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| Handy Tips for
a successful function |
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Planning a wedding is always a challenge.
Even when you have found a venue, there
are so many other things to decide upon
such as the menu, seating arrangements and
place cards, and the list goes on!
Due to our experience within this industry
we have been able to compile the following
handy tips, which include the following:
• Choice of music
• Positioning of the band
• Meals
• Guest seating
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When it comes to music, you can leave the details in our trusty hands. Something Purple’s repertoire consists of a variety of music to suit all ages and tastes, and we are very experienced at "reading" the crowd on the night and choosing material to suit. We are more than happy for couples to go through our repertoire and inform us of their favourite songs (and songs they dislike). We will also accommodate all your requests when working out the order of songs on the night. But remember, although it's your special day, our aim is to entertain ALL the guests. If there are certain songs that are proven "crowd pleasers" which are prohibited by the bride or groom we will have to consider the success of the function and play the song to keep the audience happy where we have many requests on the night (thankfully this is rarely an issue).
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If your chosen venue doesn't have a "stage", find out exactly where they plan to position the band. Ensure that there is enough room for the size of band you have booked. Also, find out if there are any loading instructions or access times, and let the band know with plenty of time to spare. |
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Please provide a Full Meal for each band member. Most wedding functions run from five to six hours, but from the band's point of view, travel time may be more than an hour each way, in addition to an hour or two setting up and packing up. This means we may be "on the job" for up to ten hours at a time. In consideration to our comfort during the strenuous task of performing, we ask you to ensure that we are well looked after with meals. Many venues offer couples a special "Band or Staff meal" at a slightly reduced cost, whilst other venues charge the couple full price but provide the band with a scaled-down version of the guest’s meal. |
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When working out your seating arrangements, seat older people as far away from the band as possible. We always aim to play at an acceptable volume level (especially in the early part of the evening) and will happily cooperate with your function manager if they suggest that the music should be softer or louder. However, in the later part of the night when everyone is dancing, the music is naturally louder, and many seniors may prefer to remain seated and talk. For the same reason, it is also a good idea to seat small children further away from the band. Babies and very young children may be affected by the sound level, especially when they get sleepy. Also, some children will want to run around, and may run the risk of hurting themselves or damaging equipment if they are positioned too close to the stage. |
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Unless your Reception Venue prefers to seat the band outside or in another room for their meals, it is a good idea to provide the band with a table close to the stage. This will ensure that we are always close by and accessible if we need to turn the background music down or control the volume whilst the MC is conducting speeches. |
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Everybody wants to dance, yet nobody wants to be the first on the dance floor... however, you can guarantee that if the Bride & Groom start dancing, the rest will follow! All it takes is somebody to make the first move, so if you want to see all your guests letting their hair down on the dance floor, be brave and get up there yourselves as soon as the band begins to play. You can get off after the first song if you want to. We guarantee the rest will stay on and dance the night away!! |
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The final formalities at the end of the function include the throwing of the garter and/or
bouquet and perhaps a "goodbye circle". Many wedding reception venues allow around 15
minutes for these formalities when they are working out the running order of the night. We
know from experience, however, that these formalities rarely take less than 30 minutes, and
sometimes much longer if you have more than 100 guests. We also find that, where there
are a large number of guests, the crowd ends up scattered outside the circle formation. It
can get very messy with large weddings, so if you are keen to have the "goodbye circle", it's
a good idea to allow at least 30 minutes for these proceedings. |
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It's also a good idea to take care of the payments early in the night. This includes paying
the venue, band, photographer, video person, and/or MC. This is a task that you can usually
entrust to the best man, or one of the parents. However, towards the end of the evening,
they may be too busy to worry about handing envelopes out. Also, we don't feel comfortable
approaching the Parents or Best Man at the end of the night, as they're usually busy saying
goodbye to the guests, and are usually very emotional from having seen you off. It's best for
all if these things are taken care of at the beginning of the Reception, or at least halfway
through the night - then we can all concentrate on having a good time. If you prefer not to
carry cash on the night, a good alternative is to have all the payments ready in individual
envelopes and hand them to the Reception Venue on your last visit prior to the wedding, or
make alternative payment arrangements before the function. In most cases, the Venue
manager is happy to hold on to the cash for you and hand it out to the respective operators
at the end of the function. |
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Click here to view the PDF version. (pdf 240k)
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