Sound for the ceremony and the speeches

Two moments that cannot be re-run

A wedding can survive a late caterer and a wet photograph session. It cannot redo the vows or the speeches. Both are the same technical problem: one person speaking, a room full of guests, and no second take. Everything here is about making sure the back row hears the first time.

The ceremony

• A radio handheld for the registrar, celebrant or host is the version that works in most rooms. One for the couple if the vows are said away from a table or a lectern.
• In a small room a single microphone on a stand at the front is enough, and it is the least visible option.
• Agree the music cues before the day: the walk in, the signing, the walk out. Decide who starts each one and from what, and write it on the running order.
• Ask the registrar what they will and will not use. Some read from their own book and will not hold a microphone, in which case it goes on a stand between them and the couple.
• If there are readings, the reader needs to know the microphone is live and where to stand. Two minutes of practice in the empty room covers it.

Outdoors and in a marquee

An outdoor ceremony is easier than it sounds, provided there is power within reach and a covered place for the equipment. Wind is the real enemy: a microphone on a distant stand picks up more breeze than voice, so a handheld held close or a lapel microphone on the speaker does the work. In a marquee the sound has nowhere to go and the walls flap, so the level is lower than you expect and the speakers sit either side of the ceremony, angled inwards rather than at the guests.

The speeches

• One microphone for the speaker and one for the room is the usual arrangement: a wireless handheld for whoever stands up, with a wired microphone on a stand as the spare.
• A wireless handheld means no cable across the top table and no waiting while somebody steps over a lead.
• Speeches work best before the room has had too much wine. The microphone is rarely the problem; a room that will not go quiet is.
• Change the batteries before the speeches, not during them, and keep a spare set with the kit.
• If the speeches are being filmed, ask the videographer where they want the microphone. A second one for the camera is usually unnecessary and always visible.

What it costs

The plug-and-play party PA is £115 for three days, or £140 with local setup, and includes a wired microphone and stand for the speeches. A Sennheiser wireless handheld can be added for £25. Where the day runs from ceremony to band, the party PA carries the ceremony and the speeches, and the live music atmosphere package is £460 for the room lighting and the band’s front-of-house tops. Six wireless uplighters are £70. The quote sets out the figures for your date and venue.

Working with the venue and the registrar

• Confirm the access time and whether the room can be set before guests arrive. A ceremony room is often only free an hour beforehand.
• Check whether the venue has a hearing loop or an in-house system before we patch anything into it.
• Ask about the sound limit and the finish time. Both are easier to design around than to discover on the day.
• Keep the speakers in front of whoever is speaking. A microphone behind a speaker is how feedback starts.