5.0
Verified reviews from real couples
Best of New Orleans and Best of The Knot awards
New Orleans and surrounding areas
Travel area: Within 100 miles See details
As soon as The New Orleans Players arrived, they created a magical atmosphere. They knew exactly how to read the crowd, mixing classic wedding songs with upbeat hits that kept everyone dancing all night. Our first dance was just right, and the excitement kept building as the evening went on.
What impressed us most was how professional and flexible they were. They arrived on time, set up quickly, and handled every request with ease, even adjusting the schedule to suit us. They shared a playlist of music ahead of time and made a special one just for our reception. When they switched to their DJ set, it was smooth and kept the party going right up to the second-line sendoff.
Billy communicated well with us before and after the event. They listened to our ideas, including our cultural favorites in the setlist, and their pricing was very fair.
If you want a band that brings both heartfelt moments and lots of energy to the dance floor, The New Orleans Players are a great choice. They did more than just play music—they made the wedding night truly special. We would happily recommend them to other couples.
Kaitlyn M.
5.0
The New Orleans players are SPECTACULAR!!!! Definitely a major highlight of our wedding. People are still talking about how much fun they had on the dance floor. They are so easy to work with and made the process seamless. I absolutely recommend them to anyone who wants to throw the party of a lifetime!
Meghan K.
5.0
AWARD WINNER (2X)
Thanks to recommendations from couples on The Knot
The New Orleans Players is a wedding and event band that brings New Orleans authenticity and energy to weddings, private events, corporate functions and celebrations of any kind. With 10+ years of experience and 400+ weddings and events behind us, we work hand-in-hand with each client to craft a detailed music schedule with the flexibility to adapt to your unique event in real time.
Rooted in New Orleans:
100% full time local New Orleans musicians. Your money goes directly to supporting the musical heritage of New Orleans. Members of The New Orleans Players play with everyone from Trombone Shorty, Harry Connick Jr. and Irma Thomas, to the local New Orleans bands that keep the scene running day in and day out.
Versatile & Professional:
From a jazz trio to an 8 piece band with full horn section, our musicians are trained and can navigate seamlessly through scenarios and styles.
Experience You Can Trust:
Hundreds of weddings, galas, and private events. We know how to make it unforgettable.
11+ years in business
Speaks English
Details
Instruments
Bass
Cello
Guitar
Keyboard
Percussion
Piano
Saxophone
Trombone
Trumpet
Violin
Vocals
Music Genres
Classical
Dance
Jazz
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
2-Time 'Best of Weddings'
2023.2016.
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.
Join couples who chose award-winning vendors for their wedding
Reviews
5.0
out of 5.034 reviews
Your trust is our goal. Our community relies on honest reviews to help
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Review Summary
This AI-generated summary is a snapshot of this vendor's ratings and feedback.
The New Orleans Players created a magical, high-energy atmosphere, reading the crowd and keeping guests dancing all night. Professional and flexible, they arrived on time, shared playlists, accommodated requests (including cultural favorites), and transitioned smoothly to DJ service. Strong vocals and horns, ceremony tracks provided, and fair pricing made them highly recommended.Kaitlyn M
5.0
As soon as The New Orleans Players arrived, they created a magical atmosphere. They knew exactly how to read the crowd, mixing classic wedding songs with upbeat hits that kept ever...
yone dancing all night. Our first dance was just right, and the excitement kept building as the evening went on.
What impressed us most was how professional and flexible they were. They arrived on time, set up quickly, and handled every request with ease, even adjusting the schedule to suit us. They shared a playlist of music ahead of time and made a special one just for our reception. When they switched to their DJ set, it was smooth and kept the party going right up to the second-line sendoff.
Billy communicated well with us before and after the event. They listened to our ideas, including our cultural favorites in the setlist, and their pricing was very fair.
If you want a band that brings both heartfelt moments and lots of energy to the dance floor, The New Orleans Players are a great choice. They did more than just play music—they made the wedding night truly special. We would happily recommend them to other couples.
Meghan K
5.0
The New Orleans players are SPECTACULAR!!!! Definitely a major highlight of our wedding. People are still talking about how much fun they had on the dance floor. They are so easy t...
o work with and made the process seamless. I absolutely recommend them to anyone who wants to throw the party of a lifetime!
Any questions?
Jacques D
5.0
I wanted the best band I could find, and hiring this band far exceeded our expectations!
Anna W
5.0
Billy and the guys were amazing! They listened to us and played what we wanted. They also worked with us and handled the second line highly recommend!
Nick B
5.0
Book the New Orleans Players for your wedding! Billy (manager) was super easy to work with and was always available to discuss our preferences and get the band ready for our big da...
y at Rosy's. We booked a 7-piece band and they certainly brought the energy to keep people on the dance floor. Every guest, young and old, only had good things to say about them. The two singers (male/drums and female) complimented each other perfectly and were backed up by a great band. A+ trumpet solo for La Vie en Rose (first dance). They also provided keys for the ceremony that played our requested songs without any issue. They are all local to New Orleans, and we will be on the lookout to hear them again around town!
Bart P
5.0
Billy and The Players exceeded our expectations in their ability to curate their performance exactly to our tastes (motown/soul/funk). We had a particular vision for our introducti...
on/first dance and they knocked it (and every other song) out of the park. The band's energy and ability to read the room had our guests groovin from the cocktail hour through the brass band's second line exit. Countless friends and family have said it was the best party/wedding they've been to, and I can't credit this band enough! Be sure to request the brass band add-on. Special shoutout to Billy for his responsiveness around the clock...eternally grateful for his team's performance.
Mandi N
5.0
Billy and the band were great to work with throughout the entire wedding planning process. We hired the band for the ceremony, second line, and reception. They did an amazing job f...
or all 3. The second line was one of the highlights of the wedding. We highly recommend the New Orleans Players!
Cat B
5.0
Having a destination wedding, one of the most important aspects to us was making sure our guests had a truly authentic New Orleans experience. The New Orleans Players came through ...
on that and more. From the ceremony music, to the second line, to the reception, the band was absolutely incredible. Our guests cannot stop talking about how fun the second line was, or how great the band was at the reception. Billy was extremely easy to work with, and made the entire planning process a breeze. If you are looking for a fun, super friendly, reliable band, look no further!
Trey S
5.0
We had gone through quite the journey trying to find the right venue and band for our wedding's afterparty. The pandemic had made things challenging, but we were connected to The ...
New Orleans Players through our venue. While initially dubious as to whether the venue was recommending a band that would offer the energy and musicality we needed, we were completely blown away by their playing and energy! It was exactly what we wanted for the party: a wide breadth of songs from multiple eras, a well-balanced and -honed sound, and evident professionalism on all fronts. Billy coordinated the logistics and made it extremely easy. Their asking price was phenomenal, and they blew our friends and family away with their set! We were SO pleased with The New Orleans Players and give them our strongest recommendation! Thank you to all of the musicians!
-Trey and Sarah
Erin M
5.0
The New Orleans Players were great! When I see people and we talk about the wedding, they share how awesome the band was. The Players brought great energy to our wedding and the se...
cond line that ended our reception. Billy was easy to get in contact with and he stayed on top of communication throughout the planning process. Thank you all for making our wedding so much fun!
Jimmy S
5.0
Billy Franklin and The New Orleans Players were a fantastic part of our wedding celebration. They were easy to work with and communicate with not to mention being excellent musicia...
ns that know how to perform and interact with a crowd.
We still get comments from our wedding guests years later about how great the band was!
Mary Rachel M
5.0
The New Orleans Players were the perfect addition to our wedding! Billy and everyone else were so amazing and talented. They exceeded our expectations! They way they performed our ...
wedding song still brings me to tears to this day. They kept the dance floor packed the whole and we all danced the night away!
Linda G
5.0
My husband and I were so happy with Billy and the band! Billy was so easy and professional to work with and the band was an absolute blast at the wedding. If you are looking for ...
a brass band for your event, look no further than The New Orleans Players!
Kayla C
5.0
Where do I start?! My husband and I are born and raised Chicagoians, who love New Orleans and everything the city has to offer! So when we chose Nola for our wedding out top priori...
ties were; food, music, and venue. The New Orleans Players had our midwest family and friends moving! (Everyone has complimented how awesome the band was our wedding night!) From the ceremony, to second line, to cocktail, dinner and reception.. they covered it all! And what a beautiful job they did! We went with the 7 piece band + brass band and WOW did they show up! I recommend them covering your whole event!! Thank you guys for making our wedding a night unforgettable!!!
Kyla J
5.0
I can't say enough good things about Billy Franklin and the NOLA players. They played at my wedding of 100 people in an outdoor setting. They had everyone singing and dancing. Bill...
y is very easy to work with and professional. I had to postpone my wedding twice, and he was extremely accommodating. No regrets choosing them as my wedding band.
Kerrilee N
5.0
One of the best parts of our wedding day! From planning our second line to listening to our requests to the execution of our day- The New Orleans Players were the best! Billy was s...
o helpful and knowledgeable about planning our second line. He was so responsive in the planning process and that made planning a wedding in NOLA from Boston so much easier! The music was amazing! Our friends and family can’t stop talking about how amazing the band was and we agree! They put on a great show. They paid attention to our crowd and played great music that would match our guest’s energy level! We couldn’t be happier that we went with The New Orleans Players for our big day!
R M
5.0
Absolutely, amazing music. I expected a wedding band to get the party going, to play a wide range of classic wedding songs, I didn't expect the quality of the music to be this amaz...
ing. They moved between genres so smoothly. The brass section is a must, they added incredible solos to pretty much every song.
They were very professional. The communication was great. I asked them to learn a new song (Sweet Touch of Love) a week before the reception and they nailed it! Can't thank Billy and the band enough.
Highly recommend!
Lauren C
5.0
The New Orleans players were a huge hit at our wedding. They not only played our reception, but also totally customized the music throughout the evening, including arranging a jazz...
trio for cocktail hour, a latin trio for dinner, and a brass band to close out the evening. Highly recommend if you want talented musicians to play your event!!
Sonia M
5.0
My husband and I loved working with Billy and the New Orleans Players for our wedding! They did such a fantastic job and were so professional. Billy did our ceremony music on guita...
r and the whole band played for the reception. They were so much fun and at one point noticed that my hubby was signing along to Naive Melody - next thing you know they got him behind the mic and he was singing the second verse!! The brass band they work with also did all the planning for our secondline (including all the permitting with the city of New Orleans) and it completely blew all of my expectations out of the water. It was was so hype and they even shut down Canal Street for our group! So many of our guests said that the second line was the coolest thing they had ever done and may also be why so many others were saying "Best wedding ever!!" You are truly missing out if you don't hire them for your wedding!
Lauren E
5.0
The New Orleans Players were such a hit at our wedding reception! We received tons of compliments from our guests about the band and playlist. Billy was very nice and easy to wor...
k with leading up to the event. The band learned 3 new songs for our reception (genres across the board) and performed them beautifully! I would recommend the New Orleans Players to anyone looking for a fun & talented band who genuinely cares about their clients.
Adam K
5.0
We cannot thank Billy and The New Orleans Players enough for an awesome wedding performance! From the start Billy had been incredible to work with, including providing recommendati...
on/advice for planning our destination wedding, helping us build a custom playlist for our big day, and even helping me with advise on a wedding app I am was working on. Even with Hurricane Nate approaching the night of our wedding, Billy helped rally the troops and ensure we had an awesome night with or without Nate. We highly recommend The New Orleans Players for your event as they are definitely a crowd pleaser, know how to party, and our guests cannot stop raving about them!
5 stars!!!!
Karin H
5.0
Billy Franklin and his Krewe ROCK THE CASBAH!
The New Orleans Players are a tremendous band with class. As soon as they walked into our Venue to set-up I was thrilled. They prov...
ide a relaxed attitude with on-point acoustics.
One of things I appreciated most about Billy, was his attention to detail. He and his band really want you to have your own personal vibe throughout your event. We went through songs for our wedding reception that meant something to us. We even wrote a list of "please never ever in the history of ever play this."
Thanks for helping to make our night so very special!
Teri M
5.0
This band MADE the reception so much fun! Everyone danced for 3 straight hours! Played music that all our guests loved!
Anonymous
5.0
Our guests were blown away. They played Havah Nagilah with powerful energy and joy. The Horah went on and on. They also performed a second line to cap a truly amazing performance. ...
Billy was great at making song recommendations that kept all our guests on the dance floor the entire evening.
Anonymous
5.0
You will never regret hiring this band. Energy, musicality, professionalism. Friendly and easy to work with! They were the highlight of the wedding - I still have people ask me ...
about them 6 months later!
Anonymous
5.0
Amazing Experience!!!
I couldn't believe how good they were. Amazing singers! The wedding bands I've seen have been average at best. This is a REAL band! We went to see them bef...
ore hand at one of there shows in New Orleans and booked them the next day. They also took care of MC-ing the wedding and worked with the planner to keep everything on schedule. Highly recommended!
Anonymous
5.0
BEST wedding band!! Though it's hard to think of them as a wedding band since I've never seen one this good before. The gave us a great deal and obviously love performing with ea...
ch other. We found out later they are actually a touring band that also does original music. Our planner was said it was the easiest band she has ever worked with!
Anonymous
5.0
So so so so good! Thanks to Billy and the team for a great experience. Great musicians and really reasonable prices. Loved the singers and song selection. Also provided a class...
ical string duo for the ceremony and a brass band for the second line - both at a discount!
Anonymous
5.0
We were soooo happy with these guys! They really took control of the MC duties and helped everything run really smoothly. Great musicians and singers! Also good choices for set ...
break music (which they provided).
Anonymous
5.0
Best wedding band I've seen, period! I put my fiancee (now husband) in charge of the music, and he totally came threw. They blew everybody away!
Anonymous
5.0
Great experience! Helped make the whole process easy and smooth. Amazing singers!
Kim T
5.0
Amazing! Such a good deal. Really professional and obviously had a lot of experience. Would recommend (and have) to anyone!
Natalie C
5.0
Ok so it took me a little while to review because we've just gotten home from summer traveling. WOW! I couldn't have lucked out more. The New Orleans Players were unbelievable. ...
Most wedding bands I've seen leave a lot to be desired. Great choice of material and they learned the songs for the dances. Highly Recommended!
Victoria B
5.0
Great communication, musicianship, and professionalism! We had a chance to see them in New Orleans ahead of time so we knew it was going to be great. I've seen the musicians in t...
his group play with multiple bands around New Orleans. They MC'd the entire wedding and really kept things light and fun. I am still get comments from guests. Plus these guys don't work with a corporate wedding company so you can't beat the price!
Service area & Contact info
Travel area: Within 100 miles
Additional charges may apply
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The New Orleans Players
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