Impartial advice on the subject of wedding music written by Dan Perrin

I understand how difficult it is to decide on who to book for your wedding. I have therefore put together a short guide with some useful tips from my experience over the last ten years.

Any instructions given here as to what music should be played on your wedding day should be used as guidelines only. You should book musicians who play music that you and your partner enjoy and is emotional and special to you. Remember, it is your day! 

 

What sort of music should you have at each stage of your wedding?

It is completely up to you! However, the music that you play for your wedding is important and provides an atmosphere and mood for the day. The mood you want from the music is likely to be different from the ceremony to the reception and this can be reflected by what sort of musicians are selected and the songs that are played. Often romantic laid back music is chosen for the ceremony. Softer tracks that are special and personal to the wedding couple are normally played down the aisle, as the register is signed and for the first wedding dance at the reception. This can be provided by a duet, solo singer, acoustic guitarist, organist, harpist or even a string quartet. A good musician at the ceremony can make people feel more emotionally part of the event and make it more enjoyable for everyone. During the wedding meal music is sometimes played as the guests arrive and then as people eat to set the mood and tone. The evening music can be anything you want! It is however important to consider that later in the evening, after the alcohol has been flowing, people will want to dance and so up beat tracks are necessary whether this be through a disco, band or karaoke.

 

How do I decide what sort of musician to book?

It should be noted that the more musicians that are booked within a group or band the higher the price will probably be. It is therefore important to choose music that is relevant and affordable to you. You should not worry too much about what your guests are expecting to hear. Concentrate on what sort of music you both listen to and what reflects you as a couple. Writing a storyboard of each phase of the wedding and noting what you would want to hear at the different stages may help you decide who to book. You should always listen to an act prior to booking. What you think they will sound like may not necessarily be what they do sound like. This can be done through requesting a CD, listening to the act online through their website or ideally live at a venue.

 

Things to watch out for when booking a musician

Make sure if you book a musician that the venue can accommodate electricity hook ups and ample space to play . If you are getting married in a church you should also ensure that they permit non-religious music to be played before booking anyone.

Successful musicians are often booked well in advance. It is therefore important to select who you want to play for you early and book them. You do not want to listen to your second or third choice musician on your special day. Do not be afraid to request tracks you want to be played in advance from bands, groups or solo artists. This will give them the chance to learn a track if they do not already know it. Finally, ensure that you agree the timings you want prior to the day. Any good musician or DJ will be happy to do this and stick to the agreement. This will avoid any confusion on the day and will provide peace of mind of exactly what is happening and when.