How to Set Up a Wedding PA System? Wedding day is one of the most important date in anyone's life. When planning a wedding, most people often overlook a quality PA system.
At Star Sounds Limited, we hire professional and branded PA systems for weddings in Auckland. One of the biggest benefit you get from Star Sounds Limited is, free delivery, setup, and collection. In this article, we’ll discuss everything you need to know about setting up a PA system for a wedding.
Why Is a Wedding PA System Important?
The main duty of a public address (PA) system is amplifying input signals (both vocals and instruments) for the audience. At a wedding, this includes:
Ceremony music and vocals (e.g., vows, celebrants, soloists)
Reception speeches and toasts
Background music during dinner
Dance floor audio for the DJ or band
Even though you hire a professional and branded speaker system, if you don't set it up and place them correctly, then your audience will not get the best sound of it.
Essential Equipment for a Wedding PA System
There are a few most important PA systems for a wedding. We will discuss each components below:
Speakers – Powered or passive speakers. Make sure to hire proper speakers and subwoofers according to your event audio power requirement. You can use our RCF HDL line array speakers for larger venues.
Mixer – If you are planning a live band then you must hire a good audio mixer with enough inputs. At Star Sounds, we hire digital and analog mixers. Our Yamaha TF5 digital mixer is one of the most demanded for weddings.
Microphones – Microphones are also one of the important component in wedding PA systems. You can hire either wireless or wired microphones from star sounds limited for affordable price.
Audio source – Sometimes you need to connect a laptop, phone or DJ controller to your mixer. Therefore, it is good to hire or arrange the relevant audio source for your wedding event.
Stands and cables – Speaker stands, mic stands, and high-quality cables
Monitors – Optional, but useful for live performers
Need help choosing the right gear? Star Sounds Limited offers wedding sound system hire in Auckland with expert advice and flexible packages.
Step-by-Step: How to Set Up a Wedding PA System
1. Visit the Venue First
It is important to understand about the venue. You can visit the venue before the event date. This will help you to understand about the speaker requirements.
When visit the venue, you need to consider about several key areas including dining area, ceremony area, dance floor and the main performance stage.
Large outdoor venues may require line array speakers for wider sound coverage.
2. Position Your Speakers Correctly
If you are placing speakers on stands, remember to mount them slightly above the audience ear level.
To achieve the best results, you need to aim speakers and subwoofers toward the audience. However, do not point them directly to walls as it can produce echo.
If the hall is too long, then you need to add delay speakers at the middle of the hall. Otherwise, sound will not reach to the back.
Generally two speakers are enough for the receptions.
Bonus Tip: Do not place speakers behind any microphones. Always place them after the microphones to avoid feedback.
3. Connect Your Mixer and Inputs
Make sure you connect all your required input channels correctly to the mixer. You need to use line inputs for line level signals and microphone inputs for microphones.
We recomend you to label all your input cables. This will help you to control each input source easily. Also, if there's any issue, you that will help you to find out the relevant instrument or microphone quickly.
If you’re using music from a phone or laptop, connect using a 3.5mm to RCA or AUX cable.
When setting gain levels, make sure you do not add too much gain and mixer input levels are not clipping.
Need a mixer? We hire Yamaha TF5, PreSonus, Allen and Heath digital mixers – perfect for weddings and easy to operate.
4. Test the Microphones
Test all microphones for any troubleshoot before the wedding starts. Make sure all wireless microphones are working properly and reaching to your desired distance.
If you are using any battery operated component like DI boxes, wireless microphones, etc., make sure you have extra batteries on hand.
5. Balance the Sound
Set EQ for all channels appropriately. Some input channels do not need any EQ. So make sure not to add too much EQ. Add eco and delay for vocal microphones until you get the desired sound out.
During speeches, vocals should be clear and slightly louder than background music.
Walk the room during your sound check to ensure even sound coverage.
At Star Sounds Limited, we do this for you during setup – ensuring perfect sound balance every time.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Last-minute setup – Always test and set up at least an hour before the event.
Poor speaker placement – Avoid putting speakers behind the audience or in corners.
Using low-quality gear – Cheap microphones and speakers can ruin the sound.
Not doing a sound check – Always run a full test before guests arrive.
Wedding Sound Setup Tips from Star Sounds Limited
✅ Use wireless microphones for speeches and vows – no messy cables.
✅ Keep a tablet or phone nearby to quickly adjust music volume.
✅ Assign a sound operator if you’re managing the system yourself.
✅ Choose reliable PA hire in Auckland to reduce stress on your big day.
Stress-Free Wedding PA Hire in Auckland
Don’t want to deal with the hassle of setting up sound yourself? At Star Sounds Limited, we provide:
High-quality speaker and mixer rentals
Wireless microphone systems
Professional delivery and setup
On-site sound checks
Flexible pickup options after the event
Whether your wedding is in a garden, church, hall, or beachfront, we’ll tailor the perfect PA system for your wedding.
