J & A Events, Gold Coast Wedding Musician
What is it that you do?
The essence of what we do is bring good vibes to your wedding day - we like to think that J&A Events is
‘what feelings sound like’
About 10 years ago now we saw a need for live music that was real and raw, and simply more representative of the two humans to which the celebration belonged (think, not-so ‘weddingy’), and so Jake & Andy was born. And over the years we also saw that, with all due respect and generally speaking, wedding celebrancy could really use the same ‘human’ approach.
So now you get a civil marriage celebrant who isn’t bogged down in ‘the old school’, and a stable (ah-hem, ‘Fam’…) of seriously rad artists who are incredible soloists – but also love coming together to form duos, trios and more’os – performing a combination of live music and dj sets for your day. Essentially, J&A Events provides Celebrant & Soundtrack packages for positive, modern, fresh, down-to-earth, non-cheeseburger wedding-day vibes.
How long have you been doing weddings?
Now that there’s a whole ‘JANDA Fam’ of us, this question has multiple answers. But, Jake (if I can refer to myself in the first person without coming across like a sociopath) is the conductor of all J&A Events engagements, even when a different member of the Fam is on board for the booking, and he (I/Jake) has been working in the wedding industry for about a decade.
How long do brides normally book in advance?
Maybe ‘wedding music’ is the anomaly of the industry, but it’s not just brides-to-be that get in contact with us – which is awesome. About 1 in 4 enquiries we receive is from the groom! Maybe it’s because they’re super-passionate about chipping in. More likely though, is that music is the only element where their partner trusts their judgement.
Anyway, now that there’s more artists, there’s more availability – obviously. And this year we’ve been able to appease enquiries as late as 6 weeks out from the wedding date! But… majority of enquiries/bookings are still made around 12 months out. To be safe, like with most elements of your wedding day, if you hope to secure your first-choice vendor get in as early as possible.
Do you also DJ?
We do indeed. Though we’re all strong advocates of live music being king. Experience (and common sense) tells us that the raw, emotive, radness of live music will suit the bulk of most wedding days… but there almost always comes a time where your crowd needs some drums and bass to quench their appetite to get down [unless of course, you book a ‘full band’ – we can chat about this too!]. The DJ set also ensures that any left-of-centre requests can still be appeased, and your Best Day Ever can finish with the perfect party-pleasing playlist.
How would you describe your style?
Any celebrant or musician worth their salt has their own unique approach and style. And this certainly applies to The JANDA Fam. So as to not overuse the same old clichéd adjectives, our website houses mini artist profiles with audio demos, videos and even links to each artist’s Instagram accounts. Go check out their individual styles for yourself!
If you could share one piece of advice what would it be?
Sheesh – just one!? Ummm… I guess it’s gotta be broad then. My broad advice to all couples planning a wedding is ‘you do you’. If you’re lovers of tradition, honor that. If you’re the opposite, that’s cool too. Look at Pinterest and what other people are doing for their weddings, sure. Take it on board as knowledge of what’s possible, or food for thought, but don’t get sucked into keeping up with the Joneses. Your guests would rather attend a wedding that honestly represents two of their favourite people – YOU GUYS! – than a recreation of some styled shoot you saw. And when it’s all said and done, the memory (and photos) of your day will hold reverence and relevance for the rest of your lives (not just for the lifespan of some current trend).
Do you have any vendors you love working with, we would love to know?
Couples are pretty blessed with the calibre of vendors at their disposal on the Byron, Tweed and Gold Coasts – the venues associated with Byron Bay Weddings and Tweed Coast Weddings are some of the best in the country in our opinion. But for us, the vendors we love and frequently recommend, we do so because of their efforts ‘off the ball’ so to speak. Vendors like yourself {Feather & Finch Photography} who consistently go above and beyond to exceed expectations. We’re always happy to give recommendations to clients, but we believe that you can tell a truly great vendor by the effort they put in to their first couple of enquiry responses. If they don’t care and don’t have time for you until money has changed hands, then in our opinion, the passion isn’t truly there and – quite frankly - you can do better.
What was one of the craziest weddings you have had?
Early on – going back a few years here – we were flown to Bali or a wedding at an incredible resort on the island of Nusa Lembongan. It was just a perfect location and vibe for this particular Gold Coast couple, and their hundred or so friends did them proud. The bride immediately dived into the pool – dress and all – after their first dance, and from then on the party was lit!
Who do you think your style is suited for?
As far as the J&A Events ‘product’ goes, we’ve got the talent on board to suit just about everyone. I think the deciding factor for any couple on the hunt for vendors should be; personality. If you’re getting uptight and spikey or nonchalant and care-factor-zero vibes, then that vendor is probably not for you… and we tend to feel the same – if we’re communicating with a couple and we’re just feeling like it’s an uphill battle; just not vibing from the outset; then we’re happy to admit that our style probably won’t suit yours.
Tell us more about you?
J&A Events is a husband and wife team – I (Jake) have a background in marketing and advertising but more recently have been a founding partner in the Jake & Andy live music duo where I’ve been on board for upwards of 600 weddings. My wife Lei – of Love Lei Weddings – has a background in dance and fashion, and we live in Palm Beach on the Gold Coast with our young family.
Wanna know more? Check out our WEBSITE