Without a doubt, my favourite part of the wedding ceremony is when the bride has arrived and the back doors open. That moment is very moving and always gives me a rush of motivation. Even after years of doing weddings, those emotions have never gone away and it still is incredibly humbling to be trusted with such a special job on such a special day.
The ceremony music can sometimes take a back seat during planning because couples feel that it’s something they should have, but they’re not too fussed about it. My aim is to change that view and I think it can be achieved by keeping the following in mind:
Ditching the repertoire:
Giving suggestions and guidance are a big part of my job. In particular, couples always look for guidance when it comes to selecting the hymns for their ceremony. That being said, I feel that a common mistake that ceremony musicians make is giving a menu style repertoire of songs to choose from. Rather, I encourage couples to go away and think about songs that mean something to them. I am always here to help if they need me but I believe in stepping back and allowing them to think outside the box. This can be a difficult task at first but I don’t think I have ever had a couple that regret putting their own personal stamp on their ceremony. The choices they come back to me with are sometimes surprising but equally brilliant, (especially when they are songs from memories in Copper face jacks or Club 92). What happens next is the fun part. Stripping back these songs, injecting a little elegance and trying to make them my own is really enjoyable. What is interesting is behind a lot of these songs are beautiful lyrics that have gotten a little lost in production and they really get a chance to make an impact during an intimate ceremony. Of course, there are always requests for firm favourites such as Eva Cassidy’s version of ‘Songbird’ and more recently Ellie Goulding’s ‘How Long Will I Love You’ and these never loose their magic. Overall I know that the ceremony music will really make an impact when the couple feels supported enough to choose what they really want rather than what they think they should have.
Trust is everything:
All wedding professionals have one thing in common and that is the trust that couples place in them. I really believe in building a relationship with my clients so that they know that I will always do my very best for them. To ensure this, I provide a full consultation in the months leading up to the wedding. I also without exception arrive at least one hour before the ceremony to ensure that I am on the same page as the priest or celebrant. This ensures that the ceremony runs smoothly without any unnecessary confusion.
“Love is patient, love is kind”:
Organising or even being involved in a religious ceremony can be unfamiliar or old territory for many modern couples. I truly believe that couples enjoy their ceremony more when they know what to expect from early on in their engagement. My experience allows me to guide and explain the structure of the ceremony months before the couple have their rehearsal. This ensures that they can get the most out of their ceremony. It also empowers them to make respectful decisions that they may have been unaware of such as appropriate song placement. For example, the communion provides the longest opportunity for music during the ceremony; so many couples see this as a perfect time for some of their non-religious song choices. However, this is considered the most sacred part of the mass and many priests will feel uncomfortable with this. I recognise that giving couples an awareness of things such as this early on, not only gives them support but also allows them to build a good relationship with whoever is conducting their ceremony.
If you would like to learn more about me or have a listen, please visit www.fayepotts.com or visit my facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/Faye-Potts-music-546206025397289/ .
Some Testimonials
We were fortunate enough to have Faye sing at our wedding in Holy Cross Abbey, Co. Tipperary last August. We both work in Event Production on some of the country’s largest events and as such, picking the right people to perform at our wedding was exceptionally important to us. As many of our guests also work in the industry, they were expecting something exceptional too which is exactly what Faye delivered! Not one to take chances, we had gone to see Faye perform in a church in Dublin a few months before our wedding. We were so impressed that we asked Faye if she would sing some of the same songs at our wedding as she was just amazing!! On our big day, Faye sang on her own mostly and was accompanied by a 4 piece string quartet for some hymns/songs. As they had not met before our wedding, Faye coordinated a little warm up in the church beforehand which was enough to make sure everything harmonised perfectly together. Faye was exceptionally professional throughout and so flexible in dealing with our (sometimes silly!) requests. In contrast to our pre wedding expectations, it turned out that the church part of the day was by far our favourite. This came down to Faye largely as she blew everyone away! Even Fr. Furlong was in awe!! We would highly recommend Faye for any event type, not just weddings as she is dedicated to giving her best everytime she sings.
Shane & Elaine Magnum Events Ireland www.magnumevents.eu
I first heard Faye sing at a good friend’s wedding just over a year ago and I was completely blown away. I remember everyone was talking about how beautiful the church had been afterwards and when I got engaged a few months later I knew I wanted Faye to sing at my wedding. I work in the events industry so the music was a really big part of the wedding day, and it was really important to me that it was of very high quality. Faye did not disappoint. From the word go she was extremely helpful, advising us about the structure of the ceremony music and suitable hymns. Faye also worked with a guitarist we had selected and organised a rehearsal before the day which really put our minds at ease. In addition to the hymns for the ceremony, we picked a number of secular songs we loved for the beginning and end of mass, Faye learnt them without hesitation and sang them beautifully on the day. I would highly recommend Faye for any occasion, she will really add that something special!
Susanna Lagan, Creative Director, St. Patrick’s Festival
For more information on Faye check out her website: Faye Potts, don’t forget to give her a like on Facebook below!
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