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How To Use Music at My Wedding

Music is an integral part of any celebration, and weddings are no different. Music sets the mood and tempo of the wedding celebration, and so you should give your music selection careful consideration.

To make the task easier, try this: divide your ceremony up into its different stages, and write these down in your wedding planning notebook. Then, next to each stage, write down the mood you want to create, or create a storyboard with images which tells of the mood. For example:

• Pre-ceremony – Do you prefer quiet background music which facilitates conversation, or something more upbeat to dissipate the nervous atmosphere which often lingers at this stage of a wedding?
• Processional – what mood should be conveyed as the bride and groom’s wedding parties walk down the aisle? Will you use music to emphasise a quiet air of confidence and happiness or will you use this opportunity to heighten the suspense in the audience of your own entrance?
• Bride’s entrance – do you want to make a dramatic entrance, or one which is completely in keeping with the traditional? Or do you want to make it fun?
• Ceremony – don’t forget to choose appropriate music during the ceremony itself. For religious weddings, this would include a selection of your favourite hymns but for civil ceremonies, you could select any music which holds special meaning for you and your partner.
• Recessional – as you and your new spouse leave the ceremony, what message do you want to convey, for example, happiness, love or unity?
• Pre-reception – while the wedding party is off having photographs taken, you will need to keep your guests entertained with some background music. Would you like to keep it soft and subtle, or are you keen to get the party started?
• First Dance – the reception party usually kicks off with a First Dance. Do you want a slow, lilting romantic ballad to emphasise your love and devotion to one another, or are you eager to show off how blissfully happy you are with a light-hearted pop tune?
• Party music – once the ceremonial aspects are all over (that is, speeches, toasts, the meal and meeting and greeting your guests), it’s time to reward your guests with some fun of their own…will you go for a live band to create a special atmosphere or a DJ to play stomping party tunes? Remember, too, that you have a diverse guest list, representing a variety of age groups, so try to accommodate their tastes.

Once you know what mood you want to create at each stage, you can search for appropriate music. This can be time-consuming…let The Wedding Directory make it easier for you! We’ve compiled a comprehensive selection of the finest wedding music – Top Ten: Classic Ceremonial Music, Top Ten: Contemporary Ceremonial Music, Top Ten Classic First Dance Songs, Top Ten Contemporary First Dance Songs and, as if that isn’t enough, the Top 100 Most Requested Wedding Songs!