Phone: 07967 434077
Email: enquires@crystaltones.co.uk

FAQs

Below are some Frequently Asked Questions. Click on the question to reveal the answer. If you have a question that is not shown then please get in touch.

TEN – is a “temporary event notice” – which some venues will ask for. These are issued by the local council – and we can apply on line  for one of these on your behalf if your venue management ask for one.  There is currently a “government fixed”  cost of £21.00 for issuing these. If you need any further help on this – please  contact Eric on 07967 434077.
Some venues will ask for a risk assessment to be provided by suppliers at an event – such as Caterers, Alcoholic drink providers, and  entertainers. Typical venues that will ask for these are “special venues”  run by public authorities etc We can provide a risk assessment tailored to your event and venue in a format that complies with HSE requirements. If you are asked for one  – please do get in touch  with Eric on 07967 434077
Yes!  This is most important!   We have full public liability insurance cover (PLI)  of £2M + £10M, and all our equipment is regularly “PAT” tested.   Certificates  for PLI and PAT are available on our website in PDF format  if you need copies. Some venues will need to see these before allowing us to perform on their premises.  We suggest you do check as soon as possible if your venue requires certificates of PLI and PAT
We are based in Bridgnorth, Shropshire and we will travel to venues throughout the UK.
We do and this is optional! You may have a family member that has a hidden talent! You may want your friends and family to get up and sing for a bit of fun. Karaoke is optional, do let us know if this is something you are interested in when booking.
Yes, this is usually done before the first wedding dance song but this is optional as you may want to cut the cake after the speeches during the Wedding Breakfast. We can also announce the evening buffet etc.
We finish at midnight (on the basis the venue allows us 1 1/2 hours to pack away). If we need to be out of the building by midnight we would need to finish earlier so we can pack away safely. If you want us through to 1am, please let us know in advance as this may incur a further charge.
Yes we can, do let us know your thoughts and ideas and as long as we have enough time to rehearse it that would be great (unless we sing it already of course)!
Yes, Eric is also a pianist and has a mobile keyboard (that sounds like a real piano)! Eric can play the keyboard as your guests our arriving or maybe during the wedding breakfast. I can also sing along side Eric on the keyboard. Please contact us to discuss your requirements.
It takes us two hours to fully set-up / sound check and get changed ready for us to perform. This is based on good easy access to the function room and no stairs. *Please let us know if there are stairs to get to the function room*. We will discuss with you a suitable time to access the venue to set-up, as we will work around the Wedding Breakfast timings / room turn over (if applicable).
Yes, we can provide background music whilst people are eating and talking. We would allow 45 minutes for this.
Yes, and if you have any children attending we would be would be happy to play some tracks for them to keep them entertained! Children love our lighting! We also have a bubble machine. We advise this to be used though on a carpeted area as the surface can get slippy on the dance floor.
Ideally no, as Eric does like to go out into the audience with his electric guitar and interact with the audience! Of course if there is a stage at your venue we can work with that also. Please let us know if there is a stage as some venues use ‘mobile’ made up stages that are made up before the event that we wouldn’t require for our act.
We can DJ between “live” performances so you have music flowing all evening! As an idea you could even hand out some ‘song request slips’ with your Evening Invites so your guests can select a ‘couple’ of their all time favourite tunes. Once all slips have been returned please e-mail the chosen songs to us and we can create a play list for you and your guests.
After we perform your first wedding dance song,  we can follow this with  a 1 hour “set of live set” of music. After this we would suggest the evening buffet as this is a good breaking off point. We do two hours in total of “live” music followed by our disco.
Yes, please do give us ample notice so we can rehearse your chosen song. If we feel the song is not suited for our vocals we will let you know and we can arrange for the original to be played or we can look at an alternative for you
Thank you for booking us !  Your date is now confirmed! We will send you a receipt confirming your deposit payment. We will have sent you a booking form which has two parts. The first part covers  all your contact details,  Venue detail  Fee agreed etc –  a copy of which  you will have returned to us  with your deposit. The second part covers all the detail about your event, what songs you’d like us to sing live from our extensive live songlist,  disco playlists, timings etc – which of course you may not be able to complete straight away.  But – it’s a good “checklist” to help  you to organise your big day. As the time gets nearer to the big day you will have more of an idea of timings etc and we can of course offer advice to help things run smoother. Also – its a good idea to start thinking about your first wedding dance song as soon as possible !  This could include a song that is personal to you both. We do offer to sing your first dance song live – so do let us know as soon as possible if you wish us to sing it live – so we have time to rehearse it ( we need a minimum of 8 weeks ) . On rare occasions – some song choices are not suitable for our vocal ranges . If that is the case we can of course play the original artists version on  our disco – or discuss with you ideas for an alternative choice of song . We will contact you well before your big day to go over everything – so when we arrive “on the day” everything is well planned so everything runs smoothly !  ( songlists, playlists, timings, special requests etc etc ) If you have any questions or ideas about your event – please feel free t0 call us any time !  You’ve booked us for your big day – and we will be pleased to help you plan it.  –  A Successful event comes from meticulous planning !
To confirm your booking  -we ask for a small deposit  Please note you booking is only provisional until we receive your deposit.  We will send you an invoice for this which will show the agreed fee, the deposit amount and  the outstanding balance remaining after the deposit is paid .  The invoice will show methods of payment – You can pay by Cheque, Bank transfer (BACS) or  PayPal using the PayPal link on our website. You can also  pay us by debit/credit card over the telephone. The final balance is due 30 days before your event date. We will  send another invoice to you . If you could pay your balance direct into our bank account we would be grateful  (our bank details are shown  on your invoice). We will send you receipts for all payments made.
The Licensing Act 2003 now covers Public entertainment. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport advice is quite useful and clear: Any performances of live music that take place in private homes and gardens for private parties and weddings will not be licensable unless the host charges  guests to attend and with the intention of making a profit.” Generally though – most functions are held at a hotel, restaurant or similar sort of venue, who should already hold an appropriate licence covering both the supply of alcohol and what types  entertainment are allowed. If you intend to hold an event at another type  venue  different from those above –  you can apply for a Temporary Event Notice  (TEN) from your local authority.   (see our  FAQ on “ten” ) It’s a good idea to check in good time, well before your event, with your  local authority or at The Department for Culture, Media and Sport for more guidance. PRS for music who collect royalties on behalf of composers and publishers does not require a licence for a private event.   Their guidance is: “PRS for Music does not make a charge for functions of a purely domestic or family nature, such as wedding receptions, christening parties or domestic birthday parties, when: attendance of guests is by personal invitation only (except for staff, performers, etc.); the function is held in a privately-booked room, not at that time open to the general public; there is no form of charge made for admission; there is no financial gain to the function’s organiser or host (e.g. the person hiring the venue).”
Our act is unique Between us- we cover music to please all ages! We use high quality backing tracks to get nearer to that original sound! Eric is also a guitarist so will also play his guitar on most songs during the lead breaks. We cover music from the 70’s/80’s/90’s/00’s pop, disco, RnB, rock, Motown and ballads to name a few! Eric loves the 60’s and rock n roll plus some Rat Pack / Swing! Perfect for your older guests within your wedding party! Our act is totally versatile plus we can offer “disco” fill in so we are your perfect all round entertainment solution!
Yes! – we have performed at many Weddings,  Wedding Anniversaries, Birthday Parties, Corporate Events and Masonic Events, so we have extensive experience of what works ( and what doesn’t) In fact  – We will be pleased to help you plan your day  so please do ask ! – You may be surprised at how many things you may not have thought about, or better still – get some good ideas on how to make your day really special Its a big part of our entertainment service to you  – and the more detailed planning we have in advance – the more successful your event will be  ( and it makes our job much easier on the day too !) So: one thing we can definitely say is:  For any event to be a success – a detailed plan/schedule  for your big day is essential. At all events we perform at   – we will have our “running”  order  of events  which includes   Arrival times, names of important people ( like the Bride and Groom !)  times for first dance, time food is being served,  finishing time,  first dance song(s), live songs you want us to sing , disco playlists, and any special requirements etc Even the simplest of things – if not planned  properly – can make an event go horribly wrong!   so do please ask us if you need help !  Its what we are here for – and it really does make a big difference to your day if we know exactly “what's what”