How much time do you need for set up & sound check?
We can be fully set up in 1 hour from when we get access to the room.
What are your standard performance times?
We play 8pm-12am (with a 30 minute break).
I'm not sure what my timings are going to be yet, is there any flexibility on the standard timings?
Yes we’ll always try our best to accommodate your timings if they’re different from the standard 8pm-12am set.
How long do you take for your break? Are you able to play background music during this time?
We take a 30 minute break and this is usually during your evening buffet, if you’re having one. We’ll definitely play background music for you during this time.
Can I pick the songs that you'll play on the night?
We don’t offer custom set lists as such no, but before the big day we’ll send you our most recent up to date set list, and you’re more than welcome to request certain songs that you definitely want (or don’t want) to be played on the night.
Will you learn our first dance if it's a song that you don't already know?
Yes of course! Just make sure you give us enough notice to learn and rehearse it, so we can make sure it’s perfect for you!
Can you take any requests on the night?
We always welcome requests! We can’t guarantee that we’ll know every request, but if we don’t we always make a point of playing the original song during our break.
My venue has a 1am license, do you offer an extension to keep the night going until then?
Yes we offer a disco set from 12-1am. It’s a great opportunity you and your guests to make requests for the set list during that hour.
Do you offer any other add-on options?
Yes, we can also perform at your Ceremony and/or Drinks Reception. You have the option of booking Chelsea singing solo, or both Chelsea & Connor as an acoustic duo – so you can have all your entertainment for the day covered with us!
Is all of the equipment (e.g. PA & lighting) included in your quote?
Yes we bring everything that we need, and it’s all included in your quote.
What do you think your clients love most about your performances?
We bring a great energy because we love what we do, and that comes across in our performances! We have fun on stage and like to make everyone feel involved. Don’t be scared to talk to the band too, we love having a laugh with you all!
Which artists are you most influenced by?
Between the four of us we have such a varied taste in music, but I’d say we all love the likes of Prince, ABBA, Fleetwood Mac, Beyoncé, Bruno Mars, Whitney Houston, Lady Gaga.
Can you provide a ceilidh set? If so, could you give us more info about this - how long does it last, what instruments do you play, can you call the dances for our guests?
Yes we can! We usually do 3 dances, Gay Gordons, Canadian Barn Dance and Strip the Willow. This would usually take between 20-30 mins depending on the number of guests taking part, how well people know the steps etc. We use tracks with traditional instruments for the ceilidh section and we’ll call all the steps throughout the set for you too.
When a couple books you, what's the first thing you do? Walk us through what happens from the moment you're confirmed.
I enter the booking into our shared band diary and mark the date as unavailable. I make note of any special booking notes ie the bands set times, early setup required, hotel stay required etc and make sure it doesn’t clash with any other existing bookings.
How much contact do you typically have with the couple before the wedding? What does that look like - emails, calls, a planning form? How often, and who in the band handles it?
Chelsea deals with all communication in the band so you always speak to the same person and there’s never any crossover or confusion. We discuss the details via email with our couples, 6-8 weeks before the wedding is the perfect timeframe. If you want to reach out sooner that’s of course no problem. You can also reach Chelsea via the band’s Instagram and facebook page if you ever wanna chat!
When a couple sends through their first dance choice, what's your process? How do you arrange it, how long does it take, and what makes a great first dance choice vs a tricky one?
Firstly, I listen to the song if it’s not one we’re already familiar with. I enter it into our shared diary, so the band members know all the upcoming first dances for the coming months. This gives everyone a chance to learn the songs at home before we come together at rehearsal. Unless the couple request the song to be changed/altered in any way, ie slowed down/stripped back, we would play the song exactly like the original. A great first dance choice in my opinion is something with a great chorus that all your wedding guests will know and can sing along to. A tricky first dance for us would be a piano heavy song as we don’t have piano in the band, however we can play along to piano tracks in this case so it’s not ever an issue!
If a couple requests a song that's not in your repertoire, how do you handle that? Where's the line between "we'll learn that" and "that one won't work for us"?
We’ll always try our best to learn a couple's first choice, however if it doesn’t work for us and we don’t feel like we can pull it off musically, we will be honest and tell you it’s not one we can do, and offer alternatives. We always play music during the buffet break so this is when we would play any of your requests that we don’t sing.
What information do you need about the venue beforehand? Are there common venue issues couples should flag early - noise limiters, access restrictions, small stages, power supply?
If your wedding is in a marquee or outside it’s good to know beforehand. It’s important we have a flat performance space big enough for all of our equipment. We also need ample power supply. Does your venue have a sound limiter? This is an important one to let us know. If your venue doesn’t allow the band to use their own equipment, please make us aware before you book, as this isn’t always feasible. Does your venue have available and accessible parking for us? If we need to load in and then move the vehicles please let us know beforehand as it adds to our setup time so we can plan ahead. Does your venue have a music curfew? If so please let us know.
How do you coordinate with the venue staff or wedding planner? Is there direct contact between you and them, or does that go through Coast?
Any communication between myself and the venue before the wedding would be over email usually. Occasionally the wedding planner will email me the running order for the day etc.
What do you wear on stage? How do you think about your look and presentation for a wedding?
Our look is usually black and sparkly for Chelsea and black smart/casual for the guys! No cheesy outfits here.
What happens if a band member is ill on the day? What's your contingency - do you have dep musicians, and how does that work in practice?
We individually have our own group of deps that we use in these emergencies. They’re all professional musicians, typically from other weddings bands so we all do the same job. It’s a small pool of people and as we tend to use the same deps most of them have played with us many times over the years.
On the day itself, before you arrive - is there any final contact with the couple, venue coordinator, or planner to confirm details and timings?
Not unless it’s necessary. If we needed any assistance with anything I would call the venue and speak to the coordinator.
For couples who've never booked a live band before and are nervous about what to expect - what would you say to reassure them?
Check out all our live footage on our social media first of all, but more importantly if you have any questions at all, please send me a message on our socials and we can have a chat about it all! We’re quite chill and relaxed as a band, we just love what we do and want to have just as much fun onstage as you and your guests!
What happens when you arrive at the venue? Walk us through the logistics - load-in, setup, soundcheck. What does that process actually look like, and what would the couple or venue notice?
We arrive, speak to the co ordinator, find out the best place to load in, and where they want us to set up our equipment. Once we’re set up we’ll have a soundcheck to make sure everything’s sounding great in the room, not all venue’s are the same so this is imperative. Ideally there would be no guests in the room while we soundcheck but if your venue doesn’t have a room turnaround, then your guests would be present during our soundcheck. I’ll then confirm the set times, buffet times, last orders at the bar and coach bus pickups with the staff before we start so that we can plan our set accordingly.
If you're due to start at 8pm, what time would you normally arrive? What factors change that - venue access, distance, complexity of setup?
We typically arrive at about 6.45pm for a standard 8.00pm start. However if your venue has a difficult load-in (ie top floor/upstairs) we would plan for this and give ourselves extra time.
How do you approach the start of the evening? Do you call the bride and groom onto the floor? How much of the first dance do you give them before inviting others in, and how do you read when to make that call?
I introduce the band and have a quick chat with your guests, before I introduce you into the room and you have your grand entrance! Then it’s typically a cake cutting just before the first dance. We would orchestrate all of that and get all of your guests involved too. This would seamlessly go into your first dance from there, at which point I’d invite your wedding party to join you both. This would usually be after the first chorus but I confirm this with my couples beforehand. Some people prefer to dance their first dance alone, or may have a specific point in the song when they want everyone to join.
How do you decide what to play next during the set? What are the signals you're reading from the crowd, and how quickly can you change direction if the energy shifts?
We like to cover a wide range of genres in our setlist so there’s something for everyone. We don’t follow a rigid setlist, and if we feel guests are liking a certain vibe/genre we would play more of that style or certainly save some for later on too. Certain songs work better at the start of the night and vice versa, so we would still have some structure in the set. For example our 90s dance section works better later on in the evening, as opposed to the start of the set.
How do you structure the energy across the whole evening? Do you build to a peak, keep it high throughout, or work in waves? How do the breaks fit into that?
We’re a high energy band for sure, but we might switch it up and throw in a slow dance here and there if we feel the crowd are enjoying it. Some people love to come up for a slow dance now and again and it’s a nice way to break up the set. We go on our break when the evening buffet is served at which point we play music which you can choose specifically. Then the set builds to the dance section which is a different sound entirely from the first set - which leaves the last hour for some party classics and songs everyone will enjoy!
How do you deal with live requests from guests on the night? What are your rules of engagement - do people come up to the stage, is there a system, and how do you handle requests you can't play?
People can request songs of course, if we don’t know them we can play them during our buffet break or DJ set.
You offer a live ceilidh set - talk us through exactly how you perform it. Who calls the dances? How do you teach the steps? How do you get reluctant guests involved without making anyone uncomfortable?
Richard our drummer, calls the ceilidh and he and I also demonstrate the dances. We typically only do ceilidh if the couple requests it beforehand so usually there’s a good response on the night as guests are expecting it. If guests don’t want to get involved we would never be pushy about it but usually if the bride and groom are on the floor and getting involved, people will follow suit.
How much do you interact with the crowd between songs? What's your style - chatty and MC-like, or let the music do the talking? Do you make announcements if the couple asks?
Yes we happily make announcements. I (Chelsea) do most of the chatting surprise surprise! I’ll introduce songs etc and get your guests involved. We love guests who wanna come up for a song too, so if you have any musicians in your crowd we’re always up for that! We like the guests to feel involved too!
For couples who've booked your DJ set as well, how does the handover work between your live performance and the DJ set? Is it a seamless transition or a distinct changeover?
Yes it’s a seamless transition from the band’s last song to the tunes. No awkward silences.
What's your approach when something doesn't go to plan - a late-running meal, a change to the schedule, a technical issue? Can you give an example of how you've adapted on the fly?
Some things can’t be avoided on the day unfortunately. We’ve played many remote venues and some unfortunately run into power issues, and a power cut at quarter to 12 is a nightmare. However our approach is to be calm, organised and prepared on our end as much as possible. During this instance we had to adapt in the moment, and keep the party going with the last 15 mins of the set completely a capella! It was a vibe and every guest sang along with us.
How do you handle venues with noise limiters or sound restrictions? Does it change what you do, and would the couple or guests notice a difference?
Lots of the venues we play have them, and we’ve never had a problem with sound limiters, we always know before our soundcheck so any issues should be eradicated at that point.
How do you close out the evening? Is there a go-to finale approach? How do you decide when to end on a high vs giving the crowd one more?
We finish on Loch Lomond, which is always a great ending to the night. Some bands play the song, we sing it live which is 100% better. You can’t match the live version. All of the guests are involved and singing it too, it’s the perfect ending. If couples don’t want to end with Loch Lomond of course they can choose another song and let us know beforehand.
How do you know it's been a good night? What's the thing that tells you "that was a great gig" - is it something you see, something the couple says, something you feel on stage?
We can feel it onstage 100%. We’re lucky that most weddings we play, guests, close family members or the couples themselves, come up afterwards and tell us how much they loved the music and how much fun they’ve had. Which is exactly what you want to hear! It makes us feel like we’re doing what we should be doing!
What's your single favourite moment or memory from a wedding you've played? The one you always tell people about.
We performed at two weddings, for two sisters, which was really special to us. The way the family welcomed us back for the second time was really lovely and the crowd all remembered us which was just so nice to feel like we were a memorable part of people’s day!
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