What a treat I have in store for all my LOVE brides today! It’s a guest blog written by the fabulously talented, Ellie Sax. Now, if you haven’t heard of Ellie before, then where have you been 😉?? But seriously, Ellie has travelled the world playing her sax from New Year’s Eve in the Maldives, to moonlight raves in the Caribbean, to glamorous weddings across the UK. As an International HedKandi Saxophonist, Ellie Sax performs live over some of the world’s best DJ’s to take dance music to the next level! I’ve been lucky enough to have seen Ellie perform at some pretty spectacular weddings, and I just knew my brides would find her tips on how to get a wedding party started in the most dazzling way would be invaluable.

Emma

Xoxo

Like most in-demand wedding entertainers, I tend to get booked around 18 months to 2 years before a wedding. After your venue I’d argue entertainment has to be the next thing you want to get sorted, after all, you want this to be a party you and your guests will be talking about for years to come! I’ve performed at a fair few weddings and there are plenty of things you can do to ensure this is the case. So, to turn up the volume on your big day, here are my top tips!

Before You Do Anything

• Look for live videos of artists you like on their social media pages before booking. These videos are the best guarantee they can deliver the vibe and performance you’re looking for and that your guests will love.

Questions for Your Venue

• Does your venue have a sound limiter? Admittedly, not the first thing a bride and groom will be looking for from a wedding venue, but this is the biggest bugbear for an entertainer. The best parties are LOUD!
• Is there are a stage with a dancefloor in front of it? This is the best layout for an optimum performance.

Trust Your Entertainer

• The best thing a bride and groom can do to get the most out of their entertainment is to trust an entertainer to do what they do best. Let them advise you on how to fit the entertainment around the evening schedule for example when to do the first dance, when to serve the evening food, cutting the cake etc.
• I usually ask for a list of around 10-20 songs that the happy couple absolutely love. This gives me a good idea of the genres and vibe the bride and groom are looking for, and my DJ and I can build the evening around their choices.

Build in Set Up Time

• It takes me an hour to set up my equipment, and this is similar for most performers, I’d recommend making sure your entertainment do this at the same time the venue is changing the room over from the wedding breakfast to the evening do. Two birds, one stone, equals a lot less disruption for guests.

Get Your Timings Right

• I’d recommend allowing some time for people to digest their delicious meal before the entertainment starts, as well as scheduling the first dance at least half an hour after you’ve invited evening guests to ensure everyone has arrived.

The Perfect First Dance

• Speaking of first dances, we have a bit of a routine that seems to work well for a bashful bride and groom. We get everyone around the dance floor for the first dance, then let the bride and groom dance alone for the first verse and chorus, after which we invite their guests to join in. Then, while everyone is on the dance floor, we go straight into a high impact sax song to really get the party started!

Wedding Breakfast Entertainment

• Live music and entertainment aren’t just effective at an evening do. They can enhance your ceremony, post-ceremony drinks reception and your Wedding Breakfast too.
• Saxophone works really well to bring a beach bar vibe to your drinks reception while your guests mingle and keeps everyone’s energy high right up until the wedding breakfast.
• I usually recommend a softer instrument to break up the sax at a Wedding Breakfast, vocals work particularly well. Howard Wing is amazing if you’re a jazz fan and want a super high-energy set. If you’re more of a dance music fan and want some Ibiza classics in a live lounge style while you eat, check out Acoustic Anthems from Light It Up Entertainment

Extraordinary Evening Entertainment

• Bring a touch of Ibiza to your evening reception, while also keeping guests of all ages happy with a DJ and Saxophone double act. We play super high energy, accessible commercial dance sets that has everyone on their feet. For something completely unique, check out my Festival Package, which you can find out more about at Light It Up Entertainment.

The Final Finishing Touches

• For added wow factor, you can’t beat stunning LED lights, it will transport guests straight to the wild, party vibes of an Ibiza club. Light It Up Entertainment provide stunning laser shows, mesmerising LED instruments, including a fab LED sax that I love to play, and cool DJ sets!

Thank you so much to Ellie for those amazing tips. And here’s my top tip for brides, your wedding dress is a party dress, so please don’t hold back when it comes to dancing! You could swap your day shoes for some dance floor friendly flats, remove some layers like a lace over-top, cape or veil, and we will make sure that our seamstress adds a bustle into your dress so that you can hook up a fuller skirt/train to stop it getting tangled when the music is pumping! After all, this is the biggest party you’ll ever go to and ‘nobody puts the bride in the corner’! 😊