First Post-COVID Wedding!

1 11th August 2021 by James Veal Leave a Comment

Premier Disco Archerfield Hose — Archerfield House

Kerry & John Craig

For my first visit back to the land of work I had a visit to Archerfield House for the wedding reception of Kerry & John Craig. This is an amazing venue with a function room on the first floor.

Arrival and Prep

Since this was my first gig back after a long break due to that C-word, I arrived at 1815 for a 2100 start. Better to make sure I have enough time to get things all working correctly before the main event. For the most part, there were very few issues considering there were multiple OS and software updates in the past 18 months and my propensity to forget things. I had previously tested as much as I could but no better time for a test than when everything comes together for an event. A slight issue with DMX control but I found a temporary workaround until I could get stuck into it.

First Dance

Kerry, John, and the guests arrived at about 2130 to begin the evening activities starting with cutting the wedding cake.

Onto the first dance which was the classic John Legend song All Of Me. The bride and groom start the dance together for the photographs before waving all guests to join them on the dancefloor.

The first dance was followed by the very keen audience getting right into the dancing. It has been a while for us all and they were ready to party!

Playlist

Play Time	Artist	Title
21:54	John Legend	All Of Me_pn
21:57	Adele	Rolling In The Deep DJ Edit pn
22:01	Erasure	A Little Respect_pn
22:04	Bon Jovi	Livin On A Prayer Remastered_pn
22:08	The Killers	Mr. Brightside_pn
22:11	The Fratellis	Chelsea Dagger_pn
22:15	Daft Punk Featuring Pharrell Williams	Get Lucky Radio Edit_pn
22:18	Pharrell Williams	Happy_pn
22:22	ABBA	Dancing Queen_pn
22:25	The Trammps	Disco Inferno_pn
22:28	Spandau Ballet	Gold pn
22:32	Wham	Wake Me Up Before You Go Go_pn
22:35	Sia	Chandelier pn
22:37	R. Kelly	Ignition (Remix)_pn
22:40	Rihanna Featuring Calvin Harris	We Found Love_pn
22:42	David Guetta Featuring Sia	Titanium_pn
22:46	Scissor Sisters	I Dont Feel Like Dancing Radio Edit_pn
22:50	Mark Ronson Featuring Amy Winehouse	Valerie_pn
22:53	Deacon Blue	Real Gone Kid_pn
22:57	Eurythmics	Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This_pn
23:00	The Beatles	Twist And Shout_pn
23:02	Lulu	Shout
23:05	Lionel Richie	All Night Long_pn
23:09	Gala	Freed From Desire (Radio Edit)_pn
23:13	The Time Frequency	New Emotion_pn
23:16	Bruno Mars	Marry You_pn
23:19	Kings Of Leon	Sex On Fire_pn
23:22	Kylie Minogue	Cant Get You Out Of My Head pn
23:25	Madonna	Like A Prayer_pn
23:26	Madonna	Like A Prayer (Dance)_pn
23:31	Robbie Williams	Rock DJ_pn
23:34	Take That Featuring Lulu	Relight My Fire_pn
23:37	Queen	Dont Stop Me Now_pn
23:41	The Proclaimers	Im Gonna Be_pn
23:44	Runrig	Loch Lomond_pn
23:50	Deacon Blue	Dignity_pn
23:54	Queen	Bohemian Rhapsody_pn
00:00	Robbie Williams	Angels. pn

In the end, we had a great night, brief but great. Normally I play much later than midnight at this venue but the rather unnecessary restrictions due to a few Sars Cov II infections meant we had to abide by the early finishing time.

Thank you again Kerry & John for an amazing return to wedding performing.

Best wishes to you both.

Wedding Survey 2019

1 9th July 2021 by James Veal Leave a Comment

Results Of The National Wedding Survey 2019

This is an insight into weddings held in 2019, before the ‘pandemic’. A guide to costs, venues, and all things wedding day. Due to the severe lack of proper weddings in 2020, this is the most up-to-date information available. See how your plans compare to the averages of 2019.

The Average UK Wedding in 2019

So how much was an average wedding in 2019?. This changes from year to year and the 2019 cost was marginally lower than in 2018.

Almost half of the couples’ married in 2019 had some contribution towards their wedding costs from parents. Mostly their weddings were paid from savings with 20% using credit cards and 10% taking out a loan.

How to save money on your wedding

Top 5 Wedding Costs

How are couples spending their wedding budget? The order of priority generally stays the same from year to year. The venue was the single most costly part of a wedding. The honeymoon comes next.

Wedding Venue

The choice of wedding venue was responsible for the biggest spend in 2019. It was down by 3% on the previous year.

For the first time, in 2019, hotels dropped to 2nd place behind country houses and stately homes. The draw of having exclusive venue use combined with that extra special treatment proved to be very popular with couples.

The Honeymoon

Often combined with an annual holiday, the average cost in 2019 was just under £5000.

The most popular honeymoon destination in 2019 was The Maldives with 12% of couples choosing this small group of islands in the Indian Ocean. 75% of couples planned a honeymoon. Short breaks to Italy, Spain, and Greece were popular overseas locations. The South West of the UK and Scotland ranked high in UK honeymoons.

Wedding Food

From nibbles, the wedding breakfast, hog roast, ice cream, pizzas, and the buffet, a lot of food was consumed in 2019. Total average cost, £3750.

Engagement Rings

Total average cost £4000

Drinks

Celebratory drinks for the toast, wine for the dinner tables, soft drinks came in 4th on the list of expenses at a whopping £2500.

Engagement

68% of couples met in person despite the rising use of dating apps. At work or through your friends and family accounted for more than a third of meetings. At a pub or club and at university both came in more popular than Tinder, with only 8% of couples meeting there. 0% of our couples said they’d met on their commute.

Over 40% of couples got engaged on holiday, making it the most popular way by far. Valentine’s Day only accounts for 2% of engagements with Christmas, birthdays, and engagements being very popular.

Social media is a dynamic and important part of the modern-day. Almost 50% of couples announced their engagement within 24 hours and 10% within the first hour. 25% spent more on decor for better social media images and 42% shared their wedding journey online.

Average Ages

The average age of couples being married is creeping up. In 2019 the average bride was 32 and the groom was 34. This is up one year for each from 2018.

How Many Guests?

Recent years have seen larger daytime guest numbers. 2019 saw the average being 83. An additional 21 people were invited to join in with the evening celebrations.

Dress In Style

The wedding ceremony and the first look at the bride have a huge impact on the guests. Almost every bride went for a traditional wedding dress spending an average of £1350 for the perfect gown.

Grooms had a much smaller budget of £452 to buy their suit.

Break With Tradition

American traditions appear to be on the rise, while British ones are falling out of favour. The majority of couples no longer have page boys or flower girls, and very few bother to toss the garter and carry a silver sixpence. Big, multi-day hen and stag ‘events’ have taken their lead from US bachelor and bachelorette parties. in 2019, you happily spent £555 on the stag and £475 on the hen.

Bridesmaids and Groomsmen

The average number of Bridesmaids and Groomsmen continues to rise slowly. 20% of couples had more than 4 with the average being 3. The focus seems to be shifting towards having best friends as a big part of a wedding day to the exclusion of page boys and flower girls.

Who’s Name?

An increasing number of brides, 25%, keep their own names after marriage often adopting a double-barreled surname. It is still most popular for brides to adopt their partner’s surname, but there’s been a rise in keeping your own surname or hyphenating them both. 8% of you can’t bear to part with your maiden name.

Gifting

20% of couples had a gift list for guests to choose from. The most popular options though were asking for cash or honeymoon vouchers.

DJ

Wedding music is an essential part of any wedding day. The average fee in 2019 was just under £600

Recommend A Friend

1 7th July 2021 by James Veal Leave a Comment

Premier Disco Referral Program

Program A

If you refer Premier Disco to a friend and they hire me to do an event,
I will deduct 10% from your final payment of your event.
Tell two friends, who hire me and save 20% and so on!
(Referral must sign their agreement & pay retainer fee before your event takes place)

Program B

If you refer Premier Disco to a friend and they hire me to do an event,
but they sign their service agreement & pay their retainer fee
after your event takes place, I will send you a
5% referral thank you gift certificate to your favorite restaurant.
This is ongoing ‘forever’ so you can get
regular gift cards from regular referral

Conditions

1) The referral must let us know before their signing that you have referred them to Premier Disco.
2) The referral must provide your event ID number when booking their event.

Choosing a Wedding DJ

1 24th June 2021 by James Veal Leave a Comment

How Do You Choose a Wedding DJ?

It is only to be expected that you will be looking for the best DJ available to fit your style and budget. This is a non-exhaustive list of questions you should be asking yourself, and any DJ, you are thinking of hiring.

Premier Disco - How To Choose A Wedding DJ

Does your DJ have the correct experience for your wedding?

There are many different kinds of DJ’s, some with preferences for specific music types.
Some will be a fantastic club or kids party DJ but you need to make sure they are right for your wedding.
A great wedding DJ will have extensive experience in the wedding sector.
Will be playing typical wedding party tunes and any others you may like to hear.
Will be able to include specific genres to your preferences.
Will be able to adapt to suit your requirements.
Will be very confident using a microphone for the formal part of your wedding day but also be able to use it to best effect when the dancing begins.
Will dress and behave in a way best suited for your wedding.
Will not be a distracting feature at any time.

What is your DJ going to provide?

It is easy to book a DJ but you have to understand what your DJ will provide and what you need to bring if anything. What sound and lighting equipment and is it suitable for the venue? Make sure there are no hidden costs and that he/she brings the right experience.

What kind of music does your DJ have?

Most DJ’s own a very large collection of music. You still need to make sure they have the music you would like and that they are comfortable playing it. If the DJ has no experience of the particular type of music you want, they should speak up early and recommend another DJ who does.
DJ’s streaming music has become much more common in the past few years. This will allow them full access to almost anything you want but is totally dependant on the internet. If the wifi fails then you have no music. Make sure your DJ owns their music and is not renting it from some streaming service. Streaming is handy in an environment where there is great wifi for sourcing the odd track they do not have but do not rely on wifi for any reason.

Can you submit playlists in advance?

Some DJ’s will not accept playlists. They say you hire them for their skills and their selection of music. Never accept this or you will be left with very unhappy guests.
A good DJ will acquire a list from you in advance to make sure they have everything you need. They will also take requests on the night from you or your guests.

Will they accept a list of tracks not to play?

It is important to select music to be played at your wedding reception. It is just important to advise on songs you do not want to be played. There are many reasons you may want specific tracks not to be played, make sure your DJ is fully aware.

Does the price include lighting?

The music and presentation are all important but don’t underestimate the impact of good lighting. Ask if this is included in the cost.

Does your DJ have the correct insurance?

Typically you will have a contract with your venue. Your DJ will have a contract with you. If, for any reason, something goes wrong and the venue need to recoup some money for damages or other reason, they will claim against you. If your DJ does not have insurance in place you would need to pay the venue.
DJ Public Liability Insurance (PLI) is an absolute must to protect your venue, you, and your guests.
Simply DO NOT HIRE A DJ WITHOUT PLI.

Does your DJ have their electrical equipment portable appliance tested (PAT)?

Properly tested and certified equipment helps to prevent any safety or electrical issues. This goes hand in hand with PLI. A reduced risk of issues reduces the risk of having a claim.

Does your DJ have a backup plan in case of equipment failure?

If something fails during your event, does your DJ have a suitable back up system so the reception can continue? The very last thing you want to hear is that your party is ending early because an amplifier or other piece of equipment has failed.
Good maintenance and PAT certification help to prevent these occurrences, but things break down. Even brand new equipment or cars can have faults so make sure there is a back up plan.

Does your DJ provide a written contract?

Always have a written contract. It is true that a verbal contract is just as binding but without a written contract you will have no evidence of your agreement.

Are you hiring an individual DJ, agency or company?

There are many direct and indirect ways to hire a DJ. It is often said that using an agency is best. This is not the case.
An agency will have various DJ’s on their books and will say they guarantee a replacement if your DJ is ill before your wedding day. This is true but is also true for any reputable DJ. A good DJ always has back up processes in place just in case. An agency will charge you a large commission (about 25%) for this but will pass the responsibility onto the DJ they have hired. It is most often part of the DJ contract with an agency that the DJ is responsible to provide a replacement if they cannot perform.
Hire a DJ direct but have the contract reflect that they have provisions in place.

Hire A Professional Wedding DJ

How To Use Your Online Wedding Planner Site

1 26th July 2020 by James Veal Leave a Comment

Planning

Your online wedding planner site plays a big part in the success of your wedding, corporate, or any other kind of event planning. A well thought out plan will not only guide your service providers but will go a long way to ensure the success of your event.

We, at Premier Disco, fully understand the importance advance planning. We actively encourage all of our clients to access, and complete, their own planning information.

Hire An Experienced Wedding DJ

PremierDJ wedding online planner — Wedding planner home page

What is a planning site and how do I access it?

A planning site is specifically designed to assist in planning your event. The site itself is securely hosted within our own domain. You have exclusive access. This is a site where you, as a client, can provide us with details of your event and submit online music requests in advance. This will give us the best opportunity to be fully prepared.

You can make changes to dates, names, music requests, addresses etc. This information is used to plan our part in your event. It gives us a much better understanding of your expectations and allows us to better meet them.

Access

You can access your site as soon as you confirm a booking with Premier Disco. We will set up the site for you and send your access credentials. All you need to do is click on the weblink, and enter your user name and password, to access all the benefits available to you.

There is a full set of tools available in your planner so you can customise your event the way you would like.

Online Music Requests

Within the planning site is an intuitive online music requests area. Here you will be able to select your most important music as well as extra music for throughout your day. You can also allow your guests limited access to provide a short list of their preferences. Everybody can have input for greater success.

How to use the Online Wedding Planner

We have thought of that too. The online wedding planner is pretty simple to use but it is always useful to get a heads up on the features and way around. To make things easier for you, we have produced a comprehensive video guide which can be found below.

We have tried to provide full guidance on the use of the planner. Your event may have specific requirements so we also understand that we may not have covered everything for every scenario. If you find that anything is missing, or there is a better way to help you plan, then just let us know. We are always listening

Learn more about wedding receptions with Premier Disco

Your planning site is a totally invaluable tool to ensure we have all the correct details of your event.

Have fun planning!

If you already have your planning site login details, you can get access by clicking the button below.

Event Planner

Camille & Emmanuel 19/10/19

1 22nd October 2019 by James Veal Leave a Comment

This was the first time for me at the French Consulate in Edinburgh. The occasion was the wedding of Camille and Emmanuel and the party for all their guests.

Wedding DJ French Consulate wall plaque — Wall plaque on the French Consulate in Edinburgh

Premier Disco Upstairs landing at the French Consulate Edinburgh — French Consulate wedding bar and Premier Disco

I always like to perform at a venue I have never been to before so was keen to what was ahead of me at the French Consulate. It is a pretty grand building with some great staff.

Hire an experienced Wedding DJ

The first, and very important, thing to impress me was the lift. This place has a lift! Unlike next door, at the Signet Library, where it almost kills me every time. A nice, easy access in a decent time left me plenty of time to set up my smaller than normal rig into the limited space I had for the night.

The wedding breakfast and dinner were held in the Edinburgh Suite which looks like a conferencing room. By the time the room was all decorated, it looked great.

It was a long day from the set up at 5pm. Dinner at 730 and dancing from 1030 until 130.

Premier Disco Wedding breakfast at the French Consulate — Premier Disco Wedding Breakfast at the French Consulate

Music

I have plenty of experience performing at weddings but it is not very often I have been asked to do a full French wedding. Although confident that this would be a successful and enjoyable night, I was a bit apprehensive due to the large number of French songs chosen for the reception.

To best DJ any event there is a need to know and understand the music selection before you. There is a need for the knowledge of how to put certain pieces of music together in the right way. To achieve this there is also a need to know the music pretty well.

My knowledge of French music is pretty much as good as my French language, limited to a couple of words. So with the help of the bride and groom’s list, I did what I could on the night. I ROCKED it! Unexpectedly the result was exactly as desired by the happy couple.

Everyone attending was just brilliant. Even when trying ceilidh dancing there was great banter and giggles. It is so much harder explaining the dances to people with a limited understanding of English, or my brand of Scottish at least.

Great people, great fun and a very successful night all round.

Premier DJ preparing for the evening receception at the French Consulate in Edinburgh

Thank you to Camille and Emmanuel for your hospitality and for having me perform at your wedding reception.

Congratulations to both of you and have a great life together.

Kerry & John Craig

Arrival and Prep

First Dance

Playlist

Related posts:

Results Of The National Wedding Survey 2019

The Average UK Wedding in 2019

Top 5 Wedding Costs

Wedding Venue

The Honeymoon

Wedding Food

Engagement Rings

Drinks

Engagement

Average Ages

How Many Guests?

Dress In Style

Break With Tradition

Bridesmaids and Groomsmen

Who’s Name?

Gifting

DJ

Related posts:

Premier Disco Referral Program

Program A

Program B

Conditions

Related posts:

How Do You Choose a Wedding DJ?

Related posts:

Planning

What is a planning site and how do I access it?

Access

Online Music Requests

How to use the Online Wedding Planner

Related posts:

Music

Related posts: