Emerald Empire Band

High Energy Live Music To Pack Your Dance Floor

Performing throughout the Southeast!

Service area

4.9

Verified reviews from real couples

The Emerald Empire Band was incredible and completely made our wedding. We have been to so few weddings with a live band, and having them ensured everyone was on their feet dancing and having a great time. They were extremely communicative, willing to work with us for our specific vision, handled ceremony and reception music, and were overall incredible. They learned our song for our first dance, handled DJing during breaks, were absolutely perfect, and honestly a steal for the price. We also had the constraints of having our ceremony and reception at two different locations, and our reception was at the museum where they had limited time to set up. They handled those complications easily. While they have a range of music genres that can play, we specifically requested funk and they absolutely nailed it. Multiple people at our wedding asked where we found them, and had such a great time because of them. If you want people to dance at your wedding, we highly, highly recommend. You should hire Emerald Empire!

Sarah K.

5.0

Empire Emerald absolutely MADE our wedding reception. From the moment they started playing until the very last song, the dance floor was packed. They played all of the hits we requested, read the crowd perfectly, and kept the energy high all night long. What really set them apart was how interactive they were. They didn’t just stand on stage—they engaged with our guests, got everyone involved, and created such a fun, unforgettable atmosphere. We’ve had so many friends and family members tell us that they were one of the best wedding bands they’ve ever seen. They were incredibly professional, talented, and easy to work with throughout the planning process. They took our requests into account while also knowing exactly how to keep the party going from start to finish. As a bride, there are so many things you hope people will remember about your wedding, and our reception is at the top of that list because of Empire Emerald. If you’re debating whether to book them, do it. They were worth every penny, and I truly can’t imagine our wedding without them. Thank you for giving us the most incredible night—we’ll be talking about it for years to come!

Alison V.

5.0

Richard

MANAGER

Typically responds within 24h

AWARD WINNER (10X)

Thanks to recommendations from couples on The Knot

Emerald Empire Band is a wedding band based in Charlotte, NC. They provide fun, high-energy entertainment that will have your guests on the dance floor all night long. This award-winning group of talented musicians is ready to offer you entertainment for a memorable occasion you will never forget. Whether you're looking for a three-piece band or an ensemble with up to 14 members, Emerald Empire Band is happy to ensure your wedding needs are met with professionalism and expertise for a seamless and positive experience. With the Emerald Empire Band, you and your loved ones will be treated to a vast selection of popular songs by some top artists. Their repertoire includes Chappell Roan, Taylor Swift, The Temptations, Journey, Blink-182, and Etta James, to name a few. They have even performed with names like Aretha Franklin, Bruno Mars, Lionel Richie, Montell Jordan, Prince, and Stevie Wonder. When you book Emerald Empire Band, you can choose to have them play at your ceremony and cocktail hour as well as during the reception. They span a variety of genres, from country and rock to dance, funk, Latin, pop, and Motown. Members will also MC throughout the wedding. If you're planning a destination wedding, Emerald Empire Band is happy to travel anywhere around the globe.

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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

10-Time 'Best of Weddings'

2026.2025.2024.+7 more.

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!

4.9

out of 5.0

336 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 draws rave reviews for high-energy, professional performances that keep dance floors packed. Couples praise their responsiveness, flexibility, and willingness to learn special songs for ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception. Their engaging stage presence and talented musicians create unforgettable, highly recommended wedding celebrations.

Search reviews

Jane G

Highlighted review.

Emerald Empire was a dream to work with and really, quite honestly, MADE my daughter's wedding reception. One week later she was still receiving messages from guests - who had nev...

er heard such a great band or seen so many people on the dance floor for The Whole Night. We cannot recommend them highly enough. One tip - the brass players pushed it over the top! 8 pieces - including a trumpet, sax, and trombone. Just incredible! Say, "YES!"

Sarah K

The Emerald Empire Band was incredible and completely made our wedding. We have been to so few weddings with a live band, and having them ensured everyone was on their feet dancing...

and having a great time. They were extremely communicative, willing to work with us for our specific vision, handled ceremony and reception music, and were overall incredible. They learned our song for our first dance, handled DJing during breaks, were absolutely perfect, and honestly a steal for the price. We also had the constraints of having our ceremony and reception at two different locations, and our reception was at the museum where they had limited time to set up. They handled those complications easily. While they have a range of music genres that can play, we specifically requested funk and they absolutely nailed it. Multiple people at our wedding asked where we found them, and had such a great time because of them. If you want people to dance at your wedding, we highly, highly recommend. You should hire Emerald Empire!

Any questions?

Alison V

Empire Emerald absolutely MADE our wedding reception. From the moment they started playing until the very last song, the dance floor was packed. They played all of the hits we requ...

ested, read the crowd perfectly, and kept the energy high all night long. What really set them apart was how interactive they were. They didn’t just stand on stage—they engaged with our guests, got everyone involved, and created such a fun, unforgettable atmosphere. We’ve had so many friends and family members tell us that they were one of the best wedding bands they’ve ever seen. They were incredibly professional, talented, and easy to work with throughout the planning process. They took our requests into account while also knowing exactly how to keep the party going from start to finish. As a bride, there are so many things you hope people will remember about your wedding, and our reception is at the top of that list because of Empire Emerald. If you’re debating whether to book them, do it. They were worth every penny, and I truly can’t imagine our wedding without them. Thank you for giving us the most incredible night—we’ll be talking about it for years to come!

Mollie W

Best.wedding.band.ever. If you’re looking, just stop here. They brought so much energy from the moment they started and kept our dance floor packed all night long. They were incred...

ibly interactive with our guests, creating such a fun atmosphere that everyone was talking about afterward. From the planning process through the wedding day, they were highly responsive, organized, and so easy to work with. Every detail felt seamless, and they truly helped make our reception unforgettable. Not only were they amazing performers, but they also provided exceptional value for the quality of entertainment they delivered. If you’re looking for a band that is talented, engaging, professional, and worth every penny, we couldn’t recommend them more!

Austin P

We had the most amazing wedding dance floor thanks for Emerald Empire!

Olivia C

We had Emerald Empire band as our live music for our reception this past Sunday in Warrenton, NC. What a dream! We had a Sunday brunch style wedding and had sprinkled in high energ...

y songs with jazz and we were blown away at the talent of the musicians and vocalist. These guys/gals know how to party and encourage people to get up and dance. Our guests couldn’t stop talking about it. Despite the hot weather, they delivered an amazing show and we will never forget the memories made. Highly recommend hiring Emerald Empire for your next event!

Kourtney S

If you’re looking for a band that brings unmatched energy and incredible vibes, look no further than Emerald Empire. From a planning perspective, I couldn't have asked for a better...

vendor. Tyler’s communication was flawless! He was always willing to hop on a call to iron out even the smallest details, which built the kind of trust that made my wedding day stress-free. As for the party....We had an absolute blast! They nailed every must-play song and kept the dance floor packed all night. Truly the best night ever!

Dylan V

It was really important to us that we had a great sounding band at our wedding that was good and kept the party going. Emerald Empire Band MORE than delivered. Rashad went above an...

d beyond to make sure the day was perfect from the ceremony, to the cocktail hour to reception. The band was absolutely incredible and exceeded our expectations. They were the talk of the night. We even overheard many different guests talking with each other commenting on how great the band is. We are so grateful that they played such an important part in our day! Highly recommend to everyone. It helps that you can check out their showcase before too!

Kiele G

Excellent band! They were great and the crowd loved it!

JD H

Emerald Empire was an absolute smash at our wedding! They were a pleasure to work with throughout the planning process. From their willingness to learn our song for the first dance...

, to the amazing energy they brought to the dance floor, I can't imagine the reception without them!! Overall, a professional, fun-loving group that is sure to make any event special.

Aidan Q

Emerald Empire Band was truly remarkable at our wedding. We were married at a private residence, and the band was understanding and flexible to fill the space. They were incredibly...

easy to communicate with and responsive to our requests, including learning our first dance song. And they rocked! They are very talented musicians, and we and our guests loved their performance. I whole heartedly would recommend the band!

Chris B

Tyler and the band brought.the.BOOGIE to our wedding!!! The energy from their music was vibrant all night long!!! Tyler was amazing to work with as our producer. He is kind and fri...

endly but also just super excited to deliver the most personally curated performance possible! We wanted a unique song for the first dance and the band played it flawlessly!!! Highly recommend hiring Emerald Empire band for your wedding or any other event - they are incredible!!!

Emma D

EEB was incredibly easy to work with and extremely accommodating (we had a venue and date change about a year out from our event to a very busy holiday weekend). We used EEB for ou...

r ceremony (string duet), cocktail hour (guitarist), and reception (5 pc band) and everything went so well. We gave pretty limited direction in our opinions and gave each artist the freedom to cater to the vibe and do what they do best! We had certain specific requests (for my processional and one reception song) that they accommodated and executed flawlessly (first time performing our requests!). I thought having EEB at our wedding was worth every. dang. penny and then some. They are extremely easy to work with, friendly and helpful on the day of, and create such an interactive and memorable experience. All of our guests are still talking about every aspect with the music weeks later!!! We could not recommend EEB enough!

Dana C

Emerald Empire did such an amazing job at my husband and my wedding! They were so interactive with our guests and played all of our special requests. Our guests were just raving ab...

out how incredible they were! I have no regrets using them for our wedding, I just wish we could go back and do it again!!

Angela J

Great live music & DJ!!

Emily W

We had the absolute pleasure of having Emerald Empire play at our wedding in Asheville, NC and they were simply phenomenal! They set the tone during our ceremony with a beautiful ...

piano performance. From there, the band carried the night with a perfectly curated setlist that flowed seamlessly and matched the energy of our guests. One of the highlights was when they played our first dance song, Fade into You by Mazzy Star. It was so special to us! They really took our preferences into account, which made the night feel so personal and unique. The dance floor was packed all night, and when the crowd chanted for one more song, they delivered an unforgettable encore that took the night to another level. Their talent and professionalism made our wedding truly magical. We had the time of our lives, and our guests are still raving about how much fun they had. If you're looking for a band that will elevate your wedding, look no further. These musicians are incredibly talented, and they know how to create an unforgettable experience!

Hunter R

We knew really early in planning our wedding that we wanted live music instead of a DJ. Both of us are musicians and really love live music, so it was a no-brainer. We have a coupl...

e of friends who play with Emerald Empire in other states, so we knew that they were a good-quality group. We opted to have singers and horns, and we were so impressed with their talent. There’s nothing that will get people out on the dance floor like a live band, so we highly recommend Emerald Empire. They are one of the reasons why our wedding was so much fun, and you will not regret hiring them!

Kathy E

We loved having Emerald Empire Band perform at my daughter's wedding. They were patient, professional and very responsive during the planning. They sounded great while preforming...

, knew all the requested songs and had fun, positive attitudes! We highly recommend this fun band!

Cayla M

Emerald Empire Band was absolutely amazing on our wedding day! They truly kept the crowd on the dance floor throughout the whole reception. We recently got married at Boxwood Estat...

es and the vendor team there even raved about Emerald Empire!!I am still hearing excellent things from our guests about the band and how much fun they had. I couldn’t have asked for anything more. I highly recommend Emerald Empire Band to EVERYONE!!! :)

Julie B

Emerald Empire Band was incredible!! I could not have asked for a better experience all around! Highly recommend!!

Katie B

Thank you to Rashad and the entire Emerald Empire Band team for making our wedding a day to remember! Rashad was great to work with throughout the planning process and was always v...

ery responsive. The band on the day of our wedding was truly incredible. Our only regret is not having a longer reception because we had such a great time dancing and singing. The band was a super important vendor to us, and Emerald Empire Band gave us exactly what we were looking for. Thank you so much!

Laura B

The Emerald Empire performed at my June wedding and were amazing. We hired a 5 piece band due to constraints on space at our venue, but the band was just as energetic and amazing -...

sounding as a 12 piece band. They were so talented and played amazing songs that were all hits - there wasn't one song where the dance floor cleared all night! They truly made the reception a party, and I'll forever remember dancing all night with my loved ones. Special shout out to the manager/coordinator Fran for all her help in planning behind the scenes leading up to the big day.

Maggie H

Absolute game changer. This band is phenomenal. Made the entire wedding reception so great. Would hire them over and over and over. Can't say enough good things!!!

Ashley F

We booked the Emerald Empire Band to play at our wedding reception in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. We booked a six-piece band, and we're so thrilled with our decision! Our producer...

, and the band's planning portal made organizing everything so easy! The band knows a staggeringly wide variety of music, and they were able to match our taste and play specific songs we selected for our first dance/father-daughter dance. We had a smaller wedding, but the band still had folks dancing all night!

Brooke P

Great experience from start to finish. Rashad was super-professional, easy to work with, and made what turned out to be a game-changing recommendation for our cocktail hour music! ...

Totally shifted/elevated the vibe and put guests in a party mood!

Meagan B

You will not regret emerald empire band!! That was the #1 best decision we ever made for our wedding!!!

Caroline N

We cannot thank Emerald Empire Band enough for such an unforgettable night! We had a pianist and guitarist at the ceremony, a jazz trio for cocktail hour, and a 5 piece band for t...

he reception. While we did provide preferred music genres for the reception, the individual song selections the band made were perfection. Our family and friends were tearing up the dance floor all night long. We did a private last dance with the band playing and it ended up being more special than our first dance. Cannot recommend them enough!

Coartney C

FANTASTIC band!!

Katie S

Booking Emerald Empire Band was probably my favorite decision out of the whole wedding planning process. From the planning calls beforehand with CJ to the actual event itself, Emer...

ald Empire Band went above and beyond. Our guests were on the dance floor the entire night, which is exactly what we wanted! They also did an amazing job performing our song requests for father-daughter dance, mother-son dance, and last dance, which spanned a wide variety of music genres. I can't thank you all enough for being part of our wedding day!

Kailyn M

Emerald Empire played at two other weddings of my family and/or close friends in the past and we knew we wanted them as soon as we saw them. They are fun, talented, interactive wit...

h the crowd, punctual, professional, and considerate. I couldn’t have picked a better band for our big day!

Amber N

I don't even know how to put into words how great they are. Professional/ kind/ and brought the HOUSE DOWN. We wanted to have fun.. they understood the assignment and not only let ...

us make it our own but just were absolutely incredible. All of our guests are still talking about them. They are ROCKSTARS.

Kim W

The band delivered! They had us all on the dance floor the whole time and our MC was polished, professional and smooth. All of the audio equipment and music they provided for the o...

utdoor ceremony, cocktail hour, dinner under the tent and dancing inside the was flawless. We simply couldn't ask for more, and our guests raved about what a great time they had. Thank you for making the wedding everything we imagined!

Lynn B

The Emperial Empire Band was awesome from beginning to end. I spoke with Fran several times with questions , and every single time she answered them promptly and was very professio...

nal. I highly recommend this band for any event you have. We had them for our daughters wedding. All our guests were on the floor dancing having a wonderful time.

Jenna B

Excellent experience from beginning to end. Could not have been more happy.

Angela C

The band is very fun and engaging. They are musically very talented. It was very easy to work with them. And everything went perfectly.

Emily B

Hire Emerald Empire Band right now - you will not regret it! I was hesitant to book for my wedding closer to Raleigh since they are based in Atlanta, but the entire process could n...

ot have been more smooth. We worked with CJ and he pulled together the most perfect band for our wedding. They were so interactive and really engaged the guests. Our guests spent the whole night on the dance floor and we were so sad for it to end.

Richard H

This band Was the bomb!! we had a jazz trio for cocktail hour & a 5-7 person band for reception, all the guests loved them, most if not all of the band members we dancing and singi...

ng in the crowd with all of us they really felt like family the were the highlight of the night , if you debating to choose them or a DJ look not further because they did that too they as worth every penny! We’re tempted to throw another party just to book them again

Erin K

WOW Emerald Empire Band literally rocked it. We booked them based off their awesome reviews and they more than lived up to the hype. They made planning super smooth: they have a we...

b document where you can organize and plan EVERYTHING - type A personalities look no further! And I am still, months later, hearing from friends and family about how much they loved the band that night - "it was like being at an actual concert!" is the usual sentiment. Besides being fantastic, incredibly talented musicians, they were also just really, really nice people. We truly enjoyed having them at our wedding and could not have asked for a better group of musicians to rock out with all night :)

Ana F

Amazing! 1000000% recommend Emerald Empire! From our first interaction with them to our last on our wedding night. Our guests still rave about how amazing the band was! They handl...

ed logistics and communication so easily and as a Covid affected wedding, they were so understanding and willing to work with us even if it meant multiple postponements. My sister and her husband are musicians and they could not stop talking about the band and how great they were! Thank you so so much for everything!

Caitlin P

We hired Emerald Empire for an acoustic duo for the ceremony and cocktail hour at our wedding. I had a few songs that were special requests, and they more than exceeded my expectat...

ions! It was romantic and beautiful. I would definitely recommend them!

Emily C

We loved working with Larissa and the rest of the Emerald Empire Band! Larissa made everything super easy with communication and timelines. We were admittedly nervous because we wo...

uldn't be able to see them perform live due to Covid, but we were soooo happy with how everything turned out! We hired the 6 piece band with the lighting and MC package. We also had 3 of the band play jazz music during our cocktail hour. Everything went smoothly and they did a perfect job MCing. We have gotten so many compliments on the band and how fun they made the reception! I loved all their song choices and they were able to keep the dance floor full for the entire time!

Alex O

Stop now. You are done searching for the right band for your wedding. This band is simple the best in the business. We expected them to be good, we didn't expect how absolutely inc...

redible they were. Also, splurge for the extra horns. They're worth it.

Kathryn C

Derrick and the entire Emerald Empire Band out of Asheville definitely delivered the energy, talent and tunes at our recent postponed wedding reception! The process of changing our...

event date due to COVID was made seamless with help of Derrick. The song choices, both those my husband and I requested, as well as the ones suggested by the band were perfection! Everyone on the dance floor had a great time, and I even saw those who consider themselves wallflowers dancing! Would definitely recommend hiring Emerald Empire Band for your next event!

Natalie B

Emerald Empire Band was one of the highlights of our entire reception. My husband and I wanted a live band, and we were so impressed with their professionalism and performance. The...

y played all the music we love and kept the party going! Their band manager Derrick made the planning process a breeze. Highly recommend!

Samantha M

We had such a great experience with Emerald Empire Band! Fran was very accommodating from the very start and she did a great job making sure we had everything we needed. She even h...

elped me with aspects of our wedding day I had not thought of. The band was able to learn a few special songs that we requested, including a new song for our first dance. They played all of our favorite tunes and they were so much fun! Our guests weren’t huge get-up-and-dance people (older crowd problems), but they did tell us how much they enjoyed listening to them! We can’t say enough good things and we highly recommend!

Reid V

Big fans. Can't say enough good things. All our guests complimented us on the band. They made our wedding a blast! Fran and team were great. Totally worth it. Stop searching and ju...

st book them today!

Mark H

Excellent Band. Great musicians. Exceptional service from initial inquiry to the end of the evening. I would highly recommend Emerald Empire Band!

Response from Emerald Empire Band

Thank you so much, Mark! We really appreciate it. Congratulations on your big day!

Alexandra L

We were recommended to Emerald Empire by our wedding planner since we didn’t want a DJ and were looking for a live band for our wedding. After looking through EE’s website and list...

ening to their sample music, we then spoke with CJ who walked us through all of his services, pricing, and details. Everything from the contract to the payments, and planning page were all done online and it was all incredibly organized. About 2 weeks before our event, CJ called to go through all of the details with us to make sure everything was perfect. And when it came to the day of our wedding, it was. The small 2 piece band that were hired was so incredible, that saying anything less was an understatement. All of our guests came up to us during the reception and said, “WOW the band sounds so good!” We were so happy and so impressed by Emerald Empire’s services and would recommend them to anyone in a heartbeat. If you’re considering using them for your wedding, don’t even think about another band, just hire EE, you won’t regret it.

Christina M

This band is the best!! They kept everyone on their feet and we had a blast! Thank you for making our wedding reception the celebration we always wanted!

Amanda J

I cannot say enough great things about Emerald Empire. We have had more compliments than I can count about how fun they were and what an incredible job they did and several folks a...

sked for their name so they could inquire for various bookings. They kept the dance floor packed, did a great job reading the room and also were so cool and supportive with us including a particular game in our reception. Having a reception where our guests and family had a good time was so important to us, and it was such a joy to see the fun everyone was having. Even my mom (who broke her arm a month before the wedding) was dancing with my dad! I would highly recommend Emerald Empire Band!

Contact

(904) 629-6219

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Emerald Empire Band

Richard

Manager

Typically responds within 24h

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Emerald Empire Band

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