If you’re interested in making a booking a wedding guitarist, you might be curious about exactly what goes into making your day a success. There’s a lot more to it than simply turning up and playing a few pieces of music. Here’s a little insight into the working life of a wedding musician.

Consultation and Booking

The initial consultation is what follows after you’ve submitted a quote request or sent me an email. I’ll get in touch to confirm the quote and discuss the details or your wedding. If you’d like to go ahead and make a booking then I send you the booking contract plus another form to enter all of your requirements and song requests. I’ll make sure you’ve got an up to date repertoire list to choose from. In addition to returning the booking forms, you’re also required to make a £50 deposit at this stage. The deposit secures the date in my diary.

Preparation

After you’ve made a booking I will begin preparing any special requests. This includes arranging any specially requested songs outside my current repertoire and practicing any uncommon song choices. I don’t get chance to play every song I know at every gig, which means there are some songs which go unplayed for weeks or months at a time. If you’ve chosen one of these for your wedding then I make sure I’ve got it practiced up to the highest standard so that I play it flawlessly on your wedding day.

Pre Gig Checks

I take most of my bookings months in advance and details are subject to change. This is why I always ask my clients to fill out the initial booking form so that I have something on file. Not all couples have decided on exactly which songs they want on their wedding day at the point of booking. That’s why I always check my paperwork a few weeks before the wedding to make sure I have something written down for each part of the wedding. If any details are missing I get in touch with the client to discuss their requirements again and note any additions or changes.

As well as checking the details with the client, I also do a few routine checks to make sure everything is in order. I visit the venue’s website to get directions and a postcode for the sat nav. I also routinely test my equipment between gigs to make sure everything is in working order and replace batteries where necessary.

On The Day

The big day has arrived! I do a final check to make sure I’ve packed all of the correct equipment before loading it all into the car. I always aim to arrive at least an hour before I’m due to play so that I have time to set up and run a sound check. I also add on an additional 50% of the estimated travel time in case I hit traffic. So for example, if the journey is estimated to take 2 hours, I make sure I leave 3 hours of travel time. This extra time is rarely needed and I always arrive very early at the venue. Once I arrive at the venue I get myself set up and run my sound check. This usually takes around 20-30 minutes. I’ve usually set up and sound checked with about an hour and a half to spare. I run through a few tunes and get my fingers warmed up. After that I simply wait for my cue and begin playing.

After I’ve performed all of my sets I quietly pack up my equipment and load it into the car. Usually there is something still happening like the final part of the wedding breakfast etc so I make sure to do this as quickly and quietly as possible so that I don’t disrupt the rest of your meal. If the speeches are about to take place I leave my equipment where it is and simply pack up afterwards.

Having packed up I usually try to find you to say my goodbyes and collect my balancing payment. This isn’t always possible, as sometimes you’ll be otherwise engaged with guests or off somewhere enjoying you wedding (as you should be!) If this is the case then I’ll see myself out and catch up with you another day via email or phone.

All that’s left for me to do is drive home, unload the car and stick the kettle on.

I always try to send a follow up email after the big day to make sure you were happy with everything. If you enjoyed the music and were happy with my performance then I always appreciate clients leaving some feedback. There is a special web page where you can do this should you wish to do so. Good reviews help me to secure future bookings so I always really appreciate it when clients take a minute to leave a bit of feedback.

And that’s it! If you have any questions or comments please post them in the comments box below…