Venues and Live Music

I have been singing professionally all of my life and I run a very sucessful wedding band in Essex, called One Foot in the Groove. Some venues just aren't good for live music, so I thought I take this time to highlight a few things worth thinking about when you come to book your wedding venue.
Choosing a venue is one of the biggest decisions you will have to make when planning your wedding. If having a live band, or any kind of musical entertainment for that matter,  is important you should consider a few things.

Has it got a Sound limiter and what is it set at?

Bands hate them, although a top band should be able to deal with it. The problem is they are sometimes set very low according to council regulations and if the music gets too loud the power to the performing area will cut out. Not only does this kill the atmosphere at your wedding reception, but it can seriously damage the bands equipment. Discos aren't too bad with sound limiters as the sound is condensed before it goes into the limiter. You should disclose to your band if there is a limiter so they are prepared, some bands will refuse to play with them.

Will the music be in a seperate room?

As the manager of a band, there is nothing worse I get to a new venue to find that the band are in one room, the bar in another and the food somewhere else. Now whilst this lovely looking historical building might look gorgeous, will you be able to create an atmosphere? There are lots of venues in Essex that I know very well, that are like this. What happens, and its doesn't matter how great your band or DJ is, you will loose guests somewhere within the venue. The best venues for atmosphere are the ones where the bar, dance floor and food are all in one place, and there are plenty of fabulous venues in Essex like this, as there are across the country. I just know Essex very well.

Can you have a live band?

There are some venues that do not allow live music, or even dancing of any sort. Strange but true. Could be the floors, they don't want damaged, the ceiling, the neighbours, a whole host of reasons, but if you have set your heart on a live band at your wedding, its worth checking. There is one I know of in Essex that no longer allows live bands and there is a very famous castle, the setting for a well known Sunday night drama that is seriously thinking about not allowing dancing, unless you take your shoes off!

Live music in marquees

Marquees are great for live music because there are no acoustics so the band can get the sound just right. However, if the marquee is at yours or a family members house then you should remember a couple of things. Make sure there is a stable power supply to the marquee. You don't want it to cut out! Also make sure you have a flat area, ideally a stage for the band to set up on. If its uneven the musicians will struggle to play, especially the drummer. If you are not having a stage, leave enough space when putting in the dance floor for the band to set up, otherwise you'll have equipment all over the dance floor, which doesn't look great and is dangerous. Most bands will tell you, that the depth is the most important.

Just a few little things to think about if you want live music at your wedding. Happy planning.
By Louise Perry, One Foot in the Groove

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