Away Days… Life on the road!

Away Days… Life on the road!

On a cold and rainy Wednesday afternoon, I find myself putting the finishing touches to my final bits of prep, before making the long journey from Harrogate to the Cotswolds for a magical winter wedding the following day…. here’s how it unfolded;

 

Wednesday, 18:00.

The van is loaded and it’s time to say goodbye to Mrs DJMG and the kids. All ready to hit the road and head off to my overnight stop off which is 30min from the venue.

Wednesday, 21:00.

The drive down is horrendous due to really strong winds and torrential rain… finally arrive safe & sound 3 hours later! It’s then time to get my head down for some much needed sleep before the big day.

Thursday, 10:30.

Arrive at the venue and get straight to work setting up for the ceremony and drinks reception. 2 DJ set ups are needed for this part of the day as there isn’t any time for a turnaround once the formal proceedings start.

Thursday, 13:00.

The ceremony starts and I’m there on hand to manage the music; pre-ceremony, walking down the aisle, signing of the register and walking back up the aisle. This is always a nervy time as even the slightest mistake could potentially ruin the whole experience for the soon to be happy couple – glad I did my prep!

Thursday, 14:00.

The ceremony is complete and it’s time for the drinks reception. At this point I’m joined by Jasper (one of my extremely talented Sax players), who has also made the trip down from Harrogate for the event. We crack straight on with creating a chilled Ibiza type vibe while the wedding party enjoy a glass of Prosecco (or two).

Thursday, 15:30.

It’s wedding breakfast time which means we can relax for a couple of hours, run through our plans for the evening and most importantly, enjoy some quality wedding food.

Thursday, 18:30.

We’re back to work and it’s all hands on deck. The breakfast room is cleared of guests and we’ve got an hour to turn the place into a party hot spot. Crisp white DJ booth, sound system, up-lighting & effects are all put into place to help create the perfect setting for the evening reception.

Thursday, 19:30.

The guests start to filter back into the main room and await the arrival of the bride & groom.

Thursday, 20:00.

Cutting of the cake, followed swiftly by the first dance. I make all of the official announcements and Jasper waits eagerly by my side and is ready to hit the dancefloor.

Thursday, 20:15.

It’s time for us to shine! I kick the set off with Alex Gaudino’s “Destination Unknown” swiftly followed by a selection of classic “hands in the air” anthems for Jasper and our dancers to lose themselves in. It’s a great party and we keep the energy levels high all night to cap off a brilliant wedding day.

Friday, 0:05.

The venue calms and it’s time for me to pack up – my least favourite part of any event.

Friday, 01:30.

I arrive back at my stop over for the night, kick off my shoes and enjoy a nice cold bottle of beer… I’m ready for bed!

Friday, 09:00.

Time to head home and the driving conditions are once again atrocious. I arrive back in Harrogate just in time for lunch and start the process all over again for my next event…. in 6 hours time!

So all in all a pretty intense but highly rewarding 48 hours and made all the sweeter by the awesome Google review left by the lovely couple…. congratulations Mr & Mrs M!