Choosing the Venue
The size and shape of a venue will have a huge impact on the audio experience of your guests.
Hiring a musician to perform at one end of a long room, may result in an overbearingly loud experience for some, and yet a completely missed experience for others. An excellent musician will ask you about the details of your venue, and will take the worry of sound amplification away by ensuring that speakers are placed in positions that best spread the sound.
If Your Wedding is Outdoors.
Your guests have traveled all that way, you perhaps even spent hours writing your own vows or choosing the perfect reading, and yet no one heard a word that was said, hardly anyone heard your musician. Sound floats away at an outdoor wedding, often even your front row will not be able to follow the ceremony. Children will start making their own fun and what was supposed to be moving and emotional is appearing as a silent movie to your guests. If your wedding is going to be outdoors it is almost essential to ensure that you or your venue source an appropriate microphone and amplification. Talking loudly, even at an average sized wedding that’s outdoors really doesn’t work.
During The Speeches
The majority of people that make a speech at a wedding, have rarely used a microphone before, so provide anyone giving a speech with some top tips before their big moment.
- Hold the microphone close to your mouth, no further than 5 cms away.
- Ensure no one giving a speech stands close to a speaker as this causes feedback (that loud ringing sound that makes everyone cringe!)
- Is there a musician or a guest at your wedding with experience of using sound equipment? Perhaps you can draft them in to check the equipment is in order during the set up.
During the Party
Imagine mid dance partying to an incredible band and all of a sudden the sound shuts down to silence. Checking your venues noise limitation policy when you are seeking a venue is important research. Many venues will have a sound technician, to assist your singer DJ or band in their set up. It can be worth paying extra if this is required to ensure that the experience of music that you envisaged becomes reality. The bass and drums within the music are the usual triggers of a limiter. If your music doesn’t contain a bass heavy sound then there is less cause for concern.
And finally…
With so much to think about in planning your wedding, now considering sound may seem like another worry. You do not need to be an audio expert, a musician or technician to get the sound right. You must simply ask your venue, your planner or your musician about this area before the moment arrives. So much attention is paid to the look of a wedding, The Piano Singer is here with an answer to all of your questions about getting your music and sound right, during the planning stage of your big day.
