Wedding Ceremony Music Made Perfect

Wedding Ceremony Music Made Perfect

Your wedding ceremony presents an incredible opportunity to set the tone for your celebration and to make an emotional impact that is uniquely yours. How is this done? Simple: through the power of music.

Here are some distinct ways to make a difference:

One is with your choice of instruments and/or vocals. Traditional wedding ceremony music often makes use of instruments such as a string quartet, piano, harp, flute or classical guitar. However, musical presentations can include other unique sounds from bagpipes to the flugelhorn. And there’s no limit to the style of wedding music performed. Yes, classical has an understated elegance, however, there are many non-traditional ways to achieve this. The most important element to consider is the emotion that you want to convey. Do you want to have strong religious undertones, or to have a somber, fun, perhaps even silly extremely upbeat vibe (think of those YouTube videos of the wedding party dancing down the aisle to a hip hop beat!)? The best way to express how you feel about each other is through your song choice.

Forget about any preconceived notions and simply think about your favorite music and instruments. For example, a recent bride I worked with had an affinity for French Cabaret music. The groom loved standards by Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett but was afraid that if the band were to perform more than one or two such songs, it might “kill the party.” The couple both loved strings.

A great solution: a string quartet performed the groom’s favorite romantic Sinatra and Bennett ballads while the guests arrived and took their seats. As the bride walked down the aisle, the strings performed her favorite romantic French Cabaret song. The couple also had a very silly sense of humor and talked about how they had just enjoyed a Monty Python movie so we had our PopCulture Strings play “Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life” as the recessional. Needless to say, theirs was a completely unique and personal ceremony that truly expressed how they felt about each other.

When it comes to your wedding ceremony music, go with your heart. Allow yourselves to be open to possibilities, and the stress of deciding what to do will fade away. The process of planning your ceremony music can be a fun and wonderful bonding experience for the two of you and your guests!