What Are Some Frequently Asked Questions About My Saxophonist At My Destination Wedding?

When you hire your chosen saxophone player for your destination wedding in France, Italy or Spain (or maybe somewhere further away like Mexico, Greece or Croatia) you’ll likely already have a good idea what sound you want.

Having a sax player at your wedding is a wonderful addition to the look of the wedding, the sound and the general vibe and ambience. However, there are a variety of logistical hurdles that do need to be jumped and below are some things to consider before you fly a saxophonist out from England!

Ask about their setup, both in terms of how long they need and what equipment. If you are flying a saxophonist out from England to your wedding party then they will likely not be bringing their own speakers so these will need to be hired. Ask whether they need power for FX boards or microphones etc. and figure out if they have the correct adaptors for the country you are flying them to. Having the wrong cable is a very easy mistake to make but also incredibly easy to avoid with a bit of communication. In my experience, it is best not to rely too heavily on the hire company to provide power adaptors for specific countries and ask your sax player to bring a spare cable just in case.

I always touch base with the DJ or main sound engineer of a wedding or event a week or so in advance of the performance to make sure they have a spare XLR channel for me and my microphone. They nearly always do have a spare channel anyway but, when a DJ or engineer is focussing on making your party run as smoothly as possible, they don’t appreciate a surprise saxophonist waltzing I and demanding things.

Make sure you review their song list, flexibility and look at reviews. You’ll almost definitely have done this in advance of booking them but not all saxophonist are capable of the same level of versatility or quality of performance. Most sax players (myself included) have a list of songs on their website but are capable of hundreds (sometimes thousands) more. Some will come from a jazz background and some will come from a more pop/function background - both can be fantastic additions to your wedding but you must make sure you choose the right one!

Something worth checking with your venue in any country are any specific legal requirements or specifications from your venue. These can differ quite drastically between countries so it is worth being aware of any specifics - the staff and management won’t necessarily operate the same way that you would expect a British venue to operate. This can be anything from noise restrictions and curfews (live music and DJ stuff can be different, much like it is in England), required permits or licenses for alcohol/food/social gatherings and, the one that can create sticky situations, check your venue’s policy on external performers. Some venues are not happy about allowing performers that aren’t on their recommended suppliers list to perform at their venues so do ask early on whether or not they allow this.

Make sure you have a clear contract and everything in writing. This is for both parties to be clear on what they have agreed as most saxophonists will be hired hundreds of times a year  and it is often a year or more between being booked for a wedding and performing at it - it protects both you and the musician. Cover all the standard things, even if it seems silly, such as; performance times and durations, when the saxophonist has to be on site for sound check, payment terms and schedules (including their cancellation and refund policy) and their travel arrangements and responsibilities for when to turn up.

Plan for the unexpected as accidents can happen, planes are often delayed or cancelled and even saxophone players can be suddenly struck ill. Consider what happens when there are travel delays, illness or emergency, and a sudden need for a replacement.

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Looking for a wedding saxophonist in Hertford, Oxford, Bucks, or across the South East?

Whether you're planning your big day in Guildford, Harlow, Tring, Coulsdon, Berkhamsted, or beyond – including Chichester, Dulwich, Forest Hill, Peckham, Honor Oak, East Dulwich, Croydon, Southend, Chidham, Farbridge, Fleet, Farnborough, Slough, Essex, Surrey, Sussex, Kent or London – Nick brings unforgettable live saxophone music to your celebration. Get in touch to check availability and make your wedding truly special.