by Hanami Dream | 27, October, 2016 | #UKWedLunch
#UKWedLunch – Wednesday 26th October 2016
As well as general wedding planning chat, there’s some #toptips as well. This week’s theme is ‘tips for booking a wedding band’ #UKWedLunch
TOP TIP 1: Check that your band is fits in your venue. Ask your band leader the dimensions of their performance space #UKWedLunch
TOP TIP 2: To roughly work out how much to spend on a wedding band take the number of musicians and multiply it by £250 #UKWedLunch
TOP TIP 3: Confirm with the band how long and how many sets are included for the price #UKWedLunch
TOP TIP 4: Check the technical requirements of the band can be met by the venue inc number of power sockets required #UKWedLunch
TOP TIP 5: Save money by choosing a band that offers a DJ package as well #UKWedLunch
TOP TIP 6: Use a booking agent which will have bands for every budget and genre #UKWedLunch
This week’s top tips taken from Hanami Dream blog ‘5 essential tips for booking your wedding band‘ with thanks to Matchbox Music #UKWedLunch
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Next week’s theme is ‘wedding flowers’ #UKWedLunch
by Hanami Dream | 28, December, 2015 | blog
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Photography by Farrow Photography
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We hope you’ve had a wonderful time celebrating Christmas. At this between and betwixt time, we take the time to reflect on the past year and look forward to the brand new year ahead. It’s a popular time to book holidays, make resolutions, kick start a new healthy regime and start thinking about personal special occasions that we have coming up.
Next year is going to give us plenty of reasons to celebrate as a nation with the Queen’s 90th birthday and we hope there’s street parties aplenty to mark such an amazing milestone in June.
In the music world, 2016 would have also seen the 80th and 90th birthdays of musical legends Buddy Holly and Marilyn Monroe respectively. Plus it also marks 150 years since Beatrix Potter was born
It’s also a leap year in 2016 so ladies this is your chance to pop the question. Let’s not take the lead from the Greeks and Romans though who thought that starting any new life event (from getting married to christening a child) in a leap year would bring bad luck.
Maybe you’ve got your own personal celebration in 2016. Perhaps you’re expecting a baby (much like Bridget Jones in the third installment of the film series set for release next year) and will mark this new arrival with a baby shower or a christening. Other babies due to famous faces in 2016 include:
- Coleen & Wayne Rooney
- Andy Murray & Kim Sears
- Tom Fletcher & Giovanna Falcone
- Cat Deeley & Patrick Keilty
- Anne Hathaway & Adam Shulman
- Emma & Matt Willis
Perhaps your children are a little older and you’ll be celebrating their graduation from university or marking their coming of age with a special party (like Kendall Jenner, who will reach her 21st birthday in 2016).
Congratulations if you got engaged over the festive season (or if you’re already engaged) and are planning an engagement party and/or wedding in the new year. Here are some famous engaged couples we think could make it up the aisle and we’re sure their special days would influence wedding trends in 2016:
- Kimberley Walsh & Justin Scott
- Tom Daley & Dustin Lance Black
- Lady Gaga & Taylor Kinney
- Emma Bunton & Jade Jones
- Liv Tyler & Dave Gardner
Or maybe 2016 will give you the opportunity to renew your vows, celebrate an anniversary, mark your retirement or enjoy a special milestone birthday with the important people in your life.
Some famous faces turning 30 next year are:
- Lady Gaga
- Ellie Goulding and
- Usain Bolt
Whilst celebrating their 40th birthdays will be:
- Ronaldo
- Benedict Cumberbatch and
- Isla Fisher
Other big birthdays include Janet Jackson, Gordon Ramsay and David Cameron’s 50th; Tom Hanks’s 60th; Dolly Parton’s 70th; and Robert Redford’s 80th.
Whatever you’re celebrating in 2016, we wish you a very Happy New Year.
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Photography by Farrow Photography
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Photography by Farrow Photography
by Hanami Dream | 10, September, 2015 | blog, guest post, tips
Booking your band is often one of the more enjoyable tasks when it comes to planning your wedding, however to prevent any hiccups on your special day (apart from those caused by the Champagne) have a read of the 5 essential tips below expertly compiled from the lovely people at Matchbox Music.
1. Size, does it matter?
Some say size doesn’t matter, but if you get to your wedding night and you haven’t checked your measurements you could be in for a disappointing end to the day.
I am of course talking about the size of your band. Although it might sound obvious, you should always check that your band is actually going to fit in your venue. If you are unsure, just send your band leader the dimensions of their performance space. Any professional band will be able to give you a size estimate for their act prior to the wedding.
2. Money, money, money
When trying to work out how much to spend on a wedding band, a general rule of thumb is to take the number of musicians and multiply it by £250. This can be used as an estimate for the starting price of a band excluding travel expenses, so for a 3-piece band you can expect the cost to start from £750. Make sure you confirm with the band how long and how many sets are included for the price, you can expect on the above price an average two 1-hour sets or three 45 minute sets.
You might have found your dream band for a price that fits your budget, but if the band has to travel 500 miles to get to your wedding, you’re going to have to pay hefty travel expenses or even pay for accommodation. Instead if you find a band that is more local to your wedding venue, the money you save on travel expenses can instead be used to pay for longer sets of music, a larger band or even getting the band to play your first dance.
3. Technical difficulties
Checking that the technical requirements of the band can be met by the venue is hugely important. Imagine booking a band to play outdoors at your wedding, only to find out on the day that the venue has no way of providing power for the band, it would be a disaster that could easily of been avoided.
A simple way to avoid such situations is to check the rider. A rider is simply a list of technical and general requirements that the band need in order to perform which you as the client are responsible for providing. Typical items to be found on the rider will be the number of power sockets required, providing a changing room for the musicians, and providing the band with a meal. If all items on the rider are not met, the band are within their rights to not perform, so it is important to carefully read through it.
Once you have read the rider, check with an appropriate agent at your venue that all the requirements can be met. It is better to do this sooner rather than later so any problems can be rectified.
4. Using a booking agent
Using an agent makes the process of finding your wedding band a lot simpler and more enjoyable. A good agency will have an easy to use website, which will have bands for every budget and genre. You can seamlessly browse through the acts, comparing their promotional videos, set lists and testimonials until you find the band that is perfect for your special day.
Using an agent can sometimes cost a little extra, but that money is well invested in the knowledge that you have support should any issues arise during the lead up to your wedding. In the event of the unexpected, such as the band breaking the contract, you won’t find yourself in a situation where you have no band with only a week until the wedding!
5. Superstar DJs – here we go!
To keep your guests dancing the night away even after the band has finished you’re going to need some music, and for this you will need to book a DJ… or do you? A way to potentially save money is to choose a band that offers a DJ package. Each band will offer different DJ add-ons ranging from a simple iPod playlists to a full DJ with decks. Whatever the case, if the band offers a DJ service it is probably going to be more cost effective than outsourcing an independently booked DJ.
With these top tips you’ll be set to dance the night away. If you’d like to find out more about booking a wedding band visit www.matchboxmusic.co.uk or contact Matchbox Music at info@matchboxmusic.co.uk
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by Hanami Dream | 29, December, 2014 | blog
We hope you’ve had a wonderful time celebrating Christmas. For us, December is such a special month as not only are there Christmas festivities but lots of family birthdays to mark and share including our son’s, our nephew’s and my grandad’s 91st this year.
At this between and betwixt part of the month, many people take the time to reflect on the past year and look forward to the brand new year ahead. It’s a popular time to book holidays, make resolutions, kick start a new health regime and think about personal special occasions that are coming up.
Next year is going to give us plenty of reasons to celebrate as a nation with the 800th anniversary of the signing of the Magna Carta, a solar eclipse in March, a new royal baby and the Rugby World Cup taking place in England in the autumn. Plus anniversaries in relation to Sir Winston Churchill will include the 50th anniversary of his death, the 75th anniversary of his first becoming Prime Minister, and the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain. In the world of popular music, 2015 will also see the 25th anniversary of Take That, 15 years of Atomic Kitten and it would have seen the 70th and 80th birthdays of musical legends Bob Marley and Elvis Presley respectively.
Maybe you’ve got your own personal celebration in 2015. Perhaps you’re expecting a 
baby like Kate & William and will mark this new arrival with a baby shower or a christening. Other babies due to famous faces in 2015 include:
- Sacha Baron Cohen and Isla Fisher
- Liv Tyler and Dave Gardner
- Shakira and Gerard Pique
- Rebecca Adlington and Harry Needs
- Dawn O’Porter and Chris O’Dowd
- Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake
- Keira Knightley and James Righton
- Abbey Clancy and Peter Crouch
Perhaps your children are a little older and you’ll be celebrating their graduation from university or marking their coming of age with a special party (like Harry Styles, Justin Bieber and Tom Daley who will all reach their 21st birthdays in 2015).
Congratulations if you got engaged over the festive season (or if you’re already 
engaged) and are planning an engagement party and/or wedding in the new year. Here are some famous engaged couples we think could make it up the aisle in 2015 and we’re sure their special days would influence wedding trends:
- Declan Donnelly and Ali Astall
- Geri Halliwell and Christian Horner
- Benedict Cumberbatch and Sophie Hunter
- Peter Andre and Emily Macdonagh
- Kimberley Walsh and Justin Scott
- Christine Bleakley and Frank Lampard
- Andy Murray and Kim Sears
- Cameron Diaz and Benji Madden
Or maybe 2015 will give you the opportunity to renew your vows, celebrate an anniversary, mark your retirement or enjoy a special milestone birthday with the important people in your life. Some famous faces turning 30 next year are Lewis Hamilton and Keira Knightley. Whilst David Beckham, Angelina Jolie, Declan Donnelly and Anthony McPartlin will be celebrating their 40th birthdays. Other big birthdays include JK Rowling and Craig Revel-Horwood’s 50th; Rowan Atkinson and Bruno Tonioli’s 60th; Henry Winkler (The Fonz) and Tom Selleck’s 70th; and Sean Connery’s 85th.
Whatever you’re celebrating in 2015, we wish you a very Happy New Year.
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Photography by Farrow Photography
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