Your Wedding Beat
Tweet
Music is an important part of every wedding ceremony but it is often something that couples decide to plan last minute. They say that "music is the window of the soul" and a song can often trigger memories from years past for many years into the future. Making the correct music choices for your wedding day should be a top priority if you want to touch your guests and put your own personal imprint on your wedding.
With the trend of ceremonies moving out of the church and to more non-traditional settings like beaches, wineries, art galleries and backyards the variety of music played at the ceremony is no longer restricted by rules and traditions. If your wedding is in a church setting your pastor may require only music from a specific song list to be played at the ceremony. It is important to meet with your priest or officiant before selecting your live ceremony music to discuss how many songs will be needed and when these songs will occur during the ceremony.
As your ceremony ends and your wedding party starts to travel to take pictures or to head to your reception have an iPod or a CD burned with some of your favorite party songs to pump up in the limousine. This special thought will get your party started and your wedding party will be reminded of their limousine ride around town with you far into the future.
The reception offers two opportunties for music. Many couples are now choosing to have a live musician or their D.J. play dinner music beginning as guests arrive right until speeches begin. A word of caution-make sure this music is kept strictly as background music and doesn't interfere with your guest's socializing as they talk around their tables. Your guests will be looking forward to catching up with each other and loud music can often inhibit this from happening.
Once dinner has been served, words have been spoken and tears have been shed it is time to really ignite the party. By this time your guests may have been sitting for over two hours and they will be ready to move. The first dance by the bride and groom often takes place before guests are invited to get up and dance. A serious consideration is to have your first dance right before dinner. Your guests will be more attentive and less likely to be in the washroom.
Choosing the song you play for your first dance is a task which will ultimately remind you of your wedding day far into the future. Make sure you select this song together and that it has memories for both of you. Whether your first dance is before or after dinner ensure that someone announces the dance for you and captures everyone's attention so that the focus is on you!!
Getting the party started and enduring a fun atmosphere for the rest of the evening will strictly depend on the tunes played for the rest of the night. D.J. packages come with very basic service such as a live D.J. and a quality stero system to packages that range with elborate lighting and pyro technics. Normally a D.J. package will be less expensive than booking a live band. A live band can add a dramatic touch to any affair and you can never under estimate the atmosphere that live music can create. Whatever you ultimately decide upon the most important factor will be the electricity either a D.J. or a live band will create for your guests.
It is important to meet with your D.J. or your band and to go over the top priority songs you want to play during the evening. Some couples may event want to discuss a "DO NOT PLAY" list with their music expert.
Some couples are now downloading their own music on an IPOD and playing their own tunes. This may save on your budget but remember that not having a professional on site to take care of your needs or special requests is very risky business. The mood created for the majority of your wedding reception will depend on music, dancing and your guests special requests. Not having a person at your wedding to take care of these needs with a quality system can mean terrible disappointment for both you and your guests at the end of it all.
Remember that your love will be expressed through music on your wedding day. Put some thought into your musical choices so that your love creates happy memories and dancing feet.
posted by The Wedding Lady at
2:32 PM
1 Comments:
The idea that people wait to the last minute to decide on music is crazy to me. I'm not getting married until July 2012, and already we have ceremony songs selected and a small choir rehearsing them (it helps that my mother is a voice teacher and choir director).
As for the iPod playlist for the reception, that is what we're doing. An easy way to get requests in, without having to play around with the iPod on the day, is to set up a free wedding website, where guests can request songs before the actual wedding date. Keep the more elderly friendly music for before eleven, and then pump out the more modern dance/rock/pop for later, when the older guests will be readying to leave anyway.
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home