Scottish Wedding Music Advice | A typical Wedding Schedule In Scotland

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The Jiggers Scottish ceilidh band have played around 1000 weddings in Scotland in the last 10 years. We’ve written this blog post as a guide for brides and grooms who are planning their wedding day schedule, and looking for a bit of Scottish wedding music advice. Of course, you don’t have to do it this way. We’re always very flexible: it’s your Big Day, after all! 

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TYPICAL WEDDING SCHEDULE

Every wedding is different, and while timings vary significantly, the majority tend to follow a rough pattern, as in the following example. We’ve factored in some gaps which usually get filled with travelling to/from your wedding reception venue.

CEREMONY 2.30-3.15pm

PHOTOGRAPHS 3.30-4.30pm

DRINKS RECEPTION 3.30-4.30pm

MEAL( inc speeches) 5.30 – 7.30 pm

COMFORT BREAK 7.30 -8.00pm

CAKE CUTTING & photos 8.00pm

FIRST DANCE (cd or band) 8.10pm

EVENING ENTERTAINMENT (ceilidh) 8.15 -9.45pm

EVENING BUFFET 9.45 – 10.15pm

EVENING ENTERTAINMENT (DJ) 10.15 – 11.45pm

TAXIS etc 12 midnight

We recommend an 8 or 8.15 start for the ceilidh, as this usually allows the guests a comfort break to mingle while the room is ‘turned around’ (if required) and the band set up and sound-check.

If you have invited evening guests, it’s usually good form to say 7.30 on the invitation, so that they have time to arrive and be welcomed before the dancing begins around 8.00.

The Jiggers ceilidh band usually require 1 hour to set up and sound-check, depending on the ease of access to the venue. If the room where the dancing takes place can be vacated for the duration of the set-up, then that greatly speeds our set up.

It is also useful if the guests are invited into the room AFTER the band have had a chance to sound-check, if at all possible.

Please note we have played hundreds of weddings, so we appreciate the considerations of the wedding party, and our set up is always as quick and discrete as possible.

Please contact us should you wish to discuss our setting up earlier in the day, which can be arranged for an additional charge.

It’s best to appoint a person (usually the best man) to be the ‘point of contact’ for the band on the evening to handle the practicalities such as payment, and to make sure that everyone knows what is happening. This helps free up the bride and groom to mingle with their guests.

If you would like to commission a specially written first waltz as a memento of your day, contact us to arrange this.

A microphone for speeches (including PA) can also be arranged for earlier on in the proceedings, should your venue not already provide these.

If you would like to book live background music such as our fantastic jazz pianist for during your meal, see www.bigdaymusic.net or call us on 0141 419 9558 for more information. Booking more than one musician or group through bigdaymusic.net qualifies you for significant discounts.

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Remember: the format for your wedding is entirely your own decision, and we will strive to accommodate your wishes.

We’ve given the above guide because we can attest that the above format works exceptionally well, particularly with reference to the evening reception.

Obviously, we want to make sure that your wedding is just how you want it, so please do give us a call and we can discuss your preferences.

Venue Review: House For An Art Lover, Glasgow

• Category: business, Ceilidhs, Events, Food and Drink, Glasgow, Music, performing, Scotland, venues, weddings
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A popular wedding venue where the Jiggers are regularly invited to play is Glasgow's House For An Art Lover in Bellahouston park. (It's just round the corner from where the Jiggers are based, which is nice!). This is the venue of choice for lovers of Charles Rennie Mackintosh art and architecture.

The venue has an upstairs section for the reception ceremony and meal, with the downstairs "Art Lover's Cafe" which is a kind of mini-gallery that transforms into the gathering place for the evening ceilidh.

We often provide clients with music for the full day there, and were performing there again at the weekend. A popular choice is our bigdaymusic Wedding Silver Music Package, which includes a piper for welcoming guests (handy, if you're lost in the park and can't find the venue) and our jazz pianist usually tickles the ivories on the venue's baby grand piano during the meal. We also supply our string quartet for e.g. the drinks reception or the ceremony which can be held in the venue too.

Clients often ask what size of band is suitable for the House for an Art Lover…We usually suggest 3 piece or 4 at a push. 5 would be tight, especially if it was a full function band with backline. You can see the relatively small stage setup of the 3 piece Jiggers band, including DJ & lights, in the picture below. Including lights with the entertainment is a must for the art lovers cafe, whose white walls really benefit from some nice party lighting, i think.

If you've had an event at the House for an Art Lover, please do post a comment to tell us about your experience there.

Me, Katie & Dougie, the 3 piece Jiggers ceilidh band outside the House For An Art Lover.

Boturich Castle

• Category: Ceilidhs, Events, Glasgow, Music, performing, reviews, Scotland, Travel, venues, weddings
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Scotland is a great place to get married. You rarely have to travel more than 10 minutes from any point in the country to find a really beautiful backdrop for your wedding celebration.One of the best things about being in a ceilidh band is the fact that we get to perform in some of the most beautiful places in Scotland.

Raising the game for wedding venues around Loch Lomond (of which there are many) is the recently developed Boturich Castle.

Well, OK. It's not like they've just built an ancient castle, but the point is that they've just added a large fixed marquee which caters for (at a guess) about 200 guests.

They held their first wedding there last week, and Bigdaymusic was hired by the happy couple to provide the wedding entertainment (which included the bagpiper, and also the ceilidh band and DJ for the evening).

Now the Jiggers have played lots of really nice venues around Loch Lomond: The Lodge on the Loch, Luss, Cameron House, Loch Lomond Youth Hostel, Duck Bay, loch Lomond Shores- Drumkinnon Tower, Ross Priory. But the most breathtaking view has to be the one you get from from Boturich.

The castle (and marquee) is situated on a hill north-east of Balloch, and as you can see from the photos, has an unhindered perspective on the loch. The real selling point of Boturich, I think, is the fact that two whole walls of the large venue are completely glass, meaning all the guests benefit from that incredible view for the whole day.

I don't know how much they charge for events held there. I can't imagine that it's cheap… I believe that you can hire in your own caterers,though which might make it a bit more flexible if you can get a good deal on the food.

And of course, catch us on a good day and we might also be happy to shave a few quid off the price just for the chance to play up there again

Here's some pics of Dougie, Katie and Donald chillaxin' outside the venue…

Billy Collins – Litany

• Category: Fun Stuff, Music, performing
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As a ceilidh caller and a performer, I always like to look for examples of how better to connect with an audience, hold their attention, make them laugh. Billy Collins communicates in a comfortable, droll way that is unhindered by false confidence.

Choir of the Year 2010

• Category: Ceilidhs, Fun Stuff, Music, performing, Sports, weddings
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A spine-tingling choral performance down the Duck and Switchblade. Maybe Bigdaymusic should see if these guys are available for singing at weddings.