We’re turning our thoughts this afternoon to ensuring the atmosphere and tunes at your wedding celebrations are just perfect. Booking agent at Last Minute Musicians, Sarah-Jane Morris is here to share her industry insights and advice. Sarah and her team at Last Minute Musicians have a real passion for connecting couples with their perfect musicians and offer an outstanding service from beginning to end.

The diversity of their acts ensure that there is a fit for every style and taste of music. Why not take a look at their website and see for yourself?

Hi, Sarah-Jane could you firstly tell WWW readers a little bit about you?

I am a professional opera and jazz singer and I run the agency and a small consultancy organising lots of lovely music for events. I studied at the Guildhall School of Music in London and have sung at many prestigious venues throughout the country such as The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, English National Opera, The Royal Albert Hall and for the BBC and ITV and Sky on TV.

What do you love and dislike about your job?

I love that every day is different. Some days I just talk to brides, other days I am out at venues meeting clients and other suppliers. I love hearing about clients events and my favourite emails are the many thank you’s I get!

There is nothing much I dislike to be honest. Maybe getting emails from charities when the musicians they have booked (not through us) have let them down. As a fundraiser for several charities it breaks my heart to hear when musicians have let people down but it’s difficult because musicians have to pay bills too and there is a lack of respect out there for our professionalism. There isn’t much else to dislike.

How did you get into the wedding industry?

I studied singing at music college and I was always “out there” writing letters and meeting people to audition for work. When I qualified I found I was being asked by brides if I knew other musicians and I realised that I did. As a bit of an entrepreneur I realised that there was a gap in the market to help people organise music for their weddings. My husband and I started our Consultancy in 1997 and it has grown and grown since.

Tell us about your typical working day.

Every day is different but normally I get up at 7am and get the children ready for school. I start work at 7.45am with emails and a cup of tea! My days are all different and some days we have lots of enquiries and organising and some days it’s emails and phone calls. I tend to work until around 10pm as I know from experience that our clients who are organising weddings want to be able to speak to someone on the phone at 9pm and not 2.30 in the afternoon.

If you could choose another role in the wedding industry what would it be?

Wedding Planner. If I had a £1 for the number of people who have told me that I should start my own Wedding Planning business I would be a millionaire! I do love everything about weddings and have a lot of colleagues in the wedding industry so I would have the contacts but I really don’t have the time. I do love hearing from my brides about their weddings though, especially the dresses and music of course!

What do you aim to achieve for your clients?

To take away the stress and worry that they will “get it wrong” with their music. Music is something that most people have never had to organise before and they do worry about doing the right thing.

I aim to be there for them to help them choose music and take the strain away from something that should be a lovely addition to any wedding. Matching musicians to clients is my biggest love. It’s not just about the type of music that you have, it is also about matching personalities and because I know my musicians so well (and I only use the best and musicians who love what they do) I can usually match them to the personality and requests of the bride and groom.

What style is your work? How would you describe your style in three words?

No style as we have so many different styles and genres of music to choose from.

Friendly, professional and detailed.

Could you tell us some information about your packages/prices?

We do every booking on a one to one basis and give our clients the best price we can. We always offer discounts for booking more than one part of the day. Prices are from £195 for a solo piper to £5,000 for our top bands.

Do you have any tips for couples in selecting their wedding music?

Always think about the music that your guests will like too. If you are choosing a theme then try to keep your music within that theme and for the ambience of the venue. Remember that for a drinks reception you are unlikely to hear the music as you will be away having photographs so don’t choose your favourite songs or music for that part as I get some many emails afterwards saying, my guests loved it but sadly I didn’t hear it!

Keep to your budget and talk to your musicians about your favourites. Good musicians will want to listen.

For evening music it’s a good idea to give the band an idea of what you love but not a large list (unless for a DJ) as the band know how an evening will flow and how to “read” the dancefloor. They understand the styles and musical keys and what works to keep your guests dancing.

Make sure you talk to your band beforehand. We always pass on musicians details to our brides and grooms so that they have direct contact. It’s so important to get to know your musicians. Remember they are guests at your wedding too so if you love their music but don’t like them think twice as personality is as important as the music.

Are you seeing any trends for the year ahead?

Yes, vintage and festival bands. Unfortunately, they are so popular that I would advise booking at least a year ahead as they are all so busy!

Can you give us a teaser about what you are working on now?

Lots and lots of weddings… We are constantly developing our website to make it easy to find the perfect music for you.

How can we get in touch with you?

Website: http://www.lastminutemusicians.com/entertainment_agency.html

Email: sarah-jane@lastminutemusicians.com

Phone: 01737-249839 / 07983-542012

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Always happy to chat!

Just brilliant and some great words of advice too, thank you Sarah-Jane. Pop on over to the Last Minute Musicians site to find your dream wedding musicians xo Lou

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