We are often asked why sound is so important on a wedding day. A lot of planning goes into your perfect day, and sound is often not considered. Ensuring that all your invited guests, family and friends are able to hear what’s going on is really important. Your guests want to share your special day and they want to be able to hear the ceremony clearly. Not just that but they want to hear all about the groom’s past in the best man’s speech. They want to hear your niece playing the violin while you sign the register. They want to hear the budding classical pianist playing during the canapés or during dinner.
Imagine, after the ceremony you overhear someone saying “Wasn’t the Ceremony beautiful, but I’ve no idea what she was saying or singing.”
How disappointing if your guests cannot hear what’s going on at the front of the room!
Here are our tips on when you need to be considering a sound system, and how to achieve the best result!
When would you need a sound system?
We think you need to seriously consider a sound system if any of the following are true:
- You have more than 40 guests attending.
With smaller weddings it may be appropriate and more intimate to keep the guests close and project your voices. We find however at any more than 40 and sometimes as low as 20 that may be a challenge, particularly with social distancing. - Your Ceremony is outdoors.
With a rise in outdoor weddings in spectacular locations, there’s never been a better time for your wedding service to be outdoors, if the weather allows! However, outdoor weddings provide different challenges, you may need to handle ambient noise, local traffic or the sounds of nature. If the wind is blowing in the wrong direction it will be difficult for your voice to carry any distance on its own. You can test this out simply yourself, visit your venue, and have a friend stand at the back of the seating area. Can you hear each other well? Bear in mind that there will be all your other guests around too. - Your guests are more than 20 meters from the Bride and Groom.
If your venue is spacious and you guests are some distance away you will definitely want to consider your options for sound.
What type of system would I need?
Well that depends, on the size of the venue and those involved in your ceremony, although the things you will want to consider are:
- A radio microphone for the officiant:
As the main speaker during your ceremony it is important to be sure that he or she is heard clearly. Our recommendation would be a headset mic, these discreet mics can provide excellent coverage and sound. As an alternative a handheld or clip on radio microphone may be used.
- Microphones for the Bridal Party:
If the bride and groom are reading their own vows, they will probably need their own radio microphones. If they are simply responding with a traditional “I Do” then the officiant may use a handheld microphone. This is something that needs to be discussed beforehand to ensure the couple are at ease with the arrangements.
- Equipment for Musicians:
If you have musicians at your ceremony, they may require to be connected to the system to ensure that they are heard effectively.
- Ability to playback music:
If you chose to come down the aisle to your favourite track, you need to ensure that you have some way of amplifying this, a cable for a laptop or phone or a CD Player.
Where can I get a sound system?
- Many venues have a small system available, this may be sufficient for your needs, but it’s best to check that out as soon as you start looking at venues. Systems provided by hotels and venues are often ‘set and forget’, where the system is turned on and the volumes are preset.
- Your musicians may have equipment that your officiant may be able to use.
- You can hire equipment in what is known as a ‘dry hire’ where you are hiring equipment only. This may include delivery and setup, or may be equipment for collection, either way your on your own during the day should any issues occur.
- For complete peace of mind, our advice would be to look for a company who provides sound engineers with equipment. Not only is an engineer going to make sure that the sound system is set up properly for every individual who takes part in your ceremony, making sure everything is sounding great and heard across the room. Hiring a sound engineer will allow them to take all of the effort and stress away from you, allowing you to concentrate on your day.
Wedding Services from 3:16 AVI
3:16 AVI provide a range of services for weddings, which you can find out about here. Available across Scotland, their team are able to handle the technical details of your wedding ceremony, speeches and evening entertainment with a variety of options as required. Contact us today to discuss your specific requirements.