Are you planning on having an outdoor wedding? (rant)

[GoddessOfGuinness]

I just played in a string trio for an outdoor wedding ceremony in a lovely garden setting. The cherry trees are magnificent. Daffodils are in full bloom, and hyacinths scent the air. The bridesmaids wore stunning bare-shouldered gowns. It wasn't even 50 degrees F outside.

The reception was held in a (warm) glass building that offers a lovely view of the gardens. But they couldn't have the ceremony there...no, it was important on the bride's special day to make all her guests including Grandma freeze their asses off for half an hour.

The gig was contracted by an agent; so I know the bride paid at least $700 to have us play; but the best we could play under those conditions was certainly not worth $700.

Please, if you are planning an outdoor wedding, take temperatures and weather conditions into account. Be prepared to move things indoors rather than subjecting your guests to discomfort and danger from the elements.

This rant is ended. Go in peace.

[EstimatedProphet]

1. Why didn't they get portable heaters?

That would only make sense...

[GoddessOfGuinness]

3. No place to plug them in...

The tents I've played in have heaters that work quite well. But really their best option would've been to keep it in the glass building, where they still would have a view of the garden without the cold...

[EstimatedProphet]

5. They're usually kerosene

No need to plug them in

[GoddessOfGuinness]

11. But can they be efficient?

With not even a ceiling to contain the heat, it makes me wonder if they would work well enough to keep fingers warm...

[EstimatedProphet]

23. Oh, they do a great job for events like what you're talking about

I've been to outdoor restaurants in the winter when they use reflective kerosene heaters. Make sure that you try to find the ones that are on poles, about 7 feet high, and have a reflective shade on the top. Here are some examples.

[JohnyCanuck]

2. I've noticed I can't play guitar outdoors when it is the least bit cold

My fingers just freeze right up and get very stiff. You have sympathy if you were expected to produce a virtuoso type performance while playing in the cold.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

4. That's exactly what happened to mine.

Even if a client has limited expectations, I expect a virtuoso performance when I play. But I couldn't under those circumstances.

This is what happens when someone imagines their upcoming wedding via a magazine picture.

[Rabrrrrrr]

6. Friends of mine had their wedding outside in May

and, of all bizarre things, even in WI May is usually warm enough, but that weekend it was drizzly, misty, and about 50 degrees. Chilly day for a wedding! It was in a pagoda with cover, but without walls, and mighty cold it was. Sadly, in the park where they had it, there was no sheltered place to do the wedding, so it had to happen outside (awfully rude to move somewhere else and just leave a note for the guests).

Thankfully, it was just the worship service outside, not the reception, which was in a nice, cozy, inside setting.

And I performed a wedding on the beach in Hawaii, ewa end of Oahu, at a luau, in an area which gets rain maybe twice a year: and bloody right, it rained. Wasn't so bad for the wedding service, though it was so windy that only the bride and groom heard me and the video of the wedding is all "whooooosh" of wind, but the luau actually was rained out, and we ate the food in the tour buses of the wedding party.

So, yes, always prepare ahead and be ready to make adjustments, or at least accept the unstoppable with stoic reserve and enjoy as best you can.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

12. "My Big Fat Tourbus Wedding"

LOL!

I wasn't sure who had contracted this wedding, so I brought my "cruddy" violin (only worth about $3500) just in case they decided to have the ceremony outside. I was awfully glad I did!

[jpgray]

7. Playing weddings is murder anyway (nt)

[GoddessOfGuinness]

16. no argument from me on that

:hurts:

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

8. I HATE playing outdoor events at night and in early spring

My fingers freeze and it hurts to fret! Oh, and can't forget the Einsteins that bake you in the sun in August and September heat with NO umbrella!

[GoddessOfGuinness]

13. The highest temp I played in was 105F

I thought our cellist was going to pass out. We all felt sick for the next day or so. We were on a covered porch with a huge fan blowing behind us, making us sound really strange. Of course, the air was so warm that sitting in front of the fan was like sitting in front of a heater.

[GalleryGod]

9. Thanks! My(whipped) Step Son and his Future Dominatrix Have

forced us to endure an Outdoor Soiree on SEPTEMBER 10th!

Why on a Friday Night? Because they Didn't want to be married on September(yawn)1th!:puke:

HOWEVER:silly: How about the Honeymoon? They are (or attempting) to FLY to HEATHROW (London) on September 11th!

Whattta Coupla' Dicks!:wtf:

[GoddessOfGuinness]

14. Bring bug spray

I played one gig in an area that was infested with ticks, which I fear and loathe. The following day I was tuning an orchestra for rehearsal, and found one of the boogers crawling along the fingerboard of my violin! I freaked out and without thinking blew the thing off as quickly as I could. I'm not sure, but I think it landed inside the conductor's briefcase...

[electricmonk]

10. I'm with you

I photographed a wedding on the Outer Banks of NC in mid March a couple years ago the wind was ripping about 30 mph and gusting to 45 mph off the water and blowing snow and rain too. Fingers were so numb I could barely press the shutter.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

15. The salt air must be tough on your equipment, too...

A friend of mine is in the Army strings, and she played for a presidential inauguration on a cold January morning outside. She ended up with frostbit fingers in the service of her country.

[electricmonk]

18. Yeah

Took a few hours of cleaning. After that I said no more weddings, period. I had already ruled out church weddings and was only doing non-tradional types but after that none at all. It's just not worth it. There are better ways to spend a Saturday.

[Bertha Venation]

17. are your fingers and your instrument okay?

Yikes.

Hopefully there won't be too many outdoor weddings in the Chesapeake Bay area this summer. It's the year of the 17-year locusts. :shudder:

[GoddessOfGuinness]

26. My fingers are fine and the fiddle's ok...

I'm achy, though, from shivering. The bridesmaids are probably worse off. They didn't even have sleeves on their gowns!

Cicadas could make for some interesting hors d'oeuvres, no? :D

[ScreamingMeemie]

19. Oh, how horrid. Why do so many brides seem to take leave of their

senses and only feel better after they put their entire circle of friends and family through hell and back? MrG and I were married by a Justice of the Peace, but I am sure I had a few moments of bitchery myself.

Take a long hot bath today, GoG.

:hug: Laura

[GoddessOfGuinness]

28. It looked so nice in the magazine...

That's the only reason I can surmise. I might start taking my camera to wedding gigs, and publish a book of reality photos.

Bath=good idea! :)

[Parrcrow]

20. does a drive-thru, Elvis officiated ceremony count? n/t

[GoddessOfGuinness]

30. A drive-by wedding?

Sounds more merciful than many... :D

[rbnyc]

21. My outdoor wedding moved indoors...

...but it wasn't because of the whether.

We did have a plan B, tho. (Ended up going with plan C)

;-)

[Rabrrrrrr]

22. Yeah, and I hear the diva bride in that wedding didn't even get out of bed

and made everyone come to her room. The audacity! :-)

Ribbing aside, I'm just damn glad you were there for it. That was a close one.

[rbnyc]

24. LOL. Thanks!

If I ever get my scanner hooked up again, I'll post my wedding pictures.

[Rabrrrrrr]

25. That would be good!

I think DUers who were with you in spirit would like that. :-)

[GoddessOfGuinness]

27. If I'd known a little ahead of time,

I'd have driven up there and played for you in your hospital room!

I don't doubt that you were prepared and considerate of your guests. :hug:

[rbnyc]

29. That would have been so great!

But I know you were there in spirit.

:loveya: