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Testimonials

Past Clients/Appearances Include: Sting (twice!) : E4 – Made In Chelsea (twice!) : BBC One – This Week : BBC Two – Great British Menu : BBC Three : ITV – TOWIE : ITV – Loose Women : UKTV : Channel 4 – Gok Wan’s Fashion Fix : BBC Scotland : Apple : Pampered Chef : Orange : Vodafone : RAF : Gareth Malone (BBC 2’s “The Choir”) : National Geographic Society : Hermes : Unicef : Soil Association : Save The Children : Royal Academy of Music : Royal College of Music : Trinity College of Music : Canon : MOD : NHS : CBI : ICI : Royal Ballet School : Pearson Education : Herbert Smith LLP : Deloitte : Mencap : Amnesty International : RWE nPower : International Spinal Research Trust : KeltaFit : PriceWaterhouseCoopers : Royal Canin : London Scottish : Scottish Labour Party : Scottish Power : Ernst & Young : Serco : BP : Cooperation Ireland : Castrol : AlphaScientists : Compassion UK : Seven : Dunnhumby : South Bank Centre : Al Ain Hilton, United Arab Emirates : Brunel University : Oxford SM : Kings College Cambridge : Vinopolis

Licence To Ceilidh have performed at fabulous destination weddings and events abroad in: Malta (3 times) : France (5 times) : Italy (twice) : Mallorca : Portugal : Dubai : Jersey… and we have events coming up in: Malta (2 more) : France (4 more) : Majorca : Greece : Germany : Zurich, Switerland : Sweeden : Tuscany, Italy : Amsterdam

We are also recommended suppliers for:  Caledonian Club : Stationer’s Hall : Hatfield House : Lillibrooke Manor : Gray’s Inn : Southend Barnes : South Farm : Ramster Hall : Pembroke Lodge : Hampton Court House : Great Fosters : London Rowing Club : Barton House : Lains Barn : Broyle Place : Ashdown Park : Vinopolis : Drapers Hall : Thames Rowing Club : Cecil Sharp House : Botley’s Mansion : Great Fosters : Cain Manor : Northbrook Park : Hendall Manor Barns : Winters Barn : Oakwood House : Pangdean Barn : St.Clere : Silchester House : Heron’s Farm : Barton House : Notley Abbey : Alpheton Hall Barns : Bijou Weddings : Visit Scotland London Ceilidh Club : Simply The Best Groom : Suzanne James Catering & Events

Famous faces that have been spotted at Licence to Ceilidh bookings: David Mitchell, Trevor Nunn, David Baddeil, Sting, Ronan Keating, Steven Fry, Robert Downey Jnr, Jake Gyllenhaal, Guy Ritchie, Jeff Beck, Emma Watson, Andy Murray, Charley Boorman, Bill Nighy, Theo Walcott, David Yates, Chase & Status, One Giant Leap, Kirsty Allsopp, Damon Hill, Geoffrey (The butler from Fresh Prince of Bel Air), Noel Gallagher, Laura Carmichael, Thandie Newton, Robert Lindsay, Toby Jones, Barbara Windsor, Harriet Harman, Ed Miliband, Andrew Neil, Michael Portillo, Charles Kennedy, Francis Boulle, Gordon Strachan, Saffron Burroughs, Jodie Kidd, Jemima Goldsmith…

Reviews

“Hi Ali, We would like to thank you for the amazing ceilidh at our wedding and we really appreciate the efforts the band made to come to France. It was a fantastic evening and all the guests had great fun, even though most of them didn’t know anything about ceilidh before.

Thank you very much again. Kind regards, Isabella & Tristan”
Isabella and Tristan : Wedding : Bordeaux, France : May 2019

The music is also simply amazing. Irish and highland dance is my guilty pleasure – sequences from Lord of the Dance impress me so much that I cry more often than not. I will put my hands up and admit that I am lame in this way. And only this way. And that Warriors is my absolute favourite routine. And that I’m a sucker for villains.
   But the music – back to the music – you cannot possibly not want to move to it. You just can’t, it completely goes against the laws of physics. From the moment the music started playing in the warm up, I was honestly grinning like a fool.

   I absolutely love it. I can’t wait to start my exercise every morning, it’s so much fun and truly something I look forward to now. There’s no dread, no trying to make deals with myself and then doing it anyway, no feeling mentally exhausted just from the idea of it. I genuinely want to do it.
   Oh gawd I can’t wait to do it again tomorrow!”

 

Review of Kelta Fit DVD with soundtrack by Licence To Ceilidh from "A Blackbirds Epiphany”

www.ablackbirdsepiphany.co.uk

“Thanks for your email and thank you so much for the great session you played for us.  We had a fantastic time and you and your band were just amazing. We still have guests talking about you and contacting us for your details so they can book you for their own events, Lucy”

Lucy : Wedding : April 2016: Lillibrooke Manor, Maidenhead

Dear Ali,

What a fabulous evening we had with Licence to Ceilidh. We have been receiving almost daily requests to host another evening – and I am quite sure this is all down to the music and hugely skilful, diplomatic, capable and utterly lovely caller together with the very talented musicians we had on the evening. I just hope they all got enough to eat – dinner was a bit rushed for them right before their first set!
Thank you for doing what you do – it exceeded all expectations and we are looking forward to hosting another evening. We could not have celebrated in such style without all of you.
Many, many thanks, Catherine and David”
Catherine and David : 50th Birthday Party: May 2017: London

“Hi Ali,

We just wanted to say what an AMAZING time we had on Saturday! The band were incredible!! The dance floor was full all night and everyone had the best time ! Our guests were hooked! I have so many messages already saying how brilliant they were. Thank you so much. Could you let the band know! It was exactly what we wanted we couldn’t be happier. Please let us know if we can leave a review anywhere if you would like any of the photos.

Thank you!, Caite and Marcus”

Caite and Marcus : March 2018 : Wedding: Cuckfield, West Sussex

“Dear Ali, Now that the dust has settled after the wedding and our last house guests have gone, I just wanted to thank you and the band for a very enjoyable set last Saturday. The music was beautifully played, they pitched the calling just right and it was greatly enjoyed by young and old alike. Please pass our thanks to all concerned. With best wishes,”

Richard Hoare : Wedding : August 2018 : Chichester, West Sussex

“Hi Ali, I didn’t get a real chance to express my thanks and gratitude before you departed, so just a quick email to say a big thank you to the whole band for a marvellous night on Saturday. Literally everyone has told us how fantastic the band was and how they so thoroughly enjoyed the dancing.  It seemed everybody wanted to join in by the end, next time we’ll need a bigger dance floor.  Thank you for help making the night a great occasion and memory for us to treasure always.”

Tony & Gill : 50th Birthday Party: August 2018: Letchworth

“Dear Ali, Sorry for the delayed reply, we’re back from honeymoon now and just adjusting to being back at work!

The wedding was fabulous and the band and DJ were truely excellent. The waltz at the start was perfect and even made a few people cry!
All the guests loved the ceilidh  (even the initial sceptics)! We cannot thank you all enough for a wonderful performance and evening!!!
We are collecting photos at the moment – it will be a few weeks but we will send you a few photos once we get them.
Thank you again for everything! Please let us know your upcoming London dates and we will try and make it over for a Ceilidh soon.
All the best”
Silke and Ben : Wedding : June 2018 : Buxted Park Hotel, Sussex

“Hi Ali, Claire and I just wanted to send a quick message to our band from last night. We had an absolutely perfect evening. The band and our caller were amazing and so many of our guests have told us how much they enjoyed the ceilidh. Claire and I also had a brilliant time. If we can help you guys out at any point with a testimonial or review, by all means let us know and we would be more than happy to help out. Thanks again, Best,”

Simon & Claire : Wedding: April 2017 : Upwaltham Barns, nr Chichester

“Ali, Just a quick note to say thank you and pay our compliments to the band who were fantastic. It was great fun, pitched absolutely perfect and made for such a great night. Thanks again”

Gary : Birthday Party: January 2017: Hemel Hempstead

“Dear Ali, Finally the dust has settled and everyone has gone home, so I am writing to send our sincere thanks to you and your band for your amazing entertainment at our Awards Dinner at The Oakley Court Hotel last Tuesday. I have had so many brilliant comments saying how wonderful you were and how much they enjoyed themselves. I gather the dance floor was pretty full most of the time? I hope we didn’t have too many left feet! It was great for our Russian and Scandinavian colleagues to experience some traditional folk culture and I am only sad that I wasn’t there to take part also. However, I feel I made a fantastic choice! In the meantime, I wish you and your fellow members a lovely Christmas and a successful New Year- I wonder whether you are performing?”

Sue for Chr Hansen : December 2016: Corporate Christmas Party: Windsor

“Hi Ali, Just want to thank you and the band for such a great evening. Sorry the timings went off a bit. I really appreciated you holding on to do the last couple of dances and the finishing song. Although The sound system had failed for my music the evening came to a very good end with your finale. Thanks again for everything I hoped it would be. Great compliments from everyone who knows anything about music, and ‘great music’ from those who don’t. So all round Great! Best wishes Moira”

Moira : November 2016: Party: Bristol

“Hi Ali, Just want to thank you and the band for such a great evening. Sorry the timings went off a bit. I really appreciated you holding on to do the last couple of dances and the finishing song. Although The sound system had failed for my music the evening came to a very good end with your finale. Thanks again for everything I hoped it would be. Great compliments from everyone who knows anything about music, and ‘great music’ from those who don’t. So all round Great! Best wishes Moira “

Moira : November 2016: Party: Bristol

“Hi Ali, We just wanted to say a massive thank you for everything. The band were amazing and everyone had a great time. Our friends genuinely haven’t stopped talking about how much they loved your set and I think you managed to convert quite a few people to Ceilidh music. We would be happy to recommend you guys or give feedback. Thanks again. Kind regards”

Greg & Nic : Wedding : August 2016 : Tunbridge Wells

“Hi Ali, I just wanted to drop you an email to say thank you so much to you and the band for performing at our wedding reception on 9th July. We loved having Licence to Ceilidh as part of our wedding celebrations and we’ve had so many positive comments from our guests saying how much they enjoyed it. You really brought our wedding reception to life! I must also say that your professionalism is brilliant. Thanks again for a great performance. Kind regards”

Georgina Welsh : July 2016 : Wedding : Derbyshire

“Ali, I apologise that it has taken me so long to write this, but I just wanted to say thank you for everything you all did at our wedding. I realise timings slipped and everything did not go completely to plan, however you all did such an amazing job. Everyone that came has commented on how much they enjoyed the ceilidh- it was really amazing. We are so pleased that we had you play at our wedding, and I will always remember how packed the dance floor was during your sets. Again, thank you and I hope our paths cross again in the future! Is there anywhere I can leave you an official review? Kind regards,”

Oli and Lydia : June 2016 : Wedding : Tolcross, Sussex

“Ali, Please thank the band very much for making the evening so fantastic! It was all wonderful and brilliant from your help with all of the planning and logistics, down to the final event. We had such a brilliant time!”

Katie and James : Wedding : April 2016: Pangdean Barn, Sussex

“Hi Ali, This is just a quick e-mail to thank you, Francesca and the rest of the band for the wonderful Ceilidh last Saturday night. I and my guests had a wonderful time although I think we may have been challenging to instruct – the term ‘like herding cats’ springs to mind. I hope it was an enjoyable gig for the band. I would also like to thank you personally – since I fist phoned you, you have been very helpful, professional, efficient and easy to deal with. I’ll be sending you a proper thank you note via snail mail in the next few days. Best Wishes”

Annette Foley : 50th Birthday Party : February 2016 : Bromley

“Hi Ali, Just a note to say thank you to you and the Band. We had a wonderful evening on the 17th December and the Band were great. Please pass on our thanks to them and wish you all a very Happy Christmas and New Year. Regards”

Karen @ McDermott, Will & Emery LLP : Corporate Christmas Party : December 2015: London

“Dear All at Licence to Ceilidh, Just a quick note to say a huge thank you for the wonderful musical entertainment at Sean & Victoria’s wedding on Saturday. Unfortunately I didn’t get the opportunity to dance myself, but it was wonderful to watch their family and friends having such fun. Hopefully we will have the opportunity to work together again in the future, but in the meantime wising you all a very Happy Christmas and prosperous 2016. Kind regards,”

Mary (Wedding Planner): Wedding: December 2015: Royal Naval Museum, London

“I honestly cannot recommend Licence to Ceilidh highly enough. From start to finish they were impeccable. The organising beforehand was so clear and easy. On the night, the band were both lovely and just brilliant. My party (50th) was for about 130 people, all ages and few Scots! The dances were explained so well and in such a friendly way, that everyone felt empowered and inspired to dance all night. It was so wonderful to see the different combinations of friends and family dancing together and really achieving it! The result was a huge success, everyone loved it and had the best fun and since the night I been inundated with messages from the guests saying how much they loved the band and how fantastic the music was.”

Roanna Harlan: 50th birthday party: December 2015: London

“Hi Ali, I just wanted to say thank you for all your help with the ceilidh band for our wedding on Saturday. It was absolutely wonderful and have received so many compliments from my guests. The music was great and the calling was fantastic – you really managed to cater for the absolute beginners and seasoned ceilidh dancers perfectly. I hope all went well from your side and I hope I come across Licence to Ceilidh at another event soon! Best wishes,”

Gillian and Richard : Wedding: November 2015: RAC Club, London

Reviews Licence To Ceilidh

“Dear Ali, We just wanted to drop a note to thank the whole band for doing such a fab job at our wedding in September at Notley Abbey. Everyone has been saying the ceilidh was amazing and great fun. We had such a wonderful wedding day and now both wish we could re live it all over again and again. Have a fab xmas break and please pass on our thanks to the rest of the band. We would recommend them to anyone!”

Niki & Tom: Wedding: September 2015: Notley Abbey, Thame

“Dear Ali, We wanted to send a (rather belated!) message to say that your ceilidh at our wedding was awesome! The set up was great and the musicians fantastic. We have been to quite a lot of ceilidh’s and you are definitely the best band we have heard – often the caller can be either boring or patronising, but your caller was patient and encouraging with those less-talented ceilidh dancers (!) whilst making a great party atmosphere! Everyone loved it, particularly some of the English contingent for whom it was their first ceilidh. The piper was also fantastic and added a great Scottish feeling. Best wishes”

Sarah and Malcolm MacLeod: Wedding : June 2015 : Surrey

“Hi Ali, We had an amazing wedding and amazing ceilidh! Please find attached some photos, feel free to use them for whatever. Our guests LOVED it! Thanks,”

Hannah: Wedding: July 2015: nr Reading

“Dear Ali and all at Licence to Ceilidh, Our apologies that this note is so late but Alex and I wanted to write to thank you so much for playing at our wedding – you really were superb and there were many compliments from the guests! For two of our friends our wedding was their first ever Ceilidh and they enjoyed it so much that they have since been to the Ceilidh Club in London! We are hoping to go too next time you are playing there. Thank you again – you really got everyone on their feet and dancing!”

Zoe and Alex: Wedding : June 2015 : Warwickshire

“Hi Ali, I just wanted to say a massive thank you to the members of the band who were with us on our wedding day yesterday. The music was absolutely wonderful and made the day. The jazz trio were brilliant and set the perfect backdrop for when guests arrived and during drinks reception. The celilidh was absolutely amazing!! It was so much fun and the band were fantastic. All the guests had a great time and said how much fun it was! Thank you so much to everyone for making it so so special. You guys were fantastic! Best wishes,

Lottie and Jack: Wedding: June 2015: Wantage, Oxfordshire

“Hi Ali, Matt and I just wanted to drop you a note to say ‘thank you’ to the band for last Saturday evening. My favourite memory of the evening is when we were on the dance floor and the boat was buffeted by a slight wave. As we all glanced round, we were trying to work out if it was the boat or if we’d had a little too much to drink. Expressions were priceless! Your caller did an excellent job and she soon realised she had a room full of people without any coordination whatsoever. We’ve been receiving comments on how great the band was, particularly that nobody seemed to mind those with two left feet. Thanks again for a great evening… Best wishes”

David & Matt: Wedding : May 2015 : Boat on the Thames

“Hi Ali, I hope you’re well. I just wanted to drop you a quick line to say thank you so much for providing the music for our wedding. Phil and I had a wonderful day which was topped off by a fab ceilidh and disco. So many people have said to us since how much fun they had dancing (even if we weren’t very good!) and that the ceilidh was a great ice breaker. Wishing you all the best for the future. Kind regards”

Phil and Mary Taylor: Wedding: April 2015: Sandwich, Kent

“Hi Ali, I just wanted to say a huge thanks for playing at our wedding on the 12th. It was such a wonderful day and you guys finished the evening off perfectly. Everyone loved it and it was so lovely seeing pretty much everyone on the dance floor. Kindest regards”

Annie and Adrian: Wedding: April 2015: Worth School, Sussex

“Hi Ali, We didn’t get a chance to thank you on the day so I just wanted to do so now. We were delighted with the evening. Thank you so much for making it a great event. All the best.”

Steve: Wedding: April 2015: Kent

“Ali. Hope you and the band got home safely ok on Saturday. Debbie and I just wanted to thank you for a great night, everyone was really impressed with the band and it was great to see so many people up enjoying the dancing. It was a great success and was just what Debbie had wanted. Please pass on our thanks to the other band members and we wish Licence to Ceilidh much success in the future. Best Wishes”

Gary & Debbie: 50th Birthday Party: January 2015: Reading

“Hi Ali, Happy new year! Everyone has told us what a great time they had whether it was taking part or just watching everyone join in the ceilidh! We had a ball, thank you again!, Kind regards,”

Rachael & Andrew: Wedding: October 2014: Thame

“Hi Ali, Just a quick message to say thank you very much for playing at our wedding in September. We only just got back from our honeymoon – I wanted to say we were really pleased with how it all went, and that everyone really enjoyed the Ceilidh. You guys are an amazing band! All the best,”

Russell & Alexandra: Wedding: September 2014: Dorking

“Now its all over 🙁 . Thank all of you so much for such an enjoyable ceilidh. Everyone is talking about it. I trust The Red Barn staff looked after you well. Warm regards”

Peter & Maureen: Wedding: September 2014: Surrey

“Hi Ali, Just a quick note to say thanks a lot for last Friday, you guys were fantastic and made to a great day. If you could say the same to Callum please who was a big favourite with the guests. There was a lot of non Brits and they were very impressed with their first experience of a ceilidh and piper. Many thanks”

- "Russell & Alexa: Wedding: September 2014: London

“Dear Ali, Thank you so much for playing for us on the opening night of our Conference. The delegates said that they thoroughly enjoyed it and many of them cited it as one of their favourite sessions on the feedback forms. We had a lot of positive comments from the delegates who said they thought it was the best Conference yet and your session certainly had a large part to play in that response. I am sorry I did not get a chance to talk to you very much, but hope you felt well looked after. Please thank all of your team, they were wonderful. Thank you again for helping to make the 2014 IDTC such a success.”

Jan Chope: Dance Teacher Conference @ Royal Ballet School (2nd year running) : August 2014

“Hi Ali, I’m sorry that it’s taken me a wee while to get in touch following our wedding on 2nd August at Barnsley House. I’m sure you’ll appreciate that it’s been a bit of a whirlwind since our wedding but we’ve now returned to normal life after a fabulous break to Italy and I thought I’d write to pass on our immense thanks to the band. We have so many happy memories of the day but the ceilidh certainly shines out as a highlight and that is very much down to the band and in particular Francesca for being so enthusiastic despite the small size of the room! Indeed I can’t fault the band at all – everything was just perfect. The band’s attention to detail and professionalism was spot on and fitted in perfectly with our day. Thank you so much for making our day so special. It was particularly pleasing to see so many of my family and friends enjoying a dance – especially those who have never been to a ceilidh before!!! I hope that the band equally enjoyed the (slightly crazy) crowd? And it was a great surprise to see the band took a picture in the photobooth – what a great pic!!!! Thank you again and if you ever need or would like a reference I would be absolutely delighted to help – please let me know – and if I ever need a ceilidh band I definitely know who to contact… I very much hope to be at a Licence to Ceilidh event again in the future! You are brilliant!!!! Kind regards”

Craig and Lucy: August 2014: Wedding: nr Cirencester

“Hi Ali, Just wanted to say a huge thank you from me and Nic for performing at our wedding. We had a great time. The music was great and the ceilidh created an exciting atmosphere, just what we needed! Thank you again,”

Daniel & Nicola: August 2014: Wedding: Wantage

“Ali, I just wanted to thank you all so much for making our night so special. I know that the weather was out of my hands but I am so sorry that power cuts affected your set. Nevertheless I have had nothing but positive feedback about the whole evening and everyone has said what a great band you were and one lady has asked for your details as she would love you to play at her wedding. You did a great job guys and I would definitely hire you again! Best wishes”

Ellie @ Ashdown Philipps: Office Summer Party: July 2014

” Dear Ali, Thank you so much for making our wedding evening so enjoyable and memorable. So many people have commented to us on how much fun they had and how excellent the band were! We especially enjoyed the Strip the Willow at the end – it meant that we interacted with all our guests, which was a fabulous end to the evening! With many thanks”

Sarah & Crispin: Wedding: May 2014: Snodland, Kent

“Dear Ali, We just wanted to say a big thank you to you and your amazing team for such a great evening on Saturday night. Everybody absolutely loved the Ceilidh and we are so pleased that we booked you. Toby was a great caller and the band were brilliant! We came to one of your events about 3 years ago and it was at that point We knew we wanted to book you for our wedding! We are just really sad it is all over, as I am sure you know the day goes far too quickly! Thank you again for such a fun night. Best wishes,”

Hannah & Michael: Wedding: May 2014: Sandhurst Military Academy, Surrey

“Dear Licence to Ceilidh, Thank you so much for an absolutely fantastic evening of music and dancing at our wedding. We and all our family and friends loved every minute of the ceilidh dancing (sorry we weren’t so good!) Also, thank you for your amazing piper who kindly welcomed our guests to church and our reception. He was superb and piped for ages – so talented! We are so pleased we chose you for our wedding entertainment, piper, ceilidh and disco were all perfect & exactly what we wanted so thank you! With best wishes”

Mark & Louise: Wedding: March 2014: Wasing Park, Berkshire

“Hi Ali, Thank you for your email. I had been meaning to drop you a line to say what a great time we had and how much everyone enjoyed the ceilidh. Our family and friends have not stopped raving about it. As you could probably tell, many of our guests (me included!) had never been to a ceilidh before and they all absolutely loved it! We have some really great photos of you and the dancing! We are really hoping that some of our friends will book you for their weddings as we’d love to do some more ceilidh-ing! Best wishes”

Kathryn : Wedding : December 2013 : Farnham

“Dear Ali and all of Licence To Ceilidh. Wow! What can we say? You guys were fantastic and gave us a truly memorable party. Our guests were still buzzing about it today and I’m sure for a long time to come. My calves are not so thrilled though. I was surprised to find just how appalling my coordination and ability to follow dance moves is. Must have been the bubbly! Everyone loved you and we really cannot thank you enough for a magical experience. I hope you all had a good time too and that you all got plenty of food and drink. Best wishes.”

Kate and Dan : Wedding : December 2013 : Ticehurst, East Sussex

“Dear Ali, I just wanted to say thanks so much for putting on such a great ceilidh at our wedding. It was so much fun you guys were absolutely fab! I hope you all have a fantastic day and many thanks for helping to make our wedding absolutely perfect! Best wishes”

Sarah : Wedding : December 2013: Winters Barn, Canterbury

“Hi Ali, I just wanted to drop a line to say a huge thank you to Alexis and the rest of the band for an awesome evening last night! They were absolutely fantastic and everyone enjoyed themselves hugely, even the non-dancers enjoyed the music and watching the rest of us getting carried away! Thanks for all you did in advance of the event to help organise the evening. Wishing you all a very happy Christmas! Hannah”

Compassion UK : Christmas Party : December 2013: Surrey

“Hi Ali, hope you are all well? We’re slowly getting back into normal life after the wedding. We’ve had family staying over for a while which kept the wedding buzz going a bit longer. I just wanted to say how completely and utterly thrilled with Licence to Ceilidh we were. I didn’t expect anything less from you but we were bowled over by your amazing sound and we were extremely proud to have you there with us. Our guests, many of them Ceilidh aficionados , were just as impressed. The calling was excellent – just right to get everybody going without being overbearing. So, enormous thanks from us, you made our perfect day even better than we imagined and we are very, very grateful :-)) Many deserved congrats on your TWIA! Our photographer has also won an award – my goodness we chose well! We look forward to voting for you next year.”

Katrina & Duncan : Wedding : November 2013 : Norfolk

“Many many thanks for making the dancing such a memorable event. It was exactly what James and Anna wanted and it was fantastic to see so many people of varying ages up on the dance floor. The instructions were clear, and most importantly, delivered in a patient way! Hope you all had fun too. Thanks for putting up with it being in such a remote location! Best wishes, Rose”

Rose (mother of the bride): Wedding : September 2013 : Chichester, West Sussex

“This band are incredible. Such excellent musicians and really know how to get the party going. All our guests at our wedding are stilling reeling from how much fun they had at the ceilidh. The caller was great at keeping peoples attention (even those who had never ceilidhed before) and maintaining high spirits throughout the night. The rest of the band are so talented and the music you play is so funky. Thanks for helping to make our wedding so special. If anyone is looking for a fantastic ceilidh band then look no further than here. I have been to loads of Ceilidhs in my life and Licence to Ceilidh are the best I have ever seen. I could not recommend them highly enough.”

Stephen & Emily: Wedding: August 2013: Suffolk

“Dear Licence to Ceilidh, we wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone in the band for your wonderful playing at our wedding in August this year. It was a real highlight of the day! We were both so impressed by the energy and enthusiasm that went into the music. It was lovely to see so many people dancing and enjoying themselves throughout the evening. Many of the guests at the wedding have since told us how much they enjoyed the ceilidh and how easy it was to get involved and have fun dancing. We have recommended you to several friends and would be very happy to point people in your direction in the future. Thank you for helping to make it such a happy and joyful day!, Best Wishes”

Allen & Edwina : Wedding : August 2013 : Cambridge

“Hi Ali, Just to say a massive thank you for your playing at our wedding. Licence to Ceilidh were absolutely brilliant and really made the night- thank you for the beautiful music, the energy and enthusiasm and for letting me tag along and play with you- a personal highlight 😉 There were tons of comments about how great the band were and lots of people hadn’t been to a ceilidh before and really enjoyed the experience. Thanks also for helping Ali at the end of the night with the venue curfew. Hope you have a good rest of your week- we are off on honeymoon now, so away for a few weeks. All the best”

Lizzie & Ali: Wedding: August 2013: Hook, Hampshire

“Hi Ali, I just wanted to say a really big thank you to the band last night. They did a really great job at getting everyone going, especially seeing as most of the people were very much Ceilidh first-timers! I got some brilliant comments from the guests about how much of fun they all had and how good the band was, so please do pass on my thanks to them all. Best wishes”

Emilie: Save the Children: August 2013 : London

“Hi Ali, Lalida and I would just like to say thank you very much to you and the other members of License to Ceilidh for playing so wonderfully at our wedding on Saturday 6th July…the choice of music and different dances was great and we have received lots of very complimentary comments about how much people enjoyed the dancing. The photographs certainly show people having lots of fun!”

Trevor & Lalida: Wedding, July 2013, Ringmer

“Hi Ali, The evening went really well and I really enjoyed the ceilidh. My dancing perhaps left a little room for improvement, but I blame this on the stamina of my dancing partners. The band were very impressive, and the caller did a lovely job of looking after us. Great to work with you, Thomas.”

PriceWaterhouseCoopers: Office Party, July 2013, Cambridge

“A big thank you to each and every one of you for helping to make our 150th celebrations of Alexandra Park a truly memorable occasion. The feedback we received from those that attended was extremely positive and several commented on the fantastic atmosphere and real sense of community spirit the event had. We would like to thank you again for being part of our event, and hope you enjoyed the experience.

Alexandra Park 150th Aniversary, July 2013, London

“Hi there Ali, We sent you a thank you card to your address a coupe of weeks ago, so hopefully you received that, but to reiterate, we had a really BRILLIANT day, and have heard so so many good things about your ceilidh music from our guests. In fact, lots of the overseas ones have been asking if you have CDs for sale anywhere? If you do, we’d love to know and can pass on the news (or make good Christmas gifts…!). Anyway, your band was excellent and upbeat which is just what we wanted- everyone loved learning the dances! We would definitely recommend you 🙂 Cheers, and good luck with your next events!, Heather”

Heather & Markus: Wedding, May 2013, Canterbury

“Fabulous music and calling last night – really enjoyed your energy and excellence.”

Wedding Guest via Facebook: May 2013

“We all thoroughly enjoyed the music and dancing and I think the floor was full throughout. I have had numerous positive comments from friends and family about how they had never been to a barn dance/ceilidh before and how much they enjoyed it. We especially enjoyed having strip the willow as the first dance – thank you for the suggestion. Many thanks, Emily”

Emily & Neil: Wedding: May 2013: London

” Hi Ali, Just a quick email to say thanks to your wonderful band who played at out wedding on 25th may. Everyone said how great they were (the fiddle player guy was awesome!) so we are very pleased we found you guys! We’re certainly planning on coming to see you again in London at some point soon. Many thanks again”

Steve & Carla: Wedding: May 2013: Sevenoaks, Kent

“Thanks for making our wedding so great, I only wish we could have kept going for longer but equally ending on a high is always best.”

Ben & Gareth: Wedding, March 2013: London

“I just wanted to say a massive thank you for Saturday night. We had an absolute ball and you were fab. There have been so many compliments about the band that I am sure you will get more bookings! It was a pleasure to meet you all and please do pass our thanks on to everyone who came along. I hope the Haggis was good and you enjoyed the dinner too! All the best”

Gill & Moray: 50th Birthday Party, London, March 2013

“Hi Ali, Just a quick e-mail to thank you for making the trip all the way to Huntsham in less than ideal conditions! You all put on a great night for us and I think most people were up for a boogie at some point! Anyway it was a great talking point for our guests as many of them had never been to a ceilidh before. The end result on the night was as polished, professional and most importantly fun as we could have hoped for and if there is any way you would like us to recommend you then we would be delighted to do that for you. All the very best to the whole band”

Dave & Lydia: Wedding, Devon, January 2013

“Hi Ali, We had an absolutely brilliant evening! Lots of very positive feedback from our guests.”

Katherine Thackery @ Dunnhumby: Burns Night Event, London, January 2013

“It was an AMAZING evening and apologies for not getting back to thank you sooner… All the best”

Evelyn: Chelsea Arts Club: Hogmanay Celebrations, December 2012, London

“Thank you so much for playing for us at our wedding, It was absolutely fantastic and all our guests loved the ceilidh and music. It made a fantastic finale to what was for us the best day ever! best wishes”

John & Eloise: Wedding, Rye, December 2012

“Thank you so much for last night – I can’t say how many compliments were flying around for the band. It was exactly what I had in mind – I really loved how slick they were, with so many nice touches in between songs/during walk throughs hearing a bit of Michael Jackson…”

Mary: Charity Event, London, December 2012

“We had a great day! The band really made the day for us. The only problem with the band being so fantastic was that everyone was dancing and not taking pictures!!!…Anyway, thanks again, the band were really great!”

Caroline & James: Wedding, December 2012, Farnham

“Thanks very much for your music for us that evening. We all had a brilliant time.”

Clancey & Peter: Silver Wedding Anniversary, Henley-on-Thames, November 2012

“Dear Ali, Just a few photographs of the ceilidh from our wedding in November. As you can see they certainly capture how much everyone enjoyed the event and how all our guests got into the spirit and joined in. Thank you again for your brilliant contribution to what was an amazing day.”

Claire & Alastair: Wedding, London, November 2012

“Our wedding was truly fantastic, thank-you, and the ceilidh was exceptional. The band were friendly and accommodating. They kept the guests dancing and made the reception very very special. Thank-you so much! I will certainly be keen to recommend you to friends and family.”

Nicky & Jonny: Wedding, London, October 2012

“Thanks so much Ali! We had a fantastic time and you were great! Thanks again!” Much love, Mr and Mrs B”

Clare & Mike: Wedding, Gloucestershire, October 2012

“We had a great time and everybody enjoyed it! Thank you all for your contribution to the evening!”

Ashley & Lynsey: Wedding, London, October 2012

“Thank you so much for last night, we all had an amazing time! You guys were fantastic! Looking forward to the next one xx”

Caroline: Company Away Day, Bristol, October 2012

“ALL our guests were raving about the band and the dancing – they all loved it and got involved. It was even better than we imagined it would be, especially our friends free-styling talents! Can’t say how pleased we are that we got you to play, even the venue commented on how successful the ceilidh was. Brilliant! Looking back at the pictures shows exactly how much everyone was enjoying it! Thanks again”

Darren & Jo: Wedding, Buckinghamshire, Sept 2012

“We have just arrived back from our honeymoon and wanted to say a huge thank you for an absolutely amazing wedding night. Despite the heat, everyone had such a fantastic time and we received so many compliments about the band and also questions about where we had found you! I can definitely say that the entertainment was even more than we had hoped for, and it finished off the day on such an incredible high. Thanks so much once again”

Helen & Andy: Wedding, Cambridge, August 2012

“Licence to Ceilidh were amazing on our wedding day; thoroughly professional yet great fun and really relaxed at the same time. They created a wonderful atmosphere and were instrumental in getting all of our guests on the dancefloor. There’s nothing worse than half of your invitees staying seated instead of dancing; that was never going to be a problem with LTC! Thank you so much guys!”

Jenny & Andrew: Wedding, Richmond, London, August 2012:

“It was an absolute pleasure to work with Licence to Ceilidh – what a fantastic way to end our company day event! The feedback from everyone across the company has been brilliant – they really did throw themselves into the dancing! I’ve had numerous people asking me for the name of the band and one person is now thinking about a Ceilidh band at her wedding! Thanks again to your team – great fun and if I need a Ceilidh band in the future, you’ll certainly be my first port of call.”

UKTV: Company Away day, July 2012

“What can I say… BOOK THIS BAND!! You will definitely not regret it, License To Ceilidh played at our wedding in July 2012 and we had the best day of our lives… the music was awesome, the atmosphere electric and you could not keep people off the dancefloor!! The caller had the patience of a saint, expertly guiding novices and pros in all the dances. Every single person commented on what a fantastic reception it was and I cannot recommend this band highly enough. Thank you Ali and co for making our wedding so special. We would love to book you again in the very near future.”

Iain and Amisha: Wedding, July 2012

“Thank you so much for helping to make our day special, it meant so much to the both of us.”

Darroch & Ellie: Wedding, Hythe, July 2012

“We all had a fantastic evening, thank you all so much. I think it says everything that everyone was dancing regardless of age (or ability!) and that at the end of the evening some of the teenagers were heard to say that they would love a ceilidh for their birthdays (no pink limos required)! We would like to think that you all enjoyed yourselves to and once again, a big thank you.”

Jane and Simon: Birthday Party, London, June 2012

“Just wanted to thank you again…Everyone loved the band last night. We shall be sure to recommend you in friends and family.”

Robert and Hannah: Wedding, London, June 2012

To the band members of Licence to Ceilidh… What a wonderful day of dancing and laughing our guests and us had on our wedding day. We have had non-stop moments of what a wonderful time they all had hanks to the band. With great instructions and calling, excellent musicians and a fun atmosphere, we achieved our aim in having a memorable and fun filled wedding day. So massive thanks you and congratulations in making our day as fantastic as it was. It really was an excellent occasion to ‘dance and be merry’ to great music. With Many Many Thanks”

Georgina and Adrian - Wedding, Northamptonshire, June 2012

Dear Licence to Ceilidh, Thank you so much to Jason and all the band for playing our wedding at wasting park in August last year (2011). It was an incredible day, we have such great memories & you ensured it was a special and enjoyable evening for everyone. You were all so friendly, courteous & professional. Your musicianship was incredible & all our friends and family loved join in the ceilidh. A couple of our friend who were at the wedding have booked you to play at their wedding in September this year so we are looking forward to another fun & energetic evening. Thanks again for being part of our special day, you were brilliant & we look forward to seeing you in September”

Craig and Louise, August 2011, Aldermaston, Reading

“Thank you so much for playing our wedding at Leeds Castle. The dance floor was absolutely packed – Scottish Country Carnage!! Whilst I doubt we were the easiest on the eye as we zoomed across the floor, I can guarantee we were all having fun! Well done to the caller (Ali) for keeping so many novices from hitting any of the walls. Thank you, too, for being so flexible re. sharing kit. You sounded wicked and I hope the kit demands weren’t too difficult to manage. Jennie and I are a little gutted not to have properly met both bands, especially as you had such a huge impact on making our day so enjoyable. You will be the only thing we think of when we hear “ceilidh”. One of our ushers was fortunate enough to see you play again the next day (or perhaps day after?) – lucky guy… With our thanks once again”

Dave and Jennie: Wedding, Leeds Castle, June 2012

Thank you and the rest of the band so much for playing so brilliantly at our wedding. We, and all of our guests, had such a fantastic time! Everybody said how wonderful the band were, and you got so many people dancing who I never thought I would see dance! We’ll definitely recommend you to anybody who is getting married or having a party. Thanks again so much, and hopefully see you again soon.”

Emily and Damien: Wedding, Sussex, May 2012

“Dear Ali, I wanted to write to say thank you so much for the wonderful entertainment you provided myself and the guests with at my End of Year Charity Ball. I have had numerous comments from those who attended to say how fantastic you were and what a treat it was to have an introduction from you. Thank you so much, I think you are all extremely talented and I wish you well for the future.

Paulina Stockell, Chairman of Kent County Council: End of Year Charity Ball, May 2012

“It was amazing! Thank you. One delegate said to me: It was the best conference party he had ever been to… Thank you again.”

Alan Thornhill: Alpha - Scientists in Reproductive Medicine, Conference, London, April 2012

“thanks… especially to Jason for getting us up to dance that first number, and for calling so well all night and being so positive and kind, and for your incredible fiddling, and the ‘running’ number, and the beautiful Stripping the Willow, and for filling that old ballroom with your rich celtic sound, and for stirring peoples’ hearts and feet and souls. So many people have commented on how much they enjoyed your playing, and the quality of the music. We had the night of a lifetime, and you were a large part of that. Many thanks, and look forward to seeing you at Cecil Sharp House or somewhere soon. All v best, Teresa”

Teresa: Birthday, London, April 2012

“Thank you so much for saturday night. The band were fantastic. Everyone loved them. A pleasure to hear, to dance to and to deal with. And thanks to Mike for making the iPod thing so easy for us. We feel very lucky to have had you”

Simon: Birthday, London, April 2012

“I just want to apologise for not publicly thanking you last night – that was very rude of me. We had a great time – your caller has the patience of a saint! Everyone has commented on how brilliant you were. Please pass on my thanks to all. I am sure i will be passing on your number before long. thanks again.”

Amanda Coster: Birthday, St Albans, April 2012

“Just wanted to write you a note to say thanks so much! We’ve had so many positive comments about the band and the dancing was FANTASTIC. Below are some photos which we think really show what a great time everyone had. Facebook went mad the next day! We’ve raised over £13,000 for Kirsten’s charity which is amazing and will make all the difference. We are hoping to do it again next year and I will be in touch when the dust has settled. Kindest regards, Daisy”

Charity Fundraiser, Battersea Arts Centre, February 2012

“Hi Ali, Just wanted to say a big thank you to you and the band for the excellent job that you did. The wedding went without a hitch and everyone thoroughly enjoyed the ceilidh! We will definitely recommend you to all our friends in the future!”

Clair and John, Mayfair Hotel, February 2012

“Licence to Ceilidh played at one of our Amnesty International flagship events in November and created a wonderful all inclusive atmopshere that each of our 250 guests thoroughly enjoyed. Ali and the band were an absolute dream to work with, from the initial enquries to the on-site performance. Their relaxed, friendly and calm attitude coupled with their traditional yet contemporary and truly epic sound became the highlight to the three day event and we recieved countless amounts of amazing feedback from our delegates. I thoroughly recommend them for any event you are planning, you wont find a more professional and friendly band if you tried! Thank you so much L2C for really making our event.”

Michael Huyton, Event Manager, Amnesty International UK, November 2011

“I just wanted to say thanks very much for playing at our wedding, you guys were great. We’ve had many comments back from our guests on how good you guys were – especially from the 1st time ceilidh go-ers.

We wouldn’t hesitate to recommend you.”

Many thanks

Iain & Anna : Wedding, Northbrook Park, August 2011

“We were fortunate enough to have Licence to Ceilidh playing at our wedding. I found the whole evening fantastic and danced all night. The guests clearly had an amazing time too and still speak about the ceilidh two months after the event. The advantage of having a ceilidh is that everyone is able to join in the dancing; my grandmother was on the dance floor as often as my friends. Some of the teenagers were quite sceptical as they had never been to a ceilidh before, but they also had a great time and seemed surprised at how enjoyable the dances were. Licence to Ceilidh are all excellent musicians with a clear, professional caller. I would not hesitate in recommending them.”

Kate Butler

Hi Ali,

I just wanted to say another HUGE thank you to the band who came down to Cornwall on Saturday – they were amazing and really made my celebration evening just perfect. 
I thoroughly enjoyed the whole evening, (even if I had a bit of difficulty following all the dance instructions correctly straight away!) it was great fun, there was a brilliant atmosphere and will remember it for the rest of my life. 
I have received so many comments from my friends and family saying how good they thought the band were – very different from other Ceilidh bands they have heard and so much better.
And also thank you to you for the efficient way you have communicated with me.
Kind Regards, Hazel”
Hazel Evans : 70th Birthday Party : March 2017 : Truro, Cornwall

“Hi Ali,
I hope you are well and had a lovely weekend.
I just wanted to follow up after our Burns Night event and say a huge thank you to you and the band. Since, I’ve had lots of feedback from the guests, largely raving about you all and how much they enjoyed Licence to Ceilidh and the dancing. You were a huge hit!
As you know, we had a couple of photographers on the evening and they got some great shots of you guys. I know you already have a selection of photos but would you like me to send these over?
Also, we will be looking to run another Burns Night next year…”
Garden House Hospice: January 2018 : Burns Night : Hertfordshire

“Dear Ali,

You were brilliant yesterday at Hendall. We love your contemporary sound and you were a great caller. So patient and really encouraging!

We liked the order of the dances and I’d left it to you as I thought you’d be good at reading the crowd! What you did worked so well. We had a great time and I know our guests did too.

Thanks so much for fab playing and the opportunity for lots of fun dancing.

Very best wishes,
Jane Wood.”

Anniversary Party: June 2016: Hendall Barns, Uckfield

“Hi Ali,

We didn’t get a chance to thank you on the day so I just wanted to do so now. We were delighted with the evening. Thank you so much for making it a great event.

All the best, Steve”

Steve: Wedding: April 2015: Kent

Reviews Licence To Ceilidh

“Dear Ali, Hope you are well. We would like to express our huge thanks to Licence to Ceilidh for a wonderful evening! It was so much fun, and everyone really enjoyed themselves, even those that didn’t dance, were totally entertained by those that did. The band were amazing. I have received such lovely complements of the evening, and praise of the band. One friend so inspired, they’re considering doing the same for their own big birthday! Many thanks to all involved for making the evening go so well.

Kind regards, Susan”
Susan : 50th Birthday Party : June 2019 : London

“Hi Ali,

Thank you for you email. We’ve been meaning to get in touch to thank you for your wonderful work at our wedding.
We had a great time with the ceilidh dancing, covers and the DJ. The friends and family that we’ve seen or spoken to since have been full of praise, particularly for Alyssa who did such a wonderful job with the calling and then the vocals for the covers. I think we made things a bit more complicated for you by running behind and we appreciate your flexibility on the night.
There was one quite cute moment that you guys probably didn’t see. During the first song in the covers set, lots of people were outside where we lit up some sparklers. I think the dance floor may have been quite empty at first but there was a good crowd dancing away to Shake it Off, sparklers waving, just outside!
Thanks again, Matt”
Matt and Kei : Wedding: March 2018 : Gate Street Barn, Guildford

Dear Ali, 
Phil and I want to thank Licence to Ceilidh for the big part you all played in our wedding last Friday. We had a wonderfully happy day with all our family and friends and your music and the dancing we’re great. 
The Scots contingent felt right at home and the English all said what fun it was. Two of our young London friends described it as the best wedding they’d ever been too and we think a large part of that was that they enjoyed the Ceilidh so much. 
So thanks again. And all our best wishes, Margaret & Phil”

Margaret & Phil: Wedding: April 2018: The Order of St. John’s Museum

“Hi Ali,
Everyone was blown away with the ceilidh at our PTA
event. It was the first ceilidh experience for many and
they were raving about it!
Thanks so much for being such a wonderful band and
brilliant at what you do. I will always recommend you and
hope that I have reason to hire you again in the future.
Best Wishes, Emily”
Emily for School PTA: March 2018: Twickenham

“We would just like to thank all the band members of Licence to Ceilidh for playing at our wedding yesterday. We had the most perfect day and the ceilidh just rounded it off perfectly. It was great fun. Many of our friends and family were still raving about it the next day. Thank you for doing such a great job. Your professionalism was brilliant. I am sure at times that you must have thought it would be easier to herd cats than to get our friends to listen and concentrate! Thank you again.”

Jane & Grant, Cowdray Park, Midhurst

“Hi Ali,
First of all a huge thank you – we had an amazing day and absolutely loved the band – we have so many of the wedding party thinking of how they can create a reason to get you all back for a Ceilidh.
We are shortly due to receive the photos so will gladly send some on to you and of course will complete the review for you.
Thank you again and we hope to be able to hire you for another party at some point in the future – please feel free to pass my name on to anyone as a reference
Kindest Regards, Peter”
Peter : Wedding : February 2018: Rye

“Hi Ali,
Thanks so much for your note – the band were absolutely fantastic. Everyone had a ball. I will upload some photos in the next few weeks.
Please pass on our huge thanks to the band for an amazing night and thanks for all of your help coordinating!
Best, Rachel”
Rachel : Wedding : February 2018 : Aylesbury

“Hi Ali,We had a great day and you were all great.

Apologies for not thanking you sooner. Things have been a bit hectic in our lives since returning to Oz.
I have posted on Google Reviews and will ask Lezlee to do the facebook thing. Will also send some photos through when we get the professional ones from Parkershots.
Honestly we couldn’t have asked for better, you were always professional, easy to deal with and gave us a damn good evening. I regret that our wedding breakfast, speeches etc. ran on into the evening and cut into the available time for Ceilidh’ing (is that a word??) but we enjoyed what we got. Even the life size cardboard cut-out Jon Bon Jovi had fun on the dance floor.
Best Regards to you all”
Ian & Lezlee : Wedding : August 2018 : Canterbury

“Hi Ali, We had an amazing wedding day thanks, and we thought your band were brilliant. Everyone really enjoyed the ceilidh – from a six month old (who didn’t do much dancing but seemed to enjoy the music!) to Rachael’s 95 year-old grandpa, who enthusiastically threw himself into the dancing (he apparently felt a little bit tired the following morning!). It was particularly special for my parents too, as they wanted to have a ceilidh at their wedding 33 years ago but were not able to, so I think they have always been keen to put this right.

We thought all of the musicians were great, but we especially liked the way in which you got everyone involved and talked us all through the steps. We, and a number of other guests, are keen to see you again at the Ceilidh Club soon.

I will try to send you a couple of photos soon. We have recently been sent a memory stick with them all on and the ones of the ceilidh are especially good!
All the best”
Alistair : Wedding : September 2018 : St Albans

“Hi,

I just wanted to say a massive thank you for Saturday night!

You were absolutely brilliant and were a big hit with everyone. Am sure there will be some future bookings ; )

Thank you again and hope you got back home ok!”

Simon : 40th Birthday : September 2018 : Micheldever, Hampshire

“Ali, please pass on our thanks to the band. They were super on Saturday night at the Caledonian club. Everyone thought so and had a great time. Francesca really sussed out our guests and their dancing abilities. So many people commented on how good and clear she was. The band made the night so much fun, especially for our visitors from abroad and those who had never done any ceilidh dancing before. We hope the band all enjoyed the evening too and got home safely. All the best.”

Jacqueline Cook : Birthday Party: April 2017 : Caledonian Club, London

“Hi Ali, Just wanted to say a huge thank you to LTC for playing at our party last night – everyone loved it and there are sore feet, as well as sore heads in the office this morning. I was so pleased with how many people joined in and that the guys weren’t shy about dancing with each other. Some of them were very good, some not so good J. Thank you also for DJing – the mix of music was brilliant. To be honest, the end of the night is very fuzzy so I’m not even sure if I said goodbye – but thanks again to you and the rest of the band for bearing with us and giving us a great night. Regards.”

Jenny @ CBRE Ltd : Corporate Christmas Party : December 2016: Cecil Sharp House, London

“Ali – you and the band did a terrific job on Friday night! Thanks very much. I will definitely highly recommend you to others.”

Kevin : 40th Birthday Party : November 2016 : Welsh Centre, London

“Hi Ali, Just a very quick note to say thank you and the band for their great performance on Sunday night. Sarah and I and all our guests had a great time, even if some of the guests were keener than others! It was great to have a proper ceilidh band for the night. Please pass on our thanks to all the band members and your caller in particular for the way she managed to encourage people on the dance floor. We’ll be sure to return to the Ceilidh Club in the future and say hello. Best wishes,”

Mike : Wedding: October 2016: London

“Dear Ali, Thanks for the email: we did indeed have a fantastic day…and of course Licence to Ceilidh was a big part of that. Thanks for your help in ‘coercing’ the Guildhall to accommodate the idea of slightly relaxing their very stringent rules….and huge thanks to the band for timing everything so well on the evening itself: it was almost like they had done it before! 😉 We haven’t been through the photos in detail yet, although there were a couple I think which included the Ceilidh: if they are good enough to be used, I will email these to you. In the meantime I have liked on FB and left a review on Google. Thanks a million again! Best wishes,”

Chris : October 2016 : Wedding : London

“Hi Ali, Just wanted to say a belated thank you to the band who were awesome at our wedding in September. All the guests enjoyed the ceilidh so much. Also Francesca was such a great caller helping the guests and ceilidh virgins start their education the right way! We would love to know when you’re next playing at the London Ceilidh Club and other venues. We’d like to experience it again with some enthusiastic converts! I’ve also attached some photos from the night which you’re welcome to use (I know you already have lots). Our photographer was Oliver Rudkin is case you do end up using them. Please pass on our thanks to the band. Kind Regards,”

Jenna and Richard : Wedding : September 2016: Surrey

“Dear Ali, We wanted to get on touch to thank you for the brilliant job that you did at our wedding. Everyone had such a good time and we were very impressed with the way you managed to get ceilidh novices, and seasoned dancers all dancing together! I know that Canterbury Cathedral Lodge were also impressed with your efforts and professionalism throughout. You might find that a few of our guests turn up at you ceilidh evenings over the next few weeks as they had such a good time! Thanks again”

Louisa & Mark : Wedding : August 2016 : Canterbury Cathedral Lodge

“Ali, Just a quick email to say thank you so much for the band and disco on Wednesday, we had a fantastic time and I’m sure all our guests did too. It was a fantastic end to a perfect day so thank you. Kind regards”

Cat & Craig : South Farm July 2016

“Dear Ali, Thanks you so much for playing at the Garden Party last night. All the guests have been very complimentary in their feedback and the whole night was a great success of which you played a big part. It was great to see people up and dancing as the night went on and you created such a great atmosphere for the party. I hope you have a great weekend. Best wishes, Rosy”

Inner Temple Garden Party & Highland Fling : July 2016: London

“Hi Ali, Just a quick note to say thank you. The ceilidh was one of the best bits of our wedding without a doubt- everybody joined in which was exactly what we had wanted and it was such good fun! Thanks again,”

Katie and Joe : Wedding : June 2016 : London

“Dear Ali, Thank you for all the arrangements and to your colleagues for the ceilidh on Saturday night. It was wonderful – everyone loved it and had a fabulous time. It was a bit of a late start as the wedding breakfast over ran a bit, but the band was very patient, so extra thanks for that. No hesitation in recommending your services. Best Regards”

Susan: Wedding: October 2015: Stationer’s Hall, London

“Good Evening Ali, Thank you for a super time on Saturday, you and the band where brilliant our guests had a great time and you helped make our day special for us. Best wishes”

Jane and Steve: Wedding: October 2015: Salomans Estate, Kent

“Ali, Yes thank you. The band were fantastic! It went down really well with our guests, even those who didn’t know what a ceilidh was before the day. I’ve attached some of the photos of the ceilidh from our wedding. Thanks again.”

Rosa : September 2015 : Wedding: Hatfield House, Hertfordshire

“Hi Ali, I’m so sorry, we have kept meaning to get in touch! We absolutely loved having Licence to Ceilidh as part of our wedding celebrations! We got so many compliments about the band, and you really made the evening really special and what we wanted it to be. Thank you so so much! We have lots of photos of the evening, I will gather some together for you. Many thanks,”

Rebecca and Simon Gibbs: Wedding: September 2015: Gerrards Cross, Bucks

“Hi Ali, …Everyone loved the band – they were so great with us given two left feet and everyone was pretty drunk. We loved them! I’ve liked you guys on facebook so sure will attend one of the public nights soon! Hope these pics are ok! Thanks again!”

Esme : Wedding: September 2015: London

“Hi Ali, We had an amazing wedding and amazing ceilidh! Please find attached some photos, feel free to use them for whatever. Our guests LOVED it! Thanks,”

Hannah: Wedding: July 2015: nr Reading

“I just want to say a HUGE thank you to the band. They were absolutely incredible and really made our wedding. All our guests are raving about you and for many it was their first experience of a ceilidh. Thank you for making our day so special. Please pass my thanks on to everyone in the band. Ali :-)”

Alison Sprinks: Wedding: July 2015: Sussex

“To Ali, We just wanted to say a massive thankyou to you, the band and Callum for making our wedding day truly special! It was wonderful to be able to have the bagpipes & ceilidh and bring a little piece of Scotland (and fulfill a childhood dream) to the day. Thank you again”

Jennifer & Sean: Wedding: June 2015: Surrey

“Hi Ali, We loved the Ceilidh thanks, it had such good feedback from all the guests as well and definitely had everyone up on the dance floor early! It really helped make the day so thank you all again! Glad you enjoyed your trip to Malta and managed to fit in some R&R as well and the accommodation was ok- they said on the feedback you were all friendly and left it nice and tidy so thanks! Here area few pictures the photographer took of the ceilidh-feel free to use as many/few of them as you like. I’ve already shared the links you put on facebook from our wedding so hopefully it will help spread the word- we’d love to go to another gig you’re playing at! Thanks again”

Jonathan & Amanda : Wedding : June 2015 : Malta

” Hi Ali, Sorry we’ve been a bit slow with our thank yous! We had an amazing time at the wedding and the ceileidh was everything we hoped for and more. Thank you so much for travelling so far and making our day truly special. Thanks”

Stephanie: Wedding: May 2015: Somerset

“Hi Ali, I apologize for not contacting you sooner but we have mostly been away since our party. We had a wonderful time and from what people are saying, everyone else did too. Everyone thought that the band was great and the ceilidh got everyone involved and having fun, not to mention exercise!! They also thought that you in particular looked really good and that your manner and calling was very clear and easy to follow even if our feet didn’t always go the right way! All in all ‘Licencetoceilidh’ contributed so much to making it a really memorable occasion and for that so many, many thanks. I do hope that the meal arrangements were fine and that you ate well!! Also my friend and I have a big birthday celebration coming up in a couple of years …so watch this space.. Very best wishes. Mary”

Wedding Anniversay & Birthday Party: May 2015: London

“Hi Ali, I just wanted to say a MASSIVE thank you for playing at our wedding on Saturday. Everyone loved the ceilidh. I wanted it to go on for a few more hours, it was such fun, and the whole day just sped past. I’m sorry I didn’t even get time to meet you, I was in a complete daze for the whole day, everything was just so perfect. We are now enjoying an amazing honeymoon in Ecuador, and getting lots of lovely emails from our guests telling us how much they loved the wedding and especially the party. So thanks once again, it was perfect. All the best”

…You were all really fantastic, and I can’t tell you how many comments we’ve had from guests saying how much they loved it. Even one guy who said he’d never dance got up and danced quite happily for most of the evening, and my little nephew proudly announced the following day that he’d danced to all but one of the dances, he was so chuffed with himself! All the very best, and if I can persuade Will to have any kind of party when we could have a ceilidh, you’ll be the ones I call! Lisa”

Lisa and Will: Wedding: April 2015: Pangdean Barn, Sussex

“Hi Ali! Sorry for the late reply and really sorry for not properly getting in contact to say thank you for doing an amazing job at our wedding on March 7th! Everyone loved it! Just got hold of a few videos which I’ve tried to attach but they are too big. I will upload them to youtube and send you the link. I have done a google review. Thanks again”

Lizzie: Wedding: March 2015: Norfolk

“Hi Ali, Firstly, thank you so much for doing such a fantastic job on the evening of our wedding! We really enjoyed having the band playing and all the lovely dancing that took place that evening! We received lots of positive comments about how much the guests enjoyed dancing at our wedding… We look forward to coming to the Ceilidh Club again and taking part in another of your wonderful ceilidh! Many thanks,”

Sarah and Jonathan : Wedding: October 2014: Farnham

“Hi Ali, sorry I haven’t been in touch until now, me and juliet wanted to thank you so much for our wedding, you completely made our evening it was amazing and all of our guests are all saying the same thing, sorry we didn’t get to speak to you much on the day,we where so impressed By how smart you all looked and the entertainment you provided was the best most of us had ever seen at a wedding! Kind regards”

Eddie and Juliet: Wedding: October 2014: Ringmer, West Sussex

“Hi Ali, A quick email to thank you for making our wedding so much fun, the guests loved the ceilidh and whilst not everyone danced, it seems that everyone enjoyed the music. Thank you so much for everything and handling everything so perfectly that I never worried about you guys for a second J. Best wishes and heartfelt thanks.

Janet and Jonathan: Wedding: September 2014: Horsham, East Sussex

“Dear Ali and band, Chris and I wanted to say a big thank you for the fantastic ceilidh you performed at our wedding at Bartholomew Barn on 8th August. The music was super and the caller was so patient with us! We have been to a few weddings with a ceilidh but we must say you guys were the best we have listened and danced too. We have had many people saying how much they enjoyed it, the dance floor was full pretty much the whole evening with all ages enjoying themselves including my 4 year old god daughter! It was also great that you were able to take care of the disco music afterwards too. We will happily recommend you to anyone looking for a cool ceilidh band!! Thank you again for helping to make our day so wonderful. . Best wishes”

Natasha and Chris: Wedding: August 2014: Kirdford, West Sussex

“Hi Ali, Just wanted to say a huge thank you from me and Nic for performing at our wedding. We had a great time (although Nic struggled to dance in her dress unfortunately). The music was great and the ceilidh created an exciting atmosphere, just what we needed! Thank you again,”

Daniel & Nicola: August 2014: Wedding: Lains Barn, Wantage

“Hi Ali, Please pass on our thanks to the rest of the band for a very enjoyable evening at The Royal Chace in Enfield. The music was wonderful and the very patient caller helped everyone to enjoy the dancing and take part. So many people at the party said that they loved the ceilidh and my nieces have said they may contact you for their future weddings! We will try and get to Cecil Sharp House next time the band are playing to enjoy it all over again. Thanks also to you for your great organising. Kind Regards”

Irene Hollamby: August 2014: Silver Wedding Anniversary: London

“Hi Ali, firstly apologies for taking so long to get in touch after our Wedding back in July, but the time just seems to have flown by and its only now that the schools are back this week that we finally feel like we’re getting back to some sort of normality! We had an amazing time and I just wanted to say a huge thank you to all of you for your superb performance on the day – you all did a really fantastic job of entertaining and getting everyone involved and we really appreciated it. Everyone said that they loved it and it added the perfect Scottish touch that we had been hoping for and really helped to make our day very special indeed. We will of course be recommending you to our friends and will be keeping your details for any future appropriate events. Many thanks again. Kind regards and best wishes.”

Tracy and Don : Wedding: July 2014: Sparsholt, Hampshire

“Hi Ali, Thank you for your performance as we received many great comments how our guests enjoyed the dances! Hopefully we will go to Cecil sharp house very soon 😉 Kind Regards”

Rasa & Joni: Wedding: July 2014: Guildford, Surrey

“We were so impressed with the bands performance, it was such an upbeat event and got everyone from all ages and nationalities (Iranian, Swedish, German, French) up dancing. Sarah and I really loved every moment of it and we would 100% recommend you guys. We’ve love to try and come again to one of the Ceilidh Club gigs nearer Christmas time and say hello. Let us know if you have any dates between christmas and new year time or the beginning of December. Cheers,”

Neil: Wedding: July 2014: Great Fosters, Egham

“Dear Ali, Please can you forward our thanks to the band. They were fantastic.. Even in the face of the poor drummer being ill! Everyone loved it and you really helped make our wedding very special indeed. Hope the drummer is feeling better. Best wishes”

Karen and Toby: Wedding: July 2014: London

“a great thanks to you and your band for the ceilidh you did for us on 18th. We had a blast as did our guests! If you ever need a recommendation or review of any kind then we’d be happy to give it. Thanks”

Steve & Janna: Lains Barn, May 2014: Wedding

Hi Ali, I hope you are really well. I’m so sorry – I still owe you a HUGE thank you for making our big day so, so special (and great fun!). Thank you – you were all totally amazing, and everyone still raves about our amazing barn dance 🙂 I’ve just voted for you…straight 10’s and I’ve tried to squeeze in as many complimentary words as possible; we think you completely deserve to win…you made our day! We didn’t have loads of pictures of you guys playing, but I have attached a few that I’m hoping will be useful…please have a look on my FB page and help yourself you any others though, of people dancing etc 🙂 Thank you again from us both,”

Hannah & Rob: Wedding: May 2014: Tetbury, Gloucestershire

“Hiya Ali, We just want to say a massive THANK YOU to you and your band for a lovely evening on our wedding. You played beautifully during and after the ceremony and we have had people texting to say how nice it was. In the evening friends have said they enjoyed the dancing and watching others Making Mistakes!! THANKS AGAIN to you and your band members! The disco was also great. Xx”

Theresa & Mark Alexander: Wedding: May 2014: Essex

“Dear Ali, Sorry for my delayed reply as well. Thank you, you and your band were excellent, everyone had a great time, I could have danced for longer but I think some people were a bit tired at the end of the ceilidh. Sorry I didn’t get to chat you on the evening, it all just seems to whizz by so fast. Thanks again”

Claire and Reg: Wedding: April 2014: Harpenden

“Dear Ali, We apologise for taking months to reply to your email! We absolutely loved the ceilidh, and all of our guests raved about how great you guys were and how much fun they had. Thanks so much for making the journey down to Somerset. It looks from Facebook like you are having a busy summer – and congratulations on your own wedding, which looked really beautiful and fantastically music-filled. Thanks again and I hope we can find another excuse for a ceilidh before too long! Best wishes”

Kate and Adam: Wedding: April 2014: Somerset

“Hi Ali, Thank you so much for for coming and playing at our wedding. You guys really helped finish a magical day. I’ve attached a couple of the photos of you guys playing. Most guests had sore feet in the morning which is always a good sign! Hope to book you again sometime. Regards”

Andy & Kirsten: Wedding: February 2014: South Farm

“Dear Ali, Thank you so much for performing at our wedding. The band was an absolute highlight of the day. I love every minute of it, especially auld lang syne! Apologies we didn’t get a chance to thank you on the day as it was completely manic. Thank you once again.”

Florence & Doug: Wedding, Thames Rowing Club, December 2013

“Ali, Can I just thank you and the guys from Friday night for helping make our Burn’s Evening really special. The band was superb and although it might have taken a while to get everyone away from the comfort of the tables and through to dance, the comments from everyone who was taking part were incredibly complimentary. In West Court Officers’ Mess we have a bit of a Ceilidh expert in one of the members of staff and she was also glowing with praise for the skills of the band and in particular the ability of the caller to control the crowd and make everyone look like they had done the dances before. I have no issues with recommending you to all military locations around the London and South of England areas for future events. All the best,”

Maj J N Robertson: Burns Night Event, January 2014

“Hi Ali, Just want to say thanks so much for last night it was absolutely fantastic have had nothing but compliments about how amazing the ceilidh was everyone had such a brilliant time And it was all thanks to licence to ceilidh! I hope everything was ok for you ? please pass on my thanks to the rest of the band, Thank you so much, Amy”

Seven Christmas Party: December 2013: London

“Ali, Just a quick E mail to thank you and the band for a great night last Saturday. Karen was totally unaware and surprised, we are now divorced though….only kidding! Many thanks and good luck for the future, happy Xmas, Mike”

Surprise 50th Birthday Party : December 2013: Twickenham

“This is just a quick email (slightly belated – apologies, I have been out for a few days recovering!) to say thank you so much for playing at our conference supper last week. The band were fantastic, really picked up the evening and went down extremely well. We really appreciate you joining us for the evening. We have sent out a feedback form to delegates, so if we get any specific feedback about the band we’ll pass this on. Thanks so much again and please do pass on our thanks to all band members”

Laura, Event Manager for Soil Association: Conference: October 2013

“Hi Ali, We just wanted to say a big thank you to you and the band for the wonderful ceilidh at our wedding. The band were excellent, the additional lighting you brought for the stage and patience of the caller meant everyone had such a great time which created a fantastic atmosphere on the dance floor. We have also now received our professional wedding photos and therefore able to relive the day, and it’s wonderful to see people having fun, dancing with people they didn’t know, and everyone is either laughing or has a smile on their face! It was the perfect way to end our wedding day and we didn’t want it to end! Many thanks again and best wishes”

Claire & Nick: Wedding, Sussex, August 2013

“Hi Ali, many thanks for last Saturday. The band did a great job, and were very flexible, both in working around our own sound system, and in adjusting to the changing schedule of the evening. All our guests had a great time at the Ceilidh. This was obvious at the time, and also from their comments in emails and facebook posts. All the best, and thanks again, Chris”

Chris (Father of the Bride), Wedding of Addison & Emma: London: August 2013

“Hi Ali, We just wanted to thank you for your organisation, as well as the band for playing at our wedding reception at Brandshatch Place Hotel. We had such a wonderful day and the ceilidh was fantastic at the reception! All our guest had a great time and some even continued the ceilidh dancing even after the band had left! The band are all wonderful musicians and we particularly wanted to thank the caller – he was a fantastic caller and got everyone up dancing and having a good time. We’re sorry we didn’t get to thank him and the band on the night as the evening was such a whirlwind, but hopefully you will pass our thanks on now. Thank you again”

Lindsey & Richard: Wedding: July 2013: Fawkham, Kent

“Hi Ali and co, A very late reply to you I’m afraid as we have been so busy moving house etc since we got married its taken us a while to get round to bits and bobs. We just wanted to say a massive thank you to you all for making it such a fun filled evening! At our wedding in May! It was great and exactly what we were looking for! I think my new husband and I only missed 1 dance! Thanks again!”

Lucy & Gary Jones: Wedding, May 2013: Farnham, Hampshire

“Hello – we had a really amazing day – thank you v much. Everyone thought the ceilidh was fantastic and really enjoyed the dancing – thank you very much for staying late, playing so well and also doing all the disco afterwards as well – the ceilidh was definitely the high point of the day! We have given you a high recommendation on the Wedding Industry Awards, though – we wish you every success in winning as you certainly deserve it! Anyway, hopefully we’ll see you again at the Ceilidh Club as have a few more converts to Scottish dancing after the wedding 🙂 Cheers”

Miranda: Wedding: May 2013, London

“The wedding was brilliant and I think everyone loved the ceilidh which was amazing! thanks so much for putting on such a great show!”

Andy & Angela: Wedding, Suffolk, April 2013

“It was absolutely brilliant.”

Vivien: Birthday Party, Leighton Buzzard, April 2013

“Ali (and the band) We wanted to thank you for a great evening on Saturday, we loved your group and how you kept the dance floor full all night. We had so many fantastic comments about you and we will definately be recommending you in the future, Thanks again, Tristan & Charlotte”

Tristan & Charlotte: Wedding, London, April 2013

“Hello Ali, I hope all is well with you. I just wanted to say a massive thank you for Saturday night. We had an absolute ball and you were fab. There have been so many compliments about the band that I am sure you will get more bookings! It was a pleasure to meet you all and please do pass our thanks on to everyone who came along. I hope the Haggis was good and you enjoyed the dinner too!”

Gill: 50th Birthday Party, London, March 2013

“Excellent communication before the event. Very obliging with our requests. Fantastic value for money. Vibrant upbeat modern ceilidh band – like a disco ceilidh! Top quality musicians. Caller was superb. Guests had an amazing time.”

Mary (mother of the bride): Wedding: February 2013: London

“Thanks to you and the band for Saturday night – sorry I didn’t catch you be before you all left. Everyone raved about the music and calling and great time seems to have been had by all.”

Mark Elliot: Burns Night Ceilidh Ball for Forest School, London, January 2013

“We really loved having you at our Xmas party. Thank you for making it such an entertaining afternoon. It was so much fun! Wishing you all the best!”

Maria Carreira, Unicef: Unicef Christmas Party, London, December 2012

“We loved the Ceilidh – thank you! You were all brilliant and we had a great time. Your caller was so kind to get involved with the games too and help it all along – he did a fab job considering he was thrown in to do it at the last minute. Everyone thought all the music and dancing were great fun and hope we throw another one next year. Will let you know – as we couldn’t think of anyone better to play for us. Best wishes for 2013.”

Olivia & Charley Boorman: Family Christmas Party, London, December 2012

“It was a great event and the band were amazing – Everyone had lots of fun. Thanks.

Caroline Owen, BP International Ltd: BP Mergers & Acquisitions Christmas Party, London, December 2012

“Dear Ali, Alexis and everyone at License to Ceilidh, Trishan and I want to send a MASSIVE heartfelt thank you to you all for playing at our wedding on December 22nd. The band really made the night – and you were even up for playing a Jewish wedding song! We really appreciate it, Is there a good place we can write a review? Thank you so much”

Caterina & Trishan: Wedding, London, December 2012

“I just wanted to say a massive thank you to the band… The ceilidh was amazing and we had the most perfect day! Thank you soooo very much!”

Kathryn & David : Wedding, Hampshire, December 2012

“Just a quick note to say thank you to you and to the guys who performed on Friday night with professionalism, gusto and fun.

You were easy and efficient to deal with and the band were excellent on Friday night… we loved them as did our guests.

There were always people dancing with huge smiles on their faces and sweat on their brows, right until the end of the evening.

(PS The staff at the Lensbury told us that the band was great because they were young and energetic..not like other ceilidh bands they had experienced !!!)

Definitely highly recommended and I am racking my brains for another excuse to party!”

Lyn & Glen : Wedding, Lensbury, Teddington, September 2011

“We had a wonderful time at our wedding and the guests are still talking about the ceilidh. You managed to get everyone dancing (except the girl with the broken leg!). Thanks so much for incorporating some of our choices – your ‘Hava Nagila’-ceilidh-style-mashup was particularly memorable. Great musicianship and professionalism. Your PA and lights were great too and thanks for helping with the bestman’s video presentation!”

Gareth Malone 'The Choir' BBC2 : Wedding, Oxford

“You’ve got to smile at that kind of music, haven’t you?”

Verity Sharp, BBC Radio 3

“Just to say a big thanks for playing at our wedding, everyone had a great time and the Ceilidh really made the night!”

Susan Leiper

“Everyone had a great time at the wedding and I thought you all did a brilliant job providing the music. I would definitely recommend you to anyone else looking for a ceilidh band. Many thanks for all your hard work!”

Ian Turner : Wedding, Lains Barn, Oxfordshire

“Also, just wanted to say what an amazing job you guys did on Saturday.

The reputation that lead us to choose you guys is definitely deserved. Everyone had a fantastic time and a lot of people made a point of telling me how impressed they were with you lot, brilliant choice of dances and your caller did an extremely good job.”

Ewan & Hannah : Wedding, RSA House, London

“The party was a hit from start to finish. The organisation was impeccable and the calling professional and concise. To have such young and incredibly talented, thoroughly glossy musicians hosting the evening was a real treat! A party run by such a group couldn’t fail to be a roaring good evening!”

Jeremy Heal : Tax Lawyer Partner Howes Percival and Chairman Eastern Opera

“Although initially we hesitated before booking Licence to Ceilidh as they seemed rather more expensive than other ceilidh bands around, in hindsight, what a fantastic choice we made.

My wife and I (Both Scottish born and bred) have been going to ceilidhs on and off for the past 30 years, the majority in Scotland rather than down south. We’d been going to the various clubs in London that regularly hold public ceilidhs since moving to London in August 2006. We had an idea that for my 50th Birthday that was rapidly approaching, we wanted to find the “perfect” ceilidh band, if such a thing existed; an experienced caller who, could not only deal with friends of mine who have never partaken in a single dance and visibly shudder at the idea, but also the more seasoned ceilidh dancers who like the more complicated longer dances.

We considered quite a few different groups and saw most of them play, some eight bands in total! Licence to Ceilidh won our vote by quite a considerable margin. Not only did they tick my mental boxes of the caller, a well organised outfit etc, the players themselves were really quite something. I had read on the website that they were classically trained at music colleges, but we really hadn’t heard playing of that standard coming from a ceilidh band, where the most important factor is the dancing itself.

Needless to say, our event went with a swing and it still comes up in conversation regularly…and yes, I’ve spoken to the band and booked them again for another do next summer!”

H.B. Peters

“Thank you!! The ceilidh was brilliant, everyone had a fantastic night – someone even told me it was the best night they had ever had at Herbert Smith, which must be a good sign! Will be in touch for next year!

Louise Ferrell, Associate, Herbert Smith LLP

“Just a quick note to say that the team you sent to do our wedding at the National Liberal Club on 28th June did an excellent job and made the wedding party go with gusto! They were very easy and flexible to work with and we were grateful that they accomodated Frank Hamilton by sharing their equipment.

It was such a great success that we would like to do a family Ceilidh on another occasion – we shall certainly check in with you if we do.

With many thanks to your musicians

best wishes”

Sarah and Fran Galashan

“Phenomenal New ‘Trad’ Band… Licence to Ceilidh features five absolutely phenomenal musicians, all classically trained, but totally dedicated to Irish traditional music. Recently featured on BBC Radio 3, they blasted the airwaves with their fast and furious driving rhythms and invigorating foot stomping tunes. A great night of musical entertainment is guaranteed!”

Hammersmith Irish Centre

I didn’t hear it myself, but my sister informs me Jim said it was one of the best dressed barn dances he had been to so we are very proud of that accolade!!

I’m sorry I wasn’t a better hostess (too busy enjoying myself) and hope that you guys helped yourselves to food and drinks??! Thanks again – we all really had a fabulous night.”

Josie Judge : Party, Albury Village Hall

“Just wanted to say a huge thank you to you and your band for playing at our Rock and Reel event on 19th February. Our guests had a great time and really enjoyed reeling to your dances!”

Mencap Event: Battersea Arts Centre, Feb 2011

“This is an excellent band of dedicated young musicians. They have great energy and commitment to their music. They provide great atmosphere, direction and music for dancing, or just listening.”

“It seemed a natural choice to have a ceilidh for our wedding, as all the best wedding receptions we have been to involve much swirling around the dance floor to the sound of fiddles and flutes. We were keen to find a band who were modern and who could be adaptable to our ‘crowd’, as although a number of guests were Scottish, we didn’t think we could necessarily rely on everyone knowing the dances. We booked Licence to Ceilidh directly after hearing them play at the foyer of the Royal Festival Hall. Their music was fantastic and when some members of the audience spontaneously got to their feet to dance we were convinced.

The band played an enormous part in making our wedding the truly memorable day it was. Thanks to such patient and clear calling the dance floor remained full throughout the evening. In fact, it was so full for the first round of the Gay Gordons that nobody noticed when the bride and groom were forced to abandon the floor and retreat to the bar! Strip the Willow was repeated a couple of times due to popular demand, and although on our video it was hard to tell who exactly was spinning around at 100 mph, it was clear that everybody was grinning a lot! It was also a lovely surprise to have Auld Lang Syne played at the end of the evening, when everyone joined in and then encouraged us to take the floor, causing a few sentimental souls to shed a tear or two.

“We would certainly highly recommend Licence to Ceilidh. In fact, we’re trying to think how we can justify hiring them for another event as we had such fun. Definitely the best ceilidh band we’ve danced with so far.”

Joanna and Gordon Hutchinson

“We just wanted to say a huge thank you for the wonderful ceilidh at our wedding at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst on 6 September. Everyone commented on how good you all were, you motivated everyone onto the dance floor and in all our photographs, everyone is laughing and smiling even if the dancing leaves a lot to be desired. Your caller had a huge amount of patience and her instructions were incredibly good as even the drunkest of people managed to find their way in the right direction eventually.

You really topped our wedding off with a truly happy and memorable night. Thank you once again and we wish you all the best. Please could you pass this message to the other band members.”

N.Hall

We thoroughly recommend Licence to Ceilidh for your wedding reception. After checking them out at the monthly Ceilidh Club at Cecil Sharp House we knew they would be perfect for our wedding and they more than delivered the goods on the day.

The band set up in a professional and unassuming way and also helped us with our post-band disco so that the whole evening went smoothly. Their set was upbeat and inclusive and soon had all guests – both young and old – joining in. The calling was great and more than sympathetic to the fact that most guests (bride and groom included) were not accomplished Ceilidh dancers. It did not take long for everybody to relax and join in. The band were a key part to a memorable wedding day. Many thanks.

Glenn Palmer & Nina Guy

“Exhilarating. This band of talented and energetic young musicians drove visitors at the Hampton Court Palace FlowerShow to exhaustion. They had toddlers and grandparents cavorting about with a delightful mix of music and expertly called dances. It was impossible to remain seated. Handsome and humorous, they are the best generation gap busters in the country.”

Stephen Bennett, Shows Director, Royal Horticultural Society

“I just wanted to write and say a massive massive thank you for performing at our wedding on 5 August. Everyone absolutely loved the evening – it is the talking point of the wedding. The music was phenominal and we had an awesome time. With kind regards and many thanks”

Julia & Jon : Wedding, Cowdray Park, August 2011

“Thank you to License to Ceilidh for such great music at our party. I had a ball and everybody commented on the fantastic music and Ceilidh. The bodhran was a great idea and worked very well. I hope we can host another Ceilidh soon.”

Pauline and Sam : Party, Wimbledon, June 2011

“Having Licence to Ceilidh at our wedding was a wonderful experience. Right from the outset the calm, unfussy way in which the band rigged and set up made us confident we were working with professionals. Their relaxed manner and experience in judging when was the right time to start the dances was invaluable – guests don’t like to be rushed! In the meantime I was amazed and delighted to see the band allowing the children to touch and try the instruments – we had a veritable education workshop going! It’s not often you see that kind of genuine, enthusiastic rapport, but all the performers were absolute stars with the young ‘uns. The instructions and calling were top rate – not patronising, not too fast, not too complex but not too easy. There was a real sense of satisfaction (with the exception perhaps of the drunk old ladies who had fallen flat on their arses) at the end of each dance. The music was energetic yet refined, and there were plenty of recognisable tunes ‘dropped in’ to the catches and reels to entertain the more classically oriented. All in all everyone had a great evening. Thank you Licence to Ceilidh for an unforgettable experience!”

Alex Osiatynski

“I am writing to thank you for Licence to Ceilidh’s wonderful performance in this year’s Windsor Festival. I was such a pity that I was unable to hear you all perform but I have heard wonderful reports of the concert from my colleagues and we have had much positive feedback. Please pass on my thanks to the other members of the group.”

Fiona Murphy, Events Director, Windsor Festival

“Thank you very much to you and to the band for a fantastic party to celebrate our wedding on Saturday in Sudeley Castle. I hope that you enjoyed the evening as much as we did! The choice of dances was excellent, and the calling done with good humour and enthusiasm. Everyone I have spoken to enjoyed the dancing, from old Scottish country dancing hands to newbie sassenachs. Hope to catch Licensed to Ceilidh again soon!”

Mark : Wedding, Sudeley Castle, July 2011

“Thank you for the fantastic ceilidh at our wedding on Saturday night, we had so many great comments from our guests and everyone loved it!”

Louise & Craig : Wedding, Wasing Park, August 2011

“I just wanted to say thanks very much for playing at our wedding, you guys were great. We’ve had many comments back from our guests on how good you guys were – especially from the 1st time ceilidh go-ers.

We wouldn’t hesitate to recommend you.

Many thanks”

Iain & Anna : Wedding, Northbrook Park, August 2011

Just to say thank you for an amazing ceilidh and disco last night for our big day! Everybody had a great time! We thoroughly enjoyed it. I was sorry that we lost some time to the start of the ceilidh but I think there speaches were worth the wait in the end! We were thrilled! Everyone commented on how great the ceilidh was, great calling, great fiddle player….it was all absolutely brilliant. Thank you again

Amy and Malcolm : Wedding, Kent

“I just wanted to drop you a line to say how pleased we were with the band that played for us last Saturday. They were absolutely marvellous and we, and our guests, had a fabulous evening. The caller…was professional and friendly and explained everything beautifully. Please pass on our thanks to him.

Julie Binysh : 50th Birthday Party

“Please could you pass on our thanks to the band and DJs who kept the party going all night. The Ceilidh band were fantastic and we had so many comments from our guests saying how much they enjoyed the music and the dancing (many of them Ceilidh virgins!). Also, a huge thank you to the two DJs – they played a brilliant mix of music and managed to incorporate many of our requests into the setlist. We had an amazing night (as did our guests) so thank you very much!”

Michael & Rebecca : Wedding, RAC Club, August 2011

“You guys were fantastic. The quartet was wonderful and really provided the perfect atmosphere for the reception. We were very happy with your decision to play in the garden, which made a lovely start to the evening. Music is important to both our families and we are really pleased we got that right!”

Robin & Tryphena

Dear Ali, Phil and I want to thank Licence to Ceilidh for the big part you all played in our wedding last Friday. We had a wonderfully happy day with all our family and friends and your music and the dancing we’re great. 
The Scots contingent felt right at home and the English all said what fun it was. Two of our young London friends described it as the best wedding they’d ever been too and we think a large part of that was that they enjoyed the Ceilidh so much. 
So thanks again. And all our best wishes”

Margaret & Phil: Wedding: April 2018: The Order of St. John’s Museum, London

“Hi Ali,
 
Thank you for playing at the event last week, it was great fun and everyone really enjoyed it.
 
I’ll definitely keep you in mind for future events and recommend you to others!
 
Kind regards, Emma”
 
Emma: Ernst & Young LLP: November 2014: Company Away Day

“Hello, I just wanted to pass on our thanks to Toby and the band for providing such a super Celidh and disco at our wedding on the 10th August. Our guests loved it – even those who just spectated. I have never seen my father dance so much!!! We had a fair number of Scottish guests who were absolutely thrilled to find out we had chosen a Ceildh and many newbies to the Ceildh were hooked by the end of the night. It enhanced an already perfect day so please do pass on my thanks to everyone. Many thanks”
Alex and Tris : Wedding : August 2019 : Thame

“Hi Ali, We just wanted to drop you a quick line to say thank you SO much for making our wedding reception so brilliant! You guys were fantastic and everyone loved the ceilidh. It was great to see so many people dancing together who had never met before and to see so many of our friends who avoid a dance floor enjoying themselves. I hope you enjoyed the rest of your time in Gozo. Wishing you well with all your endeavours. Best wishes, Mia and Nick”

Mia & Nick : Wedding: June 2017 : Ta Frenc, Gozo, Malta

“Hi Ali,

Thank you so much for playing yesterday at our wedding. Everyone loved the ceilidh and you sounded fantastic. The calling was excellent and it really got everyone involved! 

I hope you all travelled back ok after the event, Hattie”

Hattie : Wedding : June 2019 : Lympne Castle

“Dear Ali ,

I am most remiss – I had the best time and that was largely down to the immense atmosphere your band created and the skill of the caller!  Everyone I’ve met since who came says how much they enjoyed it – it was truly magical the amount of joy and laughter that was created through dancing and the excellent musicianship of your band who gave us an evening of great music as well!
All the best, Sue”
Sue : 60th Birthday Party : May 2019 : Rickmansworth

“Good evening Ali and the rest of the band…
Thank you so much for playing at our wedding on 8th July. I’m so sorry it has taken me a while to get around to writing to you – we went away just after and our best man got married last weekend, so my post-wedding admin has really fallen behind.
Josh and I had an excellent time dancing away at our wedding, so much so that I don’t think we ever got a chance to chat to you at all, although I know my brother did.
We know our guests had a wonderful time too – they all really enjoyed the Ceilidh and we were so pleased to see them all getting stuck in.
We have had our photos back from our photographer this week too, and I have attached the Ceilidh ones, which you’re welcome to use should you ever want to.
Thank you once again for being such a wonderful part of our day; we thoroughly enjoyed it and would happily do it all over again. We’d love to come to the Ceilidh club and see you again, and it’ll be much easier when I don’t have to lug around my dress (although I secretly loved that).
Sarah and Josh”
Sarah and Josh: Wedding: July 2017: Marlow, Buckinghamshire

“Hi Ali, Josh and I would love to thank you for an AMAZING performance both for the String Quartet and the Cailidh!  Do you have an address that we could send a quick note? Many Thanks”
Charlotte Johnson : Wedding : July 2018: Cain Manor, Farnham

“Hi Ali,
We had a great night on Saturday with more than 300 people dancing until late into the night.
The band was fantastic and I’m delighted we were able to book you.
Until next time!
Michael”

 

Michael Traboulsi for Project Trust : April 2018 : Charity Event : London Irish Centre

Dear Ali,

David and Zoe are now on their honeymoon but I would just like to take this opportunity  to thank you for your excellent playing and calling at their wedding.
 
So many people joined in and enjoyed the dancing and  I am glad we extended the dance floor so that more people could dance.
 
I am sorry you had to wait so long to play but thank you for adapting your schedule. The bride was very late to the wedding  as she had had to order an uber for her bridesmaids and herself as her transport did not materialise. She put a brave face on it and managed to arrive cheerfully. But there was a knock on effect worse than the usual weddings delay.
 
I hope the caterers furnished you with food and drink as we had requested them to and am sorry I did not think to offer you one during your performance or while you were waiting during the speeches – maybe someone else did. If not I deeply apologise – I had other things on my mind.
 
So thank you again , I know you do not need recommendations , but I would recommend you to anyone,
 
Kind regards, Mary”
Wedding of Zoe & David: April 2018: Eltham Palace, London

“Hi Ali, Anna and I wanted to thank you and the band very much for last night’s ceilidh – Jennifer called it really well given it was mainly beginners, and your style of playing was very cool!  I am hoping we have converted a few guests to the pleasures of Scottish dancing, and it was nice for me and the other Scots to remember ceilidhs of the past.  We are already planning our 2020 event, so will be in touch later next year!

Thanks again, Andy”
Andy : Burns Night : January 2018 : Petersfield, Hampshire

“Good morning Ali, Thanks to you and the band for last night, the guests really enjoyed themselves and you managed to guide a lot of enthusiastic but non pro dancers through the evening with a lot of flair. I’m sure we’ll be using you for future events. Have a good weekend. Kind regards”

Tim @ Hildon Grange School : School Burns Night : January 2017: Tonbridge

Good morning Ali. We just wanted to say thank you again for the Ceilidh at our wedding. The feedback from our guests was extremely positive. There were people up on the dance floor for the first time in over 30 years! Our photographer stayed on way after we’d booked him for, as he thought it looked so spectacular! I will forward photos to you when we return from our honeymoon. Kind regards”

Tim & Karen : September 2018 : Wedding : Poole, Dorset

“Dear Ali. I wanted to say a big THANK YOU to you and your colleagues for a fantastic job you did yesterday. We had a great time and you were fantastic at encouraging people and pushing the more resistant ones on the floor J. If you want an official feedback I’m more than happy to provide it. I hope we will have more opportunities in the future to work together J. All the best”

Justyna @ Deloitte : Corporate Burns Night : January 2017 : London

“Hi Ali! I am so so sorry I have been meaning to e-mail you since the wedding! Married life has been super busy and I’ve certainly been enjoying focusing on finishing my neglected PhD now the wedding planning is over. You guys were amazing! All the guests have said how much fun they had. We had a lot of seasoned dancers but also so many people who had never done it before. Lots of people were saying they really want ceilidhs at their weddings too now despite having no links to Scotland. The caller was great. I think she was able to really gauge the ability of the room and really went through all the dances step by step. I’ve never been to a ceilidh outside of Scotland before so this is the most thorough calling I’ve seen. I think we really got the right timings of ceilidh to DJ ratio in the end too. I know I was exhausted by the end! Thank you so so much for being such a great band on the night and for all your communication before the wedding. I will recommend you to anyone looking for a London based ceilidh band! Merry Christmas and I hope you have a good 2017,”

Laura : August 2016: Wedding: Old Finsbury Town Hall

“Dear Ali, I hope you are well! I just wanted to say a massive thank you to you and all of the musicians that worked mine and Chris’ wedding. It was the most perfect day and it was made even more perfect that Dan, Oli and Francesca could be there! The string quartet were beautiful and I wish I could have heard more of them but unfortunately it was when Chris and I were whisked off to have a few pics taken. Everybody said that they were lovely though and everyone loved the Ceilidh. Even people who never normally dance loved it! It was everything that I’d hoped it would be. It got everybody up and mingling and having a good time! We will definitely be recommending Licence to Ceilidh to anyone who is having a wedding and hopefully you can get a few more bookings coming your way! I hope you are enjoying this sunshine and have a lovely rest of the summer!”

Michelle and Chris : July 2016 : Wedding : Weybridge, Surrey

“Hi Ali, We had such an amazing time on Friday and couldn’t have asked for anything more; the Ceilidh was awesome and our guests all loved it. It was all simply perfect 🙂 All the best and thank you and your group for being part of our fantastic day,”

Youichi and Laura : July 2016 : Wedding : Chilston Park, Maidstone

“Hi Ali, We had such an amazing time on Friday and couldn’t have asked for anything more; the Ceilidh was awesome and our guests all loved it. It was all simply perfect 🙂 All the best and thank you and your group for being part of our fantastic day,”

Youichi and Laura : July 2016 : Wedding : Chilston Park, Maidstone

“Hi Ali, Just wanted to say a MASSIVE thank you to the band on Tuesday night. They were amazing and everybody loved them. They were all so lovely! Please pass on our thanks. Everybody said it was the best band yet! Thank you, Amelia”

Temple Spa : Corporate Function : July 2016 : Arundel, West Sussex

“Hi Ali, Just a quick note to say thank you and what an amazing job you guys did on Saturday. It was beyond my expectations how many people got stuck into the ceilidh and very much linked to fantastic calling and great music. Thank you!!”

Julie : Wedding Anniversary : June 2016 : London

“Dear Ali, I wanted to write to say thank you for your wonderful Ceilidh band who played for us on Saturday night. They were fantastic and the guests that danced, loved them. It was as we thought – half the party danced and half the party propped the bar up! Your Caller was fantastic – she kept in touch with us and ensured that everything was going as we wanted. Thank you for your patience in my indecisions in the organising of it all but the party was exactly as we wanted and we are delighted with the whole day! I even got a dance with my husband of 25 years – who does not dance!! Thank you again and I will certainly recommend you to others. With best wishes to you and the band.”

Daisy : Wedding : May 2016 : Caledonian Club, London

“Dear Ali, We have google reviewed you! Thank you so much for arranging such a brilliant band who were eminently flexible, called clearly and were huge fun. Everyone loved it! If only we had the excuse to bring you to Reading every year! Thank you so much again for your very organised approach and brilliant ‘service’!! All the best,

Helen + Jim: Wedding: April 2016: Reading

“Hi Ali, Just wanted to say a big thanks for the part you and the band played in our day on Thursday – we had a wonderful time and you were all brilliant. Will definitely recommend you to anyone that needs a ceilidh band in the future. Best wishes,”

Neil & Tris: Wedding: March 2016: London

“Hi Ali, Apologies for how long it has taken me to write this email, straight after the wedding we went to Italy for the week so haven’t had chance to get to my emails. I just wanted to say a huge heart felt thank you to you and the rest of the band for being so extraordinary on Saturday night, you were all amazing and you definitely made the wedding. I have had so many comments on how amazing you were and how people wished they’d had you for their wedding and for the ones getting married want to use you for their big day. (I’ve passed on your details to a few friends). I hope you had a good time and thank you so much again, you were by far my favorite part of the day. Thank you again,”

Amy : Wedding: February 2016 : Bethnal Green Town Hall Hotel

“Hi Ali, I know this is soooo late but just wanted to say a huge thank you for coming to play at our wedding on 16th January. I hope the snow didn’t affect your drive home too much! Although saying I was excited by the snow is a huge understatement 🙂 You guys really were amazing and everyone kept saying how much fun they had. It was just a shame we didn’t have enough room for everyone to dance the ceilidh at the same time! I have a attached a few photos which hopefully shows the fun atmosphere of the evening just in case you’d like to use them 🙂 wishing you all the best in future events and thank you so much again, Lucy and Ben x”

Lucy & Ben : Wedding : January 2016 : Sevenoaks, Kent

“Hi Ali, Hugh and I wanted to say thank you so much for the wonderful Ceilidh you guys did for us at our wedding. It was just perfect – everyone said how much they enjoyed it and it was wonderful to see the ages, friendship groups and family all mix up and really get in to it. You guys have been a pleasure to work with throughout and you provided a brilliant service. Thanks again for helping to make our wonderful day what it was.”

Matt & Hugh : September 2015 : Wedding : London, Mayfair

“Dear Ali, Can you pass on my thanks to the band for giving a such a fantastic performance at Will and Hannah’s wedding last Saturday! Everyone danced like crazy, and had a terrific time. Even my autistic nephew danced non-stop, solo and energetically. The bride and groom were ecstatically happy, radiating joy as they swung each other round. Would you like me to send on any good photos and snips of film footage for your webpage when we get them? With many thanks,”

Caroline : Wedding: August 2015: Sussex

“Hi Ali and the band, I have just put on a 5* Google review and apologies for not doing so earlier. You were superb and we have never known so many people come back so quickly and say that it was the best party they had been to, especially those who have never done this dancing before and want to do it again. We will definitely come to one of the Cecile Sharp House nights again in the near future and I will have my daughter plough through the pictures she took to see if there are any good ones, Brilliant”

Phil and Stephanie Murphy : August 2015 : Birthday Party : London

“Dear Ali, We so loved having you play at Elsie and David’s wedding, It was just the perfect music and dance, and I’m so glad we found Licence to Ceilidh via the wonders of Google! Thank you all very much for making the long trip to Norfolk. Everyone really enjoyed having you here. We were so busy with everything that evening , that I really didn’t get time to meet or greet you properly. Sorry! I do hope you found everything you needed. The whole day went so quickly, I would just love to have it all again, and try to keep a better hold on things! With many thanks, and very best wishes to you all, From Christine . . and all the family.”

Wedding: August 2015: Norfolk

“Hi Ali, Thank you so very much for playing at our wedding reception last night. Although we had seen you play once before, both Jo and I were thrilled with the performance and your professionalism throughout the evening. We were glad to see that the dancefloor was never empty and that all of our guests were eager to get involved in the fun and dancing. We would have no hesitation in recommending Licence to Ceilidh, and look forward to being able to see you play at Ceilidh club soon. As mentioned – we’d really love a copy of the photos you took if possible, just for our own memories?! Many thanks again,”

Michael & Jo: Wedding: July 2015: Ascot

“Hello, Just wanted to say thank you so much for playing at our wedding, We had a great time and all our guests commented on how much fun the Ceilidh was and how good the band is. Many thanks and best wishes.”

Charlotte : Wedding: July 2015: Cambridge

“Hi Ali, Could you please pass on our sincere thanks to the guys that looked after us last Friday. The tent was a little cramped and most of us kept forgetting what we should be doing but it was a roaring success. Our guests loved it and many had never experienced a ceilidh before and are now completely hooked. If you could thank them for their part in ensuring our big day was a perfect one. Thanks again.”

Emma & Peter: Wedding: July 2015: Surrey

“Hi Ali, I just wanted to say thank you so much for playing at our wedding. We had a fantastic time. The weather was great and everyone enjoyed the ceilidh. My brother in law has some good videos of the kids all dancing together, which is great. I would recommend you to anyone looking for a ceilidh band. Thanks again”

Hayley and Duncan: Wedding: June 2015: Sevenoaks

“Hi Ali, Thanks so much for being part of our special day. We had a wonderful time so thank you all so much for your contribution to making our day so special. We especially loved having a ceildh as our first dance. All of our guests really enjoyed your music and a number said they danced every one. I have a few pictures from the ceildh which I will try and send, however I don’t seem to be able to do it via email due to file size. I will try to private message them to your Facebook. If you don’t receive them, any then suggestions for file transfer much appreciated. Thanks

Cathryn and Nicholas : June 2015 : Wedding : nr Romsey, Hampshire

“Hi Ali, The wedding was lovely and the band were simply fantastic – thank you all so much! We had so many compliments on the music and you really got everyone up and dancing. In fact, I have a thank you note here ready to post, which would be the best address to send it to? I wil definitely like you facebook page and look to see if there are any pictures to send to you., Kind regards”

Zoe : June 2015 : Wedding : Warwickshire

“Hi Ali, We had a fabulous day and the band were such good fun!”

Heather & Chris : Wedding : May 2015: Oxfordshire

“Dear Ali, I am just so sorry that I have not been in touch until now to thank you for all your help with our event at the Dorchester on April 23. I know it seems hard to believe but we have just been flat out all this time with all the post event admin, getting money in etc! The charity confirmed the final figures on Friday and I am very happy to say that the event was a great success for them. The dancing was wonderful once again and I can see from looking at photos that the guests loved it! Lots of smiling faces, just what we need as it helps enormously in making our event fun and upbeat. Very many thanks also for all you did to try and make things as Irish as possible! Apologies again for the lateness of this note and very many thanks again from us all. Please do pass on our thanks also to all the others in the band and the dancers. I hope you have a great Summer, I am sure it will be a busy one for you! All Best Wishes, Harriet”

Coperation Ireland Celtic Legal Dinner (2nd year running): April 2015: The Dorchester Hotel, London

“Hi Ali, I was just looking through wedding photos, saw some of the ceilidh and remembered you! We had such an incredible day and a huge part of that was you. Please say a big (belated) thank you to the band for providing the atmosphere which encouraged even the most reluctant of dancers to get up and get involved. For lots of the guests it was their first ceilidh and they have mentioned how much they enjoyed themselves. The seasoned ceilidh goers have also said how good you were as a band. My absolute favourite memory of the wedding reception was Auld Lang Syne, I remember looking around the circle and realising that all of my favourite people were there. I won’t forget that feeling for a long time. We’re hoping to come to Camden around our one year anniversary to see you all again and dance the night away without the confines of a heavy dress and a week of sleepless nights in excited anticipation!

Katie & Tim: Wedding: April 2015: Cambridgeshire

“Dear Ali, We just wanted to send you and the band a quick note to say a great big thank you for playing at our Wedding on the 28th of March. Everyone loved the music and had lots of fun dancing. This is a link to the photo’s our photographer took. There is a few pictures of the band and lots of people having a fabulous time dancing. You guys were amazing, you really helped to make our day special. Please pass our thanks on to the rest of the band. Kind regards,”

Danielle & Lachlan: Wedding: March 2015: Ardingly, Sussex

“Ali, We just wanted to say thank you for your help with our wedding and in particular, to say a big thank you to the band who played at our wedding. They were amazing and our guests had a really great time (and we did too!). Thanks again. Kind regards,”

Colette and David: Wedding: August 2014: London

“Dear Ali, Thanks so much for playing at our wedding the other week and for being such a pleasure to work with. The band were amazing and we had such fun with the ceilidh. Am attaching a pic – will send more as we get them! best wishes”

Helen & Roland: August 2014: Wedding: London

“Dear Ali, Thank you very much for helping to make James and Miyuki’s wedding reception at RAC Club on Saturday a perfect occasion. Everyone said how much they enjoyed the ceilidh and guests of all ages were enticed on to dance floor even if they had never done it before! I would certainly recommend Licence to Ceilidh for any occasion. Kind regards”

Susan Brown: August 2014: Wedding: RAC Club, London

“Dear Ali & Band! Just a little note to thank you all very much for the wonderful celeidh and disco last Friday. Johannes and I had a fantastic time with our friends and family. The celeidh really got everyone going and on the dance floor and special thanks to your caller, whose name I unfortunately didn’t catch, for teaching the dances so well. I know we sent you a huge list of songs which we wanted playing on the day and you did a tremendous job of putting a well mixed list together. Many people commented on how great the music was and we are really grateful to you for the work you put into it – there was something for everyone! I hope you guys also enjoyed the evening, despite it being work, and I look forward to hearing you hopefully some time in the future. I will send you any photos of the celeidh and music part of the evening as and when I receive them. Many thanks and best wishes,”

Sarah & Johannes: Wedding: June 2014: Longstowe Hall, Cambrigeshire

“Hello Ali, Marc and I wanted to drop you all a very quick message before we head to the airport on honeymoon to say thank you for everything on Monday. We loved all the music and all the guests have said how much they enjoyed it all too. Marc and I had the time of our lives and you certainly contributed to the whole day spectacularly. Hope you all got home safely, Very best wishes,”

Yusur and Marc: Wasing Park, Wedding : May 2014

“Ali, Many thanks again for a wonderful evening, please thank the rest of the band again for such a great time. The girls have been talking about it all week!

Ceilidh for Pembridge School for Girls: London: March 2014

“Dear Ali, We wanted to email to say thank you very much indeed for the ceilidh and disco at our wedding on 22nd March. We both had a wonderful time and lots of people told us afterwards how much they enjoyed the ceilidh. Such a great way to include everyone in the dancing! Please pass on our thanks to the band members on our behalf. Best wishes”

Helena & Sarah: March 2014: Lambourne, Berkshire : Civil Partnership

“Hi Ali We hope you are well. We are back from our honeymoon (unfortunately); it was absolutely amazing!! (Don’t worry, we have learned to tone down the gloat.) Thank you (and the band) so much for the amazing ceilidh. We could not have wished for any better, and our guests are still raving about it! Our first dance was perfect, and you really managed to draw the whole room in!, Thanks again.”

Michelle & Robbie: Wedding, London, February 2014

“Hi Ali, We hope you are well. We are back from our honeymoon (unfortunately); it was absolutely amazing!! (Don’t worry, we have learned to tone down the gloat.) Thank you (and the band) so much for the amazing ceilidh. We could not have wished for any better, and our guests are still raving about it! Our first dance was perfect, and you really managed to draw the whole room in! In case you have a moment, we thought you might appreciate some of our wedding photos – http://www.rossharvey.com/weddings/the-langham-wedding-london Please let us know if you would like us to leave a comment / feedback on your service. Thanks again”

Robbie & Michelle: Wedding: February 2014: London

“Ali, Just want to send a big thanks to the band, they were brilliant. Incredibly patient with us and provided a great nights entertainment. Regards”

Sargent S. Bradbury: RAF Benson, Warrant Officers & Sargents Burns Night: January 2014

“Ali, Just want to send a big thanks to the band, they were brilliant. Incredibly patient with us and provided a great nights entertainment. Regards”

“Hi Ali, Just to say a huge thank you to you and the band for a brilliant ceilidh on Saturday night, it was fantastic! Everybody seemed to enjoy the dancing and we’ve had a lot of positive feedback so far!…I’ve just been chatting to the team and we were wondering if you do Irish themed ceilidhs and might be available to come back in March in the run up to St Patrick’s Day? Many thanks, Amy

Amy Dunn: Vinopolis, London Bridge: Public Burns Night Ceilidh : January 2014

“The band was fantastic and the caller was very patient with those who wanted to have a go but were not very proficient! We are truly grateful for such an excellent group and would thoroughly recommend you to others. I hope you were well looked after by the caterers and that you felt the evening went well. All good wishes”

Claire & Harry: Wedding, Suffolk, December 2013

“Ali, Just wanted to drop you a quick line to say thank you very much for Saturday. We’ve had such a good response from all the guests and they loved the Ceilidh. In particular, I think the format of guiding people through the dances and then picking up the tempo work really well. People were extremely positive. Thanks for the DJing too. I hope the food and the bar tab were ok.”

James & Anna: Wedding, London, November 2013

“Licence to Ceilidh were perfect for our wedding at Sandhurst in November this year. We had some experience dancers in the room but with a mostly novel audience the caller put everyone at ease early on. Enthusiasm matched my expert direction and a very high standard of music made for a great two sets. All enjoyed, the skill level increasing so the real goers could go hard at the end!!! The equipment for the disco afterwards was very good and we thank the band for the use of this.”

Adam & Rachel: Wedding, Sandhurst, November 2013

“Hello Ali, Just to say that we had a great time at our daughter, Rose’s, 21st birthday and everyone really enjoyed dancing to the ceilidh band. The caller was fantastic and the music excellent!”

Debbie: 21st Birthday Party, Kent, September 2013

“Hi Ali, We were absolutely delighted with the entertainment on our wedding day and needless to say, our guests absolutely loved it! Now as for the day itself, we had the best day of our lives! We hope that you and all the Licence to Ceilidh clan are well and we hope to come and see you again at a gathering soon.”

Mark & Elizabeth: Wedding, Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, June 2013

“Hi Ali, Everyone has said what an amazing ceilidh it was and Nic (who owns the barns) said it was the best they ever had there! Once again a massive thank-you for the day – it was really wonderful and best of luck with the awards, Ruth”

Ruth & Chris: Wedding, Sudbury, Suffolk, August 2013

“Hi Ali, This is a long overdue email to say thanks to you and the whole band for the fantastic music and Ceilidh you provided at our wedding. Although I wasn’t at the Church at the start to hear the music you and Philippe played, we have had so many comments from people who said how lovely it was and set completely the right mood. My Mum even said there were people from the village standing outside the Church just so they could hear the music! Again at the reception you and Philippe coped admirably with the changing weather- and the Ceilidh was just fab. As you know we had a large Scottish contingent from north of the border who are the harshest critics and they thought it was the best Ceilidh band they’d heard!!! And our (southern!) guests aboslutely loved it- hopefully shown by how full the dance floor was. The caller was great and we loved your whole approach including the tartan outfits! We also really loved the fact we could give you a playlist and that you stuck to it for the disco so thanks again. Everything involved from the set up to finish was done without bother and we’re really grateful for your professionalism. I hope you got fed and watered ok- one of those things I forgot to ask on the day! Thanks again for everything Ali, All the best, Emma”

Emma & Graeme: Wedding, Surrey, April 2013

“Thank you (and band) for all your rocking on Friday – everyone thoroughly enjoyed it! Hope to have you back next year!”

Ross Yarrow: Burns Themed 1st Birthday Party for St. Luke's Church, Kentish Town, January 2013

“Many many thanks again for your time and talents last night, yet another fantastic year. We received lots of compliments (on your behalf!) about how fun the ceilidh was and Jason was a great combined caller/comedian! Hope to see you again next year.”

Anna & Kris, Associates at Herbert Smith Freehills LLP: Herbert Smith Burns Night, 5th year running: Jan 2013

“…we loved it, hope you had fun too!”

Vas & Gemma: Wedding, Wiston House in Sussex, December 2012

“A huge big thank you for all your hard work at last nights event at St Pauls Cathedral. I had so many compliments during the evening from the client and their guests…Best of all is the clients boss told her it was the best event they had ever done, so enough said really! Once again, I thank you…for making my job easy.”

Victoria: Corporate Event, St Pauls Cathedral, November 2012

“Dear Ali & Licence to Ceilidh, Just to say a huge thankyou for performing at Student Conference (again!). You guys were awesome and went down a storm with the students!”

Michael Huyton: Event Manager, Amnesty International UK, November 2012

“Hi Ali, You guys were great! Thank you so much – once again, the ceilidh was a real highlight of the conference.”

Hannah - Student Ambassador, Amnesty International UK, November 2012

“Thanks for much for a fantastic evening on Saturday. Everyone had a brilliant time (myself incuded!).”

Mandy Wilson: 50th Birthday, East Sussex, October 2012

“Many thanks for helping to make our day special…The band were really good, friendly and professional and a great bunch of musicians”

John & Farrah: Wedding, September 2012, London

“We had a fantastic time on Saturday, and loads of our guests complemented the ceilidh band! Thanks for all your organising and pass on our thanks to the caller and the rest of the guys who played on Saturday.”

Hamish & Katherine: Wedding, Berkhampstead, September 2012

“We had an absolutely amazing day, it went by so fast and we didn’t want it to end! Thanks so much for the ceilidh – everyone really enjoyed themselves and we’ve had so many compliments – from novices and from the more seasoned dancers – it was so much fun! Please pass on my thanks to the rest of the band…Many thanks again, Louise and Nick”

Louise & Nick: Wedding, Petworth, West Sussex, Sept 2012

“We had an amazing day, and just wanted to say a MASSIVE thank you to the band. It was more than we had hoped for, and our guests had a fantastic time. As I think I’d mentioned before, 90% of them had never been to a ceilidh, and the band catered to this perfectly. They chose appropriate dances, and our caller was brilliant at getting the guests involved and encouraging them to join in. One of my bridesmaids was at another wedding with a ceilidh two weeks later, and she noted the massive difference in quality and professionalism between the two bands.”

Naomi & Peter: Wedding, London, August 2012

“Dear Licence to Ceilidh, Thank you for playing & calling so competently at Poppy & Philip’s wedding at Burford Bridge. As mother of the bride I was busy trying to talk to everyone and since the event the guests have all told me how much they enjoyed the ceilidh. One professional wrote “great music from really talented players, the caller was excellent!” Hope you were well looked after. Many Thanks”

Poppy and Philip: Wedding, Surrey, August 2012

“You guys were awesome! Thanks”

Louise and Daniel: Wedding, Wrest Park, August 2012

“Dear Extended LTC line-up! A huge thank you for the best ceilidh I have ever heard or seen, and I’ve seen a few. The horns were amazing, what wonderful playing. The arrangements were sensational & the calling was spot on as usual! So many people were stunned by the gig! Thanks & best wishes

Alexis & Oci: Wedding, Ticehurst, E. Sussex, July 2012

“Hi Ali, We had a fabulous time a few weeks ago thank you. The ceilidh was a big success and everyone has been commenting on how much fun it was! Thanks again,”

Kim and Johnny: Wedding, South Farm, July 2012

“We had a wonderful day 😀 Thank you so much for your marvellous performance – we had quite a few guests who had never even heard of a ceilidh before and who danced every single dance because they loved it so much!! It was definitely the best ceilidh I’ve ever been to – your style of music is so much more upbeat and fun than the average elderly bearded bands tend to play! Thank you again”

Rosie and Kerry: Wedding, Enfield, July 2012

“We had a fabulous time, the band were fantastic and coped with our time schedule going all over the place. Everyone and i mean everyone was on the dance floor for pretty much the whole set, even the hardline sceptics from down here loved it. It was everything and more than we wanted. Thanks for making our day that bit extra special and good luck with everything for the future”

Stephen and Katie: Wedding, Kent, June 2012

“I have seen plenty of #Ceilidh bands but nothing quite like you guys. You were *amazing*

Jay Rowden: Photographer, June 2012

“Dear Ali, I wanted to say what a lovely evening that was and how fantastic the band were – compliments pouring in. Very best wishes, Eileen xx”

Eileen: 60th Birthday, London, June 2012

“Hi Ali, We wanted to email to say thanks very much to the band for playing at our wedding. We had an excellent day and everyone said how much they enjoyed the ceilidh band and the dancing – it was a fantastic way to round off the day. It was great to have so many people up dancing and that was down to the band’s ability to appeal to everyone there, whether they had done ceilidh dancing before or not. Also, as a fan of modern Scottish folk music, I really appreciated the music and the playing. I have been to quite a few weddings with ceilidh bands and this was undoubtably the best! Also, the organsation was really good, with seamless set-up, which helped to make everything run smoothly on the day. We will keep an eye on your website for future events you are doing and try to make it along when we can. We would also be more than happy to provide references or recommendations for anyone that asks. Thanks again,

Keith & Sophie: Wedding, Hampshire, June 2012

“The pretty ruddy amaze band that played at Jamie’s reel were called Licence to Ceilidh”

Made In Chelsea: E4 website, May 2012

Thank you so much for the excellent music at our wedding. We have had so many positive comments from our guests about it and everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves. The caller was really clear with the instructions, the live music was exceptional and the disco music kept everyone dancing afterwards. We can’t recommend you highly enough!

Lauren and John: Wedding, Conway Hall, May 2012

“Dear Ali and all the members of Licence to Ceilidh Band. Thank you so much for playing at our Wedding at Bartholomew Barn. The Band was amazing and exceeded all our dreams on the day. All our wedding guests really enjoyed the dancing and also listening and watching the band. You all created a lovely warm and fun atmosphere which we all enjoyed and will always remember. We would also like to purchase your latest album including our first dance “Hector the Hero”. Thank you again to all the members of the band, and good luck with the future.”

Victoria and Wayne: Wedding, Bartholomew Barn, May 2012

“thanks to the band for Saturday night. They were fantastic! We would especially like to thank the caller who did a brilliant job of talking everyone through the dances – some of which were new to me! A great night, enjoyed by all.”

Mo and Alan: Birthday, May 2012

“Dear Licence To Ceilidh, Wow! What an evening! We are writing to say a very big thank you for making our wedding celebration so fantastic. The music was brilliant & everyone loved the dancing. Lots of people commented on what a brilliant band you are & they found the dances very easy to pick up with your instruction – carrying out the instructions was a different matter of course! Thank you too for ‘The Beatles” bits too – we really enjoyed these bits!, Thank you again”

Wedding, April 2012

“Hey Ali, Hope you and the guys are well. Thank you for all your hard work on the day – the band were great and everyone had such an amazing time and joined in. Best wishes”

Jodie and Nick: Wedding, Surrey, April 2012

“Just to say a HUGE thanks to all of you for a fantastic evening on Sunday. Everyone is commenting on how much fun the Ceilidh was and what excellent musicians you all were. As you saw there was lots of enthusiasm for it and the choice of dances / calling was just the right level – good for total beginners and new stuff for more experienced people! Many thanks again and best wishes”

Rebecca and Stephen: Wedding, London, April 2012

Before: “I danced to your FANTASTIC band at a friends wedding a few years ago (Katharine and Lee Moran at the Queens House, Royal Observatory) and LOVED LOVED LOVED my evening. Now I am engaged and all I want is a ceilidh!”

After: “We had a WONDERFUL time and our guests did too. There were so many compliments regarding the group. We woke up rather achey the next day because we couldn’t not dance and we are still recovering but it was well worth it! Thank you so much for a fantastic evening.”

Alan and Ghislaine: Wedding, Basingstoke, April 2012

“Licence to Ceilidh were the icing on the cake for our wedding! Everyone of every age was involved and even though most guests had never been to a Ceilidh before, they all loved it! Very clear instruction and accessible for all. Can thoroughly recommend!”

Ross and Sally: Wedding, Richmond, March 2012

“The band were AWESOME! Streets ahead of everyone else we considered. Jim was a lovely guy who really kept the atmosphere rocking – not that we needed much encouragement – and the whole celebration was utterly magical. Please pass on our thanks to him and the others for making my birthday such a wonderful, unforgettable occasion.”

Malcolm : 60th Birthday Party, February 2012

“The band were really fantastic and we had a great evening. We already get the Camden Ceilidh Club updates so hopefully will be dancing to Licence to Ceilidh in the near future. Thanks again.”

Katy : Wedding, Kent, February 2012

“Both the piper and the band were fabulous! Thank you for making our day so special.”

Sarah & Gordon : Canterbury Cathedral, February 2012

“…everything went like clock work. Including all things Licence to Ceilidh. Thank you very much. The music was just great!”

Burns Night Event : Dover College, January 2012

“Thank you very much for your all your help on the 27th making our wedding a very memorable occasion.

I really enjoyed your music and felt that it appealed to more ages than any other tribute band would have done. We all, but perhaps especially the children loved the dancing. Thanks for putting up with us very inexperienced ceilidhers! Please pass on my thanks to everyone in the band who played for us that night. You even managed to get Bill dancing which is very, very unusual!!”

Alex & Bill : Wedding, Poole, December 2011

“Many thanks again for the 23rd – everyone had an absolute blast.”

Jack Cutmore-Scott : Party, Botleys Mansion, December 2011

“Just a quick note to thank the band for the fantastic playing on Thursday. Yet again, we had a large number of compliments about the music: the guys really made the occasion very special. A Ceilidh is such a great way of getting people of all ages onto the dance floor. Our children and their teenage friends were as keen as the more mature members of the party! Now that we have had a couple of Ceilidhs, we seem to have started a tradition and so I am sure we will be back in touch for a third visit before too long. All the best to you for 2012.”

Philip & Rhuann : Party, Oxfordshire, December 2011

“Thank you so much for a great session at the Old Chapel Centre last Saturday. Everyone said how much they enjoyed the music and it couldn’t have been better. The perfect thing for a 60th Birthday. I am sure we will start a new trend for Ceilidh’s in the village…Hope to see you performing again soon…Many Thanks for making it such a memorable day”

Caroline : 60th Birthday, Alfriston, December 2011

“The ceilidh was really excellent – you guys did a great job…..great feedback from all the guests – so thanks again for playing a massive part in making the evening so memorable!”

Rob & Kawitha : London, December 2011

“I would like to thank you and the band for the wonderful music that you provided on Saturday. The Ceilidh was a great success and we had great feedback, particularly from the Scottish contingent!’

Hannah & Stephen : South Farm, December 2011

“Just wanted to say thanks very much for Thursday night – we’ve had a lot of great feedback about the Ceilidh and everyone really enjoyed themselves.”

London Scottish : December 2011

“Hi Ali, Sorry for not being in touch sooner but we have been away from technology. We just wanted to say many thanks to Philippe and Lee and also many thanks for a great ceilidh – everyone seems to have enjoyed it and it certainly made for a good party. Thanks again”

Toby and Becca : Wedding, Lewes, December 2011

“Licence to Ceilidh were fantastic. They had all our guests of all ages up dancing all evening and everyone commented on how lively and fun the band and music were. Thank you! We will definitely be recommending you to friends and family.”

Sarah and Ian : Wedding, London, November 2011

“Just to say a huge thank you; last night was great. Well done for getting everyone up and dancing – I know you’re old hands at it but it makes such a difference when everyone gets up and has a go. So so many compliments about ‘the band’ – everyone had a great time.

Thanks so much – and hope we’ll see you again sometime, With best wishes to you all.”

Alison : 40th Birthday Party, Lains Barn, November 2011

“Just a note to say thank-you so much for playing at our wedding. We had such a fantastic night and so many people have said how much they enjoyed the music and the dancing. The band were great and the caller was really good fun. We appreciated the correspondence from Ali and all her help answering our questions before the day. Thanks for making our wedding even more special and memorable.”

Laura & Rob : South Farm, Cambridgeshire, October 2011

“Thank you so much for piping, playing the flute and providing the superb music for our ceilidh at our wedding. The music worked perfectly and many of our guests have commented how much they enjoyed the ceilidh. You impressed a delegation of hard core scottish ceilidh dancers – well done!. Please pass on our gratitude to Ali and the others in the band. We are enclosing some photos – a snapshot of our happy memories. Hope to catch up with Licence to Ceilidh in the not too distant future.”

Simon & Rosie : Wedding, Fabrika, Brighton, September 2011

“The ceilidh really was a real highlight of our wedding – unforgettable! Thank you so much.”

Steven & Allison : Wedding, Oxford, August 2011

“Hello Ali,
On behalf of all the team at Lynwood, I would like to thank you for such a wonderful time on Saturday evening. I didn’t get the chance to introduce myself.
Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the music, it is all they are talking about.
It was a shame we ran a little over the scheduled time as having you play longer would have been even better but we enjoyed what we had.
Thanks again for your super entertainment.”
Lynwood Veterinary Group : February 2018: Burns/Retirement Party : Poole

“Hi there Ali,

We just wanted to say a quick thank you very much for all your (and the band’s) efforts last weekend. It was a great evening and the Ceilidh went down very well so thank you for that!
I hope your journey back was ok and that you’ve all had a restful week!
With very warm regards, Katie & Martin”
Katie & Martin : Wedding: February 2018: Ellenborough Park, Gloucestershire

Hi Ali

I just wanted to drop you a line to say thank you so much for such a great job on Saturday night. You were a huge hit and the band’s performance has been much commented on.
 
Hope you got home safe.
 
Wishing you all the best, Will Chanter”
Will Chanter : Fundraising Event : February 2018: Stow-on-the-Wold Gloucestershire

“Dear Ali,

On behalf of the Victor Bonney team we just wanted to say thank you so much for a wonderful night on Friday. We had such a wonderful time and the music was fabulous.
Thank you to you all. Hope we weren’t too raucous!
Best wishes, Maya”
The Victor Bonney Society : December 2017 : Christmas Party : Caledonian Club

“Hi Ali,

Thank you so much for the wonderful wedding Ceilidh on Saturday!

The music was excellent – my mother runs a folk group up in Dundee and she was particularly impressed with your fiddle playing.

The quality of the calling from Alyssa was equally brilliant (I was pleased to hear she was a graduate of ArtsEd where I work). I’ve seen other ceilidh bands who rattle through the instructions and hope for the best, but you guys showed great patience in making sure that people actually knew what they were doing – and that approach really pays off.

The DJ music afterwards was really well judged also, and kept people dancing right to the end.

I also wanted to thank you for getting in and set up so promptly. We had a guest take ill just after dinner which meant we had to delay our speeches, but the fact that you were in and set up ahead of time meant that we were pretty much able to get back on schedule.

Great job all round!

Best Wishes, Robbie & Amanda”

Robbie & Amanda : Wedding : October 2017 : London

“Dear Ali

Thank you very much for the Ceilidh at our Summer Party which really was the highlight of the evening. You were wonderfully patient with us as you took us through the steps and we all had a great time dancing.  Huge thanks.
with best wishes, Catherine and Randolph Churchill”
Silver Wedding Anniversary : May 2017 : Tonbridge, Kent

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