Availability first, everything else after
The slow part of booking wedding entertainment is normally the waiting. You find a band you love, fire off an enquiry, then sit for two days wondering. Every act on the site has an instant date and price check, so you'll know in seconds whether they're free on your date and what they'd cost. Their page carries full live video, the current setlist, and reviews written by couples who booked them. Most of the decision can be made at midnight without speaking to anybody.
How your booking is protected
Every booking contracted, with the paperwork handled for you
Direct access to your band once the booking is confirmed
Your balance held in a ring-fenced client account, released to the band only once they've confirmed in writing that they're on their way to your venue
Fourteen days to change your mind after your reservation fee, refunded in full
Emergency replacement cover if a band is ever physically unable to perform, with the final say on any alternative staying with you and your balance returned if you'd rather not go ahead
Our commission is charged to the band, not added to your quote, so booking through Coast costs you exactly what booking the act direct would.
When should you actually book?
The short answer is earlier than feels reasonable. Edinburgh dates get taken a long way out and the busiest acts are often working eighteen months ahead for a summer Saturday, more if your date lands anywhere near the festival. The city's supply of good bands is finite and the same couple of hundred Saturdays get fought over every year. That said, if you're three months out and reading this with a sinking feeling, run a check before you panic. Late availability turns up more often than you'd think, and it costs nothing to look.