Wedding Music

Wedding Ceremony Music:

Music helps to make your wedding day a warm and memorable event. Live musicians performing pieces which you have selected are a pleasant attraction for your guests to watch and listen to during your wedding. Also, they can be fun to interact with during your reception.

Your Style of music. Live music is available in many styles and there are price ranges to fit almost any budget. You do not need to be an experienced musician to correctly select the "right" music and musicians for your special event. There are a few simple steps you can take to ensure that the music you choose is within your budget, represents your feelings and makes your event a joyous occasion.

Which instruments do you enjoy the most? Do you like to hear flute and piano, voice and guitar, cello and harp or solo violin to name a few? Numerous groups advertise in metropolitan areas. In reviewing the ads you will find quartets, trios, duos, brass and woodwind ensembles. If you are not sure which instruments you prefer, you can check out audio cassettes and CD's from your library which represent varying groups. There are many possibilities to sample.

Size of Group. Keep in mind the size of the group you are considering for two practical reasons which are price and space. A large group will probably cost more than a small one. A large group looks very impressive and will produce a warm, full sound but may require more space than your wedding location can allow. A small group might cost less, will produce a warm, intimate sound and will not require much space.

How much do live musicians cost? This varies between groups. Most musicians have a flat rate for the wedding ceremony which may or may not include taxes and travel expenses. The rate for receptions/dinners will be an hourly rate which might require a minimum of one or one and a half hours with half hour increments available after that.

If you pay more do you get better music? Not necessarily. It is wiser to be influenced by the demonstration recording than the price tag.

Where will your wedding be held? If it will be in a church you can always use the organist. If the organist is on vacation or you don't want organ music you will need to consider alternatives. Some churches insist that you must pay the organist even though you may be using your own musicians. Would another location be an option for you? You may want to use live musicians if your wedding will be held on a farm, at a park, banquet hall or in your garden area. Will the musicians you hire need electrical hookups? Park settings are popular but if your setting is on an island, by a river or a lake, there may not be any electricity available.

Where will your reception be held? Your wedding may be held on an island but your reception will always be held where there are facilities for keeping food hot and cold and that means electrical outlets. With electricity present you have at least four options. You can use the house sound system and recordings. You can bring a CD player and use your own CD's. You can use a DJ. You can use a live musical group, either strolling among the tables while performing or stationary. Most musicians will perform outdoors as long as their instruments are not rained on or exposed to direct sunlight.

Substitute CD's for live wedding music? If you really want or need to cut costs could you simply use CD's for your ceremony? Yes, but be aware of the following possible problems which are listed in order of importance:

Weddings rarely begin on time. Your CD operator may be cued up at the correct time to begin the ceremony with the entrance music you have chosen, but you and your bridesmaids might not be ready yet. The CD operator will not know whether to add another CD and take a chance on missing the first one or two bridesmaids as they enter or to have an embarrassing silence while waiting for the first bridesmaid to show herself. Live musicians just keep turning pages and playing until you and your bridesmaids are ready.
Your CD operator needs to be an experienced DJ or a musician to know how and when to fade in and out with the sound. There are some very funny stories about music getting out of control during weddings.
If something happens to the continuity of your wedding ceremony your CD operator needs to have a short piece ready to go instantly. Live musicians are watching for problems and when one occurs they don't waste time asking questions, they start playing something appropriate which may last from five seconds to two minutes. When this is done correctly your guests never suspect that something almost went wrong during your ceremony.

Contacting and interviewing live musicians. When you have decided which types of instruments you would like performing for your ceremony you can start contacting the musicians of your choice. You can e-mail or call groups which advertise and ask if they are available for the date of your event, how much they will charge including taxes and travel fees and will they be dressed formally? Most groups will send you their demonstration recording so you can preview their sound without sales pressure.

Selecting music for your wedding ceremony is the easy part. Once you have found the right group for your occasion you can arrange a time to meet with them before your wedding day. When you meet with them they will play starts from several pieces which they feel are appropriate for your event. All you have to do is listen until you hear something you really like. You can select music for your bridesmaids entrance, your entrance, communion, signing of the registry and a recessional. Extra music between readings or as a meditative time during your service is also available.

Favorite pieces. If you have any family favourites such as hymns or ethnic pieces be sure to mention them to your group. They may already have these pieces in their repertoire and if not they may agree to arrange the new music for use at your wedding.

How can you cut musical costs for your reception/dinner? The most effective use of live musicians at the reception is during the cocktail period while you are having your photographs taken.

This session lasts from sixty to ninety minutes and during that time your guests have little to do but consume cocktails and hors d'oeuvres. Live musicians give your guests something to focus on. Most groups will gladly take requests and some have a strolling musician who can perform while walking among your guests giving personal attention to each one.

If you are having a dinner it will probably be starting right after the photo session. This may be a good time to excuse your musicians and lower your costs. Your guests have had some drinks and will be concentrating on food instead of music. If you have a DJ present then you have a good source of dinner music.

If you really want to have live musicians playing through dinner you might consider having them only until the entree arrives. By this time even the nicest, most well-meaning guests will have had some drinks along with wine and food. Your guests may now be clanking on glasses and having a great time but they probably are not listening to music.

Music For The Ceremony: The Processional

Music at weddings can add a great deal to the special day but choosing it can be a daunting task, particularly if you would like to feature classical music and you are faced with literally thousands of choices.

The Wedding March/ The Processional
Many weddings feature the bride with attendants (and possibly other members of the wedding party) making their entrances. Music for this part of the service is usually a high priority, and many composers over the years have written wedding marches.

Most of us have heard "Here Comes the Bride". This wedding march comes from Lohengrin, an opera by Richard Wagner. While it used to be overwhelmingly popular at weddings, it is often not included anymore.

Midsummer Night's Dream-- Another option for your trip down the aisle is the Wedding March from the incidental music to Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream written by Felix Mendelssohn. This music is commonly used as a recessional, but is actually intended as a processional in the play.

Canon in D-- A heavily used processional is Pachelbel's Canon in D (commonly referred to as the "Pachelbel Canon"). If you choose to use it however, be aware that many of your guests will have heard it in a wedding before (some of them numerous times).

Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring-- A slightly less often used, but still quite popular processional is Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring by J.S. Bach. This particular piece is taken from one of Bach's many cantatas: BWV 147.

Your own choice -- With so much beautiful music available, there is no reason not to choose something somewhat more unusual for your special day. If you find this daunting, simply start listening: you're bound to find something you like. Take a trip to your local library: most have classical recordings for loan. If you are hiring musicians for the service, do not hesitate to ask for ideas: the same goes for classical loving sisters, uncles and friends.

Choosing Wedding Music - The Recessional

After you have said your vows, signed the register and enjoyed the fabulous music that you have chosen for your ceremony, all that is left to do is triumphantly walk (or run) down the aisle. And of course, you will need the perfect piece of music to do so! Here are just a few examples of pieces regularly chosen for the recessional.

Mendelssohn: Wedding March from A Midsummer Night's Dream--Also mentioned in the processional article, Mendelssohn's Wedding March was written as part of his incidental music to Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream. Originally intended as a processional (and not intended for use in a real ceremony at all), this piece is very commonly used as a recessional.

Handel: Arrival of the Queen of Sheba (from Solomon)-- You can't get much more triumphant than this famous piece by Handel from his oratorio Solomon. It is also regularly used for recessionals but not as commonly as some other choices.

Bach: Brandenburg Concerto (1st movement)-- Another recognizable piece appropriate for your stroll down the aisle is a selection from J.S. Bach's Brandenburg Concerto #3.

Your own choice -- As with the processional, do not be afraid to choose something unusual that you like! If you don't know what to choose but know you like a particular composer, start there. Or, if you remember a piece from a movie, start with a movie database and check out the soundtrack listings