COVID-19 Support & advice for booking Wedding entertainment
The Coronavirus has affected every part of society and music and entertainment have been particularly hard hit. This has resulted in hundreds of weddings, parties and events having to be cancelled or rescheduled and there is an air of uncertainty regarding planning for future events.
Fantasia Music deals with hundreds of such events throughout the UK, and as a major supplier of music particularly for weddings, we have written what we hope will be an informative and helpful guide to help existing clients with any questions about their bookings and to explain to those who are thinking of hiring musicians for future weddings what we are dong to give you the confidence to book with us.
What are the current restrictions on live music for events?
At present, live music is not allowed for evening parties however wedding ceremony entertainment is sometimes possible but with certain restrictions and social distancing. Singers and wind instruments are not allowed so if you would like to have music for your wedding ceremony it could be possible to have a small string group such as a string trio, harpist or guitar.
For those who have only booked music for their wedding ceremony then the options in the paragraph above might still be OK however if you have booked music for the wedding breakfast and evening party then it looks like this might not be possible until further notice.
Advice from the government at this time gives a timetable until the end of this year as follows:
From August – There will be a limit of 30 people for receptions (seated)
From October – Larger venues will open their doors to weddings however the numbers that can attend is as yet unspecified
From November – A ‘More significant return to normality’ is promised so this could be good news for more venues and the number of guests as well as entertainment?
I have a wedding booked for this year and am worried – what advice do you have?
Given that there is still a degree of confusion regarding weddings it might be wise to err on the side of caution. Your decision making should start with your venue as they will be in control of what can and cannot happen at their venue so make sure you contact them for the latest advice. We will do our utmost to help you with any music bookings you have with us and will work closely with your venue to ensure the best possible outcome.
What if I have to cancel my event?
If you have to cancel your wedding due to government instructions re: COVID-19 then you have a number of options:
Rescheduling
Most clients have been rescheduling their weddings for a future date and simply rebooked their original entertainment. In this case we would check with the artists and if available simply transfer your deposit/prepayment to the new date and issue new contracts. If they are not available then we would work with you to find a suitable replacement from our roster of professional musicians.
Cancellation
If your event has to be cancelled as a direct consequence of government instruction and you cannot or do not wish to reschedule then there will be no further payment required. Cancellation for any other reason will be subject to the terms & conditions within our standard contract.
What if I reschedule my event and have to change it again?
Not a problem. If you have to change the date again then we will reschedule your booking as in ‘Rescheduling’ above.
We are looking to get married in 2021 but are worried about availability of venues and suppliers- what should we do?
As there are so many weddings and events to be rescheduled from March onwards this means that availability of wedding venues and suppliers is becoming more and more difficult. Traditionally most weddings fall on weekends (and in particular weekends between May and September) – Saturdays are top of the list for most weddings and Sundays for Jewish weddings. This being the case it is well worth considering having your wedding on a week day, and we have been seeing an increase in weddings particularly on Thursdays and Fridays. Another option is to go for a less busy date for weddings between October to March. Winter weddings in particular have a magical feel about them!
Once you have your venue secured it is advisable to contact us as soon as possible to speak about entertainment. We specialise in music for weddings and have a large roster of professional musicians for the ceremony, drinks, breakfast and evening party. So if you need a string quartet, harpist, jazz band, steel band, Motown band, pop band or any other style of music we can help!
Government guidelines & restrictions going forward
Hopefully as time goes on things will improve to the degree that weddings and parties can continue as normal as possible. Until then we will monitor the governments guidelines to ensure we give our clients the best possible advice to those planning social events with music.
For reference the link to the government’s guidelines for small marriages and civil partnerships is here:
How to have a ‘Covid-secure’ wedding in England
If you have any questions or would like more information regarding COVID-19 and it’s impact on weddings and parties then please either contact us via email: info@fantasiamusic.co.uk or call us for a friendly chat on 01202 421743
Author: Steve Gallagher