Playing at a private chateau in France. It was a beautiful day in June and I had been hired to travel over for the wedding. It was a fantastic event and all the guests were new friends of mine by the end of it.
Bohemian
Acoustic
Soulful
Singalong
Fun
I'm proud of the reputation I've built up over the years. Most of my bookings come from people who have seen me at a wedding or other event and would now like to book me for them. The people who have booked me usually end up as friends too, it's great to play for friendly people.
When picking the music for that accompanies the bride down the aisle, remember it's a very short walk! So if there's a particular part of the song you want to hear, tell the musician and they'll play just the part you need.
Go oldschool - put disposable cameras on all the tables is a fantastic way to collect memories of the day/night. The bride and groom will have such a busy day, they miss out on so many little things and this is just a great way to capture some moments that would otherwise have been missed.
Typically my process is:
- A couple contacts me with their date, venue and what parts of the day they'd like music for
- I check that they've seen my price list and I send my 'long list' of music
- The couple comes back to me with a shortlist of song they'd definitely like included, often including a couple of new requests
- I take a booking fee and we confirm the booking for a fantastic big day!
It just has to be something that means a lot to the happy couple. It doesn't matter what it is, as long as it's something that both people love.
I play music from across five decades but still the song that wins everyone over, in any situation, is...and you might be surprised...Take That, Back For Good!! You might think it's not your thing, but try not singing "Want you back, want you back, want you baaaack for gooood" when the whole room has their arms around each other and are singing their heads off.
The Eagles. Probably. I mean, I know all their songs so they'd take me, right?!
Oddly, I think the soundtrack to my life would be a mix of sixties and nineties music. That's a tough one though, there's so much great music out there!!