Tag Archives: reception

Getting the music just right

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We all know that when it comes to creating the perfect atmosphere for your wedding, music plays an important part. But if you really want to personalise the soundtrack to your big day, why not consider a completely bespoke musical experience? Here are our top tips for creating bespoke wedding music that wows!

Consider the musical heritage of both bride and groom

Combining Reggae with Charleston makes for a lot of fun, for example. Or mixing world music styles such as Sega and Mauritian traditional music. Speak to your band to see what’s possible. Depending on the preferences of you and your better half, don’t choose between them;combine them and make something totally unique to your personalities.

Mix up playlists and songs
Who didn’t have a secret obsession with the American TV Series ‘Glee’?! Their mash-up song selection was genius and can be recreated with the right band. If the groom is a Led Zep fan but the bride is a ‘Belieber’ you can ask your band to make a first dance song that suits you both perfectly, and perform it live, mash-up style!

Try non-traditional instruments performing traditional songs, or vice versa

A string quartet playing Bohemian Rhapsody, for example sounds awesome. The traditional wedding march on electric guitar? Seriously cool. You can even see if your musicians will mix up their dress code and typical band setting – we once had a band who loosened their ties and set down their instruments before crowd surfing over guests!

Include some singing waiters…

Singing waiters may seem a bit cheesy to some, but they’re still great fun. Or you could try something similar – one of my favourite wedding gigs involved recreating the scene from the film Love Actually where the musicians sit amongst the congregation in the church and stand up as each instrumental section joins the wedding march.

Try a completely non-conventional wedding band

When it comes to hiring wedding entertainment, the sky’s the limit. Depending on your tastes you can choose from heavy metal, bandeoke (karaoke with a live band), reggaeoke (karaoke with a live reggae band), an opera performance, or even Burlesque dancers and fire eaters. Just decide on what’s going to make the day special for you and reflect your tastes, and go for it!

Entertainment tips for you wedding

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Morning

The pre-wedding jitters can easily be set to bed by a little entertainment in the morning! When family are gathered together in the hotel just waiting for a few hours to pass by, there’s nothing better than a bit of entertainment from a strolling act to enliven proceedings. A great time for a magician to diffuse some nerves and ensure that talking to your Great Uncle isn’t as difficult as you’d feared. A brilliant ice breaker, we highly recommend this whilst the bride and groom are busily getting ready.

Ceremony

During the ceremony itself! You’re probably wondering if you want a traditional wedding march to accompany you as you walk down the aisle, but why have that when you can have a small jazz band playing off to the side? It makes for a far more unique proposition than an organist playing that same tune you’ve heard at hundreds of weddings before and can even form part of the ceremony itself should you decide to put your own spin on things.

Drinks Reception

Whilst the bride and groom are off having their photos taken with their various in-laws, cousins and old University friends, it leaves the rest of the wedding party to stand about somewhat aimlessly drinking some Champagne or non-alcoholic equivalent. But it doesn’t have to be that way! Hiring a wedding pianist for an hour, or perhaps a solo singer is a perfect example – always goes down a treat.

Wedding Breakfast

Although technically speaking it’s nowadays more of a wedding dinner than a wedding breakfast, this is another part of your wedding day where a little bit of something is a nice idea. Naturally it all depends on your budget but after the food and speeches the bride and groom tend to walk between tables, happily greeting those they haven’t seen in awhile. For those who aren’t on a table with anyone they know very well, the small talk ran out somewhere between the main course and dessert. As such, some light entertainment in the form of a quiz – perhaps about the couple? – or caricaturist can go a long way!

Reception

We needn’t go into too much detail about whether a band of DJ is the way to go… Just know that entertainment is pretty much a must have for this portion of your wedding day and can make the occasion even more special to those who have travelled a long way! There are a whole host of acts that come under the wedding entertainment for hire banner, so you don’t need to stick to just one!

Luxury Weddings on a budget

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With the average wedding in the UK costing around £20,000, it’s understandable why some couples quiver at the thought of tying the knot. But this shouldn’t steer those wanting to get hitched away from their dream day. To prove that this is the case, Oxford Abingdon Hotel have created a simple guide to give ‘wannabe weds’ some handy tips on how to avoid a five figure bill while still achieving a wedding day to remember

Avoiding an engagement party to cut costs is totally missing out on a valuable opportunity to gather essentials which could help to cover costs otherwise incurred. By being opportunistic and holding a small gathering to celebrate will spark generosity between friends and family which will be needed in the run up to the big day.

Nothing pulls harder on a guest’s heart strings than a handwritten invitation. Scattered with personalised notes and hand-stuck pictures; there is no cheaper way of convincing a guest to join in the celebrations on the big day.

Everyone wants to say their vows on the weekend. Instead pay less and give family and friends the opportunity to take some well-deserved time off during the week to celebrate? It often costs much less to plan your wedding on a Friday and means your guests can stay and celebrate with you all weekend long if you choose!

Being in love with a prestige location needn’t mean it has to be ruled out. For example, wedding venues in Oxfordshire, the Cotswolds, the Lake District and other countryside locations can be pretty pricey; however, by doing some homework, modern residencies like the Oxford Abingdon Hotel can cater for a range of sizes and budgets while still being in the heart of the destination.

One of the biggest costs faced is internal or external catering. As opposed to cutting back on courses or opting for a buffet, why not consider inviting fewer guests and upping the style of dining? Alternatively, a buffet can also be a viable option which will reduce the overall cost.

After stretching the budget to craft a truly fabulous wedding day, it could all have been in vain if one chooses to start a bar tab. Instead, pay-as-you-go to avoid a bad start to the honeymoon.

No matter how many lists or hints received by guests, it is inevitable that a handful of, to put it nicely, non-favourable gifts will be received. By utilising handy sites like eBay and Gumtree, shifting these will help save for a dreamy honeymoon.

Make sure your dancefloor it jam packed!!

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Have you had the dreaded the empty dancefloor nightmare? These top tips will make sure that your dancefloor is never empty.

Book a live band

A great wedding band will be experienced and know exactly which music to play to get your guests on the dancefloor, and how to keep them there! There are lots of different styles and sizes of bands to suit all tastes and budgets, making this decision especially difficult. Booking through a reputable wedding directory like Wedding Branch we will help to guarantee great quality.

Dim the lights

This is extremely important, because you want your guests to feel comfortable and relaxed on the dancefloor. Having bright lights will make them too self-aware so bring the lighting right down. Ideally roving or flashing lighting will create an illusion of a busy dance floor, which will encourage more guests to join in.

Get your timings right

The biggest mistake many brides and grooms make is for their evening reception is to start the wedding party entertainment too early. Your day guests will have just eaten dinner and your evening guests won’t be relaxed (or drunk) enough yet. Don’t be afraid to let everyone ease into the evening rather than rushing through and trying to force a good time – 9pm is usually the ideal time to start your band or disco.

Check your space

You need a dedicated dancefloor space but it can’t be too big or too small for the number of guests you have. A huge dance floor will intimidate your guests while a tiny dance floor will give the impression you are not expecting anyone to dance. Another point to remember here is that having the bar in a separate room will take your guests away from the dance floor, leaving it looking a bit empty and sad.

Be present

As the bride and groom you are the stars of the show and your guests will generally want to be where you are – on the dancefloor having the time of your lives! You can also prepare or recruit some close friends who you know are more confident to be the first ones up and dancing, to help get the party started!

How to do Wedding Planning on a Budget?

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First things first – set a limit

If you want to plan a wedding for £10,000 then you may want to plan your budget like this:

  • £3,000 for venue
  • £2,500 for catering
  • £1,500 for drinks
  • £1,500 for dress and suits
  • £500 for transport
  • £300 for a cake
  • £700 for a photographer

Separating the budget accordingly means that you know where the money is allocated and it gives you a little bit of leeway to adjust your price on each aspect. One thing we would always say is never hire a budget photographer – everything else may just be for the day, but those wedding photos will last forever!

Pick the Cheapest Time to Get Married

When you decide to get married can make an even bigger impact than where you decide to get married. Choosing to get married in the middle of the week or on a Sunday, compared to a Saturday wedding could save you a small fortune. Similarly, picking a date in Spring, Autumn or Winter will also see big savings coming in when compared to a summer wedding.

Choose Your Venue Carefully

You can have some amazing budget weddings if you pick the right location – often, somewhere you wouldn’t typically consider. There are lots of venues around the country that are licensed to hold marriage ceremonies, why not pick something a little bit different?

This holds two benefits really – 1 your special day is truly special in a unique location and 2 these venues tend to be a lot more affordable than places which are booked up years in advance! Some of the best budget wedding venues in the UK are still yet to be discovered… you could just be one of the first people married there.

Personalisation

Budget doesn’t mean ‘stock’, in fact it is very different to that. Taking the reins and deciding to add or remove certain parts of the wedding package is a great way to save money. For example, making your own table decorations could end up saving you around £500 plus you have the added bonus of spending time together making them yourself!

Scrap the DJ

Honestly, cheap wedding DJs are the worst! Instead of forking out your hard earned cash on someone who will just play a generic wedding music playlist, why not create your own playlist with all your favourite songs? You probably already have one – plug this into some speakers and you’re good to go!

Find your perfect seating plan

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When planning a wedding, if you’re having 50 guests at a buffet, you may or may not want to give people specific seating assignments. But if you’re having 100 guests or more and serving a seated meal, you’ll want to make sure everyone’s got a specific place to sit. Why? For one, people like to know where they’re sitting — and that you took the time to choose where and whom they should sit with. It’s also helpful if you’re serving several different entree choices, because the caterer and wait staff can figure out beforehand how many chicken, filet and veggie dishes a given table gets, because they (you) know who’s sitting there. 

Create a Paper Trail

If you’re feeling more low-tech, draw circles (for tables) on a big sheet of paper and write names inside them (make sure you know how many people can comfortably be seated at each one). Or you could write every guest’s name on a sticky note and place it accordingly.

Head Up the Head Table

A traditional head table is not round but long and straight, and it’s generally set up along a wall, facing all the other reception tables. It may even have two tiers if your wedding party is large. Usually the bride and groom sit in the middle (where everyone can see them), with the maid of honour next to the groom, the best man next to the bride, and then boy/girl out from there. Flower girls or ring bearers usually sit at the tables where their parents are sitting, much to the relief of the bridesmaids and groomsmen. Decide to sit this way, or plan a sweetheart table for a little one-on-one time

Switch Things Up

But you don’t have to do it that way. All the bridesmaids can sit on the bride’s side, and all the groomsmen on the groom’s. Or maybe you’re not into being on display, or you don’t want your wedding party to feel isolated from other guests. Let your wedding party sit at a round reception table or two with each other and/or with their dates/significant others, and have the head table be a sweetheart table for the two of you. (How romantic!) Another option: You two sit with your parents and let that be the head table, with the wedding party at their own tables.

Place Your Parents

Traditionally, your parents and your parents to be sit at the same table, along with grandparents, siblings not in the wedding party, but for one reason or another you might want to let each set of parents host their own table of close family and/or friends. This could mean up to four parents’ tables, depending on your situation — or have the divorced parent who raised you (or your partner) and his/her spouse/date sit at the table with still-married parents. 

Remember, the parent-seating question is a flexible one. Set it up in whatever way best suits everybody. If you’re unsure, don’t hesitate to talk to the parents in question about it before you make your final decision.

Tame Tensions

There may also be situations in which certain family members just do not get along. Maybe they haven’t spoken in years. Maybe the last time they saw each other there was a drunken catfight. Understandably, you want to keep them as far apart as possible. Think about these kinds of relationships (or lack thereof) before you even start making your chart, so you can take them into consideration in the first place and begin by seating Auntie Maud at table three and Aunt Lucy across the room at table 15. Trust us — they’ll appreciate it.

Play Matchmaker

Again, all your University or school friends will be so pleased to sit at a table together. This especially works out well if you and your beloved went to the same school and have the same friends. It also gives them all an opportunity to catch up with each other, because they may not have seen each other for a while. But again — reception tables offer a great opportunity to mix and match your friends and your partners — who knows who’ll hit it off? Consider seating friends who don’t know each other (yet), but who you think will get along exceptionally well, at the same table — and the rest is history. It can’t hurt!

The benefits of a winter wedding

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The number of winter weddings taking place every year is increasing. Although off-season rates are a factor for many couple’s, there are lots of fun reasons to plan your wedding during the winter months. Read on to find out more…

As dusk falls early, you have an extended evening to celebrate. With endless possibilities for candles, fairy lights, and fireworks to light up the night sky, winter weddings are a great excuse to have fun with lights.
Every winter bride dreams of a magical sprinkling of snow. If you get married north of the border, the chance increases even further.
Most wedding venues and suppliers will have off season rates, but many will also provide tempting incentives. Scottish venue Dundas Castle is offering complimentary bubbly, fairy light ceiling, and sparklers to all winter weddings in January and February 2017 as part of its ‘Winter Sparkle’ promotion.
Why not welcome your guests into a venue that has a roaring open fire? You could also reflect on your day with a night cap as the fire crackles – one of the great pleasures of winter weddings.
Winter is full of memorable dates to make your chosen day even more special. You could have a festive Christmas wedding, a romantic Valentine’s weekend wedding, or even start the New Year as you mean to go on – as a married couple.
Fly to the Maldives during Summer, and you’ll hit a monsoon! Winter is southern hemisphere honeymoon season, with no school holiday supplements. The chance to ski or get some much needed winter sun makes it a honeymoon triple whammy!
Getting married in winter totally eliminates ‘Will it? Won’t it?’ weather related stress. Guests will be expecting colder weather, so the focus will be on what’s going on indoors. That way, any snow or winter sun comes as an added bonus.
Your guests may have ‘wedding fatigue’ by the time your summer wedding comes around. A winter wedding will be a seasonal highlight too. This gives you and your guests a great excuse for a post-Christmas knees up.
Winter is still low season, making getting your ideal Saturday date a breeze. It’s also much easier finding accommodation for your guests, or bagging your dream photographer or wedding band.
Last but surely not least, a winter wedding is your chance to sport some stylish bridal wellies. If you’re less adventurous, winter offers a plethora of clothing options. Why not go for fake fur, feathers and capes to tempt the fashion conscious.

Getting the right music for the right moment

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The atmosphere on your wedding day is going to change at different times, so choosing appropriate music is crucial when planning a wedding.

When you’re in the ceremony, it’s likely to be more formal and serious. After all, you’re getting legally married and that’s a big deal. One the legal proceedings have finished then mood will change to be much more light-hearted.

At your wedding reception, there’s an atmosphere of anticipation. Everybody is looking forward to enjoying themselves and catching up with old friends and meeting new people. This all means that you need to consider what music you should play at your wedding quite carefully. Most importantly, you need to consider just who you have invited to your wedding and their age ranges.

Different music for different times

The ceremony

If you’re having a church wedding, you need to think about the hymns. You may have some favourites and it’s always good to have a well-known hymn so that everybody can join in.

If you’re having a civil ceremony, opt for some soft and romantic music to walk down the aisle too. Please be aware that your registrar will need to check the pieces you’ve chosen because you’re not allowed any religious connotations in the music.

The wedding breakfast

When your guests are arriving for the wedding breakfast you should create a cool, sophisticated atmosphere to welcome guests. A string quartet or harpist playing softly in the background are perfect for creating the right mood.

When you brief your musicians, let them know if you have any favourites you want them to include and think about popular classics that your guests will know. If you’re not very familiar with classical music, then ask the musicians what they recommend, or see if they can play instrumental versions of your favourite songs.

The evening reception

When the speeches are done its party time. Some people will want to let their hair down and dance the night away, others will want to gossip at the table and hear the latest news from people they haven’t seen for a while. Kids will want to join in the fun too and at some point and eventually you may want to introduce a romantic atmosphere and enjoy your first dance together.

Brief your entertainment

Whether you’re having a live band, a DJ, or maybe even both, you need to look at your guest list very carefully and split up everybody into age groups. You might be a fan of Kanye West but it’s unlikely that your Grandma is.

If you’ve chosen an experienced DJ or a band, ask them what their favourite floor fillers are. The oldies might enjoy The Beatles or The Rolling Stones, others might love Seventies’ sounds, or a bit of Duran Duran. It may not be entirely your cup of tea but at the end of the day you want to keep your guests happy.

As for the teenagers and young adults, think about current chart-toppers that will get them on the floor dancing.

You might like to also think about the impact that Strictly Come Dancing has made. It’s inspired some couples to take up ballroom dancing lessons and your grandparents might surprise you by how good they are at dancing! So consider having a classic waltz, quickstep or even tango included on the playlist. Some couples love to show off their footwork.

Make sure the DJ plays what you want, not what they want to play. Get your music right and you’ll have an amazing atmosphere at your wedding reception and a crowded dance floor, which is just what you’re aiming for really, isn’t it?

Make it the best day of your life

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The word wedding derives from Anglo-Saxon times when the bride’s father led a public ceremony, called a “be wedding”, at which the groom offered guarantees to the bride’s guardians that she would be looked after. These offerings were called “weds”. The occasion is one of life’s primeval and surprisingly unchanged rites of passage. It celebrates the union of two people in love with the sharing of vows and is traditionally witnessed by friends and family.

Whether your special day is a small registry celebration, or a large church gathering or a more personal non-religious ceremony, start as you mean to go on, by making the first day of the rest of your lives the best day of your lives.

Starting with the wedding ceremony, hire wedding entertainment for the guests – a string quartet or harpist are common choices to provide a beautiful musical backdrop during the wedding ceremony and immediately afterwards whilst photos are taken.

A jazz or swing band is an ideal choice to provide light background music during the afternoon reception, helping to settle guests and create an exciting atmosphere. It is also quite common for the string quartet rom your ceremony to continue playing during the afternoon reception.

What evening reception would be complete without a wedding party function band or DJ? Rock and Pop bands are by far the most popular choices, with soul, disco, and salsa offering something a little different.

Pull out all the stops and make your day truly wonderful!

Mr & Mr or Mrs & Mrs?

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With same sex Weddings now legalised, this is a cause for a double celebration, make it loud and be proud. Here are a few ideas on how to celebrate such a wonderful Wedding such as this!!

When it comes to crafting a beautiful wedding, it’s all about representing the couple’s style and personality — and same-sex weddings are no different. With the law changing in favour of marriage and equality, we’re feeling especially inspired to share some gorgeous wedding-planning ideas for gay and lesbian couples.

We’ve rounded up a few décor ideas that provide a unique twist on traditional wedding details:

Kick off the festivities with a personalized billboard sign, a fun way to welcome your guests — and get them excited for the nuptials ahead!
Add a twist to traditional ceremony seating with a tongue-in-cheek sign pointing guests to choose a seat and not a side (either way it’s for a bride!).
Want to show off your newlywed status in style? Opt for matching ‘Groom and Groom chair designs adorned with greenery or display whimsical “Bride” and “Bride” laser-cut letters in front of your handcrafted sweets.
You can also add a humorous — and elegant! — upgrade to the grooms’ cake with tiered chocolate cupcakes adorned with mini bowties and top hats.
For brides, go for simple “Hers” and “Hers” calligraphed signs in front of delicious, non-traditional wedding cakes. And as the night’s celebration comes to a close, send off your guests with personalized canvas totes that read “Love is Love” — a perfect closing to an unforgettable night!

Whether you’re sticking to tradition or going all-out with personalized details celebrate love with these creative ideas that make for a truly unique same-sex wedding!!

Welcome your guests with a sign with big personality — like a billboard with your wedding-day phrase!