Music is the prelude to the kiss, which seals the commitment. Your choice of music should be personal and deliberate for your ceremony as well as your reception. Music sets the tone, enhances the setting and creates the ambience, which puts people in the mood. Music says a lot about the people celebrated. Too often, when we inquire about the ceremony music, we hear, “Just pick something nice.” Okay…but that says nothing about the events to come or the mood the couple is trying to create. We decided to share some of our suggestions for setting the mood and questions to ponder in order to help you decide.
Prelude Music
The Prelude is the music that sets the tone for what is to come. The time length for this set should be approximately 15 to twenty minutes in length. While played as your guests enter, your choices tell your guests, without words your expectations. The prelude should begin by creating a feeling of excitement and/or anticipation. Your guests are arriving, they are excited about your nuptials and the music should build on that feeling. As the time draws closer to your ceremony start time, the music should become more romantic, softer and the words (if there are any) should tell a love story. As the music softens, your guests will reflect this mood change their chatter will become softer in anticipation of the ceremony. The last song of the prelude starts the ceremony with the entrance of the Pastor and the entrance of the family. Followed by Groom escorting his mother.
Mothers’ and /or Groom’s Entrance
The mothers’ (his first then hers) entrance should be dramatic yet reflective. The words, if there are any, should speak about letting go…a new beginning…or a song of praise. This music is especially important if the groom is escorting his mother into the ceremony. We encourage the groom to have his own entrance so he too can share some of the spotlight.
Wedding Party Entrance
The bridal party song or songs should lead the guests to understand the love shared by the couple. “Do the songs have to be slow…or should they be set to a march?” Our answer is YES. Then we remind our clients music dictates the mood. Ask yourself, what is the ambience we are trying to convey? Do we want our guests to settle in and relish the feelings or do we want them caught up in the drama or do we want little of both?
The Bride’s Entrance
The bride’s song, chosen to tell her groom what she has in or on her mind, how she is feeling or is a song that reminds her of him. Similar to the couple’s first dance song, which we always ask our grooms to choose independently from the bride then tell her why he has chosen that particular song while on the dance floor. This secret is their first as a married couple.
The Recessional Music
The Recessional is the last ceremony song. Its importance lays in being the song that transitions the guests’ emotions in moving to the next mood- the Reception. It can be reflective (“At Last”-Etta James/Beyonce); declarative (“The Girl is Mine”-Michael Jackson/“We are Family”-Sister Sledge) or start the P-A-R-T-Y (“I Do”-Colbie Caillat/“Celebration”-Kool & the Gang).
The bottom line is your music needs to reflect you. Need help or want more ideas? Feel free to contact us Dream Weddings & Events, LLC.
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