Planning Wedding Entertainment
It's the big day!!! Weeks, months and sometimes years of planning go into a wedding. It is such a special occasion - however it does involve a lot of moving parts.
A few questions that get couples scratching their heads are:
What will our guests have to entertain them while we get our photos?
How will I get the party started after speeches?
How will I make the ceremony classic and beautiful?
All of these questions can be solved by – you guessed it – entertainment. BUT! Not the type that overshadows the bride and groom on their big day, we’re talking the type that can set the mood for any part of the event - music.
When your guests arrive, you want the mood to be relaxed. For the ceremony – the mood needs to be classic and timeless. For drinks and canapes while the couple go to get their photos taken, you want your guests to be in a relaxed and social mood. And of course for after speeches, we want everyone to be ready to celebrate, dance and party!! So let’s break this down into sections, and talk about the best music or musician for each part of your special day.
Arrival – light and relaxed
At a wedding, it’s quite likely that people are going to be meeting with people that they haven’t seen for a long time – especially if you have international guests. On the other hand, there will be others still running around, tending to all the last details. At this stage, I recommend you keep things very, very simple with a classical or acoustic duo i.e: a string trio or a guitarist and solo singer.
Ceremony – classic and timeless
To set a classic and timeless mood, a solo musician is best. This could be a flute player, a pianist, an acoustic guitarist or a violin player, even a solo singer can be really nice! A solo musician is simple enough to not draw attention away from the ceremony and couple, but will add that little bit of extra atmosphere to tie the event together. It's also great to have music prepared for when you are getting the register signed, because this can often be a forgotten blank space!
Post ceremony – relaxed but lively
After the ceremony and while the couple are having photos, the mood should start to relax but not quite be at party mode. For this time, I’d suggest an acoustic guitarist and singer, playing their own rendition of popular songs that everyone knows (and your uncle can belt out a random line of!!)
It can be a good idea to have a few games to play at this time - nothing too strenuous, must be easy for anyone of any age to do! Think classic lawn games like giant jenga, giant connect four and ring toss.
Another idea for during this time is to have a multi choice quiz about the couple – printed with pens for guests to tackle! It's a really cool way for your guests to get to know you a little bit better and again, something really easy to do.
Post dinner – time to dance!
After dinner and speeches, people are usually ready to let their hair down and have a dance! For this time, a covers band is definitely the way to go. However - make sure you go with a band that has experience playing weddings! An experienced wedding band knows how to choose a set list to fit to a range of people, ages and music tastes, so let them work their magic and pick the best set list for your crowd.
If you’re planning a wedding and like any of the ideas mentioned here – we have the contacts and skills to help you. Fill out our contact form here, and we’ll be in touch to help make your special day seamless and enjoyable for both guests and most importantly – you, the happy couple! We look forward to creating magic with you.