As one of the most memorable and important days of your life, as a couple, it’s important to ensure that your wedding is personalized, romantic, fun, and iconic. In most weddings, couples tend to focus on the flowers, seating, and other elements.

 

Unfortunately, couples overlook one of the most critical aspects of their ceremony...music.

 

Music sets the mood for all the events which occur during a wedding.

 

For a wedding ceremony, romanticism is found in live instruments, whether it’s an acoustic guitarrist, a piano, or a beautiful string ensemble. The very presence of a live musician brings a level of sophistication to your ceremony which is not present from “pre-recorded” tracks. Live musicians will be able to play both the classical styles and modern music with their own flare, giving new perspectives to even throwbacks and classic songs. Live musicians will have their own take on how to present the songs by adding a nice uniqueness to the wedding.

 

Regardless of how you choose to present your wedding ceremony music, considerations need to focus on three main key times in the wedding event. These three areas are: The arrival of the guests, the entrance of the bride or groom, and post ceremony music.

The Arrival of the Guests

Before the ceremony starts, the mood for the entire day is set. Like a fragrance which fills the air, the welcoming music will set the overall mood for arriving guests. What music will welcome arriving guests? Will you choose to use the enticing music of a string ensemble or choose to go with a sophisticated duo such as keys and acoustic guitar, or keys and violin?

 

Guests entering the ceremony should experience romantic and soothing arrangements of music. It is a formal event, so you do not want to have your guests too relaxed (which could cause them to be drowsy while waiting on you and your fiancé) or too engaged (meaning the respect due to the ceremony is lost). When choosing music for the arrival of your guests, it is always a best practice to have a live musician which can accommodate the needs of those attending. This does not mean that the musician is taking requests, but that the musical entertainment can focus on the overall mood of the room. For example: If the musician sees that the room is getting restless, they may choose to play something that is a bit more upbeat or vice versa.

The Entrance of the Bride & Groom

You and your fiancé are the focus of the whole event and therefore the music for the grand entrance must reflect that. The entry music is played upon the bridal party entering the ceremony area. If you are going for the more “traditional” feel, the bride/groom will enter the ceremony to a classical tune either played by strings, acoustic guitar, piano, or a beautiful duo like and acoustic guitar with a piano. However, if you choose to go with a more modern feel you would have your live musicians play a dedicated track for the bridal entrance. This song does not need to be played at any other time during the ceremony. For those that are wanting to have something truly unique, you may consider hiring a keys and saxophone duo, or a live wedding ceremony singer.

 

Once the bridal party have made their entrance and the bride/groom is ready to enter the wedding ceremony, the music needs to have a dynamic shift. Whether using string instruments or a small live band combination, it is essential that the crowd understands that this is the moment in which the key figure is entering the wedding, the music change will demand that the bride or groom is the focus. Bridal music should be slow and soft, to capture the beauty of the bride or groom. Slower music makes the viewer look at the bride/groom and time the beats with the movements of their steps. Upon arriving at the ceremony, where vows will be taken, the music should fade out nicely for the officiant to begin.

Post Ceremony Music

After your wedding ceremony, your live musicians should lead the wedding party out of the event with a more upbeat song selection, going from anticipation to celebration. At the reception, your music should be upbeat and festive. This does not mean that you have to abandon sophistication. Your live musicians should be able to play musical selections from most genres and with variations which meet the overall vibe of your wedding.