Fête24 Delivers Complete AV & Backline Setup for Ceilidh Band at Domaine d'Essendiéras

We recently had the honour of adding yet another Dordogne wedding event (and venue) to our list of places we have worked, with this particular celebration held just down the road from our base in Périgueux.

The venue in question was the delightful Domaine d'Essendiéras, a fantastic golf and spa estate totalling over 360 hectares (we’ll give you a quick run-through of the highlights of this place as a wedding venue shortly). Our event brief was to providing a complete sound system setup and backline package for a live ceilidh wedding band with some simple lighting for outside the venue made up of wireless LED uplighters & fairy lighting.

So, let’s jump straight in and tell you all about it. 

Fête24 Supplies Event Production Services to Leading Dordogne Wedding Venue  

Since 2022 we've built up our reputation in the Dordogne & southern regions & we have got to know some of the most popular venues and their respective event teams well. That said, we’re always keen to expand our relationships in the local area and travel to new venues as every château is so different - We are so very lucky to be working in these venues & see some of the events we work on.  

Back in May we received a call from a UK bride looking for help providing sound equipment and backline equipment for the evening's live entertainment – a live ceilidh band! Additionally the bride also wanted some lighting outside the château. 

Upon arriving at the venue, we were stunned by its size. It feels even bigger than its quoted 360 hectares (we have seen a lot of places as well) and includes a golf course that meanders around not one but two of the on-site castles (one 16th-century, one 19th-century).

But that’s not all. There are several purpose-built event spaces that are perfect for weddings & parties, including a barn conversion where this wedding was being held. It combines lovely stone walls, amazing wooden beams all over the place, and a modern glass orangery-style room to house musical performers (this is where we set up the PA system & backline equipment). 

It’s great if you’re planning a big party, too, and it must boast one of the largest capacities for on-site accommodation across all French wedding venues. While many châteaus and domains can accommodate 20 to 100 guests, this place can accommodate up to 200 overnight wedding guests! That means even if you maxed out the allocation of wedding reception guests (250), only 50 would have to make their way home before the end of proceedings. 

The Technical Bit….Sound, lighting & Backline Equipment, Let's Break It Down

With the fantastic wedding venue aside, let’s move on to our work here. We were contacted by the bride, who had booked a leading ceilidh band that needed a range of audio & backline equipment and support personnel for their performance. 

Having provided similar services at a much larger scale for festivals and music concerts across the UK over the last two decades, we were more than ready to deliver what they were looking for. After a receiving the technical rider & little back-and-forth, we were able to meet their requirements & both the couple & band we happy they had found a solution 

Once we arrived on-site, we started by setting up 24 wireless LED uplighters around the venue outside giving guests some coloured light for the smoking & drinking area just to the right hand side of the venue. Inside we installed 100 metres of fairy lights & hung from the wooden beams in the roof.

Next we set up all the PA & backline equipment, including one 88-key Nord Stage 3 keyboard, a Markbass bass amp and a full DW maple drum kit complete with DW 9000 series hardware + Zildjian cymbals. 

We used a mixture of wired & wireless mics for this event with a Shure Beta52 on the kick, DPA4099’s on the toms & Shure 57 for drum vox & AKG C414 for overhead mics for the drum kit. A pair of Shure UR2 handheld wireless mics were for the lead & backing vocals fitted SM58 heads.

For the sound setup, we supplied a full suite of d&b audiotechnik speakers including the Qsub & Q7 as the main PA with E3’s being used as fills & delay speakers & our d&b M4’s as stage monitors (just a pair) For the performers, we supplied and ran several 4 ways of Sennheiser EW G4 wireless IEM’s and we also supplied the bassist with a Markbass Mini CMD 121P V. 

Since it was a live performance, the client requested an on-site live audio technician, we handled the audio using a Midas M32R digital mixing desk paired with a Midas DL32 stage rack & the band delivered an exceptional performance! 

Working at Domaine d'Essendiéras was brilliant & this definitely has to be one of my favourite live bands & wedding celebrations this year. We were thankful to play a small but meaningful part in bringing it all together and look forward to the opportunity to work here again soon! 

Contact Fête24 Today for All of Your Wedding Production Requirements

If you’re planning a wedding in the picture-perfect Dordogne region, we’d love to help. We offer all wedding event production aspects in-house across a broad spectrum of services.

Whether you need a small or large stretch tent, stage platform or you need help on the technical side with sound equipment & event lighting – we do it all. You get one point of contact, one price, and a much easier way to book all of your rental equipment from one place. 

If that sounds like something you’d like to discuss further with us, don’t hesitate to call us on +44 (0)7 66 43 02 11 or send an email to bonjour@fete24.com with your event details, dates, and event production requirements and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.