I could, of course, sit here all day and talk about the virtues of hiring an acoustic guitarist and singer such as myself to come and perform for you on your big day (!) but I want to dedicate this post to talk about some of my industry colleagues, suppliers that I would recommend very highly. While I would encourage you to book me for your ceremony, reception drinks, wedding breakfast or first dance, I’m also a huge fan of these other professionals – I guarantee that they’ll do a great job for you. Find yourself a wedding entertainer below…

Greg Camburn

Nick Brown

Zoe Alexandria

Greg Camburn

Greg is a phenomenal saxophone player and a great guy! You can’t beat a bit of sax, and Greg is accustomed to playing along with a DJ to really get the evening celebrations started. He has … Continue reading →

I often ask couples what sort of music they like, and while it can be difficult to think of a specific song on the spot, it’s easier to pinpoint your favourite artist. Naturally Ed Sheeran is a firm favourite of many of my clients. The Suffolk-born sensation has had countless hits, and many of them are very well-suited to weddings. Here are some ideas:

1. Perfect

The song that is *perfect* as a first dance or aisle anthem. Ed at his most romantic, singing with gusto about the woman he loves.

2. Thinking Out Loud

I regard this as the OG of wedding songs, along with A Thousand Years by Christina Perri and All Of Me by John Legend. Beautiful lyrics, expertly written.

3. Tenerife Sea

“You look so wonderful in your dress.” It doesn’t get much more ‘wedding’ than that! A really endearing choice for one of the key parts … Continue reading →

Road trip! It was a real pleasure to sing at Gareth and Millie’s wedding in the heart of rural Cornwall. The journey down had to be completed the night before, and I found an excellent place to stay at a B&B in Devon. The sun came out as soon as I arrived at Trevenna, and it promised to be a gorgeous day.

Guests were really in the swing of things come the evening.

A blazing hot day in the perfect setting.

My first set was pre-ceremony, as guests gathered for a drink. It’s a slightly unusual time for me to play but the couple wanted to make the most of having me there and it was good fun. Almost the entire wedding party had travelled from the Bishop’s Stortford region in Hertfordshire, so all guests were keen to get the celebrations underway as soon as possible.

Once the … Continue reading →

There really are some spectacular venues in the south east of the UK, and one such setting is Knebworth House & Barns in Herts. Autumn had set in, providing the perfect backdrop for the wedding of Danni and Stuart.

The couple had booked me to perform during their ceremony, afternoon reception drinks and wedding breakfast. Danni walked down the aisle while I sang Amazed by Lonestar, then I performed I Can’t Help Falling In Love With You by Elvis Presley and Have I Told You Lately by Van Morrison during the signing of the register. The newly-married pair then exited the ceremony to Stand By Me by Ben E. King. All of these songs are classic suggestions that were a pleasure to play.

Knebworth Barns offers plenty of good opportunities for photos outside, so Danni and Stuart headed out with their guests to achieve those key shots. Once they returned to the barn, I performed a chilled out set as … Continue reading →

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 →

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 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 a delightful couple as Jasmine and Allan.

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 →

Wedding photos are timeless, precious memories that endure years after your big day is over. But how do you make sure that your wedding pictures are as perfect as possible? What do you have to bear in mind when selecting a photographer? In this post, I speak to Tom Halliday. Tom founded Tom Halliday Photography in 2010 and he is now one of the UK’s most established and highly regarded shooters, putting his unique spin on couples’ special moments with a combination of talent and charisma…

How did you become interested in photography?

When I was at school I had no idea what I wanted to do. I was a sponsored skateboarder and we were meant to be going on tour, but I broke my arm badly, so instead of skating I picked up my camera. My dad had bought it for my 16th birthday: a Pentax MZ-90 with digital film. As soon as I started taking photos I thought … Continue reading →