Adelle & Dave | Briars Hall, Ormskirk Wedding Singer

Adelle and Dave came to me with a slightly different approach to planning their wedding music. They knew the kind of atmosphere they wanted, they knew the music they loved, but when it came to choosing every individual song, they were more than happy to hand over the reins and trust me.

So rather than starting with a huge list of songs they wanted to hear, we spent time establishing their overall music taste. I wanted to know the artists and genres they loved, but just as importantly, I wanted to know the songs they hated. The ones they skip immediately. The ones that come on the radio and make them change the station. Sometimes knowing what somebody absolutely does not want to hear gives me just as much insight as knowing their favourite songs, and it meant I could build their live wedding music around something that genuinely felt like them.

The songs they did choose themselves were also, quite frankly, FUN.

Adelle and Dave had originally found me through some of my covers of songs that perhaps would not traditionally be considered “wedding songs”. They loved the idea of taking music they actually listened to and turning it into something that could work acoustically during the more intimate parts of their wedding day. Rather than filling the ceremony with songs simply because they are popular at weddings, they wanted music that their guests would hear and immediately associate with them.

They initially booked me for their Ceremony and Drinks Reception at Briars Hall, before gradually adding a few extra pieces as the plans came together. First came their live First Dance, followed by a bespoke addition for me to introduce and sing them into their Wedding Breakfast after they had seen some of the wedding entrances I share on social media.

They had already booked a magician to entertain during the meal, so a full Wedding Breakfast singing package did not really make sense. They quite rightly did not want two suppliers competing for attention or me accidentally turning up and completely drowning out the entertainment they had already planned. Instead, we created something in between. I would essentially help host different parts of their wedding day, popping back up for the moments where live music could add something before handing the room over again.

It ended up working so well. There was a lovely flow to the day, and by the end I had spent so much time appearing and disappearing that every time guests spotted me heading back towards the microphone, there was a sense of anticipation about what was coming next.

Making the “Wrong” Songs Perfect for a Wedding Ceremony

Their ceremony was held in one of the smaller rooms at Briars Hall, and when I say they absolutely maxed out the capacity, I mean we were cosy. Navigating speakers, microphone stands, guests and an actual wedding ceremony within the room was an interesting little logistical puzzle, but everybody quickly befriended one another and I almost instantly felt like an extended member of the family. Which was probably just as well, seeing as I was practically sitting on top of one of Adelle’s aunties during parts of the ceremony.

Musically, though, this ceremony was an absolute dream for me.

Alongside their own selections, I had free rein to choose some of the guest arrival music based on everything I had learned about their taste. That resulted in acoustic, wedding friendly versions of songs including Toxicity by System Of A Down and Everlong by Foo Fighters.

And they went down ridiculously well.

Guest arrival music usually sits quite naturally in the background while everybody finds their seats, catches up and waits for the ceremony to begin. It is not particularly common for me to finish a song during this part of the day and receive a full round of applause, but this crowd was having absolutely none of the “background music” behaviour.

They loved it.

Dave in particular was over the moon, and those unexpected acoustic covers ended up being some of the most talked about songs of the day.

It is probably one of my favourite parts of what I do. Give me the song that everybody tells you is “not a wedding song” and let me see what I can do with it. Some songs might need stripping right back, changing the arrangement or approaching completely differently to the original, but that does not mean they cannot belong at a wedding. If you want a judgement free, you do you approach to your wedding music, I am very much your girl. Adelle and Dave embraced that completely, and their ceremony felt so much more personal because of it.

The weather spent most of the day making its mind up, but thankfully we managed to catch one of the dry spells and head outside for their Drinks Reception. We kept things relaxed with more acoustic versions of familiar songs while everybody had a drink, caught up and enjoyed that lovely little period immediately after the ceremony before the next part of the day began.

Once the weather started looking questionable again, we moved back indoors ready for their Wedding Breakfast entrance. Adelle and Dave had chosen a song that was completely new to me and one I had never performed at a wedding before, let alone used for an entrance, Right Back Where We Started From.

It worked brilliantly.

As soon as they entered, the room erupted. Guests were cheering and whooping while Adelle and Dave made their way around the room, saying hello to everybody before eventually reaching their seats. It had exactly the kind of energy they wanted without needing to turn the entire Wedding Breakfast into a live singing set.

Once they were safely introduced and the celebrations were underway, I handed things over to the magician and disappeared off to find myself a quiet little side room for a few hours before it was time for my final job of the day.

A First Dance With a Twist

As the room turnaround began later that afternoon, I headed back in and introduced myself to the DJ who would be taking over for the evening. One of the things I love about weddings is how many brilliant suppliers you end up working alongside. Us music suppliers in particular can quite easily get chatting for hours while everybody is setting up, comparing equipment, swapping stories and generally getting far too invested in what everyone else has brought with them.

Not long afterwards, Miranda from Party Sax arrived and it was time for us to soundcheck together because Adelle and Dave had one final musical idea planned for me.

Their First Dance.

The arrangement started with me singing the gorgeous stripped back Sam Ryder version of Set You Free, giving them that slower, more intimate First Dance moment at the beginning. From there, the arrangement transitioned into the original N Trance version, with Miranda joining on sax and completely changing the energy of the room.

It was honestly stunning.

My only complaint is that I had positioned my phone so expertly that the majority of my own recording features the back of my head, which is extremely useful content for a wedding singer.

Thankfully, the actual moment was considerably better than my videography skills.

What I loved most about Adelle and Dave’s wedding was that there was no attempt to make their music fit into some predetermined idea of what a wedding soundtrack should be. We had System Of A Down during guest arrival, Foo Fighters in the ceremony room, an unexpected Wedding Breakfast entrance song, and a First Dance that began acoustically before turning into a dance classic with live sax.

On paper, those things might sound like they should not belong in the same wedding. In reality, they made complete sense because they belonged to Adelle and Dave.

That is exactly what bespoke wedding music should do. It should reflect the people getting married, whether that means a traditional romantic aisle song, an acoustic rock cover, a room full of guests singing along or something nobody else would ever think to choose.

Adelle and Dave, thank you for trusting me quite so completely with your wedding music and giving me permission to have so much fun with it. From squeezing into that packed ceremony room and watching Dave’s face during Toxicity, to hosting your entrance and coming back one final time for that incredible First Dance, this was one of those weddings where every part of my involvement felt completely different.

What a day.