Hello! Welcome to Wedding Music Tips.
FORWARD... To the Bride (by Richie Robinson).
Your wedding entertainment is a major part of the atmosphere for your ceremony and reception, and we both know just how important it is to you to get it right.
Organising the music along with all the other tasks required for your wedding can be a daunting task, and most of it is left up to you, the bride. (With a bit of help from Mum and the besties of course).
With such a hefty undertaking, so many of the brides I have worked with have very much needed the help and advice of an experienced wedding music professional.
This has led me to write this page for you, the bride, so the entertainment on your very special day can be both much easier to handle and a fabulous success. Continue..
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TOP TIPS
TOP WEDDING MUSIC TIPS
- By Richie Robinson -
TO THE BRIDE, CONTINUED...
I hope that I can impart all you need to know with a minimum of hoo hah, and that this page makes a positive difference to the outcome of your wedding. Oh and by the way, I just LOVE doing weddings!! It may sound corny, but the love in the air, and all the positivity and happiness is a vibe I can't get enough of. I have never seen a bride that is not beautiful, if not stunning, and after doing it for so long, I still find myself listening intently to the speeches, and feeling magic in the air during the Bridal Waltz.
You can read a short paragraph on the experience I can draw on as a professional in order to best help you here.
Ok, now on to the nitty gritty.
WORK OUT YOUR MUSIC BUDGET EARLY IN YOUR PLANNING STAGES !
There are many differences between entertainment options and just as many differences in price. Consider it similar to say, buying flooring for your house. Imagine building a new home. You want your future life there to make you feel great, along with your family and your guests. Once the home is built and the furniture and paint are colour-coordinated and looking fabulous, and the budget is almost dry, can you imagine going to the flooring shop at the last minute and saying to the salesperson "Sell me your cheapest flooring"!!
Imagine!! Yet many brides and grooms shop for entertainment just like that. Then on the night of the wedding, the sound system sounds kind of tinny, the microphone squeals when Uncle Dave's making his speech, or people simply can't hear him, the celebrations end up stuck with a DJ who spins questionable song choices on "autopilot" while thinking about the footy, or some self-absorbed musician who is more interested in showing off the scales and chord substitutions that got them good marks in the local convervatorium exams than entertaining the bride and guests - and while charging you like a wounded bull for the privilege!!.
This actually happens!!
If you can work out what your music budget is in the early stages, you need not be stuck with a scenario like that. After all, your music/entertainment choices are among the most influential parts of the atmosphere for your ceremony and celebrations - just as your flooring can make or break your interior design. It really is best to integrate it rather than think about it later.
At Wedding Music SA, we understand the importance of integration to make your wedding day mood as buoyant as possible. Further, to truly set us apart from bands and DJs, we have developed our unique Wedding Music Planner to help you organise the sequence of events. We have truly 'raised the bar' on what you should expect from any wedding entertainment professional, and we are proud to say that we can make your ceremony and/or reception flow as smoothly, be as romantic, and as fun it possible can be.
You can enjoy our years of experience in helping you find the right song for each moment, and then making the moment come alive. Your speeches will be easy and assisted, as we professionally 'MC' the sequence of events. If you have your own MC, we can do all the nitty-gritty such as coordinating cutting of the cake, bouquet throwing, etc, etc, and matching it to music, so that your MC has only to think about what he/she would like to say, rather than do any organising.
The beauty about working out your music budget in well advance with Wedding Music SA is that we provide guidance with many of your coordination details. Over all, this gives you an overview that makes your work load so much lighter - and it is all simply a part of our service, at no extra cost to you!!
Go back to tips list.
HOW TO OPTIMISE YOUR BUDGET - WHETHER YOU'VE ALREADY BLOWN IT OR NOT.
Whether you are looking for your Ideal Wedding Music Choice, or if you are simply looking for the perfect entertainment package to suit your budget, we have a solution for you! Our professional musicians, MCs, sound systems, and joint expertise can cater for any mood you wish to create with all the experience and reliability you can ask for, and on a variety of budgets.
If your budget is a little stretched, don't despair! there are a number of ways, as you can see below, that you can optimise your entertainment dollar, and be happily satisfied with the results. Here are some suggestions, and their positives and negatives...
- Supply all the music and sound yourself
POSITIVES
- You'll know exactly what to expect from your music.
- It'll cost you next to nothing in cash.
- You can plan your music to your heart's content.
NEGATIVES
- Unless you have a professional sound system you may be disappointed with the sound. The typical or even high quality home sound system will have trouble keeping up with the needs of a typical wedding crowd in a public venue, particularly when it comes to dancing.
- It'll cost you a lot of extra time, planning, and effort that may be better spent on other aspects of your wedding celebrations.
- Supply the music yourself, and hire a professional sound system
POSITIVES
- This is a great option if you have an extremely limited budget. You can get the look and sound of a "DJ" at a fraction of the cost, as long as you have a trustworthy friend that can help you out on the night.
- Hiring a sound system from a wedding music professional such as Wedding Music SA will put you in touch with all the advice you need. You can then ensure that your music mixes and microphone mixes (for speeches and announcements) keep you and your guests as comfortable and entertained as possible.
NEGATIVES
- It is a known fact that most people fear public speaking worse than death! - Having a professional entertainer on hand to help you with such things as announcements, or MC'ing your reception may take a lot of weight off your mind.
- Having a professional on hand may also be handy if you can't hear Uncle Dave on the microphone, or if there are any issues that arise from not knowing how to operate a professional sound rig. Still, this is a relatively minor issue if you already have the right advice from reliable and trusted wedding music professionals professionals.
- One of the main drawbacks with this option is the lack of interactivity that recorded music provides. As much as recorded music (whether you have a DJ or not) can give you the familiarity you want at times, it simply can't interact with you! For example, a recording can't repeat the opening bars of a song until you are ready to walk on or dance. It can't follow your footsteps, or linger in a special moment during that first dance like a professional entertainer can, and recorded music will never be taken aback by the beauty of the bride and play sweetly in sympathy.
- Using recorded music at your ceremony may also require you to spend a lot of time rehearsing your walk down the isle at a particular pace, and/or editing your music so that it fits. This still won't guarantee that your timing will work out nicely on the day, simply because unpredictable things happen. With a professional musician this is not an issue, you simply act as you feel in the moment, and the music follows you.
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Hire one professional musician / entertainer to look after all your requirements
POSITIVES
- A professional wedding entertainer will take care of all your requirements such as, performing at your ceremony if required, to providing light entertainment through dinner, to assisting with the planning and formatting of the music for your special day, to setting up a great sound for you with professional equipment, and helping you on your way to enjoy all your recorded favourites later in the evening.
- You only pay for one musician along with the sound equipment.
- You can have your cake and eat it too with this one! For around the cost of a good DJ, you can have live solo classical-jazz guitar at your ceremony, stylish light jazz for cocktails and/or dining, and a top quality sound system for finishing the night out with party dance music!
NEGATIVES
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As far as we know, Wedding Music SA is the only place in South Australia where the level of professionalism you get with this package is available. So don't leave booking till it's too late and miss out on all those wonderful advantages. These musicians are all the best available, and getting in early is essential to secure a booking.
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HOW TO SPOT A PROFESSIONAL MUSICIAN AND WEDDING ENTERTAINER
When you choose to hire entertainment for your ceremony and/or reception, you will be well armed if you can tell the professional from the "not-so-professional". Though at first glance it may be hard to see, the differences can be astounding! You don't want to be working it out on the night of your wedding!!
Here are some questions and points to get you thinking....
- First of all, is the band leader a full-time or part-time entertainer?
- Working with a full-time entertainer who depends on how happy you are with the entertainment for his/her income is one sure-fire way to ensure that they have your best interests at heart.
Instead of returning to their day job Monday morning, their guarantee that they have a sustainable income is making sure that they have done everything possible to master all the tasks required to make your wedding entertainment a success.
There is a lot more to being a professional than meets the eye, and the ability to play or sing is just the tip of the iceberg!
- Part-time or 'sometimes' entertainers, DJs, and musicians with 'day jobs' are very rarely involved in coordinating the music for weddings. They have no motivation to. The norm for a part-timer is that they expect to roll up and do their standard song list as they do, and have you direct them through the course of events.
A full-time professional however, will be able to guide you through the course of events during the evening so you can relax and enjoy - just as you are supposed to do. Never be afraid to ask an entertainer to plan the sequence of events for your evening for you. If they cant, and at no extra cost, then you should wonder how smoothly your celebrations will go.
- Part timers, or musicians/DJs with a 'day job' may very well be out of touch with the needs of the bride. Their day is spent thinking about what they do, as a hairdresser or a mechanic, or troubles at the office. There is usually little space in their day to think about researching most romantic song lists, or studying how sound works in a room full of people, or considering all the details a bride needs to take care of, and how to help make the bride's preparations easier.
It is likely they will also be unsure of wedding protocols and proceedings, and ill-equipped to meet the needs of wedding guests throughout the ceremony and reception.
- Have they got proven and checkable history in wedding entertainment?
- A proven history in entertainment means that you will be able to look them up or find out about them relatively easily. You should at least get them at number 1 by "Googling" their name. Try "Richie Robinson" for example. Better known and more established artists can handle a broader search even in the face of stiff competition. Try Googling "Jazz Guitar Adelaide" now that the Adelaide International Guitar Festival has provided major competition.
- Experience and commitment in any field is often recognisable by the development of a unique product, service, or tool to assist the clientele. Knowing this will help you to see how Wedding Music SA has to "raised the bar" on the quality of wedding music services available to you. Two services that we have developed are the Sortable Wedding Song list, and our Online Wedding Music Planners and Booking Forms. Moreover, we are the first music organisation in Australia (at the time of this writing) that can lead you through all you need to know to make your wedding music a complete success, where you deal directly with the musicians from the word "GO", and, to make it even easier for you, you can now pay securely online! - You get a completely comprehensive service covering every aspect of your wedding music and entertainment without ever have to leave your computer!
- Testimonials are a great source of information. Clients need to feel satisfied enough to put their thoughts in writing.
- If you can trust your entertainer to know all the answers to your questions regarding wedding protocols associated with music, such as "Processional" or "Grand Entrance", or advice on song choices for any of these, then you are on a winner!
NEGATIVES
- An add in a wedding directory does not necessarily point out a professional wedding entertainer, it is simply a paid listing. It tells you no more about the entertainer in real terms, than working out what a cake tastes like by looking at it. Check the written content, the MP3s, and cross referencing you'll find about them from there to get an indication of their experience and suitability.
- Can you chat with them directly on all matters regarding your wedding entertainment?
POSITIVES
- It is likely to be very important to you to be able to chat with the entertainer or musical director leading up your big day. There can be a lot of stress for brides in this period, and being able to phone at any reasonable time to see if all is going as planned can be a welcome relief. A professional will let you know they are available, both by phone and by a legitimate business email address, and they will return any missed calls promptly.
- When you ring, you may possibly find them working on your song request and be able to hear the progress on the phone.
- Direct chat means that there is no communication breakdown. Always aim for this. To communicate with an established professional, simply type their name into google. If they are too hard to find they are probably not professional enough for your occasion. You can test this by googling "Richie Robinson".
NEGATIVES
- If your entertainer has only a Hotmail or Yahoo! email account, this is an indication of their commitment to providing a professional service. Professionals in this day and age will have at the very minimum a website with MP3 samples for you to check out, and a professional email address associated with it.
- When you ring and you can't talk because the entertainer is "at work" doing their day job, you will know they're not a full-time performer and wedding professional working on your bridal request.....
- Will the stage presentation be second-to-none with no messy instruments or cables running this way and that across the floor?
- Will the sound equipment be top-quality, commercial grade gear, set up by a professional for both sound and aesthetics?
- Will the musicians dress to compliment your theme?
- How do they interact with you and your guests?
- Are they sober, dignified, respectful and friendly individuals?
- Can they MC the celebration for you if required?
- Will the announcements be handled professionally?
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Go back to tips list.
HOW TO FORMAT YOUR ENTERTAINMENT TO SUIT YOUR WEDDING
Go back to tips list. Coming Soon!
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Hi I began playing music for an income at age 14, and have been a full-time professional entertainer all my adult life.
As a guitarist and musical director, I have performed at many, many weddings, corporate functions, and for a growing number of Australian dignitaries.
Currently I perform 3 to 4 times a week, though in peak periods have done 12 4-hour shows a week on a consistent basis.
My professional studio background includes independent releases, audio productions for radio and television, and producing artists for record labels.
My live production background includes working with stage and sound systems for Billy Joel, Elton John, Michael Jackson, Tool, Fat Boy Slim, and many more as they have passed through Adelaide.
So, in short, I can provide proven expert advice on wedding proceedings, music choices, sound systems, musicians and instrumentation.
I'll provide links for you whereever I can so you can utilise my connections and experience, and if you need to know more, you can always contact me with a question.
Warm and Sincere Regards as Always,
Richie Robinson.
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