Q Branch Archive for posts tagged ‘bristol wedding band’
Wedding Music
Wedding music is such a personal choice and many couples don’t know where to start.
Working in the wedding industry we are often asked by couples What music do we choose for the wedding ceremony? Do we need a wedding music playlist? I want music for my wedding but need some wedding entertainment ideas? I want to choose the best wedding music but don’t know where to start?
Well, music is a personal choice but its also an extremely important part of any celebration.
The Wedding Ceremony – Church or Civil
If you are having a Church wedding ceremony then you’ll need to choose entrance music for the bride, hymns to sing during the service, music for signing the register and exit music.
ENTRY MUSIC
You can choose classical wedding music for your entry/exit or pick a song that means something to you – perhaps a song that was playing when you first met – as long as it’s also suitable for playing in a church!
You’ll need an organist to play the hymns for your service but the rest of the music can be played by a small band, solo vocalist with backing tracks, harpist or why not opt for an acoustic guitarist who would sound fantastic in a church acoustic.
You will need to choose hymns though – so pick hymns that are popular if you can. There’s nothing worse than choosing a hymn with a melody that nobody knows – they won’t sing along and the Vicar may feel a little vulnerable singing on their own!
Choose a entrance song that is beautiful, serene and gentle – this is the arrival of the bride after all. Be clear in your choice when you relay the song to the organist – if you want the theme tune for Robin Hood – stress that you want “Everything I do” by Bryan Adams not THE theme tune for the 50’s TV show – believe us – we’ve heard this one played before! You don’t want the bride galloping down the aisle to the wrong song!
If you are having a civil reception – then you have a wider choice of songs to play for your entrance, recessional and exit music – but you can’t have anything played that has a religious side to it – so no hymns or similar.
Here are a few suggestions for entrance music – a few classical and a few modern:
They Long To Be Close To You – Carpenters
Songbird – Eva Cassidy
Make You Feel My Love – Adele
Bella’s Lullaby – Twilight
Arrival of the Queen of Sheba
Bridal Chorus (Here Comes The Bride) – Wagner
Clare de Lune – Claude Debussy
Canon in D
Nocturne – Chopin
You’ll need music for signing of the Register too. Something classical, emotive, wonderful lyrics and reflective music. If you are in a church then perhaps choose something classical or have a vocalist singing Ave Maria. If you are having a civil ceremony then you are likely to remain in the same room whilst you sign the register – so choose something romantic that sums the pair of you up.
After signing of the register it’s time to leave the venue as a married couple. This will be your first song you hear after the official side of the ceremony so pick something that is lively, fun and has amazing lyrics.
Here are a few exit suggestions:
Signed, Sealed Delivered I’m Yours – Stevie Wonder
Now That We’ve Found Love – Heavy D & The Boys
Better Together – Jack Johnson
Somewhere Over The Rainbow – Israel Kamakawiwo’ole
From This Moment On – Shania Twaine
Can You Feel The Love Tonight – Lion King
After the formalities are over it’s time for the Wedding Reception.
Lots of wedding entertainment ideas here! Perhaps a steel band in the garden for a drinks reception, or a jazz trio, easy listening band? A harpist is always popular or for something a little different a brass quintet! There’s also singing waiters which seem to be a popular addition these days – choose wisely though – there are some that should really stick to waiting on tables rather than singing! Go by recommendation or ask to see videos of them in action to make sure you hire the best ones!
Although Doctor Chocolate are a 9piece band we can also provide music for your wedding reception earlier in the day if required by scaling down to a 3/4 piece playing easy listening and soft jazz classics such as Fly Me To The Moon, Zing Went the Strings, Autumn Leaves, My Funny Valentine, Besame Mucho, Dream a Little Dream and lots of other hits by Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Andy Williams and all the other great crooners!Lots of ideas here for reception music.
The Evening Party
This is where your imagination can run and run! You need to pick your evening entertainment based on your guests! You may both absolutely love hard core Jazz, House Music, A Michael Buble tribute etc. These are great for adding atmosphere to the evening and be exactly what you as a couple are totally into and you’ll love it! Remember however that you are inviting guests along to the evening to celebrate with you and they will be of mixed age groups. Remember also that not all your guests will also love extreme jazz – not everyone will be into hard house music – and a Michael Buble tribute may be excellent but you can’t dance along to it! If your guests are not entertained or if they have their ears bashed with hard core jazz or house music – you’ll find they will start to leave the wedding venue early. If budget is no option then book a tribute for part of the evening and get a live band in playing covers for the remainder of the evening.
If budget is a problem and you can’t afford to have lots of different entertainment – then we would recommend going for a party covers band who will play music that your whole wedding party will enjoy, dance and get involved with. They will know the songs played, they can sing and dance along, they will have a great night dancing no matter what age group they are and most importantly everyone will have a brilliant evening.
Doctor Chocolate are a fantastic party covers band and we are experienced at celebrations where there is a mix in age groups and musical tastes. The key is bringing everyone together to have a great night and help you celebrate one of the biggest nights of your lives!
The First Dance
This is definitely one that is super-personal. It needs to be a song that you both love, that means something to you both. Perhaps the song that was playing when you first met, had your first date, came on the radio when you had a special evening, was your holiday song or is just something a little different or it has lyrics in that just touch the very heart of you and sums up your relationship perfectly. Remember you also have to dance to it in front of your guests so pick a song that you are comfortable with. If you can’t dance – pick a song where you just have to shuffle together and hold each other, encourage your guests to join you on the dance floor after the first 20 bars of the song. If you can dance – pick something where you can bust out some moves and impress everyone with your dance prowess!
Moon River – Frank Sinatra
The Way You Look Tonight – Tony Bennett
All Of Me Loves All Of You – John Legend
Use Somebody – Kings Of Leon
Just the Way You Are – Bruno Mars
1000 years – Christina Perry
Falling In Love with You Again – Imelda May
Better Together – Jack Johnson
For Once In My Life – Stevie Wonder
Read more articles on Wedding entertainment here:
Wedding Entrance Music
Wedding Recessional Music
Wedding Exit Music
Wedding Receptions – Music
Wedding Music – First Dance
Wedding Evening Celebrations
DJ V Wedding Band
Should you hire a live band or should you book a DJ for your event?
Well it’s all down to personal taste.
But, as with everything in life, there are good and bad DJ’s and there are good and bad bands out there! Of course there are also BRILLIANT bands out there and Doctor Chocolate are one of them!
How do you choose what is right for your event?
BUDGET
Although hiring a live band can cost more – it is definitely worth the investment! A solo performer (usually playing/singing along to backing tracks) can cost anything from £300 plus – we’ve worked with some who charge £850! A live band can be anywhere between £500 – £4000. The cost of the band will depend on the size, how many band members they have, if they have their own equipment or need to hire it in, and how experienced they are. A band just starting out will be cheaper as they haven’t built a reputation and may not be reliable – their experience may be performing in pubs. Doctor Chocolate are not expensive by any means – we work really hard to keep our costs to the absolute minimum so we can pass the savings back to you – but we are not cheap either so you won’t be able to book the band for £500! There are 10 members of the band in Doctor Chocolate (9 musicians and 1 sound engineer). Remember – you may think it’s expensive to hire a professional – but wait until you hire an amateur! This may be the only time you have a spectacular event in your lifetime – make sure you book the right entertainment.
A Great DJ can cost between £500-£1200 for the evening – again depending on the quality of equipment they bring, lighting and how good they are! Other DJs can cost between £150-£300. Please go and see them in advance to make sure they suit your event – and remember you get what you pay for!
Contact Doctor Chocolate to find out how much we will cost you for your event. We will ask you some questions so that we can give you a full and inclusive quote: What date do you want? What time do you want the band to arrive and finish? Where are your having your event? Do you want an early set up or a late finish? From this we can give you a fully inclusive quote. We promise you will be pleasantly surprised as we are excellent value for a 9 piece band and sound engineer – making 10 people in total. Each and every member of the band are enthusiastic and experienced. Our only aim is to provide the best entertainment for your event. In addition we are fully self contained – with our own pa, lighting, pat tested equipment and public liability insurance as standard!
SONG CHOICE
If you want your guests to be able to request songs to be played all night long – then go for a DJ. They will have (hopefully) thousands of songs available on their laptop that they can play for you.
If however you want a live band that can appeal to every generation that attends your wedding, you want the WOW factor, want a band that has a set list that is tried and tested and updated regularly so only the best music from the 1960’s to present day chart numbers are played by a skilled and experienced live band – then go for a live band every time. You can’t beat it for atmosphere and interaction. Doctor Chocolate are the perfect party band for any occasion.
A band can perform any number of songs but be wary of bands that only have a playlist of about 30 numbers on their entire set list. They may not be able to adapt to different crowds and musical tastes. But also be very wary of bands who have list after list after list of songs on their website – can they really play them all? More importantly, can they really play them all well or will it sound like a rehearsal band on the night as they try to cram in as many songs as you’ve requested into the set?
Doctor Chocolate have an extensive list of songs in our set that work well for weddings, corporate events, charity fundraisers etc. Our sets are changed and rehearsed regularly to keep them fresh and new and to ensure that the songs are always played as close to the original – but with a Choccie twist! However, band members choose the numbers in the set. From experience we know what songs work well and what songs don’t work so well for mixed audiences and celebrations. Depending on the event and the type of crowd attending – we will change our sets accordingly. Be assured the sets will be rocking and the dance floor jammed!
ATMOSPHERE
There are some good DJs and we’ve come across some awful DJs. Your DJ should be able to get the crowd going and be interactive and clear when they speak – not mumble into the microphone or be really cheesey! They need to build the atmosphere for your event. Playing record after record is easy but you need them to be able to talk to your guests and encourage them if needed. In addition, make sure their equipment is good enough for the size of your venue.
Doctor Chocolate are excellent at interacting with any crowd and different generations. We know how important the atmosphere can be and our dance-floors are always jammed with guests from the moment we start until the moment we end! Doctor Chocolate bring along our PA system and lighting. Our sound is clear and full – our PA system is top of the range. If you have a larger venue – mention it at the time of booking as we can extend our PA system and hire in some more to ensure the equipment is exactly right for the venue.
Doctor Chocolate interact with your guests. It’s not us on stage and your guests on the dance floor. We have one common aim! We want your event to be THE BEST night! So we interact with your guests, we talk to them and involve them in what we are doing. That way, everyone has an amazing evening.
EXPERIENCED & RELIABLE
If you go for a DJ choose one who has experience! Try to avoid any that don’t bring along a PA system but require you to hire one in, and avoid any that don’t have their own lighting systems – you’ll have to hire these in addition. Get referrals if you can from previous clients.
The same applies to hiring a live band. Choose a band that is experienced in the type of event you are organising. Having the wrong type of band perform at your event can be disastrous. You may love to have a Michael Buble tribute or James Bond Tribute Band. This is great and can add atmosphere to your event but make sure that they also offer a party set as well as your guests will want some variety and want to party later in the evening! We can certainly recommend The Name Is Band – Bond Tribute Band – perfect for James Bond Themed parties and events – performing an hour set of Bond themes and a fantastic party set later in the evening.
Doctor Chocolate have over 25 years experience at performing for all types of events. In all that time we have NEVER let a client down – ever! Our reputation is excellent and over 80% of our work comes through recommendation or people who have seen/heard us before.
To be honest – NOTHING can compare to a live band that is experienced, fun, interactive, sound great, look great and appeal to every generation attending your event! LIVE MUSIC RULES!
Woodlands Castle
Doctor Chocolate played at Woodlands Castle in March for a wedding.
This venue is fantastic and rather beautiful for weddings. The evening celebrations took place in the marquee and the staff here were so polite and helpful!
Woodlands Castle is a privately owned wedding venue in Taunton, situated in 12 acres of private grounds surrounded by woodland making the house a secluded haven; yet just minutes from Taunton town centre and sit on junction 25 of the M5, providing a central meeting point between Exeter and Bristol. Woodlands Castle is an eco-friendly green venue, with a stringent recycling policy, energy saving lightbulbs, we try to be as paperless as possible in our booking procedures and we source everything we use from local providers cutting down on carbon emissions.
The venue also has a noise limiter installed as they back onto residential housing. For a 9-piece band this could have proved to be a difficult evening but Doctor Chocolate has invested in a fantastic PA system that is clear and doesn’t have to be ear-piercingly loud! We also have a fantastic sound engineer who was able to twist and twiddle knobs on the mixing desk all night to keep us within the limits that were set!
What do the band do once set up?
If you want to know everything about Doctor Chocolate then visit our main website!
Doctor Chocolate arrive at a venue for 6pm and we take 90 minutes to set up and sound check. This means that the band will be ready from 7:30pm. After set up we normally put on one of our playlists on the Ipod – it can be easy listening or we can crank it up and put something on that is more for party dancing! We have a large selection of playlists so there will be something for everyone.
After set up Doctor Chocolate will often go and sit in a room near by where we can leave our suitcases and get changed in private. However, sometimes the venue has entertainment available!
Here you’ll see the naughtiest members of Doctor Chocolate in the stocks! At the same time members of the band were off playing croquet or swing ball! It’s all rock and roll!
Good job the sun was out, there were no rotten fruit to throw and we were let out on good behaviour after a short time!
Stage Set Up and Lighting
Doctor Chocolate have an excellent PA system. Many bands say that – but actually turn up with an alright PA system – not a great PA system! Doctor Chocolate invest heavily in our equipment – we have the latest QSC PA system and it sounds amazing! Our sound is clear – you can hear every instrument playing, crisp – it’s not muffled or muddy in sound and it’s compact too so doesn’t take up too much room. Visit our main website here!
We’ve turned up at events where the DJ hasn’t wanted to go on after we’ve played as their PA system (which is HUGE in size) just isn’t up to the job for the night. Recently the DJ cranked his volume up so much he blew one of the speakers! Doctor Chocolate can increase the volume as needed – but always within the levels set by the venue and we always sound great! No sub-standard equipment for the Choccies!
In addition we also provide lighting for the stage so that you can see us and it adds ambiance! You’d be surprised how many bands don’t have any lighting at all and turn up at a venue where they also don’t have any ambiant lighting! The result? No atmosphere as the main lights have to remain on all night – have you tried “Dad Dancing” with the lights full on? Not a great look or atmosphere!
Other bands will charge you an extra fee for providing lighting for the stage and dance-floor! All these little extras can soon add up and take your budget over what you wanted to spend.
Doctor Chocolate – wedding, covers, party and function band quote you for your event and we include the PA system, stage lighting, 9 musicians, 1 sound engineer and include two hours of live music performed by an awesome band with songs that are guaranteed to get your toes tapping and your guests on the dance floor!
All our equipment is pat tested yearly and we have public liability insurance so your venue can be assured that they are protected too! Find out more on our main website, facebook page or contact us for more information on how we can give your event the WOW factor.
Booking a Band for your Wedding
There are lots of bands to choose from when it comes to wedding entertainment/music and searching for the right band for your wedding can be a bit of a minefield. You will no doubt end up spending hours looking on line for a band and still be none the wiser after hours of searching. Visit our main website!
Added to the fact that weddings are expensive you may not want to “splash out” on a live band and only have a small budget available which will be restricting your choice. However, it is worth considering that the next biggest item that will be on view to your guests on the day of your wedding (after the venue, bridal dress, ceremony and reception) will be the evenings entertainment.
Bearing this in mind, it is worth spending a little extra on a live band for your evening celebrations, especially as there isn’t anything that can compete with a lively, interactive, professional, experienced and reliable band that really know how to get your guests involved in your wedding celebrations! You will have a fantastic time! Your guests will have a great night! Your wedding will be the talking point for weeks, months and years afterwards!
As Doctor Chocolate are a 9-piece (10 including our sound engineer) the price for the band isn’t going to appeal to those with a small budget available. However, the cost for the band isn’t huge either or unrealistic either and we work really hard to keep our costs to the absolute minimum so the savings can be passed back to you.
Sometimes hiring a cheaper band who are not as experienced or reliable can fit your budget better but in the long run turn out to be more expensive – as they may not play as well on the night, they may not actually turn up or they may arrive with equipment that just isn’t up to the job and sounds awful. If you’ve seen a band in a pub, they may sound great and look as if they would suit your event, but your wedding day will have a mix of generations attending, may turn up and play in jeans and a t-shirt and may not actually know how to interact with your guests.
Doctor Chocolate are not expensive by any means – the band are actually the same price as some 4-5 piece bands on the circuit – but… we are extremely good at what we do and we really know how to get any crowd on the dance floor and having a great night! As professionals we also turn up on time, set up and sound check on time, are respectful and polite to the venue, staff, guests etc and we always give 100% every performance and our only aim is ensuring you and your guests have an amazing evening.
Doctor Chocolate are an established, experienced, professional, reliable and lively 9-piece band with an excellent reputation. We only ever perform as a 9-piece band – and we have our own sound engineer making 10 of us in total. By only ever performing as a 9-piece we can ensure our performance is always the very best it can be. All songs are performed with the same musicians ensuring a tight and professional performance.
Don’t take our word for it – you can see some of our 100% LIVE videos on our website – these were not recorded in a controlled studio with sound engineer and gizmos – the videos were recorded 100% live whilst we were performing for a charity event in November 2013. On some of the videos you can even see some of the guests bopping about in front of the stage having a fab time!
Doctor Chocolate – cover, wedding, party band come with an excellent PA system – a QSC, that is clear and has a warm and vibrant sound but we also come with our own experienced sound engineer – you’ll see him at the back of the room tweaking and twisting different knobs on the desk or adjusting levels via his ipad! This ensures our sound is great all night long and keeps us within any sound limiters or noise restrictions there may be at the venue.
Doctor Chocolate also come with our own stage lighting. We have two par bars on either side of the stage (4 LED lights on each side), four colour flood lights on top of the speakers facing the stage and four scanners around either the drum kit or from our lighting frame at the rear of the stage. Where venues permit, we also bring along our smoke machine.
Whatever the occasion, wherever the event – you can be sure that if you book Doctor Chocolate for your wedding – we will be an awesome addition to your event and give the WOW factor with lots of audience interaction, stage movement and crowd pleasing hit songs from the 1960’s to present day chart hits!
Give us a call! Contact us by email! Check out our Facebook Page! See the website for reviews and latest news!
Wedding Band in Bristol
Doctor Chocolate are looking forward to a season of weddings with some fantastic venues to perform in again for 2014! Doctor Chocolate love weddings and we’ve performed at hundreds over the years so we are very experienced in getting such a diverse crowd going. Having been asked to be the entertainment at weddings all over the South West and the UK we are always honored to be asked to be part of such a special day.
A wedding is probably the only time when you have everyone you care about in the one room altogether to help you celebrate such a special occasion. That means relatives, friends and work colleagues all in one room with different tastes and personalities. Doctor Chocolate are exceptional at getting any crowd going and we know EXACTLY what songs work and where in the evening so that we keep the dance-floor packed all night long. We have sets that appeal to every age group from 2-92!
The live band is also very lively as the majority of the band are wire free – so expect to find a brass instrument or two appear over your shoulder. So if you want to guarantee a fantastic band at your wedding that will appeal to all your guests then you know who to call! Contact us now for a competitive quote – but don’t be too long – we’ve had to disappoint many couples this year as the date they chose was already booked up long ago!
Reliable bands
Doctor Chocolate have been on the circuit for over 25 years. In all that time we have never double booked the band on the same night, we have never cancelled an event or turned up later than agreed and we have never ever let any client down. We have covered for many bands that have though and often receive a last minute phone call asking if we are available due to a client being let down by another band! Sadly this seems to happen a lot and it can be a distressing time for you, the client.
However, you can be confident that when you book Doctor Chocolate for your wedding, party, charity fundraiser, ball, prom, festival or celebration of any kind that we will be there on time and perform the very best sets with the best music from the 1960?s to date: disco, funk, soul, rock, rock and roll etc and we can pack that dance-floor all night long!
We have our own top of the range equipment and this is worth over £25,000, all fully pat tested, stage and dance-floor lighting and we also have public liability insurance. We are a fully contained, experienced and professional band. So if you want to guarantee the best entertainment for your event contact us now for a competitive quote!
Wedding and Party Band
Doctor Chocolate perform songs from all eras and genres so there is always something for everyone in our sets. Doctor Chocolate perform for two x one hour sets and provide recorded music via ipod for the times when the live band are not performing. Doctor Chocolate are experienced at events of all times, functions, parties, weddings, festivals, corporate events, fundraisers and proms to name a few.
Doctor Chocolate only ever perform as a 9-piece band and always fully live. Ideally we would need space of 12’x15′ to perform in but this is a very rare occurrence and we can fit into smaller spaces as needed – we just don’t fling our elbows out with the dance moves as much!
As an experienced and reliable band we have the knowledge of performing at different events for different age groups and know exactly what is required of us at events and how to get every crowd involved in the evening. As an experienced and professional band people are often surprised at how affordable we are. We are hugely competitive for a band of our size – sometimes a lot less than a 5/6 piece band would charge you! However, we are not “cheap”. We always say you get what you pay for – if you pay peanuts… well, you know the rest!
Book a reliable, experienced and excellent band for your event – book Doctor Chocolate for a vibrant, full and explosive performance that will leave the competition standing….! Visit our main website or like our Facebook page to keep updated on the latest news and events. Contact us for a quote or more information
Follow us on Twitter
Doctor Chocolate, wedding, party and function band in Bristol, are now on Twitter!
Follow us! Tweet us! Re-tweet us! Keep updated on all the news and exclusive pictures from our events!
We’re new to this and would welcome any support so follow the ultimate party band in the South West on @docchocband