Music is one of those elements of a wedding that can sometimes get left until quite late in the planning process, but it has a huge impact on how your day actually feels.
From the moment your first guests arrive for the ceremony to the final song of the evening, music helps create the atmosphere, fill the natural pauses in the day and move your guests from one part of the celebration to the next.
But what music do you actually need for a wedding day?
While every wedding is different, there are four key parts of the day where you might want to think about music: your ceremony, drinks reception, wedding breakfast and evening party.
Your Ceremony
Your ceremony is probably the part of your wedding where you’ll have the most specific pieces of music to choose.
We recommend having music playing as your guests arrive. This immediately creates an inviting atmosphere, sets the scene for what’s to come and means guests aren’t arriving into a completely silent room, church or outdoor ceremony space.
You’ll then need to think about:
Your processional: The piece you’ll walk down the aisle to. Depending on your wedding party and ceremony plans, you may want one piece for bridesmaids or other members of the wedding party and another for your own entrance.
Signing the register: It’s worth choosing two or three pieces here. Signing the register can take longer than you expect, particularly once photographs are included, so having plenty of music avoids an awkward silence.
Your recessional: This is the piece that plays as you walk back down the aisle together. It’s usually a much more celebratory choice and a lovely opportunity to choose something joyful and upbeat.
Popular choices for ceremony music include a string quartet, harpist, gospel choir or violin and piano duo. You can choose something completely classical or ask your musicians to perform instrumental versions of songs that mean something to you.
If you need some help choosing music for your wedding ceremony, our blog might help.
Your Drinks Reception
Once the ceremony is over, the drinks reception is where everyone can relax, grab a glass of something and catch up. Music here should add to the atmosphere without making conversation difficult.
Often, the musicians who performed during your ceremony can continue into the drinks reception, slightly tweaking their repertoire to reflect the change in mood. A string quartet that played classical pieces for your ceremony, for example, might move into pop covers, jazz or lighter contemporary repertoire afterwards.
Other popular choices include a jazz trio or jazz band, pianist, roaming band or DJ with saxophone playing Ibiza-style, lounge or chilled music.
Roaming musicians can be particularly fun as they move amongst your guests rather than performing from one fixed position. Or you can do something completely different. A mariachi band, for example, can be a brilliant surprise for guests and immediately lift the energy.
There really are no rules. If there’s a style of music or an act that you love, there is almost always a way to incorporate it into your wedding.
Your Wedding Breakfast
Music during your wedding breakfast can sometimes be overlooked, but it’s a brilliant way to maintain the atmosphere between the drinks reception and evening party.
The key is choosing something that complements what’s happening in the room. You still want guests to be able to talk, eat and enjoy the speeches, but your music can gradually start raising the energy and warming everyone up for the evening.
A jazz group or swing band can work particularly well here, creating a lively atmosphere without taking over the whole room.
Other popular choices include a guitar and vocal duo, solo pianist or cello and piano duo.
You could keep things sophisticated and relaxed throughout dinner, or ask your musicians to gradually introduce more upbeat repertoire as the meal progresses. The right musicians will understand how to read the room and adjust what they’re playing accordingly.
Your Evening Party
And then it’s time to dance!
What you choose for your evening wedding music will depend enormously on the music you love and the type of party you want to create.
It’s often worth catering for different generations, particularly at the beginning of the evening. Your guests may span several decades, so a great evening act will know how to bring everyone onto the dance floor before taking the music in a more specific direction later.
Some couples have a genre of music they absolutely love and build their evening around that. A ceilidh band can create a fantastic, interactive party, while a country and western band could be perfect if that’s the music you and your guests love.
Some of the most popular choices are a party band, show band or DJ Live act, where a DJ performs alongside live musicians such as a saxophonist, percussionist or vocalist.
Whatever you choose, quality matters.
Your evening musicians need to do much more than simply play a list of songs. Experienced performers know how to read a dance floor, respond to your guests and keep the energy in the room high throughout the night.
After months, or sometimes years, of planning, those final few hours of dancing together can become one of the lasting memories that you and your guests take away from your wedding day.
Creating the Soundtrack to Your Whole Wedding Day
You don’t necessarily need a different act for every part of your wedding. One of the best ways to create a cohesive day can be to choose musicians who can adapt their repertoire as your celebration progresses.
Equally, you might want each stage of your wedding to feel completely different: classical strings for the ceremony, jazz over dinner and a full show band to finish the night.
There is no single formula for the perfect wedding soundtrack. It’s about choosing music that suits you, your venue and the atmosphere you want to create.
At Wislocki Music, we can help you find exceptional musicians for every part of your wedding day, from your ceremony right through to the evening party. Whether you already know exactly what you’re looking for or you’re wondering where to begin, get in touch with the Wislocki Music team and we can help you create the perfect soundtrack for your celebration.
Looking for more inspiration? Check out our blog all about musicians for your wedding day.