The genuine live Jazz experience
from Melbourne’s best working band
Weddings by Orlando Combo
Please note, the Orlando Combo is an actual band and not a music agency or ‘franchise’. We only take on one booking at a time. Some groups take multiple bookings for the same date all performing under the one band name, this is not how we operate.
Follow us on instagram.com/orlandocombo – Real instruments played live by highly skilled musicians – no electronics, samples, loops, backing tracks, drum machines or gadgetry.
- Covid-19 Update
I am advising those enquiring/booking at this time that if Covid-19 restrictions are reintroduced by the time your date comes around then events can be postponed to another suitable date without penalty – Lucas Evans
Orlando Combo specializes in wedding performances with the experience we have gained from well over 500 wedding bookings. By dealing directly with the bands manager (and therefore avoiding the additional 3rd party costs of a booking agency) our clients are able to receive the highest quality wedding entertainment at a reasonable price.
Helen and I just wanted to say a massive thank you to all of you for a truly memorable and spectacular performance. Everyone at the wedding thought you were incredible……we were absolutely blown away.
Kind regards and thanks again,
Will and Helen – Stones Of The Yarra Valley wedding November 11, 2022
From our compact acoustic Trio line-up for sophisticated, instrumental background music through to our Quintet with vocals for lively Swing and Soul dance material, Orlando Combo can provide the genuine live Jazz experience for your wedding.
Thanks Lucas – you guys were the highlight of the reception! Just fantastic!
Thanks again,
Vanessa WestRACV Club, Melbourne
From the smooth Jazz as your wedding guests arrive for pre-dinner drinks to the background dinner music set, ‘first dance’ and lively dance brackets, Orlando Combo has the experience and professionalism to create an atmosphere of sophistication, fun, romance and joy on your most important day. We specialize in making a seamless transition from sophisticated Jazz to accessible dance-floor Swing, Soul, Motown and Rock & Roll classics (if required) to appeal to a range of ages. If you are looking for a group that can supply the style and class that only a Jazz combo can provide but are concerned it may be too laid back for later in the evening, then fear not – Orlando Combo has earned a reputation for being the most dance-able Jazz band in town. Please be aware though that we are certainly not a ‘Top 40’ style pop cover band.
We are also highly experienced at working in conjunction with a DJ – we play sets of authentic, quality live Jazz for the early part of the evening and then ‘handball’ to the DJ to takeover for the high energy Pop dance sets. The best of both worlds!
Hello Lucas!!!
THANK YOU for being precisely and utterly perfection for my wedding day!
I don’t think that I will be able to truly convey the absolute faith I had in you for the day. You just ‘got’ exactly what the vibe was for the day, and the rustic/elegant feel for the day.
The experience for me, as the bride, was smooth, easy, enjoyable and reassuring. I got to enjoy my style of music without any kind of worry, and I thank you a thousand times over. One guest told me that she could have listened and danced to your music every day for the rest of her life – That says it all.
Thank you for helping me create a magical and momentous day.
Thanks again ever so much,
Sarah Geddes – (Wedding @ Tara Rise Healesville)
Click to read our wedding reviews on Google
The genre is Jazz but more specifically the sound is a special blend of Swing/Lounge/Rhythm & Blues/Bossa Nova/Soul/Motown and Rock & Roll. Inspiration and repertoire comes from the swing of Louis Armstrong, the big band era and the roaring Jazz of the 1920’s/’Great Gatsby’ period, the cool sounds of Miles Davis, George Benson and the ‘Blue Note’ record label era, ‘Great American Songbook’ standards and show tunes of Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole, smooth bossa nova of Antonio Carlos Jobim, the old school Rhythm & Blues and retro Rock & Roll party starters of the 1950’s and 60’s by Ray Charles, Fats Domino, Elvis and Chuck Berry, New Orleans style brass band roving street music and the dance-floor soul and Motown classics and vintage party tunes of Van Morrison, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Al Green and The Beatles etc. Our repertoire is carefully selected to suit our instrumentation as we are a 100% live band – no backing tracks, synthesizers or cheesy-tired-typical wedding band material.
Hi Lucas,
John and I can’t thank you and the rest of the band enough for your performance on Saturday night – it was absolutely fantastic!
We all had such a great time and everyone has remarked that the music was one of the highlights. I never thought I’d see a conga line winding its way through the NGV, and even some of our non-dancing guests were breaking out their moves on the floor! All our muso friends were also super impressed with the Leslie!
So thanks again and we’ll be down at The Botanical soon to enjoy some more.
Best wishes,
Michelle & JohnNGV, Melbourne
‘I would love my wedding to have the sound and style of a live Jazz group but some of my guests will also want to dance to some Modern Pop/Club music as well as the Jazz band?’ If this is you then please note that clients can also provide an iPhone/Laptop playlist with music of their choice which can be played through the band’s sound system either as background set break music or at high volume for an additional dance set when the group is on a set break later in the evening. This can be a way of ‘covering all bases’ by catering for all your guests musical tastes without engaging a DJ for hundreds of dollars when only a limited amount of DJ repertoire is required. The bands PA is equivalent to a professional DJ’s system. This option is also ideal if a set of Greek/Italian/Indian/Jewish etc. traditional or cultural music is important for dancing but where a band is still appropriate for the majority of the function. A cost effective and compact live Jazz band and DJ combination!
We are also highly experienced at working in conjunction with a DJ – we play sets of authentic, quality live Jazz for the early part of the evening and then ‘handball’ to the DJ to takeover for the high energy Pop dance sets. The best of both worlds!
On request Orlando Combo can also use an ‘acoustic/mobile’ set up that is perfect for a pre-dinner drinks set as your guests arrive (either outdoors or in a foyer) or is also ideal for wedding ceremony music. We can work in with your celebrant to enhance the atmosphere by entertaining your guests as they arrive, playing for the arrival/Processional, during the break for the signing of the register and then again at the end for the Recessional. We can then move inside for the reception. Please visit our YouTube channel to view this set-up.
AMAZING OMG. We booked Orlando Combo (quartet) for our wedding on 8th November at Quat Quatta, – Wow wow I don’t even know where to begin.These guys were FANTASTIC and my guests were so blown away by the songs they played. They literally took care of everything. Wish we could have our wedding all over again just to hear these guys play again. Lots of our guests got on their feet and danced all night! Even my usually shy uncle was doing the wiggle. They’re extremely professional, promptly answered all my emails and were just so accommodating.
We’re so glad we made the decision to have these guys play. Love all of the songs!
Thank you so much Orlando Combo for giving us a celebration to remember! You guys are just awesome!!
Reiner and Li-Shan – Quat Quatta wedding 8/11/2018
As no two weddings are the same we can alter our instrumentation to best suit your needs. Please see the News/Gigs page for public performance/viewing night details.
We were exceptionally pleased with our choice of band, we really appreciated your professionalism and the music matched the venue and the structure of the night perfectly. It was great to see everyone up on the dance floor once you cranked up the volume after the meal.
I’ve received universally positive feedback about your performance and we thoroughly enjoyed it. ‘That’s All’ was exactly how we wanted it which was a great help in remembering all the steps!
All the best with your future performances.
Regards, Adam Dawson – Wattle Park Chalet, Surrey Hills
Orlando Combo provides all the necessary equipment for the band to perform. This includes high quality and compact amplifiers, lighting and vocal PA (which can also be used by clients for speeches/announcements and recorded set break music).
Answers to FAQ’s can be found at the bottom of this page. Please go to the contact page to check availability, obtain a quote or with any other queries you may have. Alternatively contact Bandleader/Manager Lucas Evans now on (+61) 0410 466 439.
Follow us on instagram.com/orlandocombo or www.facebook.com/OrlandoCombo for news and updates.
* Orlando Combo is a proud to be an inclusive supplier in the wedding industry for all sectors of the community
Orlando Combo has achieved a 5 star rating on Australia's leading wedding planning website/directory 'Easy Weddings' Please refer to the below widget for testimonials from real couples
Listen - Polkadot Wedding podcast interview with Orlando Combo jazz
Read - 'Ask An Expert' Orlando Combo feature on Polka Dot Bride
A modern Jazz filled wedding at Yering Station with Orlando Combo
Read more wedding reviews on our ABIA profile here
'Ask An Expert' - Polka Dot Bride interviews Orlando Combo bandleader, Lucas Evans
New Orleans jazz Lantern Parade wedding as featured on Polka Dot Wedding
With all the advancement in musical technology and popularity of DJ's and solo or duo musicians performing with recorded backing tracks we strongly believe that there is still no substitute for the unique atmosphere that can only be created by highly skilled musicians performing live. It is true there is some risk in booking live entertainment for a wedding as if it is the wrong band it can be a disaster and actually have a detrimental effect, but book the right band and your guests will have a night that they will be raving about long into the future.
Welcome back to the roaring 20's!!! Are you planning a vintage or Great Gatsby/1920's swing era theme for your wedding? Orlando Combo has vast repertoire from "the Jazz Age" and can structure the night including our music and presentation around this theme. Click here for Stomping Swing dance hall 1920's style ..........or Swing Frenzy 'It Don't Mean A Thing....(If It Ain't Got That Swing)' @ ABC TV's 'Miss Fisher' After Dark jazz nights @ Ripponlea Estate ballroom
Please note: When choosing a band for your wedding make sure you investigate that it is a set line-up and not just a band name with multiple rotating members. Orlando Combo is not a 'franchise', we are an actual single band that only takes on one booking at a time (some groups take multiple bookings for the same date all operating under the one band name). We are also not an agency so you will be dealing directly with the groups bandleader/manager, Lucas Evans, who will also be performing at your event. The core members of Orlando Combo began studies together at Australia’s premier music school, the Victorian College of the Arts in 1995 and have studied, performed, toured and recorded together ever since, our history of recordings and references dating back to the 1990’s will attest to this. Also be aware that all of our video and audio materials are either live concert or live studio recordings. We never use overdubs or samples to enhance our sound; whether it is in the studio or performing live.
Please find FAQ's below
How do I book Orlando Combo for my wedding?
To confirm a booking we request a deposit. The booking is only tentative until the deposit is received, at which point the date is 100% locked in. You will then be emailed a detailed receipt for your records. The deposit is not refundable except if for extreme reason (for example serious injury the entire band!) we have to cancel. Please note that in over 20 years we have never cancelled a booking.
For private/non corporate bookings we then ask for the remaining balance to either be transferred 7 business days before the event date or paid in cash on the day of performance.
I (Lucas Evans, Band-leader/Manager) always make phone contact a week before a booking to go over all of the finer details but no doubt you will have various questions before then so please feel free to email or call anytime.
How long do you play for?
For weddings it is standard for the band to do 4 sets over 5 hours, allowing for formalities such as speeches etc. Sets are usually 45 minutes is length but we can alter this to fit in with your running order and play the equivalent time around the official events.
Do I need to provide the band with a running order?
You can be as specific or casual as you like! Give us a 'to the minute' running order for us to follow or leave it all up to us (or anywhere in between), we'll know what to do. Clients usually like to give us a general timing of the significant formalities like speeches etc and let us fill the gaps and fit our sets in around these.
Often running orders don't go exactly to plan (due to the odd extended speech! or fitting in with the food service) so even a rough guide for us means we can keep an eye on things and play when is appropriate. We will work in conjunction with your function manager throughout the night to ensure everything runs smoothly so all you have to do is sit back, relax and enjoy an unforgettable night with your guests.
Do you provide a PA and set break music?
We supply all the necessary equipment for the band to perform. This includes high quality and compact amplifiers, lighting and vocal PA (which can also be used by clients for speeches/announcements and set break music). We always have appropriate recorded background music to play on our set breaks to maintain the atmosphere but clients can also supply as with the music of their choice.
Are you a fully live band?
Our repertoire is carefully selected to suit our instrumentation as we are a 100% live band - no backing tracks, synthesizers or cheesy-tired-typical wedding band material.
With all the advancement in musical technology and popularity of DJ's and solo or duo musicians performing with recorded backing tracks we strongly believe that there is still no substitute for the unique atmosphere that only highly skilled musicians can create when performing live. It is true there is some risk in booking live entertainment for a wedding as if it is the wrong band it can be a disaster and actually have a detrimental effect, but book the right band and your guests will have a night that they will be raving about long into the future.
What is you dress code?
Sharp 'vintage style' presentation in keeping with our musical genre. Our standard attire for private events is lounge suit.
We are having our wedding in a small venue, will volume and space be an issue?
Orlando Combo prides itself on delivering Jazz entertainment with the appropriate mood and volume for all types of events. We have provided music for special occasions of less then 20 guests in some very small spaces and volume or set up space is never an issue. We have the expertise and musicianship to play at very low volume levels when required. Our equipment is high quality but compact.
Do you take double bookings and who will actually be playing at our wedding?
Orlando Combo is not a 'franchise', we are an actual single band that only takes on one booking at a time (some groups take multiple bookings for the same date all operating under the one band name). This is not how we operate.
We want people to dance!
We specialize in making a seamless transition from sophisticated Jazz to accessible dance floor Soul and Swing classics (if required) to appeal to a range of ages. If you are looking for a group that can supply the style and class that only a Jazz combo can provide but are concerned it may be too laid back for later in the evening, then fear not - Orlando Combo has earned a reputation for being the most dance-able Jazz band in town when required. Please be aware though that we are certainly not a 'top 40' style covers/Pop band.
Do we need to provide food for the band?
For bookings that are 3 hours or longer we request that a meal be provided to each band member to help keep our energies up. (The venue/caterers will be experienced with this). This is standard procedure when booking musicians for private events and is much appreciated. Some venues offer a reduced rate for ‘crew’ or musician/photographer meals, this is something you could check with them.
A helpful hint!
When designing your room layout and seating plan please note that having the band (even if we are playing quietly during food service) too close to the nearest table can be a bit uncomfortable for them. If space allows it can be good to have a bit of distance between the band and nearest tables and also not have your older guests too close to the band so they can also talk comfortably with other guests and enjoy the ambiance!
Do you learn specific songs that are either not on your repertoire list or that are outside of your musical genre?
If the song/songs are within the genre of Jazz or Soul music we are happy to learn it at no extra cost as the music for this can generally be sourced and learnt fairly easily. If the song/songs require a lot of preparation or rehearsal or our live band instrumentation limits our ability to perform an accurate rendition of the song (eg, modern pop material that may require synthesizers/samples) then there may be a fee to learn the song. Alternatively in this situation we recommend that the song be played at no extra cost on an iPhone/digital device through our PA (for example; a specific request for a bridal waltz/first dance).
I would love my wedding to have the sound and style of a Jazz/Soul group but some of my guests will also want to dance to some Modern Pop/Club music as well as the Jazz/Soul band?’
If this is you then please note that clients can also provide an iPhone/Laptop playlist with music of their choice which can be played through the band's sound system either as background set break music or at high volume for an additional dance set when the group is on a set break later in the evening. This can be a way of 'covering all bases' by catering for all your guests musical tastes without engaging a DJ for hundreds of dollars when only a limited amount of DJ repertoire is required. The bands PA is equivalent to a professional DJ's system. This option is also ideal if a set of Greek/Italian/Indian/Jewish etc. cultural music is important for dancing but where a band is still appropriate for the majority of the function.