1. The Band
Ceilidh bands come in all shapes and sizes. The most important thing is that you use experienced musicians who can guarantee that they will make your evening go with a swing. If you haven’t heard a particular band that you are interested in play before – check their website for sound samples or videos.
2. The Caller
All Ceilidh and Barn Dance bands will come with a caller. It is the callers job to talk your guests through each of the dances before the band begin playing. A good caller will be able to adapt their calling to the audience experience level. So don’t worry if you want to book a ceilidh band for your wedding and none of your guests have even heard of a barn dance before. The caller is there to make sure that by the end of the evening everyone is a ceilidh expert.
3. The Venue
You can hold a ceilidh anywhere – from a hotel in Newquay, to a field near Falmouth or a barn near Bodmin, a beach at Bude or even a marquee in Truro. The venue doesn’t matter along as you have two things – power and space. You will need to discuss with the band how many sockets they require, but if you are outside make sure you take qualified electrical advice before setting up your power supply. In terms of space, the more the better! If your guests are eating before the ceilidh begins you are going to need to ensure that you are able to clear tables and chairs away. The dance floor should be clear of obstructions and as level as possible.
4. Have Fun
Ceilidh’s are an amazing way to get your guests to interact and know each other. Most importantly by the end of the evening everyone will feel like old friends. Its hard not to smile when you remember the first time you met someone was in the middle of a Cumberland Square Eight or while dancing a Dashing White Sergeant.
Still got questions – ask your band! A good band will be more than happy to talk through the running order for the evening or if necessary tailor the event to meet any particular requirements you may have.
