It’s not difficult to find a show band in Nashville that suits the budget and the size of the celebration.

Depending on the night, the demand, the size of the crowd, travel and other expenses, Nashville-based show bands can cost as little as $1,500 or up to $8,000.

Lee Maxcy, of Prime Source Entertainment Group, says “the upper bands cost $5,000 to $7,500” in general.

But that’s not anything carved in stone. “I booked a wedding in Hattiesburg, Miss., and they paid Al Green $135,000.”

Of course, the Rev. Al Green doesn’t do a lot of weddings, what with all his church duties and his stature as a show biz giant.

While $135K is steep, Maxcy adds that “if the fathers have the money, they are going to spend it on their daughters’ weddings.”

The money doesn’t all go to the entertainers, of course.

For example, Maxcy’s booking outfit takes a cut of 10-20 percent. “It depends on the band and the cost.”

Sometimes he takes a smaller cut just so the band can afford to play. “Our philosophy is we’d rather the band be out there playing. Every time you have a band out there, people are going to hear them and book them.

“If you don’t have your product out there where people can see it, you have nothing.”

Church and Tyrone Smith don’t always depend on bookers, but take matters into their own hands and business minds.

Church, for example, notes he is willing to negotiate. Sure he likes to push for the higher end, the $7,000 jobs. But he understands the economy doesn’t always allow for that. And he doesn’t want to just sit still.

“You try to get what you can get, but I’m flexible.”

If people want to pay less than the asking price, Church says “I bring it to the band” rather than deciding by himself.

Church says he plays as many nights a week as he can get, generally from one to three.

OK, it’s not rock ‘n’ roll, but he loves it. “I can work forever, because I’m playing now for four generations of people: People who saw me when they were kids, who saw me when they got married, who saw me with their kids and now for those kids’ weddings.”

Smith has seen the impact of the recession and in order to keep the band playing must cut back on pricing.

“It’s very important, as loyal as my musicians have been to me; I owe it to keep them working, to keep them making money, even if I lose some myself.”