The dance floor is full. Who’s stopping the music?

That garden looks perfect for dancing under the fairy lights. Before you book, get written confirmation of how late you can have music there. Ask whether the volume needs to come down at a certain time, whether there’s a room where you can carry on, and when guests need to leave.

Every venue has its own timings, and the local council may set different limits. In Sorrento, for example, a municipal decision refers to rules on music audible outside venues. Ask which ones apply to your date and the spaces you’ll use. If the council and the venue give you different finish times, work to the earlier one. Ask even if the venue seems secluded. In a valley, music can travel further than you might expect.

While you’re at it, agree with the venue and your supplier who arranges the SIAE licence where required and, for the musicians, the INPS certificate of eligibility where applicable. Those calls are much easier to make before the wedding.

If music in the garden has to finish at midnight and you’d love two hours with the band, you already know one thing: you want to be on the floor by 10 pm. Work backwards from there, leaving room for dinner, speeches, cake and moving between spaces. Even crossing a garden with a drink in your hand takes a few minutes.

Imagine the indoor room can stay open for the DJ until 2 am. Your evening could look like this.

• 7:15 pm — Dinner begins.
• 9:15 pm — Cake cutting and the dessert buffet open. Then everyone heads towards the floor.
• 9:45–10 pm — A fifteen-minute buffer before the first dance.
• 10 pm–midnight — First dance and the band in the garden.
• Midnight–2 am — The party continues indoors with the DJ and the setup already waiting.

That’s an example. Start with your caterer’s timings, especially if you’re planning several speeches or performances between courses. If you’d like the party to start around the tables, here are some ideas for live music during dinner.

When guests are dancing, asking everyone to move is a delicate moment. If the band finishes in the garden and the DJ is waiting indoors, have the music ready when they arrive. A long pause gives your uncle just enough time to find his chair again.

We like a band followed by a DJ. The live set gets the floor going, and the DJ can follow the guests who still want to dance. If you’re moving, ask whether sound and lighting are included for the second room. If you’re staying in one place, just agree with the musicians and DJ how they’ll hand over.

When you talk to the band, ask how the sets are arranged, what plays during the breaks and when the DJ takes over. Ask what happens if dinner runs late, too. The contract may specify a duration, a time slot or both. And if you suspect you’ll be shouting “one more!” at the end, ask in advance whether you can add time, what it costs and how late the venue allows it.

We’d cut the cake as the dessert buffet opens, and save the first dance for the start of the party. Gather your friends around the floor, enjoy your song and, on the last note, let the band go straight into the next one. Your friends are already there. Sometimes a look is all it takes to get them dancing.

If someone has prepared a video or a flash mob, they can arrange it with the person running the evening without spoiling your surprise. Knowing how long it lasts and whether it needs a screen or microphone helps them find the right moment. Once the floor is full, let it keep going. We’ve put together more tips on keeping your wedding dance floor full.