Wedding DJ at Boschendal

Niki from The Event Planners recommended me as a wedding dj at Boschendal.  What a privilege to be part of this super intimate experience.  For the ceremony they had a full string quartet and a three piece voice ensemble under a stretch tent surrounded by beautiful views. So that’s more musicians than bridesmaids and groomsmen combined. My kind of couple!

For this section I only provided sound and some background music where, I deemed it appropriate. My main job was to handle the reception. I did a classy dinner show with the saxes and flutes and set the tone soft and slightly jazzy with classics like Fly Me to the Moon and What a Wonderful World. They loved it. After dinner they opened the dance floor to Tchaikovsky’s Waltz no 2. I got a little teary at that moment. One of my favorite pieces and they really did it justice with their elegant steps. 

Now for the thing that made this wedding slightly different than the rest:  I pride myself in being super prepared and researched when it comes to music. The couple never sent me a list of songs they like and it didn’t bother me much as I deal with dancefloors filled with people from all over the world on a regular basis. Here is the thing though, while the bride was getting dressed, literally an hour and a half before she was about to walk down the aisle, she started voice noting me some songs she likes to dance to. This was an extensive list and the songs were mostly German and Italian. Even through pre-drinks when she spotted me, there would be a few additions off the top of her head. I had a brief panic moment when I thought that I’m not fully geared for this. To add to the stress: They were only 22 guests. Well, in the end – I played a lot of songs I never heard before, mixed in with the right amount of general crowd pleasers to keep the mood high. Generally I don’t use my headphones much, but that evening I almost never took them off… Searching for drops, cue points and songs while I was playing the current track. It was hard work. We closed the venue at 2am. I don’t think Bruno nor Barbara left the dance floor once in four hours… And that’s why they pay me the big bucks. Success! 

 

About Boschendal: They have many different options and every time I play there the setups have been a little different, but for this wedding they created a ceremony setup on the lawns. You need a long extension in order to reach the area. The rest is straightforward and simple.

 

Canapés were in front of the main building. This is a great spot for live music. Musicians will need to be able to cover the patio and the grass area. A fairly elaborate sound system is needed to make it cool. It is a big space to fill and two dinky speakers on stands will not cut it. I’ve done guitar performances here in the past and once I started setting up more speakers than my back wanted to, it made all the difference.

Then our couple went up to The Werf for their main event. It is a two stage setup since the dinner, speeches and live music are in different areas to the dance floor. A band in here could work, but it’s going to be tight. I would suggest single artists or duo’s at most. DJ’s need to be aware of covering two different sections.

All and all It is one of the most spectacular venues in the Western Cape for all the obvious reasons. Great selection of function areas, breathtaking views, awesome food and wine and luxury accommodation. So, if you’re looking for a Wedding DJ at Boschendal, add me to the mix and we’ll tie it all in with some good vibes.