Ultimate Checklist: How do I choose my wedding ceremony music?
Today, I’m going to give you my top tips to plan your ceremony music with my ultimate music planning guide!
If you’re new here, let me tell you that I’m all about celebrating life’s most meaningful moments with an awesome, one-of-a-kind live music soundtrack.
We’re going to break down exactly how I can help you choose the perfect music to fit each moment of your day. I’ll show you how to take your ceremony music from a jumpy mixtape to an expertly crafted soundtrack.
Here we go!
Prelude
This is the music that is played as your guests are being seated before the ceremony. The atmosphere is always buzzing with excitement and anticipation for the big moment. My clients often have fun choosing a theme or genre for this part, but it’s not necessary for you to choose specific pieces here. Maybe you want to create a serene classical atmosphere, or perhaps something dreamy and romantic? Whatever you choose, the prelude is the time to set the mood for your guests for the awesome party you have planned for them!
Processional
This is the big moment! For your processional songs, we’re looking for something that’s walking pace, beautiful, and builds to a climactic moment for the bride’s entrance. People often ask me how many songs they need for the processional. Unless you have a very large wedding party, I recommend choosing two: one song for the seating of the parents, procession of the bridesmaids + groomsmen, and ring bearer and/or flower girls, and a separate song for the bride’s walk down the aisle. Think of how these songs fit together - your musicians can help you with this, that’s what we’re here for! Canon in D is the classic processional song, and it’s easy to see why! I usually tear up a little whenever I play it for a ceremony.
During the Ceremony
Next, many couples include a symbolic moment in their ceremony such as lighting a unity candle, pouring sand, a wedding lasso, and so on. This often takes a few minutes and doesn’t involve much talking, so it’s a great time to have a beautiful and melodic piece of music playing in the background. Many different styles of music could work here, but think of choosing something that’s a little less upbeat than the Recessional that’s coming next.
River Flows in You would be a relaxing, peaceful choice. What do you think?
Recessional
“I now introduce to you for the first time as a married couple…” This is where the party starts! A lot of couples take this as a chance to pick a fun, upbeat pop song to kick off the reception. Whether you go with something traditional or contemporary, you’ll want to choose a song that is high energy and starts with a bang!
Married Life from the movie Up is so sweet and is one of our brides’ favorites.
In short
Choosing the right music for your day can be tricky, but you don’t have to do it alone! Finding musicians who can help guide you to your ultimate wedding music playlist and can masterfully time the music to the moment will be your secret weapon to a ceremony you and your guests will be reminiscing about for years to come!
Jump on a call with one of our music planning experts to get a custom plan for your wedding music.
Hello there! We share wedding music planning tips and resources here in hopes of adding a little more sparkle to your special day.
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