North West Wedding Fair

Last weekend we attended one the largest wedding fairs for us so far. Hosted at Eventcity, the North West Wedding Fair saw over 1000 brides, grooms and their entourage flock towards our little stand. It was a very busy weekend but extremely good fun and great to get the word out about Ntertain.

Several of our acts joined us at the stand - John Norcott who covered all three days, Wayne Farrow, The Distance and Just Matt. Everyone mucked in together, passing out leaflets, donning T-Shirts and having some fantastic chats to the brides and grooms.

Each act had their slots on stage which enabled the brides to get a sneak peek of just some of our talented artists.

We got a lot of positive feedback on the day and many said they thought it was a great concept and will definitely attending. With tickets to our first showcase at the Blackpool Hilton selling fast, it is important to us to get the word out there to all those brides, grooms, mums, dads and anyone involved - for £15 a ticket it is sure to be a great night out!

Ntertain Giveaway!

This competition is now closed, congratulations to our winner Pauline Hill!

Ntertain is hosting it's first giveaway - tickets to the Showcase Night at Blackpool Hilton! The night is on Friday 8th November 2013 and starts at 7pm so make sure to put it in your diary!

Our aim is the match brides and grooms with their perfect wedding entertainment, by giving you a chance to try before you buy. At our showcase nights you can watch live acts, try different suppliers all whilst enjoying a great night out!

Maybe you have always fancied having a casino night, but not sure how it would work? You can throw the dice at our Showcase and get a feel for how your night would run.

Maybe you have found the perfect act, but you would really like to see them perform before booking? We give you that unique opportunity.

Or perhaps you would like to see how your photographer or videographer would fit in around your guests? You can even chat to them at our event, and see them in action!

So if you are on the hunt for the perfect wedding entertainment; have found what you think may be the right act but want to see them perform; or want to enjoy a fantastic night out with your bridal party, on us, make sure you enter!

Just follow the Rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Listed on http://www.competitionsandgiveaways.co.uk/

Choosing Your Wedding Entertainment: The Ceremony

Your wedding will probably be the largest party you will plan and the day that your friends and family will talk about for months, hopefully years to come. Whilst you may plan to spend hours making stationery, choosing the perfect cake and trying on every dress within a 50 mile radius, what most people will remember is the entertainment. It is the element most guests look forward to, will pay attention to and spend the night dancing away to.

There are several aspects to your wedding entertainment and in the next few posts we will discuss these elements and using our experience and those of the professionals, we will share our best suggestions on how to choose the perfect entertainment.

Today we will be focusing on the ceremony. Here your choice of music will firstly be determined by your venue - or you having a church ceremony or a civil service? Are you holding the ceremony inside or outside? Will you be hosting a traditional day or more casual?

If you have decided to have a traditional, religious church service the church may have their own rules on what type of music you can have. Some may be ok with some live music but may restrict the type, some will only allow a CD but may let you choose the music on it, some will have a strict selection you can choose from. This is something you need to discuss before you book anything.

If you are holding a civil ceremony you will have a lot more flexibility on what entertainment you can have. Again this is something that should be discussed with the venue but generally you get to decide. Do remember if you are having a civil service that as a rule you cannot have any religious music.

The next point to think about is how many different elements there are to the ceremony and how you can use your entertainment in each. There are four key aspects:

1. Before the bride arrives, whilst the guests are waiting.
2. The bride's entrance.
3. The signing of the registrar.
4. The end of the service, whilst everyone exits.

1. Before the bride arrives:
This is the first part of the day where your guests will be arriving, saying hello to people they may not have seen in a while and mingling. The groom will be stood at the altar, anxiously waiting the bride's arrival whilst his best man offers words of encouragement. It is a time for peaceful, calming background music. You will need around two or three songs for this section and most people will choose to use a CD of music.

2. The Bride's Entrance
Depending on your choice of ceremony will dictate the music you choose for this part. Many brides will perfer the traditional Bridal Chorus, especially those having a church ceremony. This can be played via a CD or maybe you want something more impressive - here a string quartet or a harpist may work.

3. The Signing of the Register
Again this will be a time for quieter background music. Whilst the brides, groom and the wedding party go to the front, or even to another room, the guests will be mingling, discussing the ceremony and generally chatting to one another. You may choose to have slightly more entertaining music than you had before the bride arrived, so as to keep your guests entertained, so here a live performer such as a harpist or strings may work. Perhaps you may want to use a pianist or solo vocalist who can then take you through to the evening.

Jennie Sawdon is one such pianist, who will be featuring at our showcase nights. Classically trained, Jennie was voted ‘Wedding Singer of the Year 2010’ The Bridal Magazine and most recently she was awarded the title of “Wedding Singer of the Year 2012” by County Brides Magazine. As she says "I take pride in creating a magical atmosphere whether it be for your wedding ceremony, wedding reception, wedding breakfast or evening celebration."

4. Exiting the ceremony.
Once more the music here will be dependant on whether you are having a traditional service or not. Traditional weddings may suit The Wedding March, which again could be played via CD or a live act. As an alterntive many couples choose music that is more personal the them. This music is generally uplifting, happy music to celebrate the vows that have been made.

Next week we will be talking about the drink reception and your entertainment. In the meantime head over to our website where tickets are now on sale for our showcase nights - watch your entertainment live before your book!

Ntertain Has Launched!

Last Wednesday we took over Wigan's Revolution Bar, who hosted our widely anticipated launch party. It was a fantastic night and it was so great to see all the months of work come together in a spectacular night filled with live music, exhilarating performances and laser lights!

Experienced wedding singer, John Norcott kicked off the night with his swing set. His soulful voice and presence on stage was a great introduction to our live acts and really demonstrated how versatile a swing singer can be.

Leading on from John were the acoustic duo Merchant & Farrow. With over ten years experience under their belt they demonstrated a variety of styles from Swing to Dance.

Following on, The Retro Brothers kicked things up a notch. Chris and Brian sung a variety of styles and with Brian's gentle tones and Chris' classically trained operatic notes they definitely add a variation to the normal wedding act.

Next on stage jumped Just Matt, quite literally! With his contemporary act including Flo Rida and Olly Murs, he definitely got us all on our feet jumping with him!

After walking in the bar and seeing the white piano set up, I was excited to see The Live Piano Experience. Mark did not let us down as he threw at us a medley of toe-tapping tunes, all whilst playing two set of keys! Definitely a show-stopper for your entertainment.

Finally seeing the night out was rock group, The Noel Fraser Band. From the dynamic voice of Noel to the head-banging bassist, they were pure entertainment and had the dance floor full!

Not only did we have live acts on stage, but also entertainment throughout the night, really demonstrating how our Showcase Nights will provide guests with the ability to source ALL their entertainment. Magician John Danbury enchanted us all with his illusions and wit, Toastmaster Derek Timmins-Jones provided a warm welcome to the night and ensured it all ran smoothly, DJ Kevin Wilson from KDI provided the lighting and sound and Revolution Bar held some cocktail making lessons which were great fun! On hand alongside these acts were RSVP Wedding Video Professionals and Expert Wedding Photographer Phil Wareing to record the night for us.

It really was a fantastic preview to our Showcase Nights, which begin in November. In one night we experienced five acts perform a diverse range of live music, had the chance to try out several wedding suppliers as well as enjoy a sensational night out! It was a immensely successful night and we are grateful to all those who attended.

Photos courtesy of Phil Wareing

Ntertain Wedding Showcase Launch Party

Next week we are kicking off our fantastic new Wedding Showcase Nights with a huge launch party!

Ntertain have created a new and completely interactive way to find your wedding entertainment and suppliers, giving you the chance to try before you buy. The Ntertain Wedding Showcase allows you to see up to 10 acts live on stage in one night giving you the chance to enjoy, compare then book.

The launch party will be a scaled down version of the full Ntertain Showcase Nights and is a free event. Show your skiddle ticket to receive a free welcome drink and join in a cocktail making masterclass. You will even get chance to try your luck on the fun casino and sit back and enjoy some top-class entertainment.

You will have the opportunity for a preview of the nights with live entertainment including County Brides Award winner, John Norcott, Just Matt, The Live Piano Experience and The Noel Fraser Band. To buy your ticket go here

Minimum Age: 18

Date: 3rd Jul 2013 7:00pm
Last Entry: 11:00am

Venue: Revolution Bar
49, King Street
Wigan
WN1 1DY

We look forward to seeing you there!

Welcome to Ntertain Blog

Here is where we will share our years of expertise in the wedding field - not only talking about wedding entertainment, but all aspects of planning a wedding.

 

Your wedding is probably the biggest party you will plan in your life. It is a day to share a special moment in your life with the people you love and where you will begin your married life with your partner. It can be an overwhelming thought, trying to bring together all the elements involved - venue, outfits, entertainment, flowers, cake, tables, food, invitations... and the list goes on!

 

We will provide helpful tips, how to guides, information on the different aspects of the day and invaluable advice from those who have worked in the industry for many years.

 

Coming up in the next few weeks:

 

* We speak to several experts in the field and gain their insight into each aspect of planning your big day.

* A discussion on current wedding trends and how you can incorporate them into your wedding.

* Wedding budgets - from shoestring funds to the more extravagant, you can have your perfect day no matter your budget.

* We will discuss each part of your special day, breaking it down to help you find your way around the complicated planning.

* And of course we will be talking about your wedding entertainment - what you need for the whole day and hints and tips from those in the know.  

In the meantime head over to the Ntertain Website for more information on our unique Wedding Showcase nights.