It’s not often that I venture to Kent for a wedding, but what a pleasure this was, and what a venue! Preston Court is a sprawling estate located not far from Canterbury and features a lovely main house, outside barns and a quaint courtyard. The owner of the venue is also a steam train enthusiast, and has an impressive collection of locomotives spread around the place.

For Sarah and Sam, I was booked to play during the wedding ceremony and the afternoon reception drinks. The ceremony took place on a little island surrounded by water and accessed via a white bridge. Guests were seated on the other side of the water, while the bridal party, including those who were performing readings, made their way onto the island. The couple chose A Thousand Years by Christina Perri for the procession, Perfect by Ed Sheeran and The One by Kodaline for the signing of the register, and Crashed The Wedding by Busted … Continue reading →

I’ve already been fortunate to perform at several weddings in Italy, and now I was invited to travel to Croatia to play for Megan and Nick. Cavtat, on the Adriatic Coast, is a stunning town and the setting of Hotel Croatia could not have been more beautiful.

The couple had booked me for the full day, including ceremony, afternoon drinks reception, wedding breakfast and first dance. Guests gathered for the ceremony in all manner of formal and informal attire, and the groomsmen were wearing full black tie. Fair play to them – they looked great but must’ve been boiling!

Before long the ceremony was underway, and was conducted in Croatian as well as English. The couple chose

The picturesque wedding ceremony.

I played instrumental music as guests took their seats.

The town of Cavtat is a real gem.

I sang as Megan … Continue reading →

Wedding Singer Cambridge

It was my first time travelling to Bassmead Manor Barns in Cambridgeshire, and what a venue! It has a very rustic feel but is also contemporary. Jasmine and Allan chose well.

I was booked to perform as a wedding singer in Cambridge during the ceremony, afternoon drinks reception / canapés, during the wedding breakfast and for the first dance. Jasmine had chosen an instrumental version of You Are The Reason by Calum Scott to walk down the aisle to. I then played Someone Like You by Van Morrison and Lego House by Ed Sheeran while the register was signed. The newly-married couple exited the ceremony room to Your Love Keeps Lifting Me Higher by Jackie Wilson, a great exit song choice, as I discussed in my recent choosing ceremony music post.

The ceremony was held in a beautiful setting.

It is always a pleasure to play for such … Continue reading →

Your wedding day is one that you will never forget, and it all begins with the ceremony. There are two main types of wedding ceremony: one that takes place in a church, and one that does not – often referred to as a civil ceremony.

A civil ceremony is conducted by a registrar or celebrant, and there will be a second registrar present to ensure that the official documents are signed properly and the marriage is properly recorded. This ceremony generally includes a declaration that both parties are free to marry, an exchange of vows and rings, and sometimes readings by guests. Over the years I have heard very formal and sincere readings that cite everything from classical poetry to Winnie The Pooh.

A church ceremony tends to be longer than a civil ceremony, and may also include readings by the priest who is officiating, as well as the singing of hymns.

Weather permitting, it is … Continue reading →

It’s always nice getting out to see new places and playing at new locations. Visiting Greenwich Yacht Club on the south bank of the river Thames for the wedding of Kim and Will was a lovely day out! The couple wanted acoustic guitar music for their ceremony, drinks reception and first dance, plus an additional evening set to keep guests entertained.

Kim chose ‘Grow Old With Me’ by Tom Odell to walk down the aisle to, and ‘Marry You’ by Bruno Mars to walk back down as a newly-married couple. The clubhouse of the yacht club provided the perfect setting for the ceremony; plenty of natural light and splashes of colour. It was a very informal, relaxed setting and guests really enjoyed chilling out in the sunshine during the afternoon.

After the ceremony, I moved outside onto the decking to play some more songs while guests had canapés and reception drinks. Old school songs such as ‘All You Need Is … Continue reading →