Bradfield Village Hall

[LEE_JON_WS]

We felt it necessary to post on the Wedding section about this supposed 'Perfect Sheffield venue for Weddings'

 

We arrived at this venue to perform for one of our couples on their special day, only to be met by a large yellow skip in front of the main entrance followed by what can only be described as a building site covered over by masses of bright blue tarpolin.

 

We got into the hall and got set up ready for the first performance of the evning starting with the bride and grooms first dance. The DJ playing alongside us just before we started had told us the building had a limiter on it and to be carful with the sound, good job he made us aware as none of the staff or so called coordinator had bothered to do so!

 

So we commenced with the first dance and low and behold the limiter was set so low that it cut off our entire set up right in the middle of the first dance! We asked the staff and the coordinator (Lynn) if it could just be either turned off or altered just for the first dance, but she was adament that nothing could be done. So we carried on the night with the performance with Lee (my husband the singer) being hardly able to hear his own backing music, which in turn made our performance not to the standard we would normally produce.

 

We finished our last set and started to pack away, only half way through I noticed the music had gotten louder, at the start of the night you could hear the guests voices over our music and the DJ's music it had to be that low in voulme, but as we started to pack away you coulndt hear yourself speak it was that loud. The DJ also had noticed he could turn it up and something fishy was going on. So we questioned the coordinator (Lynn) and asked if she had altered the limiter settings, she replied and said 'well the doors are shut now' (to which we replied the doors where shut earlier whilst Lee was performing the bride and grooms first dance), she then said she couldnt alter the settings (whilst getting redder and redder in the face), so all in all the bride and grooms first dance had been spoilt and she could have prevented it as she quite clearly could alter the settings on the limiter!

 

As it turns out she had also been very rude to the bride and groom earlier on in the week, as the hall had been booked for over a year on the promise that all the building work would have been finished by the time of the wedding, hence the work wasnt finished and when the bride clearly had gotten upset about it and asked if it was going to be sorted for their big day the coordinator (Lynn) was not very helpful towards them to say the least!

 

I could go on about the all the other things (staff/unfinished building/toilets etc) but im sure you will make your own minds up.

 

Please be careful before thinking about booking this place as a wedding venue!

 

[Classic Rock]

I DJ'd there earlier this month and can only say I had a very different experience to you. Lynn clearly explained the limiter to me and the staff were helpful and friendly at all times. All buildings from time to time have to undergo repair work - did this interfere with the hall and stage? It wasn't happening earlier this month that I noticed.

 

The venue have strict rules to adhere to as they have to be careful with noise disturbing neighbours, so the limiter cuts off power to the stage if the noise hits a higher level. I played with both the doors open and closed. People could still hear the music with the door open and were still able to dance, I was able to turn it up once the doors were secured. You just have to keep an eye on the limiter and work to its levels. I've worked with a few venues who have limiters and it's par for the course. Was there anyone around to ask if you were unsure how loudly you could play? Did you have the opportunity to sound check so you could test the levels before you played? This might have helped. It's always helpful to make a short announcement to people to inform them the reason why the sound has to be kept low - it helps make everyone understand and it also keeps the staff onside as well

 

It's always a shame whenever you have a bad experience. I'd be happy to return to Bradfield as I worked well with everyone there and had no problems whatsoever.

 

Buffy

[Yeti]

I've booked this venue, the building work is all complete now. Personally, I'm quite glad there is a limiter. We probably will be having a disco, but I've been a bit worried about having a DJ that is too loud. The village hall is one large room, and although I want people to be able to have a dance, I want people to be able to talk, and I know a lot of the older guests will want to get together and catch up (especially relatives that haven't seen each other in a while). Music and dancing is important to us but at the end of the day, it's not a nightclub, the DJ is just part of the evening, and its not all about them.

[LEE_JON_WS]

I've booked this venue, the building work is all complete now. Personally, I'm quite glad there is a limiter. We probably will be having a disco, but I've been a bit worried about having a DJ that is too loud. The village hall is one large room, and although I want people to be able to have a dance, I want people to be able to talk, and I know a lot of the older guests will want to get together and catch up (especially relatives that haven't seen each other in a while). Music and dancing is important to us but at the end of the day, it's not a nightclub, the DJ is just part of the evening, and its not all about them.

 

Hope it goes well for you, we was not the DJ on the particular day I have mentioned above we was the live entertainment and we was with the bride and groom all day:)

[Yeti]

Ah well, then, live bands ARE supposed to be centre of attention!

[LEE_JON_WS]

I wouldnt know we are not a live band, if cheap and cheerful is what you are after then this place is ideal, but expensive or cheap either way every bride and groom should be tret the same and in this instance the bride and groom where not tret very well at all, at the end of the day they still paid to enjoy there day at this place and the staff should have provided a good service to them.

[nataliem85]

I wouldnt know we are not a live band, if cheap and cheerful is what you are after then this place is ideal, but expensive or cheap either way every bride and groom should be tret the same and in this instance the bride and groom where not tret very well at all, at the end of the day they still paid to enjoy there day at this place and the staff should have provided a good service to them.

 

We got married there in August, and I can assure you it wasn't 'Cheap', when you are adding the prices of caterers, decorations, table cloth hire, registrar fees etc. It is a very nice venue, which you can tailor to exactly how you want it, and the backdrop for pictures is lovely.

 

Lynn and her team did an excellent job at our wedding, and everything went to plan, and we were very pleased with the service we recieved.