Wedding pianist singer at Bartle Hall wedding Preston

Last Wednesday, the day finally arrived for Irene and Tony’s wedding at Bartle Hall. Irene had contacted me after searching for a wedding pianist on the internet.
After our initial meeting, we decided that I would perform for the ceremony during the day with a piano keyboard in one room. I would also set up the white baby grand piano and lights in a corner of the main room ready to perform during the evening function. I hadn’t played a wedding at Bartle Hall before and was very impressed with the team and level of service there with Hannah and new manager Stu.
The couple’s choice of ceremony music included the walk-in (processional) to Pachelbel’s Canon and signing the register to Einaudi’s piano instrumental I Giorni and Brian Crane’s Butterfly Waltz from the PS I Love You soundtrack. The newly-weds chose to walk out to You’ve Got A Friend In Me from the Toy Story soundtrack as a fun way to start their married life and a song that everybody loves.
I introduced the evening reception with Tony and Irene’s first dance Come Rain Or Come Shine. After a first set of dancing, guests were quite happy to chat and have a drink at the tables which had been set out around the piano. With a final flourish of slower dance songs to end the night, it was time to sit down properly and reflect on what had been a fantastic wedding day surrounded by friends and family.
Having taken another booking on the night, I look forward to seeing the happy couple again in a few months’ time. Happy days indeed!

Wedding Entertainment: 40 Thieves wedding band

Jacqui and Phil had come over to the studio in March last year to discuss wedding entertainment options for their 2013 wedding at top Lancashire wedding venue West Tower. Happily, they decided to go with solo piano and vocals sets to cover the drinks reception and wedding breakfast and then the Wirral’s finest 40 Thieves Trio for their evening entertainment. We also decided to rely on the Ipad to mix their chosen playlist between the live band sets to keep the party going throughout the evening.

40ThievesTrio-Take_Your_Mama_demo

As our bass player Mark was unavailable, the band comprised myself on piano & vocals, bass keyboard and drum loops, Jon on guitar & vocals and Geni on sax, flute & vocals – a great format and a great sound. Jacqui and Phil had decided against the 4-piece format with the drummer as they were keen to control the overall volume and limit the space taken up by the band. After their first dance “Greatest Day“, we had everyone up on the dancefloor for the rest of the night as promised.

Two of their guests have already booked the same format for next year on the back of our success at West Tower. Unless you have a particular set theme, your wedding entertainment should offer something for everyone. An accomplished band who are intent on having fun will wow your guests and a great night will be guaranteed. Now, isn’t that what weddings are all about?

Wirral pianist singer Simon Brown performs at both Thornton Hall & Thornton Manor Wedding fayre January 2013

So 2012 was the busiest year yet, an exhausting Christmas schedule of weddings and events and now wedding fayre season is upon us!

Nowadays, it is not uncommon to see wedding or bridal fayres being held at different venues on the same day. On 13th January, Thornton Hall wedding fayre was a great success once again with lots of brides and grooms in attendance. It is, in my opinion, one of the best wedding fayres on the Wirral for quality of exhibitors and organisation on the day.

Last Sunday 20th January, Thornton Manor held its first fayre in 5 years this time organised by County Brides. The exhibitors were certainly of a very high standard and many of the visitors seemed very keen to proceed with bookings.

I think a key point when exhibiting is to try to engage with your visitors but without being pushy or overbearing. I often find it easier to begin a conversation from behind the piano – playing a few bars from what I think might be a visitor’s favourite song or maybe the riff from 1000 Miles (Vanessa Carlton) which everyone loves… and then, with a little bit of humour, brides and grooms – and mums and dads – seem to feel more relaxed and ready to chat about wedding entertainment or any other aspects of the wedding day. Let’s keep it fun! x

Wedding Pianist at Heaton House Farm Cheshire

On Saturday, I was wedding pianist at Sara and Scott’s wedding at Heaton House Farm Cheshire. I play regularly at the venue and on this occasion performed during the ceremony, drinks reception and wedding breakfast. Team member Dom helped me roll the piano very discretely from one area of the barns to the next - only taking about 2 minutes each time …
Sara & Scott had requested all instrumental wedding ceremony music: Kissing You by Des’ree for the walk-in; the traditional Loch Lomond for the Scottish contingent in Scott’s family and The Power of Love by Frankie Goes To Hollywood during the signing of the register and finally Release Me by Agnes Carlsson to walk out as newlyweds. Once again, this was a combination of wedding ceremony music that I had never done before. Many of the other details of Sara and Scott’s wedding on the day were very personal to them too. They had asked the Heaton House team for a white wedding and the whole floor of the ceremony area of the barn had been dressed in white and looked absolutely stunning!

White wedding at Heaton House Farm

With a singalong to finish off the wedding breakfast before speeches, my work here was done. It was a fantastic day for a very special couple who had packed the day with details that they and all their guests would remember for a long time. I am very pleased to have been asked to play my part. All the best! x

Rowton Hall Wedding Pianist Chester

Last Saturday, I performed at Jen and Richard’s lovely Rowton Hall wedding in Chester. Christmas is around the corner and love is definitely in the air…
I set up the white baby grand piano in the conservatory ready for the drinks reception. Since I was also providing piano music for their wedding ceremony, new roadie Ben set up a piano keyboard in the main room.
The couple had asked me to play some instrumental piano music for their wedding ceremony: Bella’s Lullaby to walk in to; Love Letters from Sex & The City soundtrack and Make You Feel My Love for the signing of the register and Skinny Love by Birdie to walk out to. All great pieces with very different styles: certainly a great combination for any wedding pianist.
Once I had played the newlyweds out, I moved over to the baby grand and played piano with vocals this time for the drinks reception. As requested, I started off with Love & Marriage and a good helping of Rat Pack and other more up to date songs from Jen and Richard’s list of requests.
After a quick turnaround by the very efficient Rowton Hall wedding team, the room was ready for the wedding breakfast. A fun couple and a great day to be part of: I wish the newlyweds every future happiness xx

Performing in the restaurant for a larger Inglewood Manor wedding party

Last night, I performed at Kristen and Daniel’s Inglewood Manor wedding celebrations. It turned out that Kristen’s family had previously lived in my old piano teacher Mrs Cameron’s house so I was determined to do her proud!
With an average size party of 60 or so guests, I would usually set up in the middle room facing the terrace. On the day however, we were at full capacity for an Inglewood Manor wedding with 103 guests! I set up the piano in the restaurant ready to start playing after speeches. Guests came out in high spirits following some very impressive speeches and we went straight into an extended singalong: It Must Be Love, Dakota, Everything, Shine, That’s Amore and some more Rat Pack for the father of the bride, Arthur…
After playing at so many daytime wedding receptions at Inglewood Manor in the other rooms, it was a nice change to play upbeat sets at the evening reception with such a great atmosphere all around. Thank you Fi for the photos and to the rest of the Inglewood Manor wedding team… A good night was had by all! Time now for some scales, Mrs Cameron…

Isla Gladstone wedding Liverpool pianist vocalist Simon Brown

Kate & Kevin had booked me to play at their Isla Gladstone wedding  well in advance. I was looking forward to performing there for a long time – it was a new venue for me and I’d seen some stunning images.
By the time the big day arrived, I had 17 weddings booked for August – this was one of 6 on the run and it turned out to be the hottest day of the year… Luckily, cousin Jonno was over from Canada to roadie for me. I don’t think I’ve sung and laughed so much in one day for a while!
It was a cracking day: fantastic weather, guests were either sunning themselves outside during the drinks reception or sitting on the A/C vents inside the venue… It was hot but the atmosphere inside was quite relaxed. Once everybody was inside and the lovely food arrived from Pickled Walnut, it was clear that everyone was ready to party. The bride & groom’s list of favourite songs went down very well. Rounded off with a hands-in-the-air sing along of Hey Jude, it was a great start to married life for the new Mr & Mrs Walsh. Congratulations once again and I wish you all the best! x

Wedding entertainment at Sophie & Rob’s Thornton Manor wedding Wirral

Sophie had booked me as the pianist singer for her wedding  about 18 months earlier. She had come to my studio with her Mum to talk about music and timings for her big day.
She didn’t realise at the time but Sophie’s best friend Claire had also secretly booked me already for her own wedding in May. This understandably freaked the pair of them out a bit – “how much alike are we!?”.
Sophie had a very clear idea of what she wanted on the day: a selection of love songs on piano and vocals during the long drinks reception; piano instrumental sets during the wedding breakfast to include PS I Love You by John Powell and Butterfly Waltz by Brian Crain; following the meal and some emotional speeches, some upbeat piano and vocals sets for the arrival of evening guests. Many familiar faces began to appear and there was a great buzz both inside and outside the large marquee. It was great to see the Richards clan in full force too!
I have to say that Thornton Manor lakeside marquee formed a beautiful backdrop for what was a lovely family occasion which was also blessed with great weather… A great day! Congratulations to the new Mr & Mrs Kurton! xx

Pianist singer providing wedding entertainment at Formby Hall

Steve and Katy got in touch regarding wedding entertainment for their Formby Hall wedding after seeing me perform at their friends’ wedding at Thornton Manor in 2011.
For their own wedding entertainment, they like the idea of building things up over the course of the drinks reception with the white baby grand piano and vocals downstairs. We then moved upstairs to the Ambassador Suite for the wedding breakfast where I had set up a piano keyboard.
Guests were spread around the hotel during the drinks reception but we had plenty of singalongs during the meal wrapping up with another napkin-waving Hey Jude, Delilah, Imagine and Shine for the Take That hardcore who had been leading the choruses.

We had planned to do a karaoke set downstairs after the speeches as this had been a big hit at the earlier Thornton Manor wedding but a Formby Hall wedding record two and a quarter hours of speeches meant that the team were keen to get the evening guests upstairs to begin the evening function after an inspired 15 minute turnaround…
Every wedding is different and Steve and Katy absolutely did it their way. I had a great time during the day with their party of fun guests, full of characters and I’m sure they had a great night. All the best to the new Mr & Mrs Pellow! x

Dancefloor filler at Inglewood Manor wedding

Last Saturday, I was very pleased to return to Inglewood Manor as resident pianist vocalist to perform at Jo & Jerry’s evening reception.
I had met the couple at Inglewood Manor wedding fayre in early March but at the time I already had a booking with my band elsewhere for their date. However, when this booking was cancelled at the end of March, I got back in touch with Jerry and Jo who confirmed their own booking with me.
I was to play sets for the early evening including their first dance “Everything” by Michael Bublé and then keep guests on the floor before handing over to resident DJ Ian around 10pm so that he could take things up to half-past midnight. 
With a mixture of Rat Pack, classic rock, disco, pop and current cover versions, there was something for everyone on their list of requests. Between myself and Ian, we covered them all and the dancers did not disappoint… Oh what a night!!