Your London Wedding - May/Jun 2019 (Issue 65)

JAMES BOWLES, CREATIVE CATERER When James discovered roving oyster shuckers at a party in Ibiza, he knew he had to bring the service to the UK. His company, Oyster Meister, provides mobile oyster shuckers and caviar girls for wedding receptions across London. What’s your favourite area of London and why? Chiswick in West London – its more relaxed and its easy to nip back to my home town, Oxford, when I need to. What’s your favourite London restaurant and why? Bentleys in Swallow Street. Great service and ambience – I can heartily recommend the lemon sole served with garlic spinach. The last gig you attended? Cigarettes After Sex at The Roundhouse in Camden. The last book you read? Catch 22 – it’s a classic. What’s your favourite part of the role? I love converting previous oyster or caviar refusniks. BEN ROGERS, LIVE ENTERTAINMENT PROVIDER Ben Rogers set up live entertainment agency, Earcandy, in 2010 after being distinctly underwhelmed with the acts he’d seen perform at friends’ weddings. With a background in commercial music, his goal was to bring record- label quality to events and he now represents a variety of acts from soul ensemble Motown Gold and disc jockey with a difference, DJ and Sax. The agency’s newest offering is a Silent Disco service. What’s your favourite London hangout? It would need to be somewhere with live music. One of my favourites is Boisdale in Canary Wharf – we’ve had acts play there before, and you’ll often find me with friends sipping a glass of wine and bopping to some live Jazz.  Tell us about the last gig you attended… I recently saw a night of cool, new unsigned music at The Bedford in Balham, it’s a great place to check out undiscovered talent. What are you reading at the moment? I’m more of an Audiobook guy – and have just finished Homo Deus by Yuval Noah Harari, which I would highly recommend for a fascinating perspective- altering read. Tell us a little about what you do… I think what we do, really, is to create ‘experiences’ for our customers – it’s not just a band or DJ sitting in the corner playing a set of songs, it’s about when the band interacting with your guests or when everyone has their hands in the air, singing in unison. Those are the moments your guests remember. Typically, customers will book something like a string quartet or harpist for a couple of hours for the ceremony and/or drinks reception and then a live band or DJ in the evening. Our Silent Disco offering is great for those who want the party to go on after the live music curfew! Contact: Earcandy | 0800 230 0889 | earcandylive.co.uk MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT 65