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Some reception sites will tell you that they "don't mind bands" when they really don't want a band at all. We played at one such hotel that had their most expensive penthouse situated right above the ballroom, and the wedding party found out afterward that the sound level requirements were well below what a band (or deejay for that matter) needed to produce to get the dance energy going. They just want your name on the proverbial dotted line. When the band arrives for the big day, the facility personnel will meet them at the door and say things like, "you can't unload there", "you can't park there", "you can't put that there", etc. By the time your band figures out all the rules for setting up, they are running behind schedule and bummed out. And yet the band is in charge of creating a festive mood for everyone else. Give your bandleader and facilities coordinator each other’s contact information. This will help ensure that your entertainment runs flawlessly. When the event is downtown, it is not uncommon for the loading dock at a hotel to be blocked; and nobody seems to know who owns the vehicles. A band we know arrived at facilities in the Atlanta area, completed set up, attempted to power up to perform a sound check, and found that the power outlets wouldn't work. These things cause your entertainment to be behind schedule and under extra stress. Remember that you are holding the checkbook. You can emphasize to the facility the importance you place on your entertainment and they will get the message. Sound-check is the last thing a band can do. Everything must be placed and wired first. So if the venue does not allow the band full access to the performance area during the prescribed time slot, the sound-check will usually be the first thing to be cut short if pushed for time. By not properly adjusting the sound to match the acoustic profile of the venue an otherwise high-quality band may come across like amateurs.