In October I was thrilled to find out I had been nominated for ‘music act of the year’ at The Wedding Industry Awards 2017 – one the wedding industries most high profile award ceremonies.
I didn’t quite know what to expect, as this is the first time I’ve been nominated for an award. Voting was only open to couples who had booked me for their wedding in the past year, so the first step was to get in contact with all my previous wedding couples and tell them the good news…
I was absolutely overwhelmed with the response I received from both brides & grooms from the past year, but also from couples from even 3 or 4 years ago passing on their best wishes and messages of support.
Fast forward a couple of weeks… and I received an email in my inbox congratulating me on being shortlisted as a Yorkshire & North East regional finalist for ‘music act of the year!’
When I first started performing at weddings part time over 6 years ago, I never dreamt that I would be lucky enough to be doing something I love as a full time job, never mind being shortlisted as a regional finalist for one of the UK’s leading industry awards!
The regional finals award ceremony were to be held at the stunning Rockcliffe Hall, A red brick 18th Century mansion set in the beautiful County Durham countryside. This was a great opportunity to network with other wedding suppliers, share past experiences and form new relationships. At this stage in the awards process, the votes and comments I received were then analysed by a group of independent judges who are leading professionals in their field. Each judge would give points for certain criteria, and the act with the most points wins that category.
There was nothing more I could do now other than wait nervously (wishing I’d started a bridal wear or cake company) as each winner form their respective category were read out in alphabetical order.
Sadly, this year it wasn’t meant to be….
I was up against some really talented acts in my category, and I feel privileged to even be considered on par, to what are some of the best wedding entertainers in Yorkshire & North East. Huge congratulations to EllieSax, and also to all the other category winners!
Even though I didn’t win, this process has taught me a great deal about my business; what clients like about the services I provide, and it’s also made think of ways I could maybe improve.
Thank you so much to the brides & grooms who took the time to vote, and for your lovely comments, it really does mean a lot! 🙂
You can find a list of the the published voter comments below
……Until next year
Mike x
Voting Comments (in random order)
“Perfect accompaniment to a perfect day”
Mr Stephen Tilling
“Michael was brilliant on our wedding day! He performed an acoustic set during our drinks reception – he played and sang SO well, read the guests and their mood and created the perfect atmosphere. So many of our guests commented on how brilliant he was. Michael made everything so easy in terms of communication, guidance and setting up on the day. Could not recommend Michael more! Thank you!!”
Mrs Louise Hughes (Mosley)
“Fantastic”
Mrs Laura Yale
“Michael was absolutely fantastic performing his acoustic set at our reception, everybody loved it and was dancing all night. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Michael to anybody else wanting wedding entertainment”
Mr Max Rowell
“All my guests commented on how wonderful Michael was playing at our wedding. His vocals and guitar playing made the perfect atmosphere for our drinks reception. Was a pleasure to listen to.”
Mrs Danielle Worsnop (Brown)
“Incredibly professional, incredibly talented. One of the highlights of our wedding! A deserved winner!”
Mr Matthew Wise
“Micheal was very professional and was a great musician. He made our wedding night fantasic and played what we wanted even going the extra mile to learn a new song for our first dance.”
Mrs Nikki Connell
“Michael get our evening reception started by playing 2x 45 minute sets, , I picked all the music he played from an extensive list, the first half was a bit more chilled and the second set really got the party started, everyone was up dancing! He even played our first dance song so it was nice and personal. I would highly recommend, I just wish we could do it all again!!!”
Mrs Debbie Gibson (Waring)
“Michael was very professional, helpful and friendly from the moment we contacted him. He made suitable suggestions for our day and performed a special request for us which we walked down the aisle to which was very moving for us and our guests! He has an amazing talent and made our wedding day very special. I cannot praise him enough!”
Mrs Joanne Oakley (Butterworth)
“Michael was fantastic. I could not have wished for a better person to join us in our celebrations and entertain us with his fabulous music. Michael has such a talent and unique sound and voice. He performed all our requests and even learned a new song for our wedding song. Nothing was too much trouble, he did everything we asked for and more! He is punctual, reliable with communication, friendly and great value for money. I recommend him to everyone.”
Mrs Cheryl Frost
“Michael was the talk of our wedding, family have even tried to book him since! He is extremely talented. We found him though a website and I was really nervous that we’d never heard him live. But on the day he was incredible. His laid back but professional style made our evening flow so smoothly and his mix of music means there’s something for everyone. A lot of wedding acts can seem “cheesy” but Michael is an authentic artist in his own right, and we’d not hesitate to book him again.”
Mrs Kayleigh Joemagi (Batty)
“Fantastic performer, brilliant repertoire. Made the day!”
Mrs Julie Marshall
“He is an amazing performer! Versatile, sociable, helpful, can play lots of instruments and sounds great!”
Mrs Sarah Armstrong
“Michael was absolutely amazing! He let us choose our own set list for the night and even learnt two new songs for us! We had such good feedback from our wedding and the dance floor was always full all night which is exactly how we wanted it to be! Would highly recommend him to anyone-best decision I made that day ;)”
Mrs Heather Threlfall
“Possibly my favourite part of our wedding day having Michael sing during our wedding breakfast! Every guest commented on his brilliant voice and choice of music! Thankyou.”
Mrs Sarah Holt (Leckey)
“From the moment I contacted Michael he couldn’t have been more helpful. His services and choices of music was second to none , there was something for everyone. All of my guests commented how amazing Michael was on the day. Michael is friendly , very talented and I wouldn’t hesitate recommending him to others for their event ! Michael really made our day so very special !”
Mrs Rachael Pell (Davis)
“Michael was an extremely friendly, approachable and down to earth guy. He made me feel from day one that I could ask him anything, no request was too small or too large. He played throughout the entire day (even though he was only supposed to play for a couple of hours) and everybody commented on his talent. He learnt to play our first dance music and was completely amazing! A truly lovely, talented chap who I would definitely recommend!”
Mrs Gemma Hollingsworth (silcock)
“From start to finish Michael was excellent. His range of songs was extremely comprehensive. He really made our wedding day…other guests were asking where i had booked him from and i was even passing on his number for friends that had weddings planned. We had excellent sunshine and without question Micheal got all his gear outside very quickly. This was not planned and was a last minute decision but Michael just did it without question . All in all i would not hesitate to recommend him.”
Mr James Calthorpe
“Michael was absolutely fantastic and got all of our guests up on their feet. We let our wedding party choose songs for his acoustic set and they loved it. He performed each song to an extremely high standard, adding his own little twists. His dj set then kept the party going until midnight. Very accommodating and played all requests from our guests. Perfect end to the perfect day.”
Mrs Stevie Pugh (Hall)
“Michael performed at both the church for the ceremony and then at the venue during the drinks and through to dinner and the first dance. He had a great range of music, played the songs we had chosen and even stepped in when we didn’t have any electricity at the church for the organ and so played the entrance and recessional music which hadn’t been planned.”
Mrs Claire McLaughlin (Rogers)
“Micheal was a excellent finishing touch to our wedding he really created an amazing atmosphere and his live singing was superb! He also sang our first dance which was amazing! He then did the DJing until the early hours, and played any request we wanted! Highly recommend acoustic singer and DJ for any event!”
Mrs Charlotte Wright
“Michael was due to play during the signing of the registry but when we had power cut at the church and the bride was waiting outside he was called upon to sing the processional too, a last minute panic for me but Michael took it in his stride and performed brilliantly, it made our day and our guests loved it… Michael went on to perform all afternoon and our first dance which he learned for the day, absolutely fantastic and thoroughly recommended!”
Mr Bruce McLaughlin
“Michael was absolutely fantastic. Brilliant communication and was friendly and approachable. His style complimented our rustic wedding perfectly and we loved that we were able to select our favorite songs. We even requested for Michael to play ‘here comes the bride’ as I walked down the aisle and made a very special moment perfect.”
Mrs Charlie Davis (Boyd)
“Outstanding performer. Listened to exactly what we were looking for on our wedding day and delivered. The dance floor was kept alive with his presence and song choice. Every song he played was loved by all, I literally spent the whole night dancing! Michael took the time to learn our favorite song and performed it beautifully which made the day very special. I would highly recommend him.”
Mrs Claire Baxter (Hendrick)
“Booked to provide background music to our wedding service & reception, Michael proved to be a highlight of our day! Every song we requested played to perfection, and he even learnt a song specially for us which wasn’t part of his advertised set list! During and after his performance, family and friends were commenting on how good he was, and asking for his details so they could contact him for their own future events. We couldn’t have asked for better.”
Mr Daniel Mansfield
“Couldn’t have asked for any more … learnt new songs we requested…aged outside for our ceremony and then upped and moved inside for our drinks Spot on live music….so many guests asked us about him during and afterwards …speaks for itself And a lovely guy to boot … was spot on”
Mrs Angela Irwin (hibbs)
“Michael was great from the start, from the amazing music clips on his site to the professionalism of his correspondence. We met up with him before he performed at our wedding and he was very open to suggestions, also giving us great ideas and filling us with confidence. We knew we made the right decision booking him and he also provided a dj set after his acoustic performance. On the day Michael was as fantastic as we thought he would be. All our guests commented on how great he was too.”
Mrs Louise Robinson (Monk)
“Michael was fabulous. From the first email we sent to the last song he was just what we wanted. His set list was great and the live sets he did at our wedding we superb. The whole room was up dancing from the start of the evening reception right to the end. Our first dance was sung by Michael and we will forever hold really fond memories of his. Such a gorgeous voice. Do not think twice about booking him. He is great.”
Mrs Tara Metcalfe (Booker)
“Michael really added somthing special to the whole atmosphere of our wedding, it was exactally what I was looking for when imagining how the day would look. Michael took all of our preferences and tastes into account and even offered to learn any new songs which were not originally on his playlist, Michael made the effort to learn a new song for our first dance which made it so special, to top it all off he is really nice guy!”
Mrs Hayley Corner (Davison)
“From the start of the wedding ceremony to the very last song Michael was superb. The thing that was most pleasing is the above comment came from all the guests of the wedding. ( myself and Jo too ) The dance floor was packed all evening and the whole event had a great atmosphere which Michael contributed to massively”
Mr Phillip Whittleston
“Michael was invaluable on the day. He made the day very personal and unique to us. His play list was perfect ranging from current hits to songs frkm the 60’s, so plenty for everyone to enjoy.He played green eyes by coldplay as a special request as this was not on his playlist. It was extremely emotional and his tones were fantastic. All the guests loved his range of music and he really made the day special for everyone. So much so a number of guests want ti get married again.”
Mr paul oakley
“Michael is amazing!!! Entertained everyone and would definitely book again!”
Mrs Kerry Roe
“Michael had already performed at three friends wedding so we knew we had to book him! He was absolutely fantastic throughout the day, both during the acoustic set and DJ set in the evening. We would definitely recommend him to anyone!”
Mrs Helen Guy (Waller)
Why They Booked (in random order)
“His voice and acoustic skills blew me away.”
Mr Matthew Wise
“We liked his style of music, his comments online were flawless.”
Mrs Joanne Oakley (Butterworth)
“He was warm, personable, made us feel like the day was all about us, learnt new songs, played to an amazing standard – we loved him!”
Mrs Heather Threlfall
“I loved his style of music and it unique talent. Just what we were looking for in a musician. He also supplied a dj section aswell so it was a full package”
Mrs Nikki Connell
“I heard a few songs online and thought he would be perfect for our wedding entertainment and he didn’t disappoint.”
Mr Max Rowell
“Website and reviews. The YouTube videos and soundbites sounded great.”
Mrs Claire Baxter (Hendrick)
“We booked Michael via hs website after watching videos and listening to audio on there. It was really easy to navigate and listen to his work.”
Mrs Charlie Davis (Boyd)
“Recommended”
Mrs Laura Yale
“We listened to his tracks on his website and YouTube and they all complemented our style, and were great in variety. Michael was also excellent value for money and responded promptly and positively to our initial query.”
Mrs Louise Hughes (Mosley)
“Looked on line and his website looked very good with a great song choice. All the feedback was very positive too”
Mr Phillip Whittleston
“We wanted someone to play acoustic music for our wedding but would play a selection of styles. We wanted a certain sound which Michael certainly has!”
Mrs Cheryl Frost
“Perfect set and presence for our requirements.”
Mrs Julie Marshall
“Style, price , talent and choice and type of music”
Mrs Rachael Pell (Davis)
“By chance. Came accross him online.”
Mr James Calthorpe
“To create a relaxed enjoyable atmosphere.”
Mrs Sarah Holt (Leckey)
“For the reasons above!!”
Mrs Sarah Armstrong
“Because we loved his acoustic performances online”
Mrs Louise Robinson (Monk)
“Friendly, approachable, good range of music.”
Mrs Kerry Roe
“He is an amazing performer, he was willing to go the extra mile and learn a new song which was not part of his playlist for our first dance.”
Mrs Hayley Corner (Davison)
“Great reviews and videos online and a good price.”
Mrs Tara Metcalfe (Booker)
“Emailed him personally and paid deposit through his website”
Mrs Angela Irwin (hibbs)
“He seemed to cover the type of acoustic singing that we wanted for our wedding and we liked what we heard on his website.”
Mrs Claire McLaughlin (Rogers)
“His audios sounded fantastic and we wanted live acoustic music at our wedding.”
Mrs Charlotte Wright
“Loved his music tracks online and indie type songs he sings, didn’t want anything cheesy”
Mrs Debbie Gibson (Waring)
“Great repertoire & happy to help in any way he could”
Mr Stephen Tilling
“Range of songs, his pricing and his sample sound bites.”
Mr paul oakley
“We loved the unique style of playing he has, his mix of instruments and song list.”
Mrs Kayleigh Joemagi (Batty)
“The range of songs on his set list – a fantastic selection dating back to classics from the 50’s & 60’s, right up to modern day. The set list was brilliantly laid out on his website, and we enjoyed many an evening while planning our wedding choosing which songs we wanted. Again to note, when we enquired into a song not on his set list, he kindly offered to learn it so it would feature on our day.”
Mr Daniel Mansfield
“We wanted an acoustic feel to our rustic wedding and thought he sounded fantastic. Stress free booking. Everything you could want from a singer, musician and dj. Would highly recommend.”
Mrs Stevie Pugh (Hall)
“After hearing his Demos on his website my decision was made, what an amazing artist.”
Mrs Gemma Hollingsworth (silcock)
“We were looking for an acoustic singer and really liked the sound of his voice when we played the videos on his website.”
Mr Bruce McLaughlin
“From hearing online videos/clips”
Mrs Danielle Worsnop (Brown)
“We knew he would be the perfect musical addition to our wedding and we weren’t disappointed.”
Mrs Helen Guy (Waller)
