How to Get a Celebrity to Sing at Your Wedding

Co-authored by Ivy Summer and Hannah Madden

Last Updated: August 17, 2022 References

If the one thing that could make your special day even more special is a celebrity appearance, you might be thinking about hiring your favorite singer to perform at your reception. Negotiating with talent agents is no easy feat, especially if the celebrity in question is hugely popular. If you hire a booking agent and get your agreement in writing, you can spend a little extra on your wedding to make your day perfect.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Hiring

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Look for celebrities who often perform at weddings. Some celebrities don’t like to come to weddings or private parties, and that’s okay. Try to search around and see if the celebrity you like has ever done a wedding before to make sure they’ll be interested.^{[1]
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- Some celebrities price their performances super high so that they’re out of range for most people.
- John Legend, Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift, Jennifer Hudson, and Sam Smith have been known to perform at weddings.
- You can also find celebrities through cameo.com.^{[2]
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  Expert Source
  
  Ivy Summer
  Certified Wedding & Event Planner
  Expert Interview. 17 August 2021.}
2
Set a budget so you don’t go overboard. Weddings are already expensive, and you might not have a ton of money left over to spend on a celebrity guest. Sit down with your partner and hash out how much you can afford to spend on your celebrity singer, then try to stick to that budget.^{[3]
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- The amount of money you should set aside really depends on who you’re thinking of hiring. Throwback bands that were popular in the 90s might cost around $150,000, while a big name hip hop artist like Snoop Dogg could be upwards of $300,000.^{[4]
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- Hugely popular artists like Taylor Swift, Nicki Minaj, and Jennifer Lopez often cost multiple millions.
- If you don’t want to shell out that much for your wedding, celebrity DJs are usually less expensive (between $10,000 and $80,000). Try reaching out to deadmau5, Idris Elba, or Elijah Wood.
- If you're looking for a virtual alternative, you could pay the celebrity to record a greeting that you can showcase at your wedding.^{[5]
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  Expert Source
  
  Ivy Summer
  Certified Wedding & Event Planner
  Expert Interview. 17 August 2021.}
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3
Create a list of celebrities you’d like to hire so you have options. Even if you only have one person in mind, there are tons of reasons why they might not work out. Come up with a list of 3 or 4 celebrities you’d love to have at your wedding and give them to your booking agent.^{[6]
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- Celebrities are usually busy, so they might not be available on the day of your wedding. Or maybe their fee is too high, so you have to look at someone who doesn’t cost quite as much.
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Hire a booking agent to negotiate for you. Reaching out to a celebrity takes time, connections, and skills. Look for a booking agent in your area who is experienced in booking celebrities for weddings and parties, and try to do it about a year in advance so your agent has time to negotiate.^{[7]
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- Try to see what experience they have so you know they’re legit. It’s easy to claim you have a relationship with celebrities, but not as easy to actually use them.
- You’re more likely to find booking agents like this in big cities. L.A., New York, and San Francisco have an abundance, so you might have to travel a bit if you live in a smaller area.
- You can also try getting in touch with the celebrity's publicist.^{[8]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Ivy Summer
  Certified Wedding & Event Planner
  Expert Interview. 17 August 2021.}
5
Sign a contract as a legal binding. Get your agreement in writing, and make sure the celebrity signs the contract, too. If there’s no written agreement, the celebrity has no obligation to show up, and your dreams of your big day could be dashed.^{[9]
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- Make sure your agent knows you want to get your agreement in writing. Most agents will do this automatically, but it’s always good to double check.
- You should also include anything extra you want the celebrity to do, like take photos with guests or stick around for the rest of the reception.
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Prepare for hidden costs. Even after you’ve signed a contract, something always comes up. Some celebrities have very specific demands, like hiring a car to drive them to your wedding or getting a glass of expensive champagne. Try to leave a bit of room in your budget for some hidden fees.^{[10]
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- Smaller celebrities probably won’t do this, but A-listers might.
- If your celebrity is demanding things that seem over the top, like a private jet ride, they may be trying to jack up their prices so you can’t afford them. Have your agent remind them of the contract they already signed.
- Depending on the celebrity, you may have to put down a deposit once the contract is signed.

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Performance

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Set guidelines for the performance. Maybe you have a specific song you’d like to hear, or maybe you’d like to keep the lyrics clean. The more specific you can get, the better.^{[11]
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- Try to put your guidelines in the contract so the celebrity knows that they’re legally binding.
2
Carve out about 60 minutes for the celebrity’s performance. You won’t get an entire concert, but you’ll probably get about an hour’s worth of singing. Set aside time in your reception so the celebrity can have their moment.^{[12]
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- It’s common for a celebrity to start by singing the first dance song.
3
Keep the performance a surprise to wow your guests. It might be hard to keep a secret that big, but what’s better than seeing the look on your guests’ faces as their favorite celebrity walks on stage? If you want to surprise your close friends and family, don’t tell them who’s coming to the wedding.^{[13]
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- Of course, telling people that you got a celebrity to come to your wedding could actually entice them to come, so it’s up to you.
- You could also put “surprise celebrity guest” on your invitations to keep the mystery going while creating intrigue.
4
Ask the celebrity to take a few photos with you. If you don’t get any pictures, did it really happen? When their performance is over, ask your celebrity guest if they’ll pose in front of the camera for your special day.^{[14]
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- Once they’ve fulfilled their contractual obligation, the celebrity doesn’t have to stick around. If you want them to take pics with your guests, make sure you put that in the contract.
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Don’t worry about the celebrity outshining your day. Couples often worry that having a celebrity guest will detract from a day that’s all about them. However, a celebrity performance usually makes the experience more memorable, and it ensures your guests will be talking about it for longer.^{[15]
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- If you’re worried that your guests will flock to the celebrity once their performance is done, you can ask them in your contract to leave when they’re done singing.