As a Singing Waiter, I attend a large number of weddings every year and whilst pretending to blend in with a venue’s staff; it does tend to give you a unique insight into a wedding day. I am happy to share my three top-tips that I have learnt through infiltrating hundreds of events!
Music during reception drinks.
In my opinion this is the most common mistake made by couples planning their big day. Often the two hour period of reception drinks following the ceremony can become a tedious waiting period as guests sit around until it’s time to sit for the wedding breakfast. It is so important to have some kind of music to create an atmosphere with live music having the greatest impact. I am often amazed at the number of weddings that don’t even have simple background music playing. I always recommend arranging your own CD or playlist to set a nice atmosphere as relying on the venue to choose appropriate tunes could be musical suicide. You want your reception drinks to be a fun part of your day and not just a stop-gap; think about interesting music such as a steel band, string quartet, jazz trio or similar – you will find your guests will be enjoying the party and not waiting around.
Speeches are better at the end of the wedding breakfast.
More frequently I am finding couples make the decision to have their speeches first i.e. as soon as they sit for the wedding breakfast. In my opinion this is not the best time for it. I do understand that when nervous it can seem like a great idea to “get them out of the way” but allow everyone to eat, relax and have a few glasses of wine first. Speeches will be better received and are the perfect ending to your wedding breakfast rather than letting it fizzle out.
Be different and unique
This sounds pretty vague but to me it is really important. When you reach a certain age then you find yourself going to more and more weddings each year and they can often blur into one. You want to ensure that your wedding stands out but also reflects you as a couple. Be individual – do not conform to things that you think you should be doing and have the confidence to be different. There are a host of entertainment ideas that can really make you stand-out and make your wedding the most memorable of the year – Singing Waiters perhaps?
