Private House

Overview:

From DJ Mike H:

In 2015, Bellagala did more events at private homes than any other venue. In other words, if 'private house' were considered a venue, it would be Bellagala's most popular venue in 2015.

Needless to say, this won't help you with the specifics of the house your going to because I don't know what house you're going to! What it will do is help you prepare and know what additional questions you should ask.

First of all, ask whose house the wedding will be at. Sometimes it's a parent of the couple, sometimes it's an uncle, sometimes it's a friend, sometimes it's the couple's house. Either way, you'll want to know who specifically you can talk to about the layout in order to help yourself prepare the best you can. If the couple says they can answer any questions you have (even if it's not their place), go ahead and ask them. Otherwise, you'll call the owner of the house.

Then you'll want to treat it as a venue call. Ask about where to load-in, definitely ask about outlets and where the nearest one to plug in will be, ask if you'll be set up in the same place throughout the entire reception. If it's at a home, there won't be an 'end time' like there is at actual venues. Ask them what time they'd like to end the dance and if they don't give a straight answer or tell you they'll play it by ear, then that's what you'll do. On rare occasions, I've been out to private homes until about 3:00 AM.

Challenges:

Private homes can be difficult in terms of the amount of outlets available. Sometimes you have to put a few extension cords together to get to the nearest one. If they tell you this could be the case, feel free to ask me for an extra or two.

There is no 'venue' staff. Sometimes private house weddings can be a little unorganized for that reason. Be patient and ask questions such as 'who will be dismissing tables for dinner' to see if they've thought everything through.

You may have to move around if the cocktail hour is in a different area than the reception. There's obviously no venue sound system, so you'll have to be moving if different elements of the night are occurring in different areas.

Extra Venue Call Questions:

Can I talk to the owner of the house to get information about my set up?

Where can I load in?

How far is the nearest outlet to plug in?

Will you have a table available for me?

Are cocktail, dinner and dance all occurring at the same place?

What time does the dance end?