After sending many lengthy emails to clients who wanted more detailed information on my wedding and corporate services, I set up this dedicated page for that purpose.

 

Wedding Services

1. Wedding Champagne Drinks Reception (see demo video)

A wedding champagne reception is the perfect time to relax your guests and get them in the mood for the wedding breakfast and evening party to follow.

This is where I come in. For up to two hours non-stop (i.e. without needing to take a break) I will deliver piano & vocal only renditions of some of the classic hits from the last six decades. Songs everybody will know..."That's Amore", "Fly Me To The Moon", "New York, New York", "Your Song", "Jailhouse Rock", "American Pie", "Brown Eyed Girl", "Angels" etc...from a varied repertoire of hundreds of songs everyone will know.

This is by far my favourite service I provide as I always enjoy the fresh challenge of reading my audience and deciding which songs to play to create the right mood on the moment. Always sensitive to the needs of your guests, this can be quite unobtrusive or it can be more 'audience participation' and 'sing-a-long' if your guests are so inclined!...well you'd be amazed what a couple of glasses of champagne does for the inhibitions! Spontaneity like this can only ever be provided by a live entertainer.

I have played at drinks receptions countless times over the years and am well aware that it's not about me, my ultimate goal being to ensure everyone has a great and memorable time. Knowing that some guests have not seen each other for years, or are a little older, I appreciate the need for them to be able to catch up on old times, mingle and chat without being drowned out. With this in mind, the volume is always kept at the right level and I'm rarely, if ever, told to turn down the volume as, from guaging peoples reactions, I am always one step ahead.

Completely self-contained, should the venue not have a grand piano, I will set up my electric piano (sounds identical, in some cases, better than the real thing) and small PA system in just 25 minutes. Whilst setting up my gear there is no disruption to proceedings and it's always done with plenty of time to spare allowing for the unexpected - I do not believe a Bride and Groom should have to worry about anything on their wedding day.

Some of the venues I have played at drinks receptions recently include;

• Edinburgh Castle
• Dundas Castle
• Gleneagles
• Stirling Castle
• Hopetoun House
• St Andrew's Golf Resort & Spa
• Duns Castle
• Sheraton Hotel
• Balmoral Hotel
• Lennoxlove House
• Auchen Castle
• Prestonfield House

This service I provide is one of the best ways to give your guests a rare and special treat on your big day, and one that they will talk about and remember for a long time.

 

2. Wedding Breakfast (music during the meal)

Very similar to the champagne reception music where I will again play and sing for the duration of the meal without a break but usually never exceeding more than 2 hours (my bladder is strong but not that strong, besides I've never known a meal to take much more than two hours).

The type of music I will play will again be a mixture of the popular tunes but probably with more ballads thrown in. Due to the fact that guests are eating and chatting, it will likely be a bit more 'background piano and singing'. However, my experience is that towards the end of the meal, guests start singing along anyway, which I'll do my best to make that happen with songs like 'New York New York' and 'Wild Rover'. This undoubtedly helps ease any nerves of the top table speechmakers as, by the time they speak, their audience are much more ready and vocal!...and whether or not they care to admit it, all speechmakers love a heckler or two!

It's almost a given that a grand piano will not be in the same room that you are dining therefore, I will be using my electric piano set up again (which does actually help to control volumes too) which can be setup in the smallest of spaces. This service creates a superb atmosphere whilst you are eating and chatting, rather than the very dull 'piped in' CD music or worse, no music at all. Live entertainment is always better.

 

3. Evening Party Entertainment

I also provide main evening function entertainment. This is ideal for smaller numbers or, where there is either a tight budget, not enough room for a full band or when live entertainment is preferred to a disco.

Using self compiled backing tracks to accompany my piano and singing, I will replicate the full band sound, e.g. Drums, Bass, Guitars, etc. Always working with my audience to ensure the dance floor is never empty, I will perform all the pop standards, e.g. upbeat, mid-tempo, slows, and also some traditional music such as the 'Gay Gordons' and 'Dashing White Sergeant'.

There will be a noticable build up towards the end of the evening party which will usually end with 'Auld Lang Syne' - everyone surrounding the bridal party in the middle - yes very cliched but it works every single time.

If your criteria for evening party fits the above, then I can provide the perfect entertainment to have your guests dancing all night.

 

Corporate Services

The range of services I provide for corporate clients include;

• Champagne Drinks Reception - as described above (see demo video)
• Meal Music - as described above
• Office Parties / Function Music / Background Music - as described above
• Pianobar Theme Nights - where I will organise the hire of a grand piano into the venue to recreate the 'pianobar' theme. Your clients will love this entertainment where they can sit around the piano, drinking and singing along to all the popular songs from my repertoire, including many Rat Pack numbers which always go down well. This is another one of the services I enjoy most where I can engage and respond to my audience at close range, and it's always easier on the voice when they do most of the singing! This is an extremely fun night.

Some of my recent corporate clients include Jaguar Cars, Sun Microsystems, Scottish Equitable, Standard Life, Royal Bank, Stasys, DFDS, Rank & Buttigg and RICA Hotels.

If a corporate client is able to dream up any other form of entertainment (featured around a piano) that is not described above, then I'm always willing to consider it!