key moments on the day.
Some bands may charge a fee to learn a special song as there is practice and rehearsals to get it right!
If the band cannot learn the song, we highly suggest playing the original version of your special song (through the band’s system) and then having the band play live straight after the song.
This option works very well.
Can Top Dog DJs take requests on my wedding day?
Absolutely! Reading the room is what our experienced artists do best!
I’m stuck for music ideas – I don’t know the names of songs or who sings them. Can you help?
No problems.
We are pretty good with our music knowledge (if we don’t say so ourselves)!
We have loads of playlists and DJ mixes from which you can get ideas.
Check out our Spotify account for a list of ‘go-to’ playlists – enjoy!
I want the best of both worlds – live music and a DJ. Can I make this work?
We love the killer combo of a live act for the ceremony, pre-dinner drinks, and then a DJ for the reception.
Live music suits the romance and elegance of the first part of your wedding; then your DJ takes control and brings it home with celebratory dancefloor bangers!
Or blend the best of both worlds and:
- create your own DJ Band. Your live vocalist, instrumentalists, and DJ play seamlessly together to elevate your entertainment to another level and get your guests in the mood to cut some shapes on the dancefloor! The best part is that you can customise this even more by choosing the elements you’d like included – sax, percussion, vocals, strings etc…
- Hire a Party Band and have a DJ play in the bands breaks!
Don’t settle for the same song and dance as most other weddings – make it count!
Can you provide music for our outdoor wedding ceremony (with no access to power)?
Of course!
We can provide a portable sound system for a fee that can be set up outdoors – it is battery-powered and great for garden weddings or locations far from a power outlet. It has a wireless microphone, lapel microphone, or both depending on your requirements. They are easily operated and take CDs (yeah, they are still around!), USBs and iPods / iPhones.
We can arrange for your DJ to man the system for an additional cost.
Alternatively, ask us about live acoustic options.
If I book a wedding band, how long do they play for on the night?
In most cases, events are over a 4-5 hour duration.
Generally, most bands will play 3 x 45-minute sets during their call time.
Most bands are happy to break up their sets to fit with your running order (i.e., 4 x 35-minute sets or sets varying in length)
While your band is not performing live, they can play music from a pre-programmed playlist. If the band doesn’t have some of your favourite songs in their repertoire, this is the perfect time to have those tracks played.
Can your artists MC?
Some can; some can’t!
Some of our artists are confident with public speaking and MC duties.
Others would prefer to concentrate on what they are best at doing – creating music.
For those that are, we can offer this service for an additional fee.
If you require more than just general announcements, we can recommend some great professional MC’s.
Our setups come with a microphone that your arranged MC is welcome to use.
Do I need to provide meals for the artists?
Musicians (and performers) booked for 4 hours or more require hot meals and refreshments provided.
Most venues will provide a staff-discounted meal for crew members.
For performance times less than 4 hours, water is required only.
As a rule of thumb, fed and looked after musicians will perform best!
What will artists wear?
Unless advised otherwise, our male performers’ dress code is suit and tie. Female performers will be in glamourous cocktail attire. All Top Dog entertainers will meet your required dress code standard. If you want them in tuxedos, that’s how they’ll be!
Can we extend the finishing time on our wedding night?
In most cases, yes!
You are welcome to extend the finishing time on the night depending on the musician(s) availability – once you realise you want to keep the party going; just check in with your performer.
We will invoice you for the additional time on the next business day.
No cash will be accepted on the night.
Which locations in Melbourne and Victoria do you travel?
We are based in Melbourne, and this is where we party most often, but we have people on our roster nationwide.
For Victorian events, travel outside of Melbourne is something we regularly do and is charged with a per km rate if the event location is further than 30km from the Melbourne CBD.
Accommodation may be required if the venue is more than 2 hours from Melbourne. If you can provide appropriate accommodation, that’s great; otherwise, we will charge a nominal fee to cover each performer.
Why should I work with Top Dog vs. another wedding entertainment agency?
Choosing Top Dog Entertainment for your wedding means choosing the best of the best. Here’s why we stand out from the competition:
Unmatched Expertise: Our team of seasoned professionals know weddings inside out. We have years of experience crafting unforgettable wedding experiences and bring that expertise to every event we touch.
Tailored Perfection: We understand your wedding is unique and treat it as such. We take the time to understand your vision, preferences, and style, and then we tailor our services to create a personalised, one-of-a-kind experience that reflects your love story.
The A-Team: When you work with Top Dog, you’re not just getting any entertainment. You’re getting access to our handpicked roster of the industry’s most talented artists, DJs, and performers. We only work with the best because we believe you deserve nothing less.
Seamless Execution: We leave no room for mishaps on your big day. Our meticulous planning and attention to detail ensure that every aspect of your wedding entertainment is flawlessly executed.
Unforgettable Moments: We specialise in creating those magic moments that will be cherished forever. Whether it’s a surprise performance, a show-stopping act, perfectly timed musicians or impeccable musical selection, we go above and beyond to make your wedding truly unforgettable.
When it comes to your wedding, settle for nothing less than the best. Let us take your special day to new heights of excitement, joy, and celebration. Get ready to say “I do” to the ultimate wedding experience.
Spotify wedding playlists
End of the Night Inspo
Ceremony & 1st Dance
Entrance Inspo
Dancefloor Bangers
Wedding artist video of the month – December
This is what our clients are saying:
This is what our clients are saying:
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