A moment with 'Wedding Music Perth'
ABIA meets Mitchell Martin, the vocalist, acoustic guitarist, deejay and Master of Ceremonies behind this successful wedding entertainment agency
Fox & Wildling Photography
Just 17 when couples began approaching him to perform his live music act at their weddings, it wasn’t long before Mitchell Martin, Director of Wedding Music Perth, also found himself offering DJ services and MC hosting.
“I think couples should look for a wedding entertainer and host that makes the day about them,” he says.
Ten years after playing his first wedding, this simple philosophy — combined with his natural talent, well-organised approach and flair for presenting — has seen Mitchell and his partner, Abbey Thomson, expand his popular one-person act into a successful business representing more than ten other multi-talented musicians who play, host and deejay all over Western Australia.
Mitchell stepped away from his microphone for a moment, to explain how it all came about and to talk music genres, wedding packages and dancefloor favourites.
Kapture Moments
Fox & Wildling Photography
Tell us about your wedding music and entertainment services.
Wedding Music Perth specialises in providing all-in-one acts who can perform live music, DJ and MC, to make planning and booking wedding music easy. To date, we’ve provided all the ceremony and reception music at hundreds of weddings in Perth and around Western Australia.
How did you get started in the wedding industry?
I performed at my first wedding more than 10 years ago, when I was just 17. I’d been performing professionally at local venues and a couple, who had seen me perform live music, booked me to play at their wedding. More bookings followed, and when I also started offering wedding DJ and MC services, demand grew even more. I was soon performing live music, deejaying and emceeing at weddings full-time. I’ve performed at hundreds of weddings and now help couples book other acts when I’m unavailable through my agency Wedding Music Perth, which represents a list of talented musicians who can provide our full day live music/DJ/MC packages, that cover wedding music from pre-ceremony until close.
Fox & Wildling Photography
Where are you based and what locations do you service?
Unsurprisingly, Wedding Music Perth is based in Perth. We predominantly perform in Perth, but offer our services all over Western Australia and often have acts performing in places like the Margaret River, Busselton, Yallingup, Bridgetown and down in Albany.
At what age did you start playing music? When did you realise you wanted to turn your talent into a business?
I started learning guitar at age 13 and by 15 I was performing at local cafes and restaurants, organically turning music into a business. By 18 I was performing live music at venues around Western Australia every weekend, and in between I was teaching guitar and studying at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts. After graduating I took a job as a classroom music teacher, but the wedding bookings continued to pour in. It wasn’t long before I was performing at weddings full-time and had started Wedding Music Perth, which I now direct together with my fiancée Abbey, offering wedding musical acts for celebrations across Western Australia and servicing more than 100 weddings a year.
Shosh Kruger
How did you get into deejaying and emceeing?
When I was performing live music at weddings I often had couples ask if I could leave my speakers in place afterward to play their Spotify playlists. Many also asked if I could DJ and it piqued my curiosity, so I went and bought my first set of decks, started practising and began offering deejaying services as a very affordable add-on to my live music. Demand sky-rocketed and I now DJ at practically every wedding I perform at. I’ve developed a feel for knowing exactly what song to play at the right time and how to do fun and interesting transitions to keep the dance floor packed all night. My MC services developed as another obvious add-on, once I’d mastered deejaying, and with my teaching and performance background wedding hosting came naturally to me. I now MC at nearly every wedding I perform at, and my goal is always to keep things flowing smoothly so that my couples can enjoy their night, stress-free. I help our couples create an awesome runsheet, facilitate all their formalities and special moments and try and make their day as great as possible.
What genres of music do you play? Which are your favourites?
My live music focuses on acoustic pop songs. I like to put my own spin on songs and often slow down upbeat songs to give them a unique vibe. I also like to perform throwbacks and sing-a-longs, that people don't always expect to be played live.
As a DJ, I love pop hits and dance music from the 2000s and 2010s. Being born in 1997, I am the same age as a lot of the couples getting married and I feel I really understand what songs they loved when they were in high school and went clubbing for the first time. I also like to include some 90s music, as well as some throwbacks, but often play a large mixture of music to suit each couple and room of people.
Shosh Kruger
Fox & Wildling Photography
What is the most surprising wedding idea you’ve come across?
Having guests and vendors wear all black. I’ve seen a few couples do this and it makes for an interesting take on a wedding and looks really cool. Mix it with some red elements, like a red velvet cake and red roses, and it also creates a pretty unique vibe for photos.
What should couples look for in a wedding entertainer and host?
I think couples should look for a wedding entertainer and host that makes the day about them. My goal is always to make the day as smooth for our couples as possible and when I am performing at the wedding my goal is to facilitate the day but also sit in the background and let them have their day and not try and take away the spotlight when performing.
They should also look for someone with extensive experience performing at weddings, so they understand what is involved in a wedding and are ready to fix problems that could arise and adjust things as necessary.
It’s also important to look for someone with high quality equipment. A wedding day only happens once, so they should invest in someone who will make it great.
Kapture Moments
Fox & Wildling Photography
When should couples book their wedding entertainment and host?
I take bookings a long way in advance, especially for popular months like March and November, and recommend aiming to book at least one year in advance. That said, if a couple have a specific act in mind, booking 18 months to 2 years in advance is advisable, to help ensure they don’t get booked by someone else with the same wedding date.
What makes your wedding service stand out?
Wedding Music Perth specialises in providing live music, DJ and MC packages delivered by one act and we only take on talented performers, who have experience with weddings, to represent our brand. We combine this with regular communication, from six months before the wedding, and many of our couples compliment us on this thorough planning process.
How would you describe the couples you connect with the most?
Couples who enjoy live acoustic music, but also want a killer dance floor, are a perfect fit for us. As are those who are easy-going, but organised when it comes to picking songs and timings for their day.
We especially connect with couples who are open about their favourite songs, and who are the first on the dance floor when the time comes to party.
Fox & Wildling Photography
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