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You will need to choose a piece of music to walk down the aisle to. This could be a song with or without words that means something to you and your partner. A professional musician will be able to adapt your choice of song to fit into the time it takes for you to walk down the aisle.
You will require a song to be played while you sign the register. Again, a professional musician can extend or shorten the song if necessary to synchronize with the signing, and fit in with the celebrant’s arrangements.
Professional wedding musicians have a good relationship with celebrants, and would be able to respond to cues that they will discuss with your celebrant before your ceremony starts. Your choice of music will blend perfectly with your spoken words, enhancing the mood and creating an uplifting atmosphere.
Musicians will continue to play background music whilst the guests mingle after the ceremony, congratulating you and your partner.
You may wish to choose a song for the bridal party’s entrance into the reception room. This could be something romantic or uplifting that means something to you and your partner.
For dinner music, a musician or duo can perform quietly in the background whilst guests chat and catch up.
If you decide on a bridal waltz, two songs are often required. The first song is initially for you and your partner. The best man, matron of honour and bridesmaids are often requested to join you on the dance floor during this first song. The second song is to give all relatives and friends a chance to join you in your first dance together as a married couple.
After the bridal waltz you may want your band or duo to perform dance music.
In between performances, the band or duo should play your choice of pre-recorded music, whilst the guests relax and chat. A professional duo or band would have a full repertoire of music for you to choose from, or would play a mix of suitable songs, based on the mix of people attending the reception.
In our experience, most restaurants and function centres would rather recommend live music than recorded.
DJs and duos are a similar price for the same number of hours. A band will usually be more expensive due to a larger number of musicians needing to be paid.
Whether you choose a DJ or live music depends on the venue, but we guarantee that just using just an ipod or a few cds can often lead to frustration and an unfavourable result.
If you want to create atmosphere, nothing beats live music. The most economical way is to hire a duo. If you hire an instrumental duo that have a female and a male singer, you will be able to enjoy a wider range of songs.
Choose the duo based on the type of music that your guests will be comfortable with. Not everybody likes jazz for example, so a jazz band could limit the sort of songs you will hear. Something that appeals to young and old is often the best choice, as there will be times when you require soft music and times when you want to hear dance songs. A duo that plays all the hits through from the 60’s to 00’s should be able to satisfy most audiences.
You should be able to view a set list of songs, and ask to have specific songs played or not played, or leave it to the discretion of the band who will then be able to read the audience and cater to
their needs.
Most restaurants allow duos and DJs.
Ask the venue what the sound restrictions are, and whether you can have a band, duo or DJ. Many restaurants have a sound level limit which must not be exceeded due to council noise regulations. This may mean that your chosen restaurant may not be able to host a function where a band using a live drummer or saxophonist are playing.
Most specialist wedding venues cater for live bands, duos and DJs.
Some performers may be able to suggest a gig that they will be performing at that is open to the general public. Professional wedding singers on the other hand tend to only perform at weddings; you may wish to meet with the performers to ascertain their suitability for your wedding day.
You can also ask for a demo cd and testimonials, or ask the wedding venue to recommend some of their favourite wedding entertainers.
If you hire musicians who perform through a PA (public address) system, you can ask if they will allow you the use of a microphone for your speeches and announcements. It is important to request a wireless microphone so that your MC has freedom to move around the room. Your guests should also be able to make speeches from anywhere in the reception area, rather than a fixed podium area which can often make public speaking a more nerve racking experience.
Some venues can supply you with a microphone, but generally the sound quality may be improved if you use a microphone supplied by the duo or band, as they can control the volume for each person speaking.
Yes you can, but there are many reasons why this does not work very successfully.
The sound systems for many venues are located either behind the bar, in the kitchen or some other place out of bounds to guests, or inconvenient to access. This often means you are unable to control the order or volume of songs if you need to adjust the music to suit what is happening in the room at the time.
With cds, you will need to record them in the order you want them played, or have a friend at the ready all night to organise the start or stopping of various tracks, and to locate the right tracks for the bridal party entrance, bridal waltz, the garter or throwing of the bouquet. This often results in the wrong song being played at some important point, much embarrassment and uncomfortable pauses.
You lose the flexibility to ensure that the right songs are being played at the appropriate moment, so it is extremely difficult to create any atmosphere.
Worse still, someone may forget to bring the cds, or record them in a format that the CD player at the function is unable to play.
An ipod system or boom box sounds lost in a large room, and the sound quality often suffers drastically when turned up loud. We strongly advise against using ipods with speakers, or boom boxes for this reason.
Versatility, excitement and the right music at the right moment.
Good wedding bands and duos should have a professional sound system and some lighting to enhance the atmosphere of a reception.
A good live band or duo should be able to perform acoustic (no amplification) songs with an instrument and vocal harmonies at your ceremony, working with your celebrant to ensure a romantic and intimate setting.
For your reception, where a diverse range of songs is usually required, your choice of pre-recorded music should be played in an appropriate order for you and your guests, depending on the mood of the room. Live music played quietly in the background is also a pre-requisite for cocktails and dinner, using a mix of songs tailored to suit the mix of people in the room. When the time comes to dance, your band or duo should be able to switch between styles and genres to accommodate the diverse tastes of you and your guests. A good act should be able to keep people dancing by choosing their repertoire to suit what is happening on the dance floor.
At the end of the evening, a band or duo should also be able to provide quiet, relaxing music to wind down to, and help you signal to your guests that the day is drawing to a close.
A professional wedding band or duo will work with you, your celebrant, caterers and venue staff to ensure that you and your partner enjoy a truly memorable wedding day. Your day should be everything you expect it to be, and hiring wedding professionals of any kind will relieve you and your partner of the worries that can be the result of relying on others who may not understand or appreciate what you require.
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CORPORATE ENTERTAINMENT 
