Getting Married at Stonefields? DJ notes from Sean Chi.
Written for couples and coordinators at Stonefields. Sean has DJ'd here; these are his notes. It's a bookmarkable page, worth saving or forwarding to whoever is planning the day.
The room, in one paragraph.
Stonefields is a 120-acre heritage estate in Beckwith, just outside Carleton Place, and it books one wedding a day, so nothing on the property is shared or squeezed against another event's timeline. A couple gets a real, roughly 200-year-old farmhouse for getting ready, a choice between an outdoor ceremony near the farmhouse or the indoor Ceremony House, a covered verandah for cocktail hour, and The Loft, a restored barn with a 35-foot cathedral ceiling and exposed beams, for dinner and dancing. From the booth that means several real buildings instead of one hall, each asking for something different from the sound. See the full Stonefields wedding DJ write-up for reviews and FAQs.
Sound and power.
The Loft is the room that shapes the whole night: a 35-foot cathedral ceiling and exposed beams carry sound very differently than a flat ballroom, so Sean aims the rig at the dance floor and keeps dinner at a lounge level rather than fighting the height with extra volume. He then rolls a little low end out of the master signal once the barn doors close at night, cutting the mud the stone and height can create while leaving enough warmth that the kick drum still hits in the back corners. Because the estate is out in the country, he also loads in earlier, carries a heavy-duty hand truck for the long, often gravel path from the vehicle to the barn, and brings a clean power conditioner since rural circuits can be less predictable than a city venue's.
Where the floor goes.
The Loft's dance floor is where the full rig and full lighting come out once tables clear, and that height is the room's real payoff once the crowd is ready for it. Earlier in the night, Sean lights the floor hard with a warm wash and picks the first three open-dance songs off the actual age spread of the room rather than a preset list, which pulls older guests in early and gives the floor life before the higher-energy set starts.
A timeline that works here.
The day moves through the property in stages: a dedicated wireless ceremony system at the farmhouse lawn or the indoor Ceremony House with the main rig dark and silent, a low-key playlist under the Verandah's Edison lighting for cocktail hour, dinner in The Loft held at a lounge level through speeches, then the room opening into the full dance floor. Stonefields' big back patio is where cocktail hour really shines, so Sean plans the flow so the patio carries that energy while The Loft is set and ready for the move into dinner and dancing.
Ceremony and cocktail notes.
Stonefields gives couples a real choice between an outdoor ceremony near the farmhouse or the indoor Ceremony House, and Sean brings a dedicated wireless system either way, confirming which one you're using ahead of the day. On a wide-open outdoor ceremony lawn, he places the speakers low and pointed at the seated guests rather than the fields, puts a heavy windscreen on the officiant mic as standard, and stands to the side with a handheld backup in case wind cuts into the wireless signal.
What to ask the venue.
- Which ceremony option you're using, the farmhouse lawn or the indoor Ceremony House, so the sound plan matches.
- What the actual path from the vendor loading area to The Loft looks like, since it can be a long, gravel walk.
- How the one-wedding-a-day schedule affects your own load-in and start times.
Sean's must-know for this room.
See if your Stonefields date is open.
Stonefields dates move fast once spring hits. A quick message confirms availability and gets you a real quote for the ceremony, cocktail hour and reception - nothing owed until you decide.
Check your date ▸ Text or WhatsApp me Call 604 968 7078More: Full Stonefields DJ page About Sean Wedding DJ Ottawa Home