We are often asked what makes a great wedding – after all, we spend most weekends of the year performing at receptions across Yorkshire so we should have some insight! In our experience having a great venue and suppliers can make a huge difference, but what really matters is the people. It’s all about the guests and, most importantly, the happy couple.
We we really lucky to have all the elements in place when we played for Sarah and Stan at the start of this year. It was clear as soon as we arrived that this was a real family and friends affair, and that everyone there meant something dear to the couple.
The wedding was being held at The Bridge Hotel and Spa in Wetherby, just a short drive from our base in York. It was the first week in January so we were grateful for not having to spend too long on the road! This was our first visit to this venue. We didn’t get to see much of the outside because it was dark, but the scale of the inside and the different event spaces available was truly impressive.
There was a bit of waiting about as the wedding party were moved from one room to another, but we were soon in and setting up. Our couple had asked us to keep our performance volume as low a possible. They had explained that the average age of the guests at this wedding was maybe higher than we usually encounter, and too much volume might put them off.
We’ve learnt a few tricks over the years and we’re able to control our volume a great deal without it affecting the impact of our performance, so we were more than happy to oblige. However, we’ve heard horror stories over the years of other bands who can’t, or simply won’t, consider the client or venue’s needs when setting their levels. Unbelievable!
After a quick conversation with the DJ to avoid any set list clashes we were ready to start. Sarah and Stan had simply asked us to learn any song by the Carpenters for them. Luckily our singer Sarah is a big fan and she guided the rest of us towards ‘We’ve Only Just Begun‘ which seemed like an appropriate sentiment.
Our set list reflected the audience, so we shifted a lot of the indie and pop numbers aside for more 60’s and 70’s tunes. We’re lucky to have the experience and the repertoire to be able respond to an audience in this way rather than plough through the same ‘turn’ every night.
The end of the night came around so quickly as usual, and we we’re loaded out and back off into the night in record time. Starting our run of weddings for 2017 just three days into the new year felt good. We’re really looking forward to the rest!
Wedding Band York 