You may well be congratulating yourselves on how perfect the place settings are and how coolly coordinating the colour scheme is. Beyond the appearance of your wedding, however, there's another sense that often gets entirely overlooked: the sound.
Kirstin Prisk
Music is more than mere minutiae. It can make or break the moment, be it the bride's grand entrance, the signing of the register or the first dance. Select your soundtrack with care in order to avoid a poor party atmosphere and a cringeworthy play list that will leave the dance floor bare and effectively assassinate the celebratory mood.
One way to guarantee good vibes is to get your guests grooving with a fun and ambient mix of music that complements each stage of the day, reflecting your tastes and accommodating those of everyone else. With many couples requesting their guests' favourite tracks, others are using multiple musicians to guarantee an eclectic mix that echoes both the style of the wedding and the varied tastes of the partygoers. Ultimately, the song list should reflect the personalities of the bride and groom; but, in order to get the party started, it's worth thinking about pleasing others when picking your top tunes. And what a varied selection there is...
Khalile Siddiqui
Elastic Lounge
Creating the right atmosphere for your ceremony and reception is on many brides and grooms' minds. Live music? A DJ? A band? Whether you envisage a harpist playing gentle melodies as you sign the register, or even a big band performance for you to walk back down the aisle to, it's well known that having the right music can add the perfect ambiance to an already flawless day. But unless you know the music industry well, or spend hours and hours researching, it can be difficult to book a musician who will complement the vision you have planned for your wedding day.
www.cornwallmusic.co.uk
Best for: ceremony, drinks reception, evening party
Offbeat entertainment
Offbeat Entertainment is a Devon based DJ performance duo that specialise exclusively in wedding receptions. We build and perform bespoke DJ sets, which cater specifically for the newlyweds and their guests. We endeavour to transform the chosen reception venue into a spectacular and elegant space where people will happily dance the night away to great music!
www.offbeatentertainment.co.uk
Best for: evening party
Leigh Delamare
Cornwall-based pianist, accordionist, guitarist and vocalist Leigh Delamare offers a vast range of material from ragtime and boogie-woogie to waltzes and bossa novas, as well as gypsy obscurities and over eight decades of pop. For background music or the rowdiest of gypsy hoedowns, he's available as a solo act or with the Gordano Skifflers - throwing tea-chest bass, banjo, washboard, violin and harmonica into the mix.
www.leigh-delamere.co.uk
Best for: drinks reception, pre-disco evening party
The Grace Notes
The Grace Notes is a quartet that incorporates bass, drums and piano with the rich vocals of sassy songstress Ley Adewole. This talented foursome offers a wide repertoire of Motown, disco, funk and jazz. Award-winning singer Ley has worked alongside the likes of Stevie Wonder and Diana Ross, while accomplished pianist Richard Penrose has performed in concerts with James Morrison and Tommy Smith. Together as a duo, or forming their fabulous four-piece - they make a formidable musical force for a stellar, smooth sound.
www.gracenotesuk.com
Best for: ceremony, drinks reception, evening party
Grace Notes
Great Little Band
The Great Little Band are Cornwall's good vibe duo. Brothers Dave and Mart have incredible harmonies over sublime guitars and piano. The brothers are also available as a fantastic 4 piece band if desired. After performing together for 15 years, both acts are full of classic songs and delivered with great energy.
www.thegreatlittleband.co.uk
Best for: drinks reception, pre-evening party
Classical Strings
Have your favourite songs played by a string quartet, trio or solo violin and revel in the romance of love's timeless tracks. This talented group can arrange a mix of music by any artist from Adele to Abba, and even surprise movie fans with melodies from Star Wars and Jurassic Park. Merging classic with modern music, audiences across the county have been impressed with a range of genres that includes Lionel Richie and Tchaikovsky. You can also enlist the silky vocal skills of soprano, Maria Heseltine, whose notable operatic roles have fine-tuned her expertise.
www.classicalstrings.co.uk
Best for: ceremony, drinks reception
Classical Strings
Fistral Stereo
If you're looking for a DJ for your wedding or event in Cornwall, then you've come to the right place! It can be a daunting prospect, getting the music right for your guests... but that's what I'm here for! ;) If you're like me, you've probably been to plenty of weddings where the music has been... let's say 'dated'. Well it's about time you got something better, much cooler and more modern for your money.
www.fistralstereo.com
Best for: Drinks reception, evening party
Pam Adams Celtic Harp
Enrich your wedding atmosphere with experienced harpist Pam Adams, who creates a soft, melodic background for a multitude of poignant moments, such as the arrival of the guests or the signing of the register. Her Salvi Electroacoustic Egan provides an unrivalled acoustic sound, perfect for an atmosphere of pure elegance. With an extensive repertoire, including Celtic, contemporary, classic and Christian, Pam can accommodate a variety of genres and special requests.
www.pamscelticharp.co.uk
Best for: ceremony, drinks reception
The Brim
Specialising in interceltic ceilidhs (barn dances), The Brim deliver an energetic performance, guaranteed to get guests on their feet for a toe-tapping frenzy. Whether an intimate acoustic set is required or a large, foot-stomping flurry, The Brim performs their boundless supply of brilliant beats with passion. Courtesy of a piano accordion and guitar, a mix of modern and contemporary folk music can be expected, including jigs and reels, that will set alight the hearts of the gathered revellers... and possibly their feet!
www.thebrimmusic.com
Best for: evening reception
Twin Harmony
The enchanting voices of twin sisters Jenna and Morwenna Matthews seamlessly blend to create an entrancing harmony that guarantees goosebumps. The experienced duo performs a range of songs, from classic and contemporary love songs and show tunes to traditional hymns and Cornish ballads. Both thrilling and mesmerising, Twin Harmony give a performance of such purity, the audience cannot help but be drawn into the nostalgia of our heritage and the romance of the day.
07742 281723
Best for: ceremony, drinks reception
Kernow Groove
Masterminds of party music, Kernow Groove offers an experienced DJ service as well as jukebox hire for a real retro vibe. Their classic centerpiece coolly catapults jukebox technology into the 21st century with a Wurlitzer style sound system, and lists every UK Top 40 track since 1952 to the current charts, which amounts to over 32,000 songs. Boasting cutting-edge sound quality and tantalising touch screen, the jukebox looks as stunning as it sounds, with atmospheric internal lighting and bubbles. Your guests will relish browsing a range of categories to find their favourite tunes; alternatively, personally programme a playlist yourselves for one memorable and body-popping party.
www.kernowgroove.co.uk
Best for: Drinks reception, evening party
Khalile Siddiqui
GOING FOR A SONG
Choose music that typifies your relationship for the climactic moments of the day. We asked some readers and industry experts to offer their top song tips...
THE CEREMONY
'Signed, Sealed Delivered' - Stevie Wonder
'Canon in D Major' - Pachelbel
'Treulich Geführt (Here Comes the Bride) - Wagner
'Wedding March - Mendelssohn
'We Have all the Time in the World' - Louis Armstrong
'Can't Help Falling in Love' - Elvis Presley
'For Once in my Life' - Stevie Wonder
'How Sweet it is (to be Loved by You) - James Taylor
'It Had to be You' - Harry Connick Jr.
'Somewhere Over the Rainbow' - Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
'Marry Me' - Train
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Savvie Photography
THE FIRST DANCE
'Be Your Husband' - Jeff Buckley
'At Last' - Etta James
'Songbird' - Eva Cassidy
'Stand By Me' - Ben E. King
'One Day Like This' - Elbow
'Thank You' - Led Zeppelin
'Crazy Little Thing Called Love' - Queen
'Better Together' - Jack Johnson
'Fly Me to the Moon' - Frank Sinatra
'You are the Sunshine of my Life' - Stevie Wonder
'(I've Had) the Time of my Life' - Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes
'I'm Yours' - Jason Mraz
'Chasing Cars' - Snow Patrol
'Cannonball' - Damien Rice
'You Give Me Something' - James Morrison
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Savvie Photography
Top tips for top tunes
Practise makes PA perfect... Test out your PA announcements to check the acoustics, voice and volume.
Make music, not war... Don't enrage locals living in the area or breach sound restrictions - and check with your venue about licences and closing times.
Watch the clock... Ensure everything is in place for each section of the day's soundtrack and delegate the responsibility of keeping to the schedule.
Be prepared... Contingency plans are a must. If the DJ has forgotten all his LPs or the band cancel at the last minute, ensure you have a pre-programmed iPod or CDs as back-up.
Band aid... The band / DJ should liaise with you to discuss sound levels and floor plans to assess space, speaker distribution, wires and safety. Some venues will only allow entertainment suppliers who have electrically tested equipment or public liability insurance.
words Hannah May
Copyright WED Magazine 2012
