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Simon Brewis is registered and qualified with the Fellowship of Professional Celebrants  www.professionalcelebrants.org.uk

Get the wedding exactly how you want by choosing a competent wedding celebrant who will be perfect for your dream wedding day.

Our professional celebrant service will facilitate you and your partner to create your ideal wedding ceremony and guarantee the day goes exactly as planned.

If you are lost for creative ideas to make your big day even more magical then we will help with the planning to make sure your day has everything that it needs to bring a special part of both your characters into the mix making for a day of beauty.

We are now taking bookings.

Please call directly on: 07793 824998 

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The Big Wedding Entertainment Question: To hire a DJ or a Band?

When organising a wedding there are many important decisions to be made. One of which involves deciding what entertainment you want to make your day unforgettable and to ensure everybody has a magical time.

In this article we will look at whether a wedding dj or a band is best for your big day. I will try to be as unbiased as possible to help you decide what will be best for you. There are certain points that make choosing a DJ best, whilst on the other hand there are also good points for hiring a live band.

I know that weddings can be expensive and therefore hiring both a DJ and live band cannot be financially viable, so I will try my best to offer some tips and steer you to what might be best for you and your partner’s wedding. After working with many live bands and acts at weddings I have a good understanding of the pros and cons.

Hiring a Live Band

Hiring a professional band that has much experience and uses a range of instruments can add a nice touch, as it provides a unique backdrop as well as the live music they play will help bring the venue to life. Hiring a band gives an xfactor and creates much interest for guests on the day.

If you find a great band they can help get people more involved in the wedding as they provide a more tangible feel to the day. If the couple who are getting married both have a favourite band they can afford, trust and rely on then a band might be the right option.

However, if the band that is hired is unfamiliar with the couple then there are many things to check. These include:

• Has the band sat down to create a set list with you?
• Bands will have limitations in what they can actually play, so ensure that you make sure before hiring that they can play all the music you want played.
• Who will control the sound levels of each instrument playing in the band. Most bands will be able to solve issues, but nonetheless this is something to think about, as it could potentially ruin your wedding party if the sound of the guitar overpowers the singer.
• There are other aspects of the wedding that a DJ would usually help with including supplying a PA system, managing sound levels for speeches and also who will manage other equipment especially when equipment fails on the day – who will quickly resolve these technical issues?

Hiring a Wedding DJ

A great wedding DJ will be professional and well experienced which will give the happy couple peace of mind that everything will run smoothly in terms of music, timing, sound levels and equipment. This in itself can be a huge benefit for any couple trying to minimise unnecessary stress levels.

It’s much easier for one professional DJ to manage the wedding music and events. It’s always advisable to find a DJ with a good personalty in order to entertain and interact with guests, as well as being able to play the right song at the right time, which bands can struggle to do. On the other hand avoid cheesy, arrogant DJs that can end up adding to the stress level gauge.

DJs can play a huge range of music ranging from all the couples’ favourites as well as all the guests favourites from RNB, rock, indie, pop and obviously much more. Therefore if you quickly want to change the theme of the music out of the blue, then this is entirely possible with a DJ.

Additionally a good DJ can create loops and add fading effects, which can nicely connect each song so that there are no long gaps between tracks. Another thing that a DJ can do is leave his laptop on autoplay to allow he or she to talk to important people such as the Bride and Groom and people involved in speeches and other important parts of the day that gives the DJ better coordination ability.

Live bands might have a more tangible feel and add a different dimension to the day, but they might struggle if you need to quickly change up the music theme. Another thing to note about live bands is there might be long silences as the band members prepare for the next song.

One extra point is if you are catering for a band you will have more than one head to feed, usually a lot more than one! A DJ is only one head to think about for catering arrangements meaning that this can trim money off the catering costs.

Still Undecided?

I hope that some of the points made above will help you decide what wedding entertainment option will be best for you. No matter what you choose a very sound piece of advice is to meet with the DJ or band to get a feel for the level of professionalism, experience and personality of who you will hire. This will help you find the perfect entertainer that matches your expectations.

If you think that a DJ might be the best option for your special day, then I would love to hear from you. Please call me on  07793 824998 or drop me an email info@simonbrewisweddingdj.co.uk for a friendly chat to see if we will be a good match for your wedding entertainment requirements.

Wedding entertainment is definitely one of the fun parts of the big day, but unfortunately hiring the wedding DJ can prove to be a difficult and very not fun process with so many uncertainties looming. There are indeed many things you must find out before hiring, but what is crucial when finding the right DJ for your wedding is to simply meet and interview them before making the decision to get a real feel for what the person is about.

From my years of experience Djing at weddings and talking to many newly weds about the success of their wedding entertainment I have discovered couples who take the time to properly screen the potential DJs have a much higher success rate of finding the right person for the entertainment. A wedding is a personal event and so should be the preparation for it, especially when deciding who will work with you on the day.

From my experience couples get much more information from the DJ when they meet in person apposed to a load of back and forth emails where communication is rather closed and gives no opportunity to freely open up and discuss any concerns etc.

The most important part of meeting in person is that you will get to experience the DJ first hand letting you get an understanding of personality, confidence, appearance and much more, which will give you a real feel for whether this is the right or wrong person for working at your wedding.

Some Other Tips to Help Find the Right Wedding DJ:

• Check Testimonials and References: If you can contact references that the DJ gives you from previous Brides and Grooms they have worked with, then this will give you invaluable knowledge.

• Referrals: Like references referrals are a great way to find out if the DJ is good or not. After all they have seen the DJ first hand or have been recommended by someone else who has had a positive experience with them.

• Make Sure Not to Scrimp on the DJ: Like anything else in life you get what you pay for; therefore if you want a quality DJ the price is going to be usually higher than a less professional one.

• Interview the DJ: As mentioned above it’s vital to meet the DJ in person; this means the same DJ that will be at your wedding and not the company representing the DJ. You don’t want somebody turning up who you haven’t met yet!

Asking the Right Questions

I’ve stressed the importance of meeting the DJ face to face throughout this article and explained that you will learn loads from sitting down for a small amount of time together and chatting, but what are the essential questions to ask?

Here’s a list of a few questions that should help:

How many years experience do you have being a wedding DJ?

Do you have availability on my wedding day date?

How early do you arrive to setup?

Do you provide all the required equipment?

Can you provide a master of ceremonies/compère service?

Can you provide services for the entire day or only the reception?

How much is the entire cost?

Will there be any additional costs?

Is there a deposit and how do I make payment?

Do you have backup equipment in case anything malfunctions?

Will you take music requests on the day?

Can we work together to create a playlist?

What kind of clothing do you wear?

Good Luck in Your Search

I hope this helps you to choose the perfect DJ for your wedding. A quality DJ is an essential part of making a wedding perfect, so planning is key!

If you would like to meet for a coffee and to discuss some of the points mentioned in this article, then I would love to hear from you. Please call me on 07793 824998 or drop me an email info@simonbrewisweddingdj.co.uk for a friendly chat to see if we will be a good match for your wedding entertainment requirements.

Northumberland is one of the most beautiful counties in England. Mainly known for it’s breathtaking coastline, luscious green country side and historical castles. So when it comes to choosing a wedding venue in Northumberland you don’t need to look far to find a perfect venue that will give you that special location you’ve always been dreaming of for your big day.

There is so much to plan in order to get your wedding just the way you want it. You need to consider invites, catering, wedding DJ, first dance, speeches and of course location on top of many other things!

The venue of your wedding is perhaps one of the most important decisions that need to be made in order to ensure your day amounts to everything you ever dreamed of. This is because it will be the backdrop for all the other important decisions that you make that will shape your wedding day.

So where are some of the best wedding venues in Northumberland?

1. Bamburgh Castle

Using Bamburgh Castle as your wedding venue gives you not only a jaw dropping backdrop with amazing scenery, but it also gives you real Northumbrian history making Bambrugh Castle one of the top venues in Northumberland.

2. Doxford Hall

Doxford Hall has become a very popular wedding venue lately, due to the beautiful hall built in 1818. This top wedding venue is also nestled in Northumberland being only a short distance from the historic Dunstanburgh Castle.

Matfen Hall

Situated in 300 acres of gorgeous Northumbrian countryside Matfen Hall is truly a 5 star venue to host a wedding. Matfen Hall is only 20 minutes away from Newcastle making it very popular for both Northumbrian and Newcastle couples.

Other Northumbrian Wedding Venues

Above are three popular wedding venues, but there are many more locations across the county that have been backdrops to special wedding days and loads more to come:

• Alnwick Garden
• Berwick Town Hall
• Dissington Hall
• Ellingham Hall
• Kirkley Hall
• Langley Castle
• Lindisfarne Castle
• Slaley Hall
• Woodhorn Colliery Museum

Your Big Day

There is no doubt that Northumberland is not only a good part of England to have your wedding, but is an excellent place containing many venues that will make your day unforgettable.

If you are looking for a wedding venue in Northumberland then Doxford Hall or Doxford Barn could be the place for your big day!

With both being situated in beautiful countryside and promising an enjoyable and memorable day, which one is right for you?

Doxford Barn

When it comes to rural beauty, Doxford barn is head and shoulders above most venues. Nestled away in the Northumbrian countryside and adjacent to a picturesque lake, this venue has the wow factor.

The barn itself has a unique, magical feel that helps make a wedding day unique and therefore that much more memorable. The barn seats over 150 guests for the day ceremony and up to 250 for the evening giving ample space to have a fantastic time with all your loved ones.

Additionally there is the The Farmhouse Lawns for speeches and refreshments; a fully stocked bar, as well as a place named ‘The Forge’, which gives the bride a place to relax before the ceremony commences.

Doxford Hall

On the other hand Doxford Hall boasts real prestige being one of the hotels in the UK to be given the prestigious 4 Red Star award. Doxford Hall was also built by the famous architect John Dobson giving this magical location extra appeal with it’s amazing design and history.

The venue has a selection of different sized rooms to choose from ranging from large groups (200 guests) to smaller weddings (130 guests).

On top of this Doxford Hall provides a mouth watering wedding menu that will be sure to please all guests. And if you want to unwind before or after your wedding then you will be in the right place as Doxford Spa will take care of all your relaxation needs.

Which Venue?

So now that you have a little taster of each venue the question is (if you decide Doxford is for you) which is best for you? I think it’s fair to say both Doxford Barn and Doxford Hall will act as the perfect backdrop to any couple’s wedding day in beautiful Northumberland.