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Event Scheduling

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There are so many good reasons to take the time to really think through your schedule, even before you’ve booked your entertainment or any other service providers for that matter. To avoid a lot of unnecessary stress on the day, it’s worth giving some consideration to the order of things. The amount of time you allocate to each item on your itinerary can make a big difference to how smoothly things will run on the day. Not allowing enough time means everyone’s rushing, which frequently results in things not being done properly or even getting overlooked completely. Allowing too much time can leave guest feeling kettled in. It’s really not ideal to have guests hanging around for long periods of time, waiting to be told where to go, when they’re allowed into a room or when they can be seated for the meal etc.

As well as trying to get to grips with how much time to allow for a drinks reception, the photographer, a sit down meal or a buffet, speeches, announcements, award ceremonies etc, you also need to find out how much time each of your service providers is going to need to prep. and set up on the day. They might need to load in equipment, prepare the room, set up equipment and get themselves ready as well. You’re also going to need to try to avoid clashes so it’s worth checking if any of the suppliers needs exclusive access to the function room for any length of time.

Once you’ve built up a picture of what constitutes an adequate amount of time to allow for a three course meal or for staff to clear a room for the evening or how much time the band are going to need to set up and sound check their equipment, it’s worth stepping back for a moment and looking at the bigger picture as well, before you commit everything to print. For example, if you’re having your wedding ceremony early in the afternoon, then allowing the normal amount of time for the ceremony, photographs and a drinks reception, you’re probably expecting to have the wedding breakfast around 3pm. The meal and speeches will probably take another 2.5hrs, so that will take you up to about 5.30pm. Typically, the evening’s entertainment doesn’t tend to start until around 8-9pm. So now you have a 2-3hr gap to fill between 5.30-8.30pm.

Picking the right entertainment can really help to glue everything together. Even if you’re working with a limited budget, it’s possible to find affordable packages that can cover the afternoon, as well as the evening’s entertainment.

For example, many party bands also offer an acoustic guitarist for the drinks reception or DJ services to fill in, between the live sets.

Good quality live music and entertainment can lift the whole occasion and really help to keep people engaged throughout the day. A close-up magician is a great choice to fill in the gaps in the afternoon. Mixing and mingling with guests during the drinks reception or between courses during the meal and it's superb entertainment for the kids.

If you prefer live music and you’re looking for something much more romantic for your ceremony or drinks reception, then you can’t really go wrong with an ethereal harpist or a stunning string quartet.

Our advice: Talk to your Act Sharp agent about your proposed schedule for the day as well as any preferences you might have regards the entertainment. We can walk through the schedule with you and hi-light any obvious issues and we can recommend artists and bands that meet your preferences and who will also be able to work with your schedule to ensure that everything runs as smoothly as possible on the day.

Act Sharp clients are always welcome to contact Act Sharp for any further advice on organizing their events - 08000 285 284 - and we're also happy to offer our assistance and liaise with venue staff and other wedding suppliers to ensure everything runs smoothly and that there aren't any unforeseen issues or clashes on the day.

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