Wedding at Villa Principe di Belmonte (Ispica, Ragusa)

Ragusa is a logistical challenge for a band based in Palermo, but we certainly don’t let distance put us off, and we were more than happy to play at Ambra and Luke’s wedding at Villa Principe di Belmonte, a stunning 19th-century villa nestled in the countryside around Ragusa, with the unusual feature of charging nothing to rent the property. As they put it: “You pay for what you eat, but we lend you the villa for free.”

A Palermo band in Ragusa. Time to set up!

Up at 5 in the morning, a 4-hour drive, but we made it: right on time at Villa Principe di Belmonte for the wedding of one of the nicest couples you could imagine, Ambra and Luke.

To tell the truth, we arrived early, and not by chance: we had decided to shoot a reel right here for our Instagram channel, showing the preparations and the setup of the sound system and instruments, in other words the first phase, before the guests arrive. It’s a tiring but necessary part, and above all one that has to be done carefully and precisely for the event to go well.

Together with the maître d’, the first thing to do is identify the spots for setting up the different stations, which the couple and the venue have usually already agreed on during their site visit to the villa. In this case there was a main station for the whole band in the indoor hall, right next to the couple’s table (at their explicit, and unusual, request), and a second, mobile sound station, which was used for no fewer than three moments of the celebration: the couple’s entrance into the hall, the aperitivo (the drinks reception) and the cake after the meal. The garden and the atrium in front of the hall are in fact next to each other and easy to reach from a single speaker point.

Once the setup points have been identified, it’s time for action: we unload the car or the small van, carry the equipment to where it’s needed and start assembling, beginning with the aperitivo/antipasto/dessert station.

Let’s move on to the hall and carry on with our reel about the preparations and the setup of the sound system. But in the meantime, we’re setting up for real :)

The mixer with its small support table, the stands, the speakers, the musicians’ instruments and dozens of cables. Average time to assemble and test everything: about twenty minutes, if all goes smoothly and nothing unexpected comes up.

The heart of the celebration: the reception

Today’s wedding is at lunchtime, which rarely happens, and it’s even less common for a couple to want us this close, as on this occasion: our main station, a quartet with vocals, piano, bass and drums, is right beside Ambra and Luke’s table. To tell the truth, we usually advise our couples to have us at a station set apart from the tables and directly across from them, but this time Ambra and Luke insisted on having us beside them and weren’t put off by being so close to the sound system.

The party went wonderfully and everyone had a blast, but it couldn’t have been otherwise with such cheerful, involved guests and such a lovely couple! Ambra and Luke met at work, and Ambra immediately admired the extraordinary professional dedication of this likable, big English guy who always offered to work overtime to help her with her shifts… what a workaholic! And so, one shift after another, today Ambra and Luke are here, moved and having fun, while we play and sing for them.

Folks, what a privilege it is to do this job! :)