Wedding Times

Wedding ceremony music is very important. It fills the room during quiet moments such as when you are lighting the unity candle and it provides as a nice backdrop as guests are coming and going from the ceremony. And even though there are a lot of choices when it comes to wedding music, this doesn’t make the lingo of the business any easier to understand! Here are the basics of what music you will need during the ceremony and the ways you can go about getting it!

The Lingo

Whoever you are speaking to regarding your wedding ceremony music, whether it is a professional sound mixer that’s going to pipe in violin music or a 4-string quartet, you will hear the same words over and over again and will need to make choices based on them. During the ceremony there are generally 3 different types of music you will have to choose. These are the prelude, the processional, and the recessional. The prelude is the music that is played as the guests come in and are seated. This can start as early as 45 minutes before the ceremony but it should wait no longer than 20 minutes before. This music is generally soft and while it can be heard, it still allows for the ‘buzz’ of conversation.

The processional then is the music that is played as the family, the wedding party, and the bride make their way down the aisle. A very nice dramatic effect is to play one song for each person in your party and then a different song for your entrance. Once you have said your vows and are walking up the aisle arm-in-arm with your new husband, the recessional will play which is generally a song with a very upbeat tempo to signify the joy that everyone is feeling.

Think of your Space

When you are deciding on which type of musician you want for your ceremony, you then need to consider your space to determine if you’re going to have room for them. You certainly can’t put a 4-string quartet in a space that is meant to only hold an organ and so if you have size limitations, you need to know this well in advance!

Enlist your Friends but Don’t Feel Obliged to Them

If you love the idea of your friend singing or playing the harp at your wedding, you are definitely very lucky to have someone that not only wants to give you gift! This can also be a really great way to involve people in your wedding when they have a special talent and you’ll save money as a huge bonus! That being said, never feel obligated to let someone play or sing at your wedding simply because it’s their dream. This is your day and it’s about your dreams, not theirs.

Set a Budget

Just like anything else that you will have to make a decision on when it comes to your wedding, your ceremony music will cost you money and so it’s important that you budget for it. Live bands can cost anywhere from $500 – $3000 so if it’s something you can’t afford consider asking a friend, at the local college, or for referrals from the church to see if you can get a better deal.