Wedding Ceremony Music
There’s no good reason why the music selected for the wedding ceremony needs to be the same old, canned songs from a list that’s 20 years old. There’s a lot of great music out there! Still, we’re all pretty sure we’ll hear a relatively short list of wedding standards droning through the PA system.
There is such a thing as the wrong music.
I’d love to say that your ceremony music selections only matter to you. But I can’t. The music you choose for your ceremony will be echoed not only in the ears of your guests (whom you hope to make happy) but also through the speakers of your television for years to come. Sure it’s cute to hear those “old favorites.” In the big picture your ceremony soundtrack won’t make a lot of sense years later if you don’t choose songs that truly make sense to your ceremony.
Find the right music for your special day.
Of course the “right” music is a matter of personal taste. Here’s a few considerations for avoiding the wrong music.
Choose music that matches the whole day’s theme.
Country-style weddings should favor country music song titles, folk music instruments (i.e. guitars, stand up bass, etc.) and a casual set up for a band. Urban-elegant weddings should favor classic, orchestrated music and will probably require a larger performance area. A beach wedding should include portable, acoustic (un-plugged) instruments (acoustic guitar, ukulele and hand percussion) and probably folk rock, Hawaiian slack-key and island folk music titles. The rock-n-roll wedding should probably honor the couple’s favorite rock-n-roll song titles.
Ceremony venue size and spacing matters.
Here’s where you may need to call in a professional, a coordinator/planner or venue manager with experience at your ceremony location. Performance of your music is typically going to be limited by the area available to you. Sound issues may require you in some cases to scale down your band size and scale up things like power and sound projection (i.e. speakers). An experienced DJ should have knowledge of the ceremony venue and be able to advise you on your sound needs.
Song selection should reflect the type of ceremony.
If you are religious then your song selection may include hymns. You might interject special music throughout the ceremony to accent embellishments such as a prayer, exchange of rings, lighting candles or communion. This music may be performed with a vocalist or just as an instrumental performance.
In the case of a non-religious ceremony, draw from historic favorite song titles that you and your fiance enjoy. If the arrangement is too up-tempo or too crazy, don’t worry. There are plenty of cover bands reworking popular music. Here’s a good example:
Music serves a purpose in your ceremony.
Could you imagine a processional, a beautiful bride, her entourage, the gushing father and the sweet, innocent flower girl all walking in absolute silence? Absolutely not! It would wrong. Ceremony music serves a purpose. The processional music provides a background while the bridal party moves into position. It captures the attention of your guests and it sets a tone for the rest of the ceremony.
Music highlights special ceremony embellishments.
Remembrance is a common theme of wedding ceremonies: remembrance of a past family member or some other change that has deeply affected the majority of the guests present that day. But ceremony’s have other reverent moments: exchange of vows, exchange of rings, lighting candles and communion are just a few. Capture the attention of your guests by inserting a familiar song, played in a new and reverent way, with or without vocals.
Music is fun!
Use music, performed by soloists, a band, or spoken as lyrics, to bring fun and thought provoking images into your ceremony. Use friends and family members as frequently as possible to perform your song selections. Incorporate instruments and musical arrangements that matter for specific reasons and not just because the song is a “traditional” piece, used at every wedding. Music has the power to enhance the mood, and embellish your beliefs and values on the biggest day of your life.
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