Welcombe Hotel Wedding Singer | Laura & Eric's Wedding

Some weddings feel a little different from the moment you receive the booking, and Laura and Eric's wedding at The Welcombe Hotel was definitely one of those.

Laura booked me over a year before the wedding, which meant we had a long time to get excited about this one! Over that year we had chatted back and forth, sent voice notes, discussed music, planned little details and, somewhere along the way, gone from supplier and couple to feeling much more like old friends catching up about a wedding. So when the big day finally arrived, I was genuinely so excited to see them.

And there may or may not have been a few happy tears involved...

A Beautiful Ceremony at The Welcombe Hotel’s Italian Garden

The ceremony took place outside in the beautiful gardens at The Welcombe Hotel in Stratford upon Avon, and honestly, what a setting.

The aisle was MASSIVE. I mean, absolutely enormous. There was a lot of time for me to sing and a lot of time for everyone to take in the moment as Laura made her way towards Eric. She had chosen two particularly personal songs for the ceremony. The first was for the bridesmaids, with an acoustic version of Best Friend For Life by Grace Leer, before Laura walked down the aisle to Speechless by James TW.

There was a little extra surprise waiting for Eric too.

Before the ceremony, I had been sent a beautiful voice note from Eric's child which we incorporated into the music. It was such a personal touch and one that made the whole ceremony feel completely theirs.

When I met Laura and Eric over video call, Eric was very clear that he was absolutely, definitely, categorically NOT going to cry. He cried. Pretty much as soon as I started singing…

I'll admit, watching him realise what was happening while Laura was walking towards him was a pretty special moment. This is exactly why I love personalised wedding ceremony music. Sometimes it is the smallest detail that turns a beautiful song into a moment you remember forever, and that is exactly what this was.

The Most Beautiful Weather Luck

Now, anyone who knows me knows I am a firm believer in burying a sausage the night before a wedding if the forecast is looking questionable.

Yes, really.

The weather had been absolutely glorious all summer, right up until the week of Laura and Eric's wedding. Naturally, the forecast suddenly decided to throw rain into the equation. So, the sausage went in, and it worked! The sun was shining, the skies were blue and by the end of the day some of the guests had even managed to get themselves sunburnt. I'd call that a successful bit of wedding day weather management. The ceremony itself was gorgeous. Emotional, personal and full of those little moments that make you realise just how lucky you are to be standing there witnessing someone's wedding day, and then it was time for round two...

Drinks Reception:

Once the ceremony was over, I headed over to set up for the drinks reception while Laura and Eric disappeared off for their photographs. The Welcombe Hotel really is such a beautiful wedding venue, and the gardens gave the whole drinks reception such a relaxed summer atmosphere. While everyone was waiting for the newlyweds to finish their photographs and join them, I treated myself to a very quick ice cream. Priorities. Once I was set up, it was time for the music.

Laura is a bit of a country girl, so I made sure to bring plenty of country classics into the set alongside some timeless love songs. The result was exactly what I wanted. Relaxed, romantic and summery, with enough familiarity for guests to sing along and enjoy themselves without the music taking over the conversation.

I had so many lovely compliments from guests throughout the afternoon, which is always a huge compliment in itself. I love performing during drinks receptions because the music becomes part of the atmosphere rather than the main event. People are chatting, drinking, catching up with family and friends, having photographs taken and celebrating, while live music quietly ties the whole thing together. But then came one of my favourite moments of the entire day.

High by Lighthouse Family

There was one song I had deliberately kept up my sleeve. High by Lighthouse Family is one of Eric's favourite songs, so I knew I didn't want to perform it while he was off having photographs taken. I wanted him to actually be there for it. So I waited… and eventually, I saw Laura and Eric coming back through the gardens, making their way up the stairs towards us. Perfect timing - I started playing High as they came closer, and suddenly everyone around them joined in. Guests were singing along, Laura and Eric were coming up the steps together and the whole thing just felt incredibly natural. It was one of those moments that you couldn't really plan. Well, you could plan the song…. but you can't plan the feeling, and that is probably my favourite thing about live wedding music.

When Your Wedding Singer Becomes Your Friend

Laura and Eric, I genuinely loved being part of your wedding day.

From the moment you booked me, you made me feel so involved in the plans and I loved getting to know you both over the past year. By the time the wedding came around, it honestly felt less like I was turning up to perform for a couple I'd booked and more like I was going to catch up with old friends who happened to be getting married. And I think this is something that is so easy to overlook when you're choosing your wedding suppliers. You aren't just booking someone to sing for a few hours. You're inviting people into one of the most important days of your life.

You'll be messaging them, discussing ideas, sending song choices, asking questions, changing your mind, getting excited and probably having at least one minor wedding planning wobble along the way. So yes, you should absolutely love their work. But you should also like them. You should feel comfortable talking to them. You should trust them. You should feel like they understand what you want and, hopefully, you should have a bit of a laugh along the way, I think Laura and I definitely achieved that last part. We even managed to squeeze in some very silly photos before I left, which probably says everything you need to know about how well we got on.

The Welcombe Hotel was the perfect setting for their beautiful summer wedding, and I feel incredibly lucky to have been part of it. Laura and Eric, thank you for trusting me with your music, your surprises and such a special part of your day. It was an absolute pleasure.

And yes, Eric...

I told you you'd cry.

Planning Your Own Wedding?

If you're looking for a wedding singer at The Welcombe Hotel, in Stratford upon Avon, Warwickshire or anywhere across the UK, I'd love to hear about your plans.

Whether you're looking for a beautiful live aisle song, relaxed drinks reception entertainment or live music throughout your wedding day, I can create a package around you, your music and the atmosphere you want to create.

Your wedding shouldn't sound like everyone else's.

Let's make it yours.