From a romantic outdoor ceremony on the lawn to singalong classics in the courtyard and an ABBA entrance into the wedding breakfast, Rosie & Ezekiel’s beautiful April wedding at The Old Stables at Shotesham Park was such a lovely day to be part of.
For couples searching for Shotesham Park wedding sax, this day is a great example of how live music can work across several different parts of a wedding while creating a completely different atmosphere for each one.
And with the spring weather firmly on our side, we were able to make the most of so many of Shotesham Park’s different spaces throughout the afternoon.
I’ve been lucky enough to perform at Shotesham Park a number of times now, and Rosie & Ezekiel’s wedding was another reminder of why I enjoy coming back here.
The Old Stables feels wonderfully private, surrounded by the Norfolk countryside with the courtyard, lawn and historic buildings all within easy reach of each other.
For this wedding, that meant I could move with the guests throughout the afternoon. We started outside on the lawn for the ceremony, moved into the courtyard for drinks and then headed indoors ready for Rosie & Ezekiel’s wedding breakfast entrance.
Three different parts of the wedding, three slightly different atmospheres, all within the same venue.
I started playing from 1:30pm as guests began arriving ahead of the ceremony.
Rosie & Ezekiel had specifically asked for this part of the day to feel chilled, so there was no need to go too big too early.
Guest arrival music is there to create atmosphere rather than become the focus. People are finding their seats, greeting friends and family and taking in the venue, so the sax can sit naturally underneath everything that’s happening.
Then, as 2pm approached, it was time for the ceremony itself.
At 2pm, it was time for Rosie & Ezekiel’s outdoor ceremony on the lawn at Shotesham Park, and we couldn’t have asked for a better April day for it.
For this part of the wedding, the music became much more personal. Rosie & Ezekiel had chosen three brilliant songs to soundtrack the key moments of their ceremony, beginning with At Last by Etta James for the walk down the aisle.
It’s a classic for a reason. Romantic and instantly recognisable without feeling overly formal, it worked beautifully on live sax against the relaxed outdoor setting.
During the signing of the register, I played Stand By Me by Ben E. King. This is always a lovely opportunity to include another song that means something to you, while keeping the atmosphere going naturally as the formalities take place.
Then, once Rosie & Ezekiel were officially married, it was time to change the energy.
They walked back up the aisle together to Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Queen, giving the end of the ceremony a much more upbeat, celebratory feel and setting us up perfectly for what was coming next.
From there, it was straight into the confetti at around 2:30pm before everyone made their way towards the courtyard for the drinks reception and that’s where we could start turning the energy up another level.
From around 2:45pm, the courtyard became the setting for Rosie & Ezekiel’s drinks reception.
The Old Stables courtyard is one of my favourite parts of Shotesham Park for live music. Guests can grab a drink, catch up with each other and enjoy the surroundings, while the music fills the space without needing to dominate it.
For Rosie & Ezekiel, we gradually brought more recognisable, feel-good tracks into the set and, importantly, plenty of ABBA.
Their brief quite literally included “Anything ABBA”, which is one I’m always happy to work with!
This part of the afternoon was less about creating a full dancefloor and more about giving the drinks reception some personality. Chilled enough that everyone could chat, but with those songs appearing throughout the set that people couldn’t help singing along to.
At approximately 4:20pm, Rosie & Ezekiel made their entrance into the wedding breakfast to Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! by ABBA with live sax.
Completely different energy from At Last just a couple of hours earlier!
And that’s exactly what I loved about their choices.
Your wedding music doesn’t need to stay within one particular genre or mood. The romantic song you choose for your aisle entrance doesn’t have to dictate what the rest of the day sounds like.
You can walk down the aisle to Etta James and walk into dinner to ABBA. In fact, I’d actively encourage it.
A huge thank you to everyone involved in bringing Rosie & Ezekiel’s spring wedding together.
Venue: The Old Stables at Shotesham Park
Wedding Coordinator: Charlee Harris — Morello Events
Photographer: Georgia Rachael Photography
Dress: Adella Bridal Couture
Catering: Origin Catering
Hair: Sophie Taylor
Illustrator: Owen Matthers
Florist: Sassy Floral Design
It’s always great working alongside a team who can make all of those transitions between ceremony, confetti, drinks reception and wedding breakfast happen smoothly behind the scenes.
What a beautiful spring wedding to be part of.
Rosie & Ezekiel used live music to soundtrack the whole journey from guests arriving to their entrance into the wedding breakfast, but every section had its own identity. That’s something I always encourage couples to think about.
Rather than asking “What songs should we have?”, think about “How do we want this part of our wedding to feel?”
Once we know that, we can build the soundtrack around it.
If you’re planning your own wedding at Shotesham Park, or anywhere across Norfolk and beyond, and you’re thinking about live sax for your ceremony, drinks reception, wedding breakfast or evening party, get in touch and let’s talk about the atmosphere you want to create.
Rosie & Ezekiel
