Hiring a singer for your wedding can often be a daunting experience.
You are planning a once in a lifetime celebration and by definition this means you will not have any previous experience of the things you need to consider when booking a wedding singer or live band.
On the other hand the quality of the entertainment (and sometimes the lack of it!) is probably the one thing that your guests will remember more than any other aspect of the day.
From the bride and groom's perspective, of course, things like the dress, the cake and the cars are important in making them feel special, but how much bearing will these sorts of things have on whether or not their guests have a good time? The entertainment provided, however, is surely THE biggest factor which will determine their guests' level of enjoyment of the day.
"Getting it right" is therefore vitally important - possibly as if not more important than any other aspect of your wedding day - not to mention much more difficult to achieve than most people imagine.
As one of the UK's top wedding and function singers, I have performed at countless different venues all over the country.
In front of as few as ten guests and as many as a thousand.
Indoors, outdoors and from the arrival of the guests right the way through to the end of the night.
I have been hired by celebrities, politicians, blue-chip companies and many couples with whom I have kept in touch for years after their big day.
I am not saying I have seen it all (some requests still surprise me to this day!) but I am certainly ideally placed to provide help and guidance when it comes to helping you decide what is right for you and your wedding.
Initial considerations Generally most people start with their favourite type of music or performer and this is reflected in the myriad of "tribute" acts currently available.
You can book anything from a Wurzels Tribute right through to Lady Gaga and beyond.
I must however mention two words of caution at this point: 1.
Did you really think you could hire someone for your wedding who looks and sounds exactly like Robbie for £200? Tribute acts who really look and sound like the original are few and far between, and the ones that do exist quite rightly charge a hefty premium for the privilege of having them perform for you.
2.
Just because you love Take That, Abba, Michael Buble or whoever, you can't you really expect all your guests to love them quite as much as you do.
I can tell you from experience that 2 hours of the music of just one person or act, even if performed well, is unlikely to go down as well as you imagined.
Now I am not saying that you shouldn't book a tribute act, I am simply saying that you should think carefully before doing so.
I am quite often asked to perform ratpack songs only and sometimes clients, despite my advice, insist I only do songs by Frank Sinatra or Michael Buble.
This is usually fine for a single set of no more than 45 minutes but works far better if a second set is added with a much broader theme.
This is especially true at weddings where there is likely to be a large age range (i.
e.
pretty much most of them!) Practical Issues These generally include issues of time, space and the law.
1.
Issues of time will certainly include for how long you want your entertainer to perform.
Believe it or not there are clients who have asked me to sing for up to FIVE hours straight.
Not only is this physically impossible, but guests are unlikely to want to listen to five hours of the same performer.
Similarly if you are having a disco, by all means let the DJ know a handful of your favourite songs but avoid giving him a list your top 100 favourite songs to play.
Generally professional entertainers and DJ's have a great deal experience of working a crowd in order to create the best atmosphere.
Let them use it! 2.
Also consider how long a performer needs in order to set up and test their equipment.
As a solo performer I generally like at least an hour, but if I am providing a disco as well setup time will be longer and bands will require even longer still.
Think about whether or not the performer will have access to the venue early enough to set up.
I have arrived at many a venue only to find it all still locked up! Be especially careful in this regard if you are having the daytime reception in the same room as the evening do.
Have you left enough time for the room to be changed around and for your performer to setup and sound check properly? Think also about the possibility (in many cases probability!) that the daytime celebration will run over time.
Photographs and speeches notoriously take longer than planned.
Indeed I have arrived at a venue at 6.
30pm only to find guests still tucking into their main course with evening guests due within the hour! The evening reception eventually began at about 8.
45pm! 3.
If you are allowing time for the room to be changed, think about what your daytime guests can do in the meantime.
I am often booked to provide entertainment in a bar or annexe area specifically during that period with a DJ taking over once the main room is turned.
4.
Think carefully about the space in which you will expect your entertainer to perform.
Common problems in this regard include being placed in a location away from an electric point, having too little space or having to share too small a space with other entertainers or the DJ.
In fact does the other entertainer or DJ even know there is someone else performing? Quite often I have arrived only to find all electrical sockets in use by the DJ who has also taken up all the available space, simply because he or she has not been made aware that I would be performing as well.
5.
On a similar theme, will you want your performer to setup outdoors? If so you need to tell them at the outset.
Many performers will not have suitable equipment for use outdoors.
Sound re-enforcement needs to be much stronger outdoors, not to mention that the whole issue of electricity becomes much more problematic.
Even if it is a lovely summer's day with no hint of wind or rain, your performer will still need shelter (in case it does rain) and/or shade (so they don't pass out from sunstroke!).
Early communication is vital - turning up to a booking to find that you are expected to setup outdoors is far from ideal.
6.
You will also need to consider what access to the venue is like.
The performer will need to get heavy equipment in and out of the venue, so there are a whole host of things to be considered.
For instance, your guests may well have parked their cars close to the venue meaning the performer has to somehow get his equipment across the car park.
Indeed what if there is no car park at all - what will the artiste do with their vehicle after they have unloaded? Worse what if the venue is not on the ground floor? Most equipment is moved on trolleys and if there is no lift, what then? Experienced performers will always get around most access issues but only if they know about them well in advance, ideally at the booking stage.
That way there is little chance of them charging you extra on the day for things that they were not made aware of.
7.
Finally, there are legal considerations.
Does the venue have the appropriate licences for live music? Does your performer have proper public liability insurance? This insurance covers them if for example they cause an injury to someone or they do something that ruins your event and you decide to sue them.
Quite simply if a performer does not have this insurance you should not book them.
Similarly has their equipment been PAT tested? This is a test that the equipment has been tested for electrical safety.
Again you should not consider hiring someone who does not have this test carried out at least annually and has documentation to prove it.
Additionally you should make sure that anyone you hire provides a written contract setting out the terms of their service.
If they can't or won't choose someone who will.
I do hope the above helps you in the planning of the entertainment at your wedding.
And whichever wedding singer you choose - best of luck for your big day!
You are planning a once in a lifetime celebration and by definition this means you will not have any previous experience of the things you need to consider when booking a wedding singer or live band.
On the other hand the quality of the entertainment (and sometimes the lack of it!) is probably the one thing that your guests will remember more than any other aspect of the day.
From the bride and groom's perspective, of course, things like the dress, the cake and the cars are important in making them feel special, but how much bearing will these sorts of things have on whether or not their guests have a good time? The entertainment provided, however, is surely THE biggest factor which will determine their guests' level of enjoyment of the day.
"Getting it right" is therefore vitally important - possibly as if not more important than any other aspect of your wedding day - not to mention much more difficult to achieve than most people imagine.
As one of the UK's top wedding and function singers, I have performed at countless different venues all over the country.
In front of as few as ten guests and as many as a thousand.
Indoors, outdoors and from the arrival of the guests right the way through to the end of the night.
I have been hired by celebrities, politicians, blue-chip companies and many couples with whom I have kept in touch for years after their big day.
I am not saying I have seen it all (some requests still surprise me to this day!) but I am certainly ideally placed to provide help and guidance when it comes to helping you decide what is right for you and your wedding.
Initial considerations Generally most people start with their favourite type of music or performer and this is reflected in the myriad of "tribute" acts currently available.
You can book anything from a Wurzels Tribute right through to Lady Gaga and beyond.
I must however mention two words of caution at this point: 1.
Did you really think you could hire someone for your wedding who looks and sounds exactly like Robbie for £200? Tribute acts who really look and sound like the original are few and far between, and the ones that do exist quite rightly charge a hefty premium for the privilege of having them perform for you.
2.
Just because you love Take That, Abba, Michael Buble or whoever, you can't you really expect all your guests to love them quite as much as you do.
I can tell you from experience that 2 hours of the music of just one person or act, even if performed well, is unlikely to go down as well as you imagined.
Now I am not saying that you shouldn't book a tribute act, I am simply saying that you should think carefully before doing so.
I am quite often asked to perform ratpack songs only and sometimes clients, despite my advice, insist I only do songs by Frank Sinatra or Michael Buble.
This is usually fine for a single set of no more than 45 minutes but works far better if a second set is added with a much broader theme.
This is especially true at weddings where there is likely to be a large age range (i.
e.
pretty much most of them!) Practical Issues These generally include issues of time, space and the law.
1.
Issues of time will certainly include for how long you want your entertainer to perform.
Believe it or not there are clients who have asked me to sing for up to FIVE hours straight.
Not only is this physically impossible, but guests are unlikely to want to listen to five hours of the same performer.
Similarly if you are having a disco, by all means let the DJ know a handful of your favourite songs but avoid giving him a list your top 100 favourite songs to play.
Generally professional entertainers and DJ's have a great deal experience of working a crowd in order to create the best atmosphere.
Let them use it! 2.
Also consider how long a performer needs in order to set up and test their equipment.
As a solo performer I generally like at least an hour, but if I am providing a disco as well setup time will be longer and bands will require even longer still.
Think about whether or not the performer will have access to the venue early enough to set up.
I have arrived at many a venue only to find it all still locked up! Be especially careful in this regard if you are having the daytime reception in the same room as the evening do.
Have you left enough time for the room to be changed around and for your performer to setup and sound check properly? Think also about the possibility (in many cases probability!) that the daytime celebration will run over time.
Photographs and speeches notoriously take longer than planned.
Indeed I have arrived at a venue at 6.
30pm only to find guests still tucking into their main course with evening guests due within the hour! The evening reception eventually began at about 8.
45pm! 3.
If you are allowing time for the room to be changed, think about what your daytime guests can do in the meantime.
I am often booked to provide entertainment in a bar or annexe area specifically during that period with a DJ taking over once the main room is turned.
4.
Think carefully about the space in which you will expect your entertainer to perform.
Common problems in this regard include being placed in a location away from an electric point, having too little space or having to share too small a space with other entertainers or the DJ.
In fact does the other entertainer or DJ even know there is someone else performing? Quite often I have arrived only to find all electrical sockets in use by the DJ who has also taken up all the available space, simply because he or she has not been made aware that I would be performing as well.
5.
On a similar theme, will you want your performer to setup outdoors? If so you need to tell them at the outset.
Many performers will not have suitable equipment for use outdoors.
Sound re-enforcement needs to be much stronger outdoors, not to mention that the whole issue of electricity becomes much more problematic.
Even if it is a lovely summer's day with no hint of wind or rain, your performer will still need shelter (in case it does rain) and/or shade (so they don't pass out from sunstroke!).
Early communication is vital - turning up to a booking to find that you are expected to setup outdoors is far from ideal.
6.
You will also need to consider what access to the venue is like.
The performer will need to get heavy equipment in and out of the venue, so there are a whole host of things to be considered.
For instance, your guests may well have parked their cars close to the venue meaning the performer has to somehow get his equipment across the car park.
Indeed what if there is no car park at all - what will the artiste do with their vehicle after they have unloaded? Worse what if the venue is not on the ground floor? Most equipment is moved on trolleys and if there is no lift, what then? Experienced performers will always get around most access issues but only if they know about them well in advance, ideally at the booking stage.
That way there is little chance of them charging you extra on the day for things that they were not made aware of.
7.
Finally, there are legal considerations.
Does the venue have the appropriate licences for live music? Does your performer have proper public liability insurance? This insurance covers them if for example they cause an injury to someone or they do something that ruins your event and you decide to sue them.
Quite simply if a performer does not have this insurance you should not book them.
Similarly has their equipment been PAT tested? This is a test that the equipment has been tested for electrical safety.
Again you should not consider hiring someone who does not have this test carried out at least annually and has documentation to prove it.
Additionally you should make sure that anyone you hire provides a written contract setting out the terms of their service.
If they can't or won't choose someone who will.
I do hope the above helps you in the planning of the entertainment at your wedding.
And whichever wedding singer you choose - best of luck for your big day!
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