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ZONAS · 2026

Mariachi for your wedding: when they play, how long and what to ask

Published October 14, 2026. Every figure has its source at the end.

A mariachi can be part of almost the whole wedding: the serenade the night before, the Mass, the exit from the church, cocktail hour and the party. The hard part is choosing when, for how long, and what to put in writing. Here we bring together what wedding guides and booking sites say.

ZONAS doesn’t sell performances or take a commission: you talk directly with the group, and the deal is between you.

The short answer

  • Most often they play during or right after the ceremony, at cocktail hour or at the start of the party, according to The Knot.
  • A set lasts from 30 minutes to two hours. If the mariachi plays through the whole party, it’s two to three hours.
  • In the US, a short set is charged by the hour, $350 to $650. The whole party can cost $3,000 to $4,000, according to The Knot.
  • Book nine months to a year ahead, which is what The Knot estimates for wedding musicians.
  • Tipping is optional: $25 to $50 per musician.

Prices by city, in the US and Mexico, are in our other guide: How much does a mariachi, a norteño group or a banda cost?

Moment by moment

The serenade, the night before

The night before the wedding, the groom arrives with musicians to sing to the bride: it’s one of the Mexican wedding traditions in Pronovias’ guide to Hispanic weddings. It’s priced as a serenade, not by the hour. In Mexico, Profeco found mariachi serenades from about 1,900 to 4,400 pesos for September 15, 2022, which is high season.

The Mass

There is a Mass written for mariachi, the Misa Panamericana. The bishop of Cuernavaca commissioned it in 1966, and today it is the standard church repertoire for mariachis, according to NPR. It wasn’t welcome everywhere: NPR reports that some priests didn’t allow it. Before you book, ask your parish whether they allow mariachi at Mass.

The lazo and the arras

Two moments of the ceremony: the lazo is draped around the couple during the vows as a symbol of their union, and the 13 arras coins, blessed by the priest, stand for the groom’s promise to support the family, according to The Knot. If you want music during those minutes, agree on it with the group and the parish.

The exit and cocktail hour

A 30-minute set works as a welcome while guests arrive at the venue. If the mariachi plays all of cocktail hour, it’s usually one hour, followed by another band or a DJ, according to The Knot.

The party

If the mariachi stays for the whole party, it plays two to three hours. That’s where traditions come in like la víbora de la mar, where guests form a human chain and weave around the couple, and the money dance, where guests pin money on the couple in exchange for a dance (The Knot). If you want the mariachi to play them, tell the group ahead of time.

The most requested love songs

Most mariachis come with their own wedding set list. If you want ideas, The Knot suggests these:

  • Hermoso cariño, by Vicente FernĂĄndez
  • Volver, volver, by Vicente FernĂĄndez
  • Sabes una cosa, by Luis Miguel
  • En tu pelo, by Javier SolĂ­s
  • La mitad que me faltaba, by Alejandro FernĂĄndez
  • Paloma querida, by JosĂ© Alfredo JimĂ©nez
  • Sin que lo sepas tĂș, by Vicente FernĂĄndez
  • Serenata sin luna, by Pedro Infante
  • AmanecĂ­ en tus brazos, by JosĂ© Alfredo JimĂ©nez

Ask for the group’s song list and mark the ones you can’t do without, and the ones you don’t want to hear.

What to put in writing

  1. How many musicians are coming? In Profeco’s survey, most mariachis came with 6 to 9.
  2. Which moments do they play, and when do they arrive? If they play at the church and the venue, is travel between the two included?
  3. How many hours are included, is there a minimum, and how much is an extra hour?
  4. Do they bring their own sound system? It isn’t always included.
  5. How much is the deposit, when is the rest due, and what happens if they can’t make it? In Mexico, 32% of the mariachis Profeco surveyed didn’t give a contract: ask for one.
  6. The songs you can’t do without, and the traditions you want them to play.

Mariachis on ZONAS

Listen to each group, see their social media and message them directly, with no commission. Some city pages:

Los Angeles 29Chicago 15Phoenix 13Dallas 10Las Vegas 11All of the United States

Sources

  1. The Knot, Heather Bien, “Your Guide to Hiring a Mariachi Band for Your Wedding,” updated April 2, 2024.
  2. The Knot, Hayley Folk, “Mexican Wedding Traditions to Include in Your Celebration,” updated June 12, 2025.
  3. NPR, John Burnett, “‘Our Soul Music Is Mariachi Music’: Houston’s Mexican Mass,” January 3, 2014.
  4. Pronovias, “A Guide to Hispanic Wedding Traditions,” accessed October 14, 2026.
  5. Profeco, “Costos de mariachis, norteños y bandas, 2022,” Survey Department, October 2022.