I’ve got my first wedding gig coming up on Saturday and could really do with some advice to help calm my nerves. I know other than a few key announcements that wedding gigs are not all that different to any other gigs…. But this one is a little quirky by most standards and I’m feeling more anxious than usual.

Here’s the background….

The groom is from Sheffield and his bride-to-be is from New York. Both have pretty eclectic musical tastes! I’ve been told that I can’t play any contemporary pop of any description. I’ve been provided most of the songs on the playlist, and there are a significant number of them which I don’t know and that don’t appear to be particularly dancey. There is a mixed bag of post-rock, alternative, hip-hop and electronica including songs by artists including The Beastie Boys, The Pixies, Public Enemy, DJ Shadow, Souls of Mischief, Royksopp, Robyn, Scroobius Pip, Prodigy, Orbital and Elbow. As there will be a lot of the brides family visiting from America for the first time they also want a selection of songs showcasing Sheffield’s musical history so there will be some songs by Arctic Monkeys, Pulp, Longpigs, Heaven 17 etc thrown in there.

As things stand at the moment I’ve got most of the music sorted, much of which I’ve had to buy specifically for this gig. I’ve bought myself a Chauvet Obey 10 DMX controller so that I can control the lights for the first dance and I’m having problems with it. That will be the subject of another thread and if anyone is good with DMX and/or has knowledge of this controller I’d appreciate your help!

The gig has been booked through an agency and it is the first job I’m doing for them so I’m effectively on trial and future bookings could rest on how well this one goes, which adds to the pressure. On top of that the gig is in Sheffield city centre and coincides with the annual Tramlines festival so the place is likely to be heaving. The venue doesn’t have any parking so I have to pull onto the pavement, unload my gear and then hope that I can find a parking space within reasonable walking distance. I have a nagging feeling that this could be a problem. I haven’t been in the venue (I tried but it was closed) and won’t get a chance to now before Saturday so don’t know what area I’ve got to set up in or what the layout of the room is.

I have spoken on the phone with the groom but haven’t met the bride. They will be arriving at approximately 4pm and want to walk in to ‘Sabotage’ by The Beastie Boys (told you they were quirky!). After that they want me to play chillout/background music for the next few hours while they have the meal (6pm) before starting the evening disco sometime around 7.30-8pm. This will run until midnight with ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ by Nirvana as the last song of the night.

So, here are some specific questions I could do with your thoughts on;

1. When the wedding party walks in to Sabotage should this be played at loud volume (or mid-level) and then instantly turned down to a much lower volume when I transition from that to the background music?
2. How will I know when they arrive? Do I wait until I can see them or get the venue manager/ other member of staff to give me the nod?
3. Should I be addressing the party at this stage or say nothing until after the meal when the evening disco starts so that I don’t detract from the bride and groom. If I should say something what sort of thing should I say?
4. Will I be expected to announce the speeches or do I leave that to the bride’s father and Best Man unless specifically asked to do so? (This hasn’t been discussed)
5. Do I need to collar the groom/bride/best man/bridesmaids prior to first dance to get the staging right for their entrance or does it not need to be that formal?
6. The first dance song by Elbow is nearly 7 minutes long and they have suggested that I invite the guests on to the dancefloor with them after the first couple of minutes. Am I better doing this before I start the song or during the song and has anyone got a suggested script for how to say this?
7. Assuming people respond to this request what sort of song should I play immediately after the first song? Another slow one or should I go for a big guaranteed floor-filler?
8. Should I look to get the less accessible songs out of the way early and leave the bigger more well-known songs for later in the night? Or would it be better to intersperse them throughout the night?
9. Should I discuss the playlist selection and the existence of the ‘Sheffield’ selection in my opening welcome introduction or while the first song of the selection is being played?
10. Am I right to be feeling nervous or should I just take it in my stride and try to enjoy the experience?


I know that is a lot of questions and to many on here they will be trivial things you just do without really thinking about them. Any thoughts on any of the above would be really helpful though so that I can plan in my head how it should go. I’m sure after this first one I will feel much more comfortable about it, but mic work is not my forte and I’m keen to do as good a job as I possibly can for them. I’d also be grateful for any general ‘Do’s’ and ‘Don’ts’ that you think I should be aware of for this and other future wedding gigs I do.