Wedding Ceremony - Category - Premier Disco Scotland

Camille & Emmanuel 19/10/19

1 22nd October 2019 by James Veal

This was the first time for us 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

We always like to perform at a venue we have never been to before so were keen to see what was ahead of us 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 us was the lift. This place has a lift! Unlike next door, at the Signet Library, where it almost kills us every time. A nice, easy access in a decent time left us plenty of time to set up our smaller than normal rig into the limited space we 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

We have plenty of experience performing at weddings but it is not very often we have been asked to do a full French wedding. Although confident that this would be a successful and enjoyable night, we were 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.

Our knowledge of French music is pretty much as good as our French language, limited to a couple of words. So with the help of the bride and groom’s list, we did what we could on the night. We 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 our 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 us perform at your wedding reception.

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

Planning your own wedding reception in Scotland? view our Wedding Reception package.

Wedding DJ at Archerfield Waterfront East Lothian — Pauline & Derek Smith

1 29th July 2019 by James Veal

Archerfield Waterfront in East Lothian was the setting for the wedding reception of Pauline and Derek Smith — a brilliant evening that had the dancefloor packed from the first dance to the last song. As one of Scotland’s finest coastal wedding venues, Archerfield always delivers something special, and this night was no exception.

Premier Disco has provided wedding DJ services in East Lothian for many years, and Archerfield is one of our favourite venues to work at. The staff are exceptional and the room has a wonderful atmosphere from the moment guests arrive.

Planning the Perfect Wedding Night

From the very first conversation, Pauline and Derek knew exactly what they wanted — a dancefloor full of guests from start to finish, music that meant something to them, and a night that felt completely their own. They put real thought into their soundtrack and it showed. With a bit of imagination on the night and some great guest requests, it all came together perfectly.

From the very first dance there was a dancefloor more or less full to the end of the evening — just the way we all like it to be.

Pauline and Derek Smith on their wedding day at Archerfield Waterfront East Lothian — DJ'd by Premier Disco — Pauline and Derek Smith — Archerfield Waterfront, East Lothian

The First Dance

It was very important to Pauline and Derek that their first dance should bring guests onto the floor straight away — something romantic with the right message, but with the energy to get everyone involved. Andy Williams’ Can’t Take My Eyes Off You was the perfect choice: a slow, intimate opening for the couple, then bursting into life at exactly the right moment for guests to join in.

Andy Williams — Can’t Take My Eyes Off You. The first dance that set the tone for a brilliant night.

Setting Up at Archerfield Waterfront

With a full day ahead, setup began at 11am — giving plenty of time to get everything exactly right rather than the usual race against the clock. Archerfield is always a pleasure to work at. The team there are among the friendliest venue staff you’ll encounter anywhere in Scotland, and that makes a real difference to how the evening flows.

Time-lapse of Premier Disco setting up for Pauline and Derek’s wedding at Archerfield Waterfront, East Lothian

Planning Your Own Wedding at Archerfield?

If you’re getting married at Archerfield Waterfront or anywhere else in East Lothian, we’d love to be part of your day. We know the venue well and we know how to make the most of it. Take a look at our Wedding DJ East Lothian page for more on how we work, or visit our Wedding Reception page to see everything that’s included in the package.

Get in touch to check availability for your date — contact us here.

10 Things you should know to make your wedding a party

1 5th September 2017 by James Veal

How to Make Your Wedding a Party: 10 Tips From James Veal

Tips to make your wedding a party — Premier Disco wedding DJ Scotland

Premier Disco are wedding professionals, and after years performing at weddings throughout the country every single week of every year, we know exactly what it takes to make your wedding a party your guests still talk about. We see what works and what doesn’t, and we’re there to make every party special by keeping the dance floor full. Your wedding day is special to you and it should be as you wish. We trust you wish it to be a day for everyone attending to remember fondly.

To help us out, you will find below a list of 10 things you really should know.

1. Give us your music request list.

Requests definitely make our job easier. We are well able to provide your soundtrack for your wedding day without any help but your list will let us know what you would like to hear. We limit the number of requests you make so we can use our experience, after all that is what you are paying for, to add variety.

By playing the right songs your party will be great but give us the flexibility to use your list to build the night and your night will be even better. Contrary to popular belief, we do actually structure your night to have a flow of music to best keep the dance floor full for the whole night.

We have many years of experience judging how a night will flow, so a scripted list of music to play at set times does not work in the flow — see The Wedding Secret’s step-by-step wedding music guide for a good overview of how the day’s music typically builds. Let us know what you would like and let us best decide when to play it.

Hire an experienced Wedding DJ

2. Don’t ask your guests for suggestions on your invitations.

We try to discourage our brides and grooms from asking guests for a music track they would like to hear when they send out the invitations. Guests will ask for all sorts: songs as a joke, tracks that just won’t fit your reception, or the occasional inappropriate suggestion.

As part of our service, your guests can ask for up to 5 songs each. On your planner site there is a link and password details you can send to some of your guests. We keep their requests separate from yours so we know exactly what you would like. This gives us a big list of music, but we also check it over properly to make sure anything we play is appropriate. Guest requests come second to yours, but we give them proper consideration. We don’t guarantee that every submitted request gets played.

3. Encourage your venue to have the bar and seating in the same room as the dance floor.

Our experience of venues where the bar and seating are in a separate room from the dance floor is that guests will go to the bar or for a seat and often not come back for a considerable time. It is more difficult for them to hear the music, so they are less likely to dance. The distance detaches them from the positive energy the DJ is generating, and nothing he does can inspire them to return to the dance floor.

A certain way to kill the party is to separate your guests from the entertainment.

4. Don’t stop the flow

Your DJ will have a plan for the development and structure of your night. This is very fluid and he can change his mind many times a minute. Be positive, make sure your formalities are over before your DJ begins his part of the night.

Asking to stop the music in the middle of a set so someone can make a speech or take a photo will immediately kill any energy already built up. It is then far more difficult for the DJ to get the audience motivated or back to the same level of energy before the interruption.

Don’t stop the DJ to let a guest sing, if you want a singer then let the DJ know at the start. Give him all the information about music and times so he can plan.

5. Consider your guests when allocating seating

Don’t put very young or older people in front of the speakers. Reserve these areas for your younger, party going or clubbing guests.

Don’t sit older people directly opposite the DJ.

Young and old do not like the music too loud or lights shining in their eyes. Position them appropriately at the sides of the room or as far away as possible.

The loudest area is right in front of the speakers, plan ahead so everyone can enjoy the night.

6. Wedding games?

We all want a busy dance floor. Having games in other parts of the room will detract from the dancing. Dancers are like magnets, the more dancers you have, the more people will want to dance. If your guests are busy playing casino at the other side of the room, nobody will want to dance.

If you have games, put them early in your night and well out of the way once the party gets started.

7. The Bride and Groom MUST dance!

Every last guest is there because you invited them. They are there to party. As the bride and groom you are the centre of attention. If you are on the dance floor then your guest will join you. If you are outside or at the bar then that is where your guests will also be.

8. Time for Dancing.

This is your day. This is the best day of your life up to this point. There are certain formalities and technicalities that need to take place so do your best to have them done properly and in good time.

There are many events on the day which can easily run over time. The photos, the speeches, the meal, the venue change over. Try to make sure everything happens when it is meant to.

Your DJ will have to set up equipment before your reception. This takes time, usually up to one hour, and no amount of pressure to speed it up because ‘the breakfast was late’ can make it happen any faster. Getting the timings right is one of the simplest ways to make your wedding a party rather than just an event running to a schedule.

Maybe this can be done before your wedding breakfast or maybe your DJ will provide a full day service. In these cases this is not a problem. If your wedding is due to start at 730pm but doesn’t start until 9pm, your evening party will be a lot shorter.

You will be glad you made sure everything runs as planned, maybe get your Best Man to take the responsibility of keeping to time, or as close as.

9. Plan in advance.

Your online planning page is a fantastic resource for providing information about timings, music and much more. Please make sure you use it to your advantage.

So we can get everything planned, or even rehearsed, your access to the planner closes 7 days before your wedding. Please do not ask for changes after this time.

Your DJ will be co-coordinating with venue staff, caterers, photographers and any other suppliers you have on your day. Any single, seemingly simple change can create confusion and miscommunication, a recipe for disaster.

Keep it simple, keep it planned, keep it right.

10. ENJOY YOURSELF

Simple as that, enjoy!

Ready to make your wedding a party your guests won’t stop talking about? Explore our full range of wedding entertainment.

Wedding Vows — How to Back Them Up and Keep Them Safe

1 20th September 2016 by James Veal

A proper wedding vows backup Scotland couples can trust starts with one simple rule: never rely on a single piece of paper. You’ve spent weeks writing your vows. You’ve rehearsed them in front of the mirror, edited them at midnight, and read them back to yourself more times than you can count. They’re one of the most personal things you’ll ever write — and one of the most important things you’ll say out loud. Losing them, even briefly, is the last thing you need on your wedding day.

As wedding DJs who’ve been present at hundreds of Scottish ceremonies, we’ve seen what happens when the nerves kick in. Minds go blank. Hands shake. That carefully folded piece of paper suddenly feels very small. Having your vows safely backed up isn’t overcautious — it’s just good planning.

Handwritten wedding vows on paper — backing up your wedding vows digitally ensures you never lose them before the ceremony — Your vows deserve more than a single piece of paper

Why Backing Up Your Vows Matters More Than You Think

Most couples write their vows on a phone, laptop or tablet — then print them out and consider the job done. The problem is that a single printed copy is a single point of failure. It can be left at home, dropped in a puddle, crumpled beyond reading in a nervous pocket, or simply lost in the chaos of a wedding morning. Any of these things can and do happen.

The solution is straightforward: treat your vows the way you’d treat anything irreplaceable. Make multiple copies in multiple places.

Wedding Vows Backup Scotland: The Best Ways to Back Up Your Vows

1. Cloud Storage — Your Most Reliable Safety Net

Storing your vows in a cloud service means you can access them from any device, anywhere, as long as you have a signal. Google Docs, Apple Notes, Microsoft OneDrive and Dropbox all work well. Type your vows directly into the document, give it a clear filename, and make sure it’s synced before the wedding day. If you lose your printed copy, you can pull it up on your phone within seconds.

2. Email Them to Yourself — and Someone You Trust

Email is simple, reliable, and searchable. Send a copy to yourself and to your maid of honour, best man, or a trusted family member. That way, even if your phone dies and your partner’s phone dies, there’s still someone in the room who can pull them up. Do this a few days before the wedding, not the morning of.

3. Read Them From Your Phone at the Ceremony

Many couples now choose to read their vows directly from a phone or tablet rather than a card. There’s nothing wrong with this — it’s practical, it means you always have a backup, and it avoids the risk of a piece of paper becoming illegible if your hands are shaking. If you go this route, put the device on Do Not Disturb, make sure it’s charged, and have the document open before the ceremony begins.

4. Keep a Printed Backup Separately

Even if you plan to read from your phone, print a copy and give it to someone else to carry. Your best man, maid of honour or registrar can hold it as a last resort. Having it in a different bag or pocket from your own means one mishap can’t wipe out both copies.

A Simple Checklist for the Week Before Your Wedding

Finalise your vows and save them to a cloud document
Email a copy to yourself and one trusted person
Print at least two copies — one for you, one for your backup person
If reading from your phone, test the document opens correctly and put the phone on Do Not Disturb
Run through them out loud one final time the evening before

One More Thing — Your Ceremony Music

Your vows are the heart of your ceremony, but the music around them sets the entire emotional tone — from the moment you walk in to the second you walk out as a married couple. A complete wedding vows backup Scotland plan is worth pairing with the rest of your day’s planning, including the music. Getting that right matters just as much as the words you say. Take a look at our Weddings page for everything we cover, or our Wedding Ceremony page if you’re planning your ceremony music in Scotland — either way, we can help make every moment land perfectly.