What To Expect When You Book a Wedding Bagpiper

Posted by Pipers Direct on Jul 31, 2011 in Blog | 0 comments

 

Here are a few thoughts from the viewpoint of a wedding bagpiper who regularly pipes at weddings

When the booking is made

From the moment a booking is made, I will regularly check the details of the client’s requirements, the venue(s) location, travel time from home to the venue, time between venues if more than one, and also I will try to find out the time of the meal so I know roughly how long I will be in attendance. Sometimes I’ll get all paranoid and telephone the ceremony venue to double check the time it is scheduled to start!

On the big day

On the day itself, my preparation begins hours beforehand. The pipes and uniform are given a last check, shirt ironed, brogues polished etc, car tyres checked!! If it’s going to be a long day, I’ll prepare a “piece” (usually I manage to partake of refreshment between the ceremony and top table duties).

Upon arrival at the ceremony venue, I’ll take a look at the weather conditions and try to gauge how these will affect the pipes – a number of factors come into play such as temperature, rain, heat/cold, humidity – they all have an effect on the reeds. A build up of moisture will inevitably lead to a degradation in the stability of the reeds which will in turn lead to an unstable sound and eventually roaring, unsteady drones. It all depends upon the bride’s arrival time and if it looks like she’ll be late then I’ll try to preserve the pipes by decreasing the amount of playing, usually after the guests have been seated. It’s all a bit of a balancing act helped by my knowledge of how my pipes react to all the factors mentioned.

How much pipe music should you have

All that said, that is my problem, not the happy couple’s. They should think about not the amount of piping that is done but more where in the proceedings it takes it’s place. The pipes are a very loud instrument which can be very physically taxing to play – especially if it’s very hot or cold. Likewise, there is only so much that guests can be expected to take. Short bursts of pipe music at carefully selected points can greatly enhance the proceedings eg. piping for the arrival of guests to the ceremony, announcing the bride/bridesmaids arrival, piping down the aisle & signing of the register (giving consideration to the nature of the venue and proximity to everyone’s ears), maybe ten or fifteen minutes during the drinks after the reception (but not the whole thing) and then piping the top table and happy couple to their seats for dinner.

It’s all in the timing

When it comes to the meal, I absolutely love it when things run to time. I’m experienced enough to know that this very seldom ever happens and that sometimes inevitable delays take place. A delay will always affect the pipes as there is very little opportunity to tune them up at the venue. For example, the perfect photograph may not quite have been achieved and this knocks the piper’s itinerary out. This is all part of the challenge and as long as the delay doesn’t become outlandishly long, then most pipers can take it in their stride and keep an eye on their instrument to again achieve the optimum sound at the right moment.

Again, it’s all part of the need for communication between the various parties eg the hotel, photographer, Master of Ceremonies and the piper.

I hope this blog entry has given some insight into the viewpoint of the piper and shows that they have to be as professional as every other wedding supplier in order to properly contribute to the happy couple’s big day.

Regards

George Taylor,  Arkleston Piping, Renfrew