There is a place in Delray Beach that is hidden from the world. Snuggled in the intersection of Linton Road and A1A, the secluded Cabana Club of the Colony Hotel is a private paradise.
Though the calendar says May, native South Floridians know that summer is undeniably here. Most days start out cool in the morning, warm up as the day progresses, and might include a thunderstorm or two in the afternoon. Luckily, yesterday was an exception. As I drove up interstate 95 to the Cabana Club in Delray, the skies were clear and the weather perfect.
A few months ago, I received a referral from the Music Department of Florida Atlantic University. An FAU alumni now residing in Texas, the prospective client was planning a destination beach wedding in November and looking for a violinist for her ceremony. After an initial phone chat, I was pleased to learn that we had a connection and our services were a good match for her needs.
Planning a destination wedding is often challenging, and I've worked with several out-of-state brides to plan their dream weddings in South Florida. In each case, communication is key. I often find myself exchanging over 50 emails with a bride so that I can understand her needs exactly. Together, we'll refine the vision she has for her ceremony, and I'll customize my services to match her needs. Even though I know my brides very well, often we don't meet in person until the wedding day.
Yesterday, I was delighted to have the opportunity to meet with the bride, her fiancé, and her mother, who had traveled from Texas.
Today I'll be sharing with you our consultation and discussing some common weather concerns that couples often have when planning beach weddings.
Though the calendar says May, native South Floridians know that summer is undeniably here. Most days start out cool in the morning, warm up as the day progresses, and might include a thunderstorm or two in the afternoon. Luckily, yesterday was an exception. As I drove up interstate 95 to the Cabana Club in Delray, the skies were clear and the weather perfect.
A few months ago, I received a referral from the Music Department of Florida Atlantic University. An FAU alumni now residing in Texas, the prospective client was planning a destination beach wedding in November and looking for a violinist for her ceremony. After an initial phone chat, I was pleased to learn that we had a connection and our services were a good match for her needs.
Planning a destination wedding is often challenging, and I've worked with several out-of-state brides to plan their dream weddings in South Florida. In each case, communication is key. I often find myself exchanging over 50 emails with a bride so that I can understand her needs exactly. Together, we'll refine the vision she has for her ceremony, and I'll customize my services to match her needs. Even though I know my brides very well, often we don't meet in person until the wedding day.
Yesterday, I was delighted to have the opportunity to meet with the bride, her fiancé, and her mother, who had traveled from Texas.
Today I'll be sharing with you our consultation and discussing some common weather concerns that couples often have when planning beach weddings.
The Cabana Club has a direct walkway to a private beach. The bride planned to have her ceremony on the beach, and her cocktail hour on the deck of the Club.
1. Wind
Yesterday afternoon was more windy than usual, and as we sat on the deck, we discussed the noise factor. The bride, her fiancé, and her mom were concerned that the violinist might not be heard and may need to be miked. Past clients who were planning beach weddings had also expressed the same concern. My response was that generally, the acoustic musicians were not miked, and the sound carried well. However, I would discuss the situation with the violinist and provide an amp if necessary.
2. Helicopter
Interestingly enough, not long after we talked about wind, a helicopter flew overhead, causing us to pause in our conversation. The mother of the bride asked what would happen in that situation, where the ceremony and music would be drowned out completely. I advised that one option would be to stop and wait until the helicopter has passed, or to simply continue with the ceremony (and repeat certain sections if necessary.) If the helicopter flew over during a musical interlude, rather than stopping the music, I would ask the musician to extend the song so that it still sounded complete, despite the unanticipated interruption.
3. Rain
Finally, I advised the bride to have a Plan B in case of rain. Last summer, I had a wedding on Deerfield Beach. The sky had been overcast the entire day and storm clouds were gathering. The Wyndhan Deerfield Beach Resort had been monitoring the weather the entire afternoon and had a back-up plan to have the ceremony inside the hotel. However, they decided an hour before to go ahead with the ceremony on the beach as planned.
In this case, I recommended that the bride first speak with the Cabana Club to see if they had an alternative location for the ceremony in case of rain.
1. Wind
Yesterday afternoon was more windy than usual, and as we sat on the deck, we discussed the noise factor. The bride, her fiancé, and her mom were concerned that the violinist might not be heard and may need to be miked. Past clients who were planning beach weddings had also expressed the same concern. My response was that generally, the acoustic musicians were not miked, and the sound carried well. However, I would discuss the situation with the violinist and provide an amp if necessary.
2. Helicopter
Interestingly enough, not long after we talked about wind, a helicopter flew overhead, causing us to pause in our conversation. The mother of the bride asked what would happen in that situation, where the ceremony and music would be drowned out completely. I advised that one option would be to stop and wait until the helicopter has passed, or to simply continue with the ceremony (and repeat certain sections if necessary.) If the helicopter flew over during a musical interlude, rather than stopping the music, I would ask the musician to extend the song so that it still sounded complete, despite the unanticipated interruption.
3. Rain
Finally, I advised the bride to have a Plan B in case of rain. Last summer, I had a wedding on Deerfield Beach. The sky had been overcast the entire day and storm clouds were gathering. The Wyndhan Deerfield Beach Resort had been monitoring the weather the entire afternoon and had a back-up plan to have the ceremony inside the hotel. However, they decided an hour before to go ahead with the ceremony on the beach as planned.
In this case, I recommended that the bride first speak with the Cabana Club to see if they had an alternative location for the ceremony in case of rain.
Tomorrow, I'll talk about planning the processional and selecting ceremony music. Be sure to stay tuned for that post!
Questions? Comments? Contact us!
Questions? Comments? Contact us!