4.9
Verified reviews from real couples
High Energy Live Music to Pack Your Dance Floor!
Performing throughout the Southeast!
Service area
We had an excellent experience with Emerald Empire band from the start. Extremely clear communication, pricing, and expectations. They made me feel at ease about one of the most important parts of my day. Never worried once about the band. They were able to play all of our favorite songs and stayed true to our “no play list” and only played the genre we wanted! AMAZING job all around! Super professional and fun.
Madison S.
5.0
Emerald Empire Band was the best vendor choice for our daughter’s wedding! Their communication for an entire year before the event, their professional relationship, and their work to make the music perfect made for a perfect wedding reception. All of our guests loved dancing and listening to the group. I can’t say enough amazing words about them. They truly made her reception perfect!
Cheryl P.
5.0
Richard
MANAGER
Typically responds within 24h
AWARD WINNER (9X)
Thanks to recommendations from couples on The Knot
We're live music experts, wedding enthusiasts, and party starters, infusing every event with energy and full dance floors. We're here to make your wedding the greatest party of your life! The Emerald Empire are a premium, customizable 3 to 14 piece band specializing in high-energy music–at a sensible price. Our talented and professional musicians have performed regularly with touring and recording artists including Aretha Franklin, Bruno Mars, Greg Allman, Janelle Monae, Jay Z, Martina McBride, and Stevie Wonder, as well as working and touring with numerous Broadway shows.
Visit our website for upcoming Showcase dates where you can see the band perform LIVE. You can tailor the dream band to suit your style and budget. Choose your band size then fully customize your booking with our Add-Ons, including a Cocktail Hour Band, DJ Services, Lighting & Sound services. You’ll benefit from a designated producer to help with planning and promptly answer any questions you may have along the way. We also provide you with your very own band planning page, making the experience a breeze. Reach out to get started!
We also offer Photo & Video services!
With Lightwave Event Artists, we provide Photography and Videography services that are fully customizable to your needs and style. We make it easy to capture your most precious moments by matching you with the perfect team based on your event, vision, and budget. Select your base package and choose Add-Ons from there to create a bespoke experience. Get in touch with us for a personal consultation! SPECIAL OFFER! Get 10% OFF on select Photo or Video options when you book with Emerald Empire Band & Lightwave Event Artists.
Event Lighting Services
Elevate your event with our full range of customizable lighting options for every occasion. We offer room lighting to highlight your venue, cake lights, elegant uplighting, custom gobos with monograms, images, or designs, and stage and band lighting to keep your guests dancing all night long! Visit our website and make an inquiry to learn more. Plus! Get 10% Off our basic lighting package when you add it to your band booking. *T&C's Apply
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Details
Instruments
Accordion
Bagpipes
Banjo
Bugle
Cello
Fiddle
Flute
Guitar
Harmonica
Harp
Keyboard
Mandolin
Organ
Percussion
Piano
Saxophone
Steel Drum
Trombone
Trumpet
Ukulele
Violin
Vocals
Music Genres
Classical
Country
Dance
Disco
Folk
Hip-Hop
Jazz
Klezmer
Latin
Pop
R&B
Rock
World Music
Music Services
Live Music
MC Services
Recorded Music
Sound Equipment
Wedding Activities
Rehearsals & Parties
After Party
Wedding
After Party
Ceremony
Reception
Awards and Affiliations
9-Time 'Best of Weddings'
2026.2024.2023.+6 more.
Best of Weddings
The Knot independently assesses vendors for this award—it’s never self-reported. We base it on firsthand experiences from real couples and guests, and they must have a 4.5-star average across 7+ reviews in the qualifying year.
Hall of Fame
Earned by winning 'Best of Weddings' four or more times.
Join couples who chose award-winning vendors for their wedding
Meet the team
Richard
Manager
Please reach out with any questions or to begin your booking!
Reviews
4.9
out of 5.0325 reviews
Your trust is our goal. Our community relies on honest reviews to help
you make those big decisions with ease.
Review Summary
This AI-generated summary is a snapshot of this vendor's ratings and feedback.
Emerald Empire Band is praised for excellent communication, organization, and responsiveness throughout planning. Reviewers highlight their professionalism, flexibility (different ensemble sizes), and ability to craft perfect playlists. Their energetic, polished performances kept dance floors packed and many call them the highlight of the reception.Review photos
Showing slide number 1 out of 3
Kendall H
Highlighted review.
5.0
From the very beginning they were amazing!! From the planning to nailing down details to the reception they were beyond awesome!!! The band was perfect and I couldn't have asked fo...
r a better band !! They were so much fun and everyone still talks about how great they were!! 10/10 HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!
Response from Emerald Empire Band
Kendall, thank you x1000! We couldn't have done it without you. Best wishes!!
Madison S
5.0
We had an excellent experience with Emerald Empire band from the start. Extremely clear communication, pricing, and expectations. They made me feel at ease about one of the most im...
portant parts of my day. Never worried once about the band. They were able to play all of our favorite songs and stayed true to our “no play list” and only played the genre we wanted! AMAZING job all around! Super professional and fun.
Any questions?
Cheryl P
5.0
Emerald Empire Band was the best vendor choice for our daughter’s wedding! Their communication for an entire year before the event, their professional relationship, and their work ...
to make the music perfect made for a perfect wedding reception. All of our guests loved dancing and listening to the group. I can’t say enough amazing words about them. They truly made her reception perfect!
Rebecca S
5.0
My husband and I hired Emerald Empire Band for our wedding ceremony and reception. They are so easy to work with and have multiple check-ins leading up to the wedding to be sure th...
ey are not missing any important details. They kept the night upbeat and we have received so many compliments from our guests about their performance! 10/10, we definitely recommend!
Elizabeth K
5.0
Can’t say enough good things about Emerald Empire. To start, their communication was incredible, and I loved the dashboard page for setting up song requests and the schedule for th...
e night. Brandon was very responsive and helped me to build the perfect band for our wedding. At our wedding reception, the dance floor was PACKED. They hit every song request and even let me and my bridesmaids on stage for one of our favorite songs!! The next day, all anyone could talk about was how fantastic our band was. I can’t believe we got such a big, fabulous band that was so easy to work with for the price we did. Cannot recommend Emerald Empire enough!
Stephanie D
5.0
Emerald Empire was INCREDIBLE. They are one of the main reasons that people had a good time at our wedding! They brought the good vibes and the energy. Could not recommend this ban...
d enough.
Ashley D
5.0
Created a great playlist around our genre likes/dislikes. Amazing performance!!!
Lizzie H
5.0
Emerald Empire Band genuinely had the best communication throughout the whole wedding process. They were so detailed with everything that they needed from me, and what they needed ...
for the day of my wedding. The whole process with them was amazing, and not to mention I had so many compliments on the musicians in the band! They did an outstanding job and are so so talented and definitely know how to keep the party going! I would highly recommend them.
Maria F
5.0
Incredible band to work with and listen to at our wedding. We did a 2 piece ceremony, 3 piece cocktail hour, and 7 piece band. Each and every one was amazing. We couldn’t be more g...
rateful of the energy they brought to our wedding. The amount of compliments we got on them was more than anything else at the wedding. Highly highly recommend.
Autumn K
5.0
My husband and I cannot say enough great things about the Emerald Empire Band! From start to finish, they were absolutely incredible. The energy, the talent, and the fun they broug...
ht to our wedding were unmatched. Our guests are still raving about how amazing they sounded and how much fun they had on the dance floor!
Brandon, the manager, was an absolute dream to work with—professional, responsive, and made the whole process effortless. He helped us customize everything to fit our vision, and the band delivered beyond our wildest expectations. Every song was performed to perfection, and they kept the dance floor packed all night long.
If you're looking for a wedding band that will bring the house down and leave your guests talking about your wedding for years to come, Emerald Empire Band is the one. We’re already thinking of hosting another event just so we can experience their magic again—or we’ll be making a trip to Birmingham to see them at one of their events!
Elizabeth W
5.0
Emerald Empire Band helped make our reception so special! They followed the set list we wanted perfectly, keep the crowd involved, and were absolutely amazing! They are so easy to ...
work with-had a detailed portal and several calls to make sure we got exactly what we wanted! I could not recommend them enough! So worth it!
Ashley C
5.0
Emerald Empire was amazing!! They were so easy to work with from the start and helped us figure out the perfect band for our day. They kept the energy up all night and everyone lov...
ed them!!
Catherine B
5.0
Great band! Knows how to get the crowd going and kept them entertained all night long.
Paton B
5.0
WOW! Such an incredible experience with Emerald Empire Band! Brandon is fantastic with communication and is very organized. I highly recommend.
Jarah A
5.0
We chose Emerald Empire Band for the live band at our wedding and we are SO glad we did. Our favorite part of wedding planning was going to dinner and then to see a live showcase t...
ogether. We immediately fell in love with the talent and professionalism of this band. They were such a pleasure to work with and so responsive. They were eager to answer any questions we had and went above and beyond to make our day run smooth. They played our ceremony sound, cocktail hour playlist, MCed & played live at the reception.
All of our guests kept talking about how great the band was. The songs they chose were perfect and kept the dance floor so fun. Thank you for making our day so special! If you’re thinking about booking them- DO IT!
Logan L
5.0
Book them! They were the perfect wedding band. All generations were dancing all night long. Thank you Emerald Empire for making our wedding day such a blast!
Ramona S
5.0
We had the Emerald Empire Band play at our wedding reception in June and they were fantastic!!! They were the highlight of our wedding. We couldn’t have asked for a better experien...
ce…from the booking process to all the communication leading up to the wedding, everything flowed flawlessly. We appreciated having someone available to answer any questions we had before the event. The band played all the special songs we requested and even stepped up at the very last minute and offered to be a backup to our wedding quartet when we were concerned the quartet wouldn’t show. Friends and family commented on how awesome the band was. We couldn’t recommend them more!!!
Debbie T
5.0
Emerald Empire is so great! Brandon is the best to work with. He goes above and beyond to help the Planner as well as the bride.
We are Planners, Coordinators and Florists so we h...
ave the opportunity to work with Emerald Empire a lot. They are so easy to work with and all guests have a great time.
Response from Emerald Empire Band
Hey, Debbie! Thank you so much for the awesome shout-out! We're absolutely thrilled to be ...
a part of your team and work together on various events. 🎉
Brandon is a true rockstar, and we're glad he goes above and beyond to ensure a seamless experience for everyone. We value the collaboration with planners, coordinators, and florists like yourselves!
Working with you is always a pleasure, and we're delighted to hear that all guests have a great time at the events we do together. We look forward to working with you again!
Lauren D
5.0
I cannot begin to express how impressed we were with Emerald Empire. From the get go, they were extremely professional and wanted to make sure everything was exactly how we wanted ...
it. Not only did we dance all night, but each musician was so incredibly talented, it felt like a mini concert just for us. It's been a month now since we got married, and the band is still the number one thing our guests still rave about when we reminisce about that night.
Our ceremony and reception were at the same venue so Emerald Empire did the ceremony music, jazz cocktail hour, and reception music. I HIGHLY recommend using their videography services too. Everything was so perfect and seamless I wish we could do it again. 10/10 would recommend.
Response from Emerald Empire Band
We're beyond thrilled that you had such an impressive experience with the Emerald Empire B...
and at your wedding. 🎉
Ensuring professionalism and attention to detail is a top priority for us. We're so glad that everything turned out exactly as you wanted it to be.
Creating a mini concert just for you is what we aim for! Each musician's talent adds a unique touch to the performance, making it an unforgettable experience.
We're honored to be the number one thing your guests still rave about! Being a part of your special day and leaving such a lasting impression means the world to us.
Providing music for your ceremony, jazz cocktail hour, and reception was an absolute joy. We're delighted that everything was perfect and seamless for you.
We're thrilled to know that you enjoyed our videography services too. Capturing those special moments is something we love doing to help you relive the magic.
Beth G
5.0
From the moment I reached out to Brandon and the Emerald Empire Band it was prompt, professional and informative. Brandon and the band were very enthusiastic, the music was amazing...
and they kept the crowd on the dance floor! No regrets except that the reception had to come to an end!!
Charlotte K
5.0
The band was most professional, very prompt, performed as we asked, and walked us through the entire night: the cocktail hour, announcement of the Bride & Groom, first dance, bles...
sing and toast of Bride’s father, cutting the cake - everything!
Hannah B
5.0
Emerald Empire Band was 11/10 I couldn’t have been happier on our big day! The first thing people have said since our wedding is how amazing the band was. Super engaged, very profe...
ssional and definitely knows what they are doing! Could not recommend them more!
Leigh Ann T
5.0
If you're looking for a band to perform at your wedding, I HIGHLY recommend using Emerald Empire! They were incredibly professional and dilligent in their communication leading up ...
to the wedding day, and I enjoyed every song that they played. They're high energy and have great sound- definitely worth every penny!
Alissa D
5.0
Emerald Empire was perfect at our wedding! The music at the ceremony was beautiful and the reception was SO fun and full of energy. Many of our guests commented on how great the ...
band was and how much fun they had. On the day of the wedding, they played exactly the combination of music that we wanted. Brandon was so responsive leading up to the event and helped to coordinate all details of the reception! Overall, we were so pleased with Emerald Empire Band
Kate B
5.0
Brandon at Emerald Empire was awesome to work with for our May 2022 wedding! We hired our photographer AND a string trio for our ceremony through Emerald Empire and the entire proc...
ess was great. LOVE how our photos turned out! Highly recommend!
Response from Emerald Empire Band
Kate, thank you for hiring us to perform at your wedding and also capture memories for you...
. It was such an honor and we're so grateful for the feedback. Wishing you all the best!
Cathy G
5.0
Everyone loved the band!!! The process from booking to night of was very professional. Brandon was so helpful answering all questions thoroughly. My family loves to dance, and ...
could not get enough of Emerald Empire and especially the singer, Steven. He did a few special requests and he nailed it. Music makes a wedding and Emerald Empire is it! Great memories of everybody having fun.
Response from Emerald Empire Band
Hey Cathy! We love feedback like this and are so glad you and all of your guests loved our...
performance. We had so much fun!
Brittany V
5.0
Best band ever! The only thing my dad wanted in my wedding was horns to be played in the band and boy did they deliver. The band kept everyone on the dance floor all night long. Er...
in was a dream to work with and helped us narrow down our song list to keep everyone on the dance floor. She’s also like the ultimate hype girl and I’m all for that. We love to dance and she knew exactly how to get and keep everyone on the dance floor all night long. Can’t recommend this band enough!
Response from Emerald Empire Band
Hey Brittany! Your dad was right about the horns - they're always a great addition and we'...
re so happy you and your guests enjoyed it! Thank you for the feedback and the recommendation. Wishing you all the best!
Ryan B
5.0
THE BEST WEDDING BAND EVER
From discussing options, coordinating details, and the performance itself, I don’t think we could have found a better group! Brandon was very timely with...
his communication and easy to work with. The band itself is full of rockstars! We asked them for a Second Line entrance and to learn multiple songs for our Mardi Gras wedding, and they knocked it out of the park! They were energetic and engaging the entire night and so easy to work with. If you’re looking for a band than can cross multiple genres, or just an awesome band to dance to, the Emerald Empire Band is it!
Response from Emerald Empire Band
Thanks SO much, Ryan! It was a pleasure working with you, and the Second Line definitely w...
as the icing on the cake! We had so much fun and we appreciate the feedback so much. Wishing you the best!
Mary M
5.0
These guys were talented, professional, kind, and just a great time! They played our requested songs and kept the party going til our exit. I’d recommend them to anyone and everyon...
e!
Lu Ann N
5.0
PROVIDING JUST A FEW GUIDE LINES, THIS BAND WAS "SPOT ON!!!
IN PICKING A BAND THE VIDEO WE REVIEWED OF A 5 PIECE BAND THEN A 6 PIECE, THEN ADD 1 TO 3 HORNS WAS VERY HELPFUL!
Katy H
5.0
My entire experience with the Emerald Empire Band was absolutely exceptional and I would recommend them to anyone. If you are looking to get your guests on the dance floor then the...
y are the perfect band. Brandon was so helpful along the way and made sure that all details were clear and easy to finalize. Overall amazing!
Justa J
5.0
I honestly could not have chosen a better band for my wedding! They are extremely talented. The vocalist was beyond amazing! From the moment of reaching out, Brandon has been nothi...
ng but professional, informative and quick to respond. They certainly made the whole process easy and fun! Everyone enjoyed their performance so much, guests were dancing all night! Amazing, amazing, amazing! Would highly recommend booking Emerald Empire Band! We are considering having a party just to hear them perform again! 😀
MaryPat G
5.0
Emerald Empire band was amazing from pre-booking, through booking, to the event night. We had a wonderful experience and couldn’t have asked for better organization throughout the ...
whole process. The band is incredibly fun and we had a great time!
Marissa R
5.0
The entire experience with Emerald Empire was amazing. There was great communication prior to our wedding so we were able to get everything we wanted. We were also able to add in v...
ideography quite easily. How many times have you been to a wedding when the guest insist on “one more song!!!”? Definitely enhanced the entire night!!!
Lauren W
5.0
Booking the Emerald Empire Band was THE best decision I made while planning my wedding! They were very quick to respond to my initial inquiry, made the booking and payment process ...
very simple, gave me a reasonable quote, and were able to do everything from my ceremony music, to our cocktail hour, first dances, and the entire reception. They kept the party going the whole night! Everyone was telling me they were the best wedding band they ever heard!!!
Response from Emerald Empire Band
Hello Lauren!
We had so much fun playing for all the sections of your wedding! Thank you ...
for trusting us on your big day, and thank you for the wonderful review. We really appreciate it!
-EEB
Erin H
5.0
Hiring Emerald Empire was one of the best choices we made when planning our big day. Brandon takes the time to personally get to know your musical preferences and was very accommo...
dating to our requests. We hired them for both ceremony music and the reception. Each song they played could not have been better! Our guests are still raving about them a month later. You can not go wrong hiring this band for your wedding!
Andrea L
5.0
Emerald Empire Band was the absolute best wedding band we could have ever hoped for, every moment was so fun and I was so sad when I heard our last song being played! We have not s...
topped talking about how amazing Emerald Empire Band was! Brandon made the planning process so easy and seamless, I would recommend to anyone looking for a great value and experience!
Brooke H
5.0
I highly recommend Emerald Empire Band. They are talented, have great energy, and were so fun to have perform at our wedding reception! I wanted a band that sounded amazing and kep...
t everyone dancing. Emerald Empire Band did just that! Everyone really enjoyed the music and the talent of the band. They kept everyone dancing and having a wonderful time. They made the night special and were a great addition to our wedding. Everyone from start to finish was professional and had good communication.
Leah W
5.0
Best Wedding Band Ever!
Emerald Empire band performed at my daughters wedding this past weekend. They did the most AMAZING job and so many people commented on what a good band the...
y were! They got everyone on the dance floor throughout the night and did a wonderful job announcing things. Not to mention the music performed was wonderful. Brandon was polite, professional and always answered my questions in a timely manner. I highly recommend this band for ANY event!
Cody D
5.0
EEB was the perfect band. I would highly recommend them to any future bride and groom.
Linda B
5.0
Emerald Empire was WONDERFUL! They were so professional from the first contact we had with them to the wedding night. All of our guest kept talking about how great the band was! I ...
could not have been more pleased! THANK YOU!
Kate G
5.0
Ridiculously amazing!!! They were so lovely and easy to work with beforehand! Our guests kept coming up to us the entire reception asking where we found them and saying how amazing...
and fun they are!
Caitlin G
5.0
Talk about party starters!! I can keep this short and sweet - Emerald Empire Band me our demanding music needs and then some and kept the dance party going all night. Look no furth...
er!
Bailey L
1.0
There was an issue with communication as the band was hard to get in touch with; however, we could have moved past that if our first dance hadn't been ruined. It was recommended to...
us that if we had a favorite version of our first dance song, that the band not play it themselves, but rather the recording. We decided to go with the recording of Otis Redding's "That's How Strong My Love Is" as we had taken dance lessons and loved the song. Unfortunately the wrong version of the song was played. While none of our guests knew it was the wrong song, it was devastating to us as now we will never think fondly of our first dance.
Fortunately, the rest of the music that the band played was great, and most people were on the dance floor. My husband and I just can't get past the first dance issue though and can never recommend this band to any recently engaged friends.
Response from Emerald Empire Band
Hi Bailey, thank you for your feedback. As I mentioned on the night, I am so so sorry abou...
t the first dance mix up. It was an honest mistake and I'm truly sorry that it affected your night. Unfortunately, I just hit the wrong song on the iPod and noticed about 10 seconds in that it was the wrong version. I realize now that I should have stopped the song right away and started with the Otis Redding version, but panicked in the moment as I've never had that happen before. I will definitely use this as a learning experience. I am happy that your guests had such a great time, but I can't apologize enough for the first dance. Wishing you and Erich all the best. - Josh
Brooks M
5.0
Decided to go with EE for our 175 person outdoor wedding and they were AWESOME! They ended up doing ceremony music, cocktail hour, and reception for us. I picked them based on revi...
ews, and also after seeing their song lists and realizing that they matched our style pretty well. Specifically, we wanted a lot of R&B/Funk and not as much cheesy "Cupid Shuffle"/"All the Single Ladies" kinda stuff. The communication process with Richard was great - he was always available to answer questions but not too pushy - and that really helped alleviate a lot of wedding stress. The online form/website that they use is very easy to-to-use as well. I was nervous about the musicians because I know Emerald Empire is a group of musicians, and not just a single band, so there's a chance that they may not have played as much together...but that certainly wasn't the case with our group! They were VERY tight and the transitions between songs was great. They read the room well too and lowered it down when folks weren't dancing and picked it up when folks got back on the floor. A lot of our guests mentioned how amazing the music was!
Francesco Ria R
5.0
Great musicians! We were very happy with our choice and all our guests were absolutely in love with the music.
Jodi N
5.0
If you want a packed dance floor, then this is the band for you. EEB was super easy to work with; we visited them during one of their showcase events and knew they would be a good...
fit for my daughter's wedding. Kelly was fantastic to work with; he was very responsive with any questions and great during our planning phone calls as far as ideas and suggestions to make the reception run smoothly. They also provided emcee services and did our ceremony music which was a guitar and a bass. It was so nice to only have to deal with one vendor. We hired a 6 piece band for the reception and were so pleased. Everyone danced the night away. EEB was super fun; you won't be disappointed.
Preston P
5.0
Emerald Empire Band was perfect for our wedding. Kelly was great to work with leading up to the big day - very responsive and extremely helpful in planning out the entire night. Bi...
anca and Stefan were amazing, wouldn’t have changed anything. Also very well priced! Highly recommend
Kelly K
5.0
Emerald Empire Band was a dream to work with for our wedding entertainment. Mike and his team were incredibly helpful and responsive throughout the entire planning process. I had s...
ome things I wanted to customize as my date was approaching (ceremony AV, cocktail hour playlist, etc), and Emerald Empire Band gave me the flexibility and guidance to do these things without any extra stress. The day of the wedding, they were on time and so professional..not to mention amazingly talented! They listened to exactly what types of music we wanted, and made it so none of our guests left the dance floor the entire evening! I can't even tell you how many compliments we received from our guests on what a great band we had--I would highly recommend Emerald Empire Band to anyone looking for an amazing wedding entertainment with great value in the Charleston area!
Jane D
5.0
FABULOUS dance band! Great concept. Organizing the band "à la carte" saved us money, too. We couldn't have been happier.
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Emerald Empire Band
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Manager
Typically responds within 24h
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Emerald Empire Band
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