Outdoor Ceremony = Music Snag

cwill6212

With just 100 days to go (ACK!!!) I've hit a little snag!

We're having an outdoor ceremony on 6/2.  I just booked a tent yesterday so we're "covered" there. My "plan" was to play an instrumental song for the parent seating, then have someone sing as I walked down the aisle and another singer after our vows. I presumed this would not be a difficult task to arrange with the DJ who is doing my reception.  But apparently, the logistics of it require much more tear down/reset in a very short amount of time.  So---now I'm stuck.

I was thinking we could use a portable stereo to still play the songs we want... It will just not have the big speakers or microphone "production" as planned. Do you think the tent will hold the sound in enough to still get the effect? What else could I do in this situation so we still have music in our ceremony?

PS - Renting musicians is not really an option. I already went over budget with the tent rental so I don't need to spend a lot of $ on this area....

Thanks

123861

If your reception is also in the tent,why is the DJ not willing/able to play that instrumental song?These days I'm sure they can download any songs to their music,or am I wrong?

bunni727

We just did a test run with our sound, and it was fine with just the stereo. However, it was a very quiet day, and I was a little worried about extra noise when it's actually time (public park near baseball fieldon a Thursday in February probably sounds a bit different than it would on a Saturday in May). We have a portable stereo up front, and have arranged for an additional speaker hid in the trees towards the back. The extra speaker we borrowed from our DJ; maybe your DJ could let you use a speaker or two instead of redoing his whole set-up? DJ might charge for this or not allow it, just an idea.

spoonjr

Hey there...I'm just a lowly groom to be, but happen to be a musician in my spare time.  I can attest to the difficulty that the DJ (depending on the complexity of his set up) might have in splitting his system up for use in different areas.  If he is set up where the ceremony will be held, then I'd definitely try and use his system if possible.  He'll already have a mic, and the equipment to mix the vocals with a recorded track!  Even if he's set up behind the seating area, etc. it could easily still work.  I sang in a wedding 2 summers ago where I was a groomsman and the musician.  My setup was behind the seats (I snuck out of line during a prayer, and made my way to the back for the song).  It took about 1.5 seconds for folks to quit wondering where the music was coming from, and then focus completely on the bride/groom.  I actually ended up being less of a distraction, singing from the "back".  This was at an outdoor wedding, and worked surprisingly well.

You can also look into renting locally, a small acoustic amplifier or better yet a small PA system (a Fender Passport system would do perfectly well).  You can run iPods, stereos, etc. into them along with mics for vocals.  You should be able to rent one for well under $100.00.  I would also consult your singers.  They often either have some equipment that you can make work, or know a friend who has something you can hijack for the day...You might try an ad on Craigs List, and find some student who wants to make $25 by letting you borrow a small rig for a weekend?  Most of these systems are very "plug and play" and can be easily set up and run.  Your DJ, or a local music shop employee can likely give advice as necessary.

There are tons of us part time music geeks out there who would be willing to help...no worries!  I'm sure you'll find the right setup and it'll be perfect!

cwill6212

The ceremony is outdoors in the tent.  The reception is indoors in the reception hall. Although they are a few hundred feet away, I did not realize the logistics in asking my DJ to do sound for my ceremony as well as the reception. At this point, I'd rather his focus be on the reception.

@spoonjr-Thanks for the "expert" advice. I know a little better what to look/ask for now.