Sound and lighting for a village hall wedding

One room, three jobs

A village hall wedding asks the same room to be a ceremony space, a dining room and a dance floor. The lighting and sound have to change with it. The uplighting that warms the walls for the vows can stay for the evening; the microphone used for the readings is the one that carries the speeches; the playlist that plays during the meal gives way to the band.

Lighting the ceremony, the meal and the party

• Warm uplighting on the side walls takes the edge off a plain hall and photographs well in both daylight and candlelight.
• Keep the ceremony lighting soft and even; avoid a bright wash in the eyes of the couple or the registrar.
• For the meal, the same uplighting at a lower level is enough. A couple of practical lamps or candles do the rest.
• For the evening, add a front wash for the band and a dance-floor look. Battery fixtures mean no leads across the floor when the tables move.

Sound for the vows, the speeches and the band

• A radio microphone is worth having for the vows if the room is large or the couple want to move; a wired microphone on a stand is fine for readings.
• Speeches need a microphone that is ready before the room goes quiet, with a stand and a spare battery if it is radio.
• A playlist for the meal and the gaps needs a simple connection and a speaker layout that does not blast one table.
• If there is a band, the PA needs enough channels for the band and a monitor or two. If not, a two-speaker party PA is enough.

The room flip

The usual shape is ceremony, then drinks outside or in a side room while the hall is turned around, then the meal, then the evening. Forty-five minutes is a realistic flip for a village hall if the tables and chairs are already planned. Agree who moves what with the hall and the caterer before the day, and keep the sound and lighting setup clear of the route.

What it costs

Six wireless uplighters are £70 for the event. The plug-and-play party PA is £115, or £140 with local setup, and includes a wired microphone for the speeches. Where there is a live band, the live music atmosphere package is £460 including setup and programming: it covers the band lighting and the front-of-house tops, and the band brings its desk and monitors. The quote sets out the exact figures for your dates and venue.

Working with the hall

• Confirm the access time, the finish time and who locks up. Build in 45 minutes at each end.
• Ask whether the kitchen and the bar can run at the same time as the band; old halls sometimes share one circuit.
• Send the hall our public liability and PAT certificates if they ask for them. Most do.
• Check whether confetti, candles or haze are allowed before planning the room around them.