Ceremony Music to Set the ‘I do’ Mood

May 24, 2011

courtesy of Jessika Feltz Photography

If you’re a bride up to your elbows in wedding planning and you’re just as nervous about choosing the music and entertainment as you are about picking the perfect dress, it’s important for you to know something… You.Are.Not.Alone.  Heck, every bride wants her wedding day to be a flawless celebration of love, laughter and whole lot of GET DOWN, which is why it’s so important to set the mood from the start.  

Because musical styles are as varied as snowflakes, it’s vital for couples to narrow down their tastes and choose accordingly.  By carefully integrating both you and your beau-to-be’s musical preferences with the overall vision of the big day, you have the opportunity to create the perfect combination of sights and sounds that will have guests ooh la la’ing long after the day is done.

For instance, if you’re envisioning a stately and dignified wedding, chances are a hip hop artist or punk rock band aren’t the best choices to set the musical mood for your ceremony. While their look, dress and lyrical styling’s are just what you and your guests might need to drop it like it’s hot at the reception, the wedding itself would be more suited for a softer sound.  Maybe try a string quartet, a chamber orchestra (for larger weddings) or a classical pianist.  All of these will lend an air of sophistication to the affair, which can seamlessly be transitioned from one part of the ceremony to the next.

If you’re hoping to set a quiet, ethereal, romantic mood, you might prefer to go with a harpist, rather than a high-powered blues band.  Not that blues isn’t B.A. in its own right, it just may not be the best fit for “ethereal.”  You could also try a jazz ensemble to help maintain the quiet momentum of a mellower ceremony, as well as a classical or easy listening guitarist… since these would all tend to lend a lighter, calmer, “cooler” air to your wedding festivities.

Other than choosing a musical style and performer(s) that you and your guests will enjoy, the most important consideration is to integrate the music into the overall ceremony in such a way that it provides the perfect tonal backdrop against which your marriage ceremony may unfold.  (Golly I sound professional, don’t I?  Haha!) 

In fact, the right music will provide an accompaniment that can blend so beautifully, it will simply become a part of the ceremony, rather than standing out on its own.  And who can’t appreciate that?

Just be sure to take time and really pick ceremony music that fits you and your mood.  After all, how often do you get a chance to make it all about you?

Filed under: Wedding Planning 101

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