I used to work for a company called Classic Tents and Events. I would set up those big white tents for weddings, festivals, and corporate events. I would also deliver chairs and tables and whatever else the client might need for their party. It was a decent job and I had a very gracious and generous boss. I was never really able to attend any events, but I did get to take part in the “behind the scenes” activities. This sometimes meant experiencing the wrath of an executive or a mother-of-the-bride (who happen to be some of the most intimidating people on earth… not the executive… the mother) if something went wrong.

The biggest mistake I ever made at that job was when I was told I could park my truck on the grass at a garden wedding in order to be close to the set up area (well I guess it was actually the fault of the person who told me to do that, but I still felt bad). Little did I know, the earth beneath the grass was very soft… I got the truck stuck in muddy grass! This could have been fine if we were setting up for a wedding that was the next day, but we weren’t. Gardens (at least garden that rents out their property for weddings) tend to leave very little time for set up. The wedding started before we could get the truck pulled out of there. To make matters worse - the truck was parked in the spot where the bride was supposed to come walking through (sort of like walking down the isle, just without an isle). So instead of walking through this beautiful entrance to the garden, the bride had to tiptoe around an ugly work truck. I felt so bad for her. But from my hiding place, it looked like they still had a good wedding. I’ve never had a worse day at work than that day.

I remembered this old job I had because I’m starting to think of doing music for weddings and events. This would be in addition to playing concerts of my own. Things have gone fairly well with my week of hunting for gigs. I’ve gotten three shows confirmed and a couple still pending. I will continue looking for more opportunities to play my original music. However, I know that I could get some good supplementary income from performing cover songs at events. I’m trying to decide if I should do it acoustically or start some sort of band. What do you think?

If you or someone you know has a wedding or event coming up and you want some live music, send me an email: contact@jeffhawker.ca

If you need some professional photography, send Adam Loewen an email: info@adamloewenphotography.com