6 Things to Think About When Choosing Wedding Music

Choosing your wedding music are an essential part of the wedding planning process and one of the more enjoyable parts, in my opinion. Some people love music, others are indifferent to it, but it is definitely something that you will need to think about on your special day. Music is an element that is present throughout the whole day – when you walk down the aisle in your beautiful wedding dress, throughout the ceremony, and of course the reception, when the real fun begins! The options for music are endless, with so many genres, styles and types of music at your finger tips. How will you find the right wedding music for your special day? Here are a few things to think about when you start your journey to find the perfect wedding music for your wedding day.

1. What wedding song will you want to play during the ceremony? You will want to choose a song for the procession, when you are walking down the aisle, and the ceremony. If you are thinking of getting married in a place of worship, check to see if there are any restrictions in terms of choice of wedding music. Sometimes, if it is a more conservative venue, you may need to play traditional/religious music when you walk down the aisle. The venue may have a selection of wedding music you can choose from, if this is the case.

• Would you prefer a DJ, a band, or both at your reception? Some brides/grooms like to have a band and a DJ at their wedding reception. In these cases, the DJ takes over when the band takes a break. If you do not want to get both, you can always have a set mix play during the breaks as well. This may be a good option if you are looking at reducing costs or if you want to avoid managing both a band and a DJ during your special day. When you are looking for your musicians, make sure to ask them for a sample of their work. This way you can gauge if you like his/her work before you commit to working with them. Also, you can check to see if they will play the wedding music you want them to play at your reception.

• What other musicians will you need for the rest of the day? When choosing your wedding music, think about whether you will want a pianist, a violinist or a saxophone player performing? You may want other musicians during your wedding day as well. For example, maybe you will want a violinist or a pianist to play during the ceremony? Or, maybe you will want to hire a saxophone player for the reception’s cocktail hour. Live performances always add a special touch to a wedding.

• What style of music do you want played at the reception? When you are making your music selections for the reception, consider the audience. Weddings bring different people and age groups together for celebration. You will want to have a good variation of music to satisfy the crowd and get the party started! What wedding songs your grandparents might like will most likely differ than what the youngsters are listening to these days.

• What wedding songs will you want played for the special moments?
• Father-daughter dance
• Mother-son dance
• 1^st dance as bride and groom
• Introducing the wedding party

When choosing your wedding music, think about songs that are meaningful to you and your partner. These can be songs that both you and your spouse-to-be like or that remind you of each other. One thing to consider when making your selection is the lyrics to the music you choose. The last thing you want is to slow dance to a song that is about a breakup or broken hearts or something very sad.

• Will you want ethnic music playing at the reception? If you plan to have ethnic music at your reception, make sure you choose a DJ that is familiar with the music that you want to play. Alternatively, you can provide the music you like at the reception to the DJ. He/she most likely will not know what songs to play at the party and this will help take the guesswork out of the equation. 

These are just some of the things to think about when you start thinking about choosing your wedding music. Take your time, plan out the day. Start off by determining how many key songs you will need throughout the event and go from there. Most of all, have fun with it!