Wedding singer at Parklands Quendon Hall, Essex
I am quite a regular at Parklands Quendon Hall and have sung there many times, which is one of the reasons it turns up so often when someone asks me for a wedding singer in Essex. Betty and Eric's evening there was different from the rest, though, because there was no DJ and all of the musical entertainment was down to me.
The set list
What I played at Parklands Quendon Hall
Every one of these is from my write-up of the day itself, for Betty and Eric. Your day would be built from your own choices on the planning call.
Stand By Me by Ben E. King
first dance, with confetti cannons
Chaka Khan
evening set
Kevin Lyttle
evening set
Faith by George Michael
evening set
When I played there
Betty and Eric, 2018
I played Betty and Eric's first dance and then the whole evening. With my guitar and my Bose PA, I was up for the challenge.
The couple had enjoyed a traditional Chinese tea ceremony as well as the wedding ceremony earlier that day. It was quite a small party of 40 or so guests, which made for a very intimate evening. It was also a Tuesday night, which meant a smaller crowd and an earlier finish than usual.
The rooms
The rooms, and what they do to sound
Parklands is a room I know well enough not to have to work it out on the day, and that mattered here because I was the only music in it. With 40 guests rather than 150, the room sounds and feels different: it is quieter between songs, people are closer to you, and a set that would be pitched at a full dance floor has to be pitched at a handful of people who all know each other.
Betty and Eric had supplied me with a playlist of chilled and upbeat tunes from my repertoire to put on in between my sets, so the room never went silent while I was off.
How the day ran
What Betty and Eric booked
Betty and Eric's booking was the first dance and the evening. As is invariably the case at a wedding, there was quite a spread of ages, so it was important to play songs that are timeless and would be known by younger and older guests alike.
- Your first dance£300
One song
- Evening party set£400
45 to 60 minutes
The practical bits
Access, power and getting set up
There was no DJ at all, so one musician covered the entire evening: the first dance, the party set, and recorded music from their own playlist in the gaps. If that is your plan, say so early, because it changes how I build the sets and how long the PA needs to stay up.
As the night drew to a close and friends and family said their goodbyes, the couple had chosen some more relaxed music to finish on. The staff at Parklands looked after me throughout, as they always do.
The full write-up from the day: Betty and Eric's day at Parklands Quendon Hall.
For coordinators
- One musician, one guitar, one mic stand, one PA. Footprint about 2m by 1m.
- Sets up in twenty minutes, packs down in twenty.
- Battery-powered PA available where there is no power.
- Public liability insurance, certificate sent to the venue on request.
- I will ring you the week before to sort out access, power and any sound limiter.
- I will always have a plan for the weather changing its mind.
Proof
What couples say
I can't edit these. Go and look.
Availability
Playing at Parklands Quendon Hall?
Send me the date and I'll tell you within 24 hours whether I'm free. No deposit, no obligation.
Or call me on 07739 469321