Ceremony Music 101

With the thousands of decisions that come along with wedding planning, brides often forget to address a major part of the Ceremony...the musical score!

Decision 1 - How will the music be played?

The first decision to make is how will you be playing the music. Many brides today opt to have their DJ handle the Ceremony and Reception music. If you are having a DJ, this is a good thing to do because it eliminates adding another vendor to your list. The same goes for if you are hiring live band. Some are willing to handle Ceremony music as well, but make sure you ask before booking. Another option is to hire musicians for the Ceremony and a DJ or band for the Reception. This option is for those who want classic music (violin, harp, cello, piano, et.) for the Ceremony. Musicians can be hard to find at times, so one idea is to contact a local college. Many college musicians will play weddings on the side. And finally, it is becoming more and more common to hook your phone up to speakers and hit play. Obviously, this will save some money and be simpler.

Decision 2 - What type of music do you want?

The style of music typically coincides with your wedding style. If you are having a very casual, unique to the couple wedding - you may pick out your favorite songs and not worry about traditional wedding music. However, if you are having a very formal wedding, then traditional may be the way to go. No matter what style you want, you can easily search for playlists to match it!

Decision 3 - How should the music be arranged for your Wedding Prelude and Processional?

Although many are deviating from a traditional order, taking a look at a traditional Prelude and Processional is a good way to start. From there, you can make it what you want! One tip for this though is to make sure the song is long enough for each entrance but also not too long! A five minute song for two people to walk down the aisle may not be the best fit.

To get you started, here is a traditional musical score for a string quartet: