A wedding ceremony has a lot of different elements that people might view as quite important, be it the clothes the bridal party are wearing, the wedding rings, the flowers, the decorations, the music that plays, the backdrop, the furniture, etc. etc. But I'm going to go out of a limb here and say there's one part of the ceremony that trumps all of those, and that is the words that are spoken. For one thing, words are important because the legal requirements involve certain words being spoken. But they're also important because they represent the emotional core of the whole shebang, especially if the couple are speaking personal vows to each other.
And so it's always struck me as odd that you'd go to all the trouble and expense of organising a wedding, inviting all your nearest and dearest, only to have hardly anyone present be able to hear a word that is said. I've attended more than one wedding ceremony where, being situated in the "cheap seats" down the back, I was forced to become an amateur lip-reader as the couple spoke their vows, since I couldn't hear a thing.
The majority of weddings these days seem to be outside (weather permitting), and it is my firm belief that once you step out into the fresh air, and have more guests than you can count on your fingers, you're gonna need a little amplification to help make it a pleasant experience for everyone. So let's talk about what you might need for your ceremony, and what various vendors might offer.
To start with, venues. In my experience, most venues that specially cater to weddings tend to have their own PA system available to use (though I am occasionally surprised by the ones that don't). Sometimes it's only available indoors, designed for the speeches in the reception/dining space, but they're often either portable or have a long extension cable to allow outdoor use. When enquiring with potential venues, "Do you have a PA system?" is probably a good one to add to your list of questions.
Next, celebrants. And again it's a case of many but not all, so if you know that's going to be important to you then ask about that upfront. This becomes especially important if your ceremony is going to be on a beach, in your backyard, in a field, on a mountain, etc.
For the record, I have my own portable PA system, comprising a speaker, a speaker stand, and a wireless handheld radio mic. When I say “portable” I mean that it has a battery that the manufacturer claims will last for 12 hours or so, which means no epic 50-metre extension cables snaking across the lawn. The mic being wireless is great too, cos you really don’t want cords tripping you up in the middle of a romantic moment.
It’s not just voices the speaker amplifies, either. My speaker can receive cables from live instruments, as well as devices like smartphones or tablets that you might have the wedding music loaded onto. In other words, it’s a one-stop audio shop for everything your ceremony needs, and if you’ve booked me as your celebrant, you get the use of my PA gear for your ceremony at no extra cost.
Pictured: My own PA gear, ready to be carried up to that next mountain-top wedding…
Let’s talk briefly about the types of mics available. Personally, I find the handheld style of mic works well for me, but other celebrants prefer lapel mics for a hands-free approach. A third option is a microphone mounted on a mic stand. As part of the planning / rehearsal process, you’ll want to talk through with your venue and/or celebrant what the microphone set up will be, so there are no surprises on the day.
Now, I can hear some of you reading this and and developing a mild panic, as you protest, "But I’ve never used a microphone before!” And I totally get it, it can be scary being in front of a mic if it’s not something you regular use. The way I see it, there are two solutions to this:
1) Learn how to use a microphone. It’s really only one or two principles to get your head around, with the #1 tip being to point it at your mouth. It’s very common to see someone unfamiliar with microphones hold them like an icecream, pointing straight up, which means that when you speak you’ll be speaking across the mic, not unlike blowing across a beer bottle, and if it’s a ‘directional’ mic (as almost all vocal mics are), it’s going to struggle to pick up your voice. So instead, try holding it slightly out from your body, angled in at about a 45-degree incline and pointed at your mouth.
2) Let someone else worry about the microphone. And by ‘someone else’, I mean the celebrant. With almost all of my ceremonies, I find it works best when I keep hold of the mic and just position it where it needs to be - that way, the couple are free to focus on the really important business of speaking to each other from the heart.
So, the bottom line? Sound is important at weddings. Music is often important, and the words that are spoken are always important. Take the time to talk to your venue, talk to your celebrant, consider the seating of guests and all that good stuff, and you’ll end up with a kickass ceremony that everyone can hear, which will result in a kickass ceremony that everyone will talk about for years to come.
