A barn dance or ceilidh is a fantastic way to ensure that your guests interact regardless of their age or capability - and if there are some who cannot partake then they too can find pleasure in listening to the music or watching the antics of the dancers. But whether you book The Much Ado Band, or any other barn dance band, here are a few tips to ensure your evening goes with a swing.

Booking

Book the venue and your barn dance band well in advance. In the peak season of May-July you may consider holding your barn dance on a Friday evening when bands and venues are less likely to be booked. However, as it is a working day for most of the guests, do not be tempted to start the evening before 8 o’clock.

Be sure to get some kind of written or e-mailed confirmation setting out the evening’s arrangements and costs (we do this automatically - and if you click on this link you can download the Booking Form

Ambience

If possible, spend some time and thought creating some atmosphere in the hall, particularly the lighting. More often than not the main light source will be fluorescent tubes which make the room look terribly cold and dull. Even a simple touch such as placing a tea-light in a glass jar on each table will add to the mood.

Venue

If you are using a marquee try to avoid using a floor covering
that leaves raised seams i.e. rolls of sisal carpet. Try to ensure
your events manager is au fait with the requirements of barn dancing so that the maximum floor space will be made available once the dining is complete.

Occasionally some people take the title ‘barn dance’ literally and book a barn for the event, which, in itself is fine. However, in the height of summer the amount of dust that can be generated by an enthusiastic bunch of dancers is surprising; try damping down the surface an hour before the start; do not get carried away though…dancing on mud has its difficulties.