Bringing your own sound speakers to wedding?
 

Does anyone bring / has anyone thought about bringing their own speakers and microphone(s) to weddings?

Would be useful in the following circumstances:

1. Ceremonies where they just use their natural voices and don't have a sound system, especially outdoors
2. Receptions where they don't have a sound system
3. Smaller receptions regardless of whether they have a sound system -- ask them to go through your microphones and speakers instead

Re: Bringing your own sound speakers to wedding?
 

You gotta be kiddin' ! With all the stuff we already are haulin' around, now we have to think about more stuff. The couple should have thought about hiring a DJ for all their audio needs. The audio without a sound system ? It is what it is.

Re: Bringing your own sound speakers to wedding?
 

Hi Adrian

A lot of venues have a house PA but if you are going to do something then do it correctly and get a decent PA. However if the celebrant here doesn't use a PA I'm happy cos my lav mics don't pick up any crappy sound from the celebrants tiny PA system so my audio sounds good.

Nope, I don't think it's worth trying to become a sound system supplier as well ..can't see the point and as Arthur says ...more gear to carry. Let the DJ or celebrant handle it!

Chris

Re: Bringing your own sound speakers to wedding?
 

What Arthur and Chris said.
Listen, Adrian...At some point you have to be willing to say to yourself and the clients..."it is what it is...you didn't hire a DJ or rent a sound system, nothing I can do about it. You didn't hire a baker to bake your cake, nothing I can do about it, you didn't hire an officiant to marry you...nothing I can do about it."
If you don't learn those words, you'll be needing a 45 foot tractor trailer to move your gear.
Sorry but it is what it is.

Re: Bringing your own sound speakers to wedding?
 

I tried to get Don to tote my PA system around, but he refused. So unless I can get him on board, I don't plan to bring my own system.

Re: Bringing your own sound speakers to wedding?
 

You did try but I did say No! ;-) I couldn't get to your place in time.

Re: Bringing your own sound speakers to wedding?
 

I do.

It has made a world of difference to the quality of speeches, especially no more hassles trying to get decent feeds from DJ's and/or inhouse systems. I just park this baby in the corner, hide the existing mic and replace with my own. Then plug a Sennheiser transmitter into the line out. Wouldn't do a wedding without it!

MIPRO - Products

Re: Bringing your own sound speakers to wedding?
 

Although the idea sounds great this wouldn't work with the majority of the weddings I do, most venue have their own soundssystem with speaker attached to the ceiling and spread out across the room so they can assure everyone can hear what a speaker says, a soundsystem like you have wouldn't cope with such an environment, and they certainly wouldn't let me switch out microphones to bypass their system.

Also something to think about is that if there is a malfunction of some kind, you have to fix it, not the dj so that's another thing to worry about.

I could see it working in some very limited cases such as very small weddings where they have a "rent a priest" and when there is no sound system in place, those guys often bring their own sound device, similar to that mirpo soundspeaker so if you could persuade him to leave his gear in the trunk then it would work.

I have seen Philippine videographers that bring their own (big) lights on a stand to place in the church and in the venue actually dictating what the mood should look like to suite their videoproduction, this is somewhat the same as bringing your own soundsystem, in both cases you'd increase productionvalue but in my country that would be not done, they expect you to deal with whatever they give you.

Re: Bringing your own sound speakers to wedding?
 

Lol ... No Thank You

Like we don't have enough to lug around already!

Re: Bringing your own sound speakers to wedding?
 

Noa brings up a good point.
If there were to be some sort of malfunction with the sound system that you bring and insist on having everyone use, you lose. You either have to troubleshoot and fix it or it might cost you money when you refund some cash to the couple due to faulty equipment and "ruining their wedding". also placement of the speakers might have to be such that some people can't hear. Ooops, let me adjust things while I'm trying to do my main job and that is shoot the wedding.
I'm sorry but that is not something I want to get into. As it is, if they find one little thing they don't like about the video they're on the good ole interweb threatening you with lawyers and bad reviews.
Just sayin...anything can happen and when it does...BAM! It blows up real hard, real fast and it's usually in our face. Why tempt fate.

Re: Bringing your own sound speakers to wedding?
 

We have many venues here where the DJ is not allowed to bring his PA. Only his desk! The venues all have their own in-house systems so that's less for the DJ to carry and less to worry about breaking down too.

Our celebrants also use Mipro portable systems ..they usually work quite well but would be totally inadequate for any venue. One DJ brought one to a hotel venue and it was awful!!

Chris

Re: Bringing your own sound speakers to wedding?
 

I do use this kind of setup for ceremony rentals, but definitely not for free.

Chris, I looked up that portable system. Wow. Not good stuff. Rated up to 111db with their "average" being 96db (readings are typically at 1 meter) and 190 watts which is not very impressive.

I would recommend the speakers I use, EV ELX112p, or something similarly professional, so you can rise above the various background noises at every wedding. That speaker which can do two inputs, (it has two XLR inputs) can plug in a mic, or an RCA, so it's pretty flexible, but gets up to 132db at 1000w. Of course, you wouldn't use it that loud, but the extra head room means it will sound a lot better than pushing that MiPro junk to it's limit. When I use it outdoors, I also bring a battery system to run power.

The problem with bringing your own gear is being flexiblity to cover various situations. Even if it's a simple setup, I will still have one wireless microphone (a good one, not cheap junk that sounds bad or can only go 100 feet) backed up by a corded microphone (with 50 foot cable) and if I'm to be relied upon for a ceremony, a 2nd speaker as backup as well. Various backup cords in case one stops work. An extension cord in case the power plug-in in far away. A tripod to raise the speaker up.

Re: Bringing your own sound speakers to wedding?
 

This is how I have always operated - Be prepared. A small system quite suitable for speeches consists of as a minimum, a couple of powered speakers on sticks and a microphone/cable. You can get some nice gooseneck mics and a solid base, and provide a perfectly usable system for a modest amount of money. You might be able to charge a bit more for it, but even if you can't - using it improves your product's quality, and solves problems. It takes up little space packed away - and some are actually pretty good, and can have background music or whatever feeding in too. Some people wish to keep equipment and complication to an absolute minimum. Others like the benefits a little more effort generate.

I have a couple of systems - one powered speakers and another with a CD, amp and ipod dock in a small rack. I often take one with me and they get used quite often. Maybe a dance event (I don't do weddings) where they're using a rotten feeble stereo, and they can get a bit more oomph from mine, or parties, or wedding anniversaries with a little light entertainment. For a few hundred pounds having them available gives another edge. I rarely use my jib, but when I need to, it's another tool - same with radio mics and other gadgets.

Re: Bringing your own sound speakers to wedding?
 

Here in Cincinnati the DJ or band always provide a wireless speaker to the toaster, etc. I cannot remember doing a wedding where the DJ or band was not in control of the audio for the toasts, etc. Over there in the UK and other places you guys must do a lot of smaller, more intimate weddings without decent sound reinforcement.

Re: Bringing your own sound speakers to wedding?
 

Hi Jeff, weddings I do here in NZ are usually 80 guests in smaller venues. Since the earthquakes took out all our churches, it's mainly all vineyards, golf courses function rooms etc. The MiPro is 10x better than the inhouse systems which are often echoy and crackley. The MA707 has a rich deep sound, fantastic mic that you don't need to stuff you face into, MP3 via USB, CD, and runs on battery for 8 hours (great for beach weddings). For smaller gigs it's brilliant.

I used to hire it out for $200 - but quickly paid it off. Now I just include it free if it's required - another point of difference from the competition.

Re: Bringing your own sound speakers to wedding?
 

Same in Chicago as Jeff in Cinncy. I can't remember the last time I did a wedding of less than 150 guests except last night and that was my niece and I didn't do video. She didn't want it but I was the official still photog. The more things change the more they stay the same. The last wedding I did as a still guy was 1983 0r 84.
Anyway, same here as Jeff...the DJ or band supplies the sound system and a wireless mic for the people doing the toasts. I use my infamous drum mic to mic the speaker and my hyper on the camera and off to the races I go. If the DJ or sound guy running the board doesn't know what he's doing then ther could of course be a problem but frankly that happens less and less. There are too many good guys who know what they're doing so less chance of an idiot working the gig.
Even for outdoor or hotel ceremonies the DJ is hired to take care of the audio for that and supplies a mic and of course speaker(s) for the ceremony and in many cases does the music as well.
We in the USA have it made compared to some of you guys in England, Aus, NZ and other countries.

Re: Bringing your own sound speakers to wedding?
 

What Don says, we do have it made. The clergy in the UK sounds difficult enough too deal with from some threads I've read.

On the other hand the smaller more intimate weddings would certainly be a nice change of pace, especially those weddings in the lovely rural settings I see in so many online trailers.

Re: Bringing your own sound speakers to wedding?
 

As I said, I don't do weddings, but at my age, I seem to be a guest at quite a few, and a quick re-think back to the ones I've been to, shows out of 9 weddings (and these are at some quite nice places), technical assistance in terms of venue provided lighting and sound has been zero! I have not seen one top table that has had any mics or amplification for the speeches. The DJ usually doesn't get involved until the evening reception, so for the meal part, they just talk loud, and we hear some or bits of it. Our weddings in the UK are a bit weird perhaps to US standards. If it's a church, then radio mics on the vicars are common, but never have any control and are very hit or miss. Then they move to the reception venue, which are more and more frequently old converted barns and other historic buildings. Nicely decorated but again, without technical facilities. The afternoon reception for mainly family has the speeches and then friends and others turn up for the evening event. Many of these venues are licensed for civil ceremonies and so many non-religious people have the marriage and the reception in one place. Again, the ceremony is likely to be unamplified.

Most weddings are quite low key compared to the US ones I hear about - although I'm in a Beach Boys tribute band, here in the UK, and we've just picked up a booking for a wedding - which is pretty unheard of. Normally if there is live music it's a function band. Booking a band that only plays one type of music for a wedding seems to us a bit odd, but that's what the client wants?

Re: Bringing your own sound speakers to wedding?
 

Right Paul, I was really only thinking of reception, not ceremony. DJs do not get invollved till reception if the wedding was at church. However for wedding cermonies at banquet halls the DJ does usually provide mics and sound for the ceremony. For outdoors the DJ will run power to the site and set up speakers, etc.

There are a lot of banquet halls here that do provide decent sound systems since they often specialize in weddings.

I do remember one place here that does outdoor weddings that does not provide sound reinforcement for their outdoor weddings, I have actually done two weddings there but it's been years, so I forgot about it. Very bad situation but that was a lower end venue and I've been out of that price bracket for awhile so I forgot about it.

Re: Bringing your own sound speakers to wedding?
 

Jeff and Don, I can assure you guys that it's probably a correlation between couples willing to get a videographer and hiring a legit DJ. There are plenty of chuckleheads in my industry. Even in my region, it was unusual for the DJ to be there during the social/dinner. Even now most DJs charge extra for it and setup their sound system for the dance, not the speeches, even if the room has 350 people and he's off in the corner.... anyway....

Re: Bringing your own sound speakers to wedding?
 

We have one hubby/wife team here who have the DJ problem neatly sewn up, much like Robert. They do a photo/video/DJ service for brides. She shoots the video, he shoots the photos then she does photo and video at the reception and he is the DJ so of course he is using his own PA gear.

The answer Adrian is to train one of your 2nd shooter to be a DJ, tote your own gear (well let your 2nd shooter tote the DJ gear) and you have the PA system that suits your video needs tied up. He can also shoot some video during the dinner music period!!

Chris

Re: Bringing your own sound speakers to wedding?
 

Robert,
I'm not sure I understand your statement about the DJ not being there during social/dinner.
The reason I say that is here in my town, if the cocktail hour starts at say 6pm the DJ is generally in the room set up and ready to go about 30 minutes before so about 5:30pm. Then during cocktail hour which in many if not most cases takes place in the main room, the DJ is playing music. Soft background stuff. Once the reception starts, with the typical intros, cake cutting, and toasts the DJ is generally in the room killing time but there is soft background dinner music playing so for the few hours that the DJ is there, setting up, working, striking, he's in the room unless he's going to the mens room. Since around here most receptions typically end somewhere in the area of 11:30pm to midnight with the odd one going to 12:30pm they're not working a super long day but that's not the point. The point is they are in the room virtually the entire time.

As for chuckleheads....yeah, I've had the unfortunate "pleasure" of having to work with some of them over the years and what people really need to think about when the hire their DJ is that's the guy (or gal) that's going to make or break their party at least around here. Not only are they spinning but they're acting as the MC. hire a good one! ;-)

Re: Bringing your own sound speakers to wedding?
 

Don, I mean the DJ isn't there until the dance will start. It's only the past few years that most venues now require them to setup before guests arrive - most DJs didn't use to bother (yes, they'd wheel their gear in during dinner). That meant the venue supplied background music and microphone for speeches.

In fact, its still common enough for the DJ to be absent that most venues have the background music and microphone out and ready, even when I show up (I'm more the kind of DJ you guys would expect to see, apparently).

Re: Bringing your own sound speakers to wedding?
 

I have only brought my own speakers to a wedding 1 time, and that was for a photo slide show that I made being shown at the Reception and the church didn't have anything to use in the fellowship hall.

I also only did it because the bride was a friend of mine. Other than that - there's no way I'd try to set all that up every time. lol

Re: Bringing your own sound speakers to wedding?
 

Robert,
Yeah I kinda figured that but not here. The DJ supplies the music for cocktail hour unless the B&G have a piano man or some other type of live music...a violinist, harpist, or whatever. If they have a band for the reception then usually the guitar and keyboard maybe a drummer with a snare only will do music for cocktail hour. Something light to try to keep people from dinking as much. ;-)