We are often asked about the structure of the evening reception at a Wedding. Of course, there are no rules as such but for those who want some guidance, here are some ideas.
If you have your Wedding Breakfast in a separate room to your Evening Reception then the band would usually set up discreetly whilst you are eating. If your Wedding Breakfast and Evening Reception are in the same room, then you will of course need to organise either the band getting there early and setting up, or allowing time for the band to set up after the meal whilst the room is being turned around. If you don’t have the option of two separate rooms, then the turn around period can work really nicely after the meal, the bride and groom could move into another area, or outside if its sunny, this gives a good opportunity for people to chat, let their food go down and also welcome the evening guests whilst the room is being changed around.
The band usually needs approximately 45 minutes to an hour to set up and sound check, after which we will play some appropriate background music to warm the atmosphere a little before the live music.
We always advise to start the Evening Reception as late as possible so that everyone is ready for dancing and your live music isn’t wasted. People often under estimate how important this gap is in-between the meal and the dancing, often weddings run late because the Bride & Groom are still trying to say hello to so many people. If the evening guests arrive at 7pm, we would usually aim for an 8.30pm start at the very earliest, however if you can push it back to nearer 9pm, then we find guests are more willing to dance the night away! It does depend of course on what the itinerary is for the evening.
If you don't have a Master of Ceremonies, then the Funky Buddha Band can announce various points in the evening for you, the first dance, the cutting of the cake, buffet, fire last orders etc.
We like to play the bride and grooms first dance live if possible followed immediately by the first set, this is a good idea as guests have usually joined the bride and groom on the dance floor, and are ready to start partying!
The first live set is usually an hour, after which the band will play a DJ set until the final live hour of music. If you have some of your own music on an ipod for the non live sections, then we can play that through our PA, no problem.
The cutting of the cake can happen at various points in the evening. The most popular is right before the first dance. This works really well because all your guests will gather round to see you cut the cake, and then be there ready to see the first dance. It is such a shame when guests miss the first dance if they don’t know it is happening.
If you are worried about your first dance, and not comfortable with just 2 of you on the dance floor for a whole song, why not invite key members of the Wedding party to join you. It always works really well when a Bride & Groom welcomes people onto the dance floor during their first dance. This kicks off the evening entertainment with a bang.
It is important to bear in mind any other factors you have going on that evening,and perhaps arrange the bands playing time around them. So for example, if you have an evening buffet or Fireworks, we are very happy to work with you so that everything runs as smoothly as possible.
Have a think about how you want to end the evening. Tradition is that the Bride & Groom leave before the guests. If you do a big exit, it is a really nice way to end the Wedding and say goodbye to all your guests, however a lot of Bride & Grooms prefer to stay right until the end. If you do decide on an exit song, think about whether you might want the band to play it live, or have one of your favourite artists songs, however walking through the traditional Wedding Arch does take a lot of time so bear this in mind, we would advise leaving at least 5 minutes for this!!
You will also need to check with your venue what time live music must end. In some hotels all live music must finish by 11am, but most will allow a midnight finish. There might also be a sound limiter, this will cut all power to the stage if the noise level is too high for too long. Although we are very used to playing with sound limiters, and they do serve a very useful purpose, it is always a good idea to let us know in advance so that we can adjust our settings.
The Funky Buddha Band has performed at many venues and occasions over the years, and we have a wealth of knowledge and experience when it comes to Weddings and corporate events. You can be assured that our professional attitude and approach will help your special event run as smoothly as possible.
If you have your Wedding Breakfast in a separate room to your Evening Reception then the band would usually set up discreetly whilst you are eating. If your Wedding Breakfast and Evening Reception are in the same room, then you will of course need to organise either the band getting there early and setting up, or allowing time for the band to set up after the meal whilst the room is being turned around. If you don’t have the option of two separate rooms, then the turn around period can work really nicely after the meal, the bride and groom could move into another area, or outside if its sunny, this gives a good opportunity for people to chat, let their food go down and also welcome the evening guests whilst the room is being changed around.The band usually needs approximately 45 minutes to an hour to set up and sound check, after which we will play some appropriate background music to warm the atmosphere a little before the live music.
We always advise to start the Evening Reception as late as possible so that everyone is ready for dancing and your live music isn’t wasted. People often under estimate how important this gap is in-between the meal and the dancing, often weddings run late because the Bride & Groom are still trying to say hello to so many people. If the evening guests arrive at 7pm, we would usually aim for an 8.30pm start at the very earliest, however if you can push it back to nearer 9pm, then we find guests are more willing to dance the night away! It does depend of course on what the itinerary is for the evening.
If you don't have a Master of Ceremonies, then the Funky Buddha Band can announce various points in the evening for you, the first dance, the cutting of the cake, buffet, fire last orders etc.
We like to play the bride and grooms first dance live if possible followed immediately by the first set, this is a good idea as guests have usually joined the bride and groom on the dance floor, and are ready to start partying!
The first live set is usually an hour, after which the band will play a DJ set until the final live hour of music. If you have some of your own music on an ipod for the non live sections, then we can play that through our PA, no problem. The cutting of the cake can happen at various points in the evening. The most popular is right before the first dance. This works really well because all your guests will gather round to see you cut the cake, and then be there ready to see the first dance. It is such a shame when guests miss the first dance if they don’t know it is happening.
If you are worried about your first dance, and not comfortable with just 2 of you on the dance floor for a whole song, why not invite key members of the Wedding party to join you. It always works really well when a Bride & Groom welcomes people onto the dance floor during their first dance. This kicks off the evening entertainment with a bang.
It is important to bear in mind any other factors you have going on that evening,and perhaps arrange the bands playing time around them. So for example, if you have an evening buffet or Fireworks, we are very happy to work with you so that everything runs as smoothly as possible.
Have a think about how you want to end the evening. Tradition is that the Bride & Groom leave before the guests. If you do a big exit, it is a really nice way to end the Wedding and say goodbye to all your guests, however a lot of Bride & Grooms prefer to stay right until the end. If you do decide on an exit song, think about whether you might want the band to play it live, or have one of your favourite artists songs, however walking through the traditional Wedding Arch does take a lot of time so bear this in mind, we would advise leaving at least 5 minutes for this!!
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| Funky Buddha in full swing |
You will also need to check with your venue what time live music must end. In some hotels all live music must finish by 11am, but most will allow a midnight finish. There might also be a sound limiter, this will cut all power to the stage if the noise level is too high for too long. Although we are very used to playing with sound limiters, and they do serve a very useful purpose, it is always a good idea to let us know in advance so that we can adjust our settings.
The Funky Buddha Band has performed at many venues and occasions over the years, and we have a wealth of knowledge and experience when it comes to Weddings and corporate events. You can be assured that our professional attitude and approach will help your special event run as smoothly as possible.
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