I played for an outdoor wedding this morning. I don’t often play outdoors as our weather is so unpredictable and conditions can be unkind to instruments. Somehow though, this wedding slipped through the net.

It’s 24 October 2025, not an outdoor wedding kind of date. When the couple booked me, it was a scorching hot June evening. Of course I could play outdoors, especially since there’s a covered bandstand!

As the heat of summer ebbed away, I started to fret a little about the wedding. In all honesty, I thought it would rain and I also thought that the couple would realise exactly how cold it was unless we were blessed with a late October heatwave.

I started weather watching 5 days before the wedding. Rain? Brilliant! Phew! 2 days before I checked the weather for the venue. Cloudy with sunshine. Shit. Temperatures? 7 degrees at 11am, ceremony time.

In an attempt to calm myself, I reasoned that I had surely played in colder churches. I have a 1030am church wedding this December so it’s practice for that too. I asked colleagues for advice.

I deployed a strategic plan which included a hot water bottle, thermals, 2 piping hot flasks, extra gloves and wrist warmers, a towel, and rubber mats for my harp and amp.

On the drive to the venue, I debated feigning an accident, being struck with a case of food poisoning or suffering a vehicular malfunction. The faintest hope I had that they’d decide it was too cold was dashed upon arrival. They were setting up outside.

With a leaden sense of resignation, I took my gear up, shivering as I went. It was damp and the tall trees obscured any rays of warm early morning sunshine. Were there heaters in the bandstand? Were there heck.

I took my harp up 45 minutes before play time, unpacked and gave him a perfunctory tune. I didn’t want to stress him anymore than necessary and he was already quite sharp. I put the heavy cover back on and I waited.

I genuinely don’t know how I did it but I kept it together and actually played well. My focus was razor sharp. Survival mode I guess. That and the brisk early morning chilly air.

After the ceremony I threw the covers on and moved inside as quickly as possible, aware that the warmth of the room in which I was playing for the drinks was in significant contrast to the bone penetrating damp coolness which had the guests all a-shiver. I didn’t retune. No way! My harp had been incredibly tolerant and forgiving of my misdemeanour!

The groom came to thank me and mentioned how cold he had been during the ceremony. I politely bit my lip.

Needless to say I’ll be updating my contracts with a clause for outdoor performance stating a minimum temperature of 16 degrees.