Ceremony Music Tips

You will probably have music before, during and after the wedding; selecting the appropriate music will enhance your ceremony.  Before selecting any musical pieces, please check with the officiant in charge of the ceremony because some religions have strict guidelines concerning secular music.  Contact the music director or organist of the ceremony site; they may have information and ideas that you may not have considered.  Wedding music is usually segmented into four different parts: prelude, processional, ceremony and recessional. 
The prelude begins from the time the first guest arrives until everyone is seated and the mother of the bride is preparing to be ushered down the aisle.  Selection of music for the prelude can be varied.  You may prefer upbeat or slow paced or a bit of both.  The prelude should keep your guests entertained as well as set the mood for the ceremony.  Following the prelude is the perfect time for a soloist to sing.  The mother of the bride should be escorted to her seat during this time.
The processional is the music played while the bridal party enters.  When it is time for the bride and her father to take "the walk," you may use the same music or choose a piece especially for you.
The ceremony music is played while the wedding takes place.  Consult with your officiant regarding the proper time for a solo to be added.  The lighting of the Unity Candle is usually an appropriate time for a heart felt song.
The recessional is your exit music.  This song should be upbeat and joyous, celebrating the union of the bride and groom.
Here are a few suggestions for music and their composers:

Processional	Ceremony	Recessional
Austrian Wedding Song, traditional	All I Ask of You, Norbet and Callahan	All Creatures Great and Small, Williams
Ave Maria, Shubert	Cherish the Tresure, Mohr	Pomp and Circumstance, Elgar
Bridal Chorus (Here Comes the Bride), Wagner	My Tribute, Crouch	Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven, Goss
Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies, Tchiakovsky	Now Thank We All Our God, Bach	The Russian Dance, Tchaikovsky
Ode to Joy, Beethoven	Panis Angelicus, Franck	Toccata Symphony V, Widor
The March, Tchaikovsky	Saviour Like a Shepherd Lead Us, Bradbury	Trumpet Fanfare (Rondeau), Mouret
Trumpet Tune, Purcell	The Bride's Prayer, Good	Trumpet Tune, Stanley
Trumpet Voluntary, Clarke	The Irish Wedding Song, Traditional
Trumpet Voluntary, Dupuis	The Lord's Prayer, Malotte
Waltz of the Flowers, Tchiakovsky	The Unity Candle Song, Sullivan
Wedding March, Medelssohn	The Wedding Prayer, Dunlap
	The Wedding Song, Paul Stookey
	We've Only Just Begun, The Carpenters
	Wherever You Go, Callahan

Most organists will welcome any imput from the bride concerning the prelude selections.  Consult with the organist, chances are he or she has a lot of experience with song selection for weddings - use that to your advantage.  Your wedding should sound just as lovely as it looks.

   
 

Does A Show Like Bridezillas Encourage Bad Behavior

Does A Show Like Bridezillas Encourage Bad Behavior

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Spice Up Your Reception Entertainment

Put your personal stamp on the reception by kicking it up a notch with some non-traditional entertainment options.  How about something for the kids? You can do magic shows, jugglers, a petting zoo or even arcade games. Anything from pool and ping-pong,  to pinball and guitar hero can keep those lively kids occupied and happy.

 For adults who didn't bring their dancing shoes or don't like to dance the night away try casino games such as black jack, roulette, and texas hold 'em along with cigars hand rolled on the spot. A keepsake your guests are sure to enjoy is a caricature of themselves with your special day noted in the corner. Perhaps a photo booth where they can take crazy pix of themselves.

Their are lots of ways to think outside the box that will make your reception fun and memorable.
Along with the traditional band or dj would you consider something more unique?

What Stands Out?

There are certain things we notice as wedding that make the event special and more pleasurable to attend. Here are some of my recent observations:

Special music while guest are being seated really helps set the mood. A wedding I attended two weeks ago included a violinist playing a variety of beautiful music, not all of it traditional wedding songs. Ask your performer for suggestions if you are not well versed in ceremony music. Bridesmaids and the two mothers lit a number of candles at the altar, while the violin, accompanied occasionally by the organ, set the mood for the upcoming nuptials. A soloist sang, “The Lord’s Prayer” during the lighting of the unity candle. Very appropriate and very moving. I don’t think there was a dry eye in the house.

At the reception, if at all possible, don’t have the bar and the music in separate rooms. You are dividing the guests, some of which are missing special dances or announcements as they wait for their drinks. If there is a concern about noise level and making sure your guests can talk to one another without shouting, speak to your performer about volume levels and expectations. Play music for all age groups to get the largest number of your guests involved.

At this particular wedding, there were quite a few smaller children in attendance. Glow sticks that can be attached to one another to make necklaces and other items were provided for the kids at the reception. It was a great, non-messy way to keep them happy and busy, as well as working for all age levels.

What are some of the things that stand out in your mind from the weddings and receptions you have attended in the past?

A Wedding to Remember (Pleasantly), Part II

Now I bet you thought that the continuation of Part I would be more things that the bridal couple needs to do, right? Nope, I'm giving them a pass on this one. This is what you as the guest need to do. And it's not just as simple as showing up on time dressed properly.

Often before the wedding, a bride is asked if she would like a bridal shower. If you know you are going to be asked to a wedding and would like to hold a shower for the bride, that is a lovely thing to do. Unless you are a relative (or relative-to-be). Sorry, it isn't proper etiquette to have a shower for a family member. I know it's been done, but so have mullets for men and mini-skirts on women over 50. I think you get where I'm going with this one. Please consult with the bride on the guest list, the food and other details. After all, this is her shower and you would like her to enjoy it, wouldn't you?

Once the wedding invitation arrives, check your calendar immediately. Let's be honest. You pretty much know immediately if you wish to attend or not. Please return those response cards. What is the delay? Don't be one of those guests that has to be called (if you were my wedding guests, you wouldn't have been called. I just wouldn't have had a place for you at dinner. Oops. Guess you should have responded.) The bride has enough to do without chasing down all the rude guests that can't find the time to print their name, check off a box and drop a self-addressed, stamped envelope in the mailbox. How embarrassing for you. Please don't even think of adding your adorable children's names to the response card unless they were specifically invited.

Now let's get to the gift. Many brides have registered at one or more locations because they are dearly hoping you will pick something for them that is in their taste and not yours. If you don't have the good sense to seize that opportunity, cash works well. I don't know anyone that doesn't like cash. Should you choose to pick an item for the registry, shop early, before everyone else, so you have more of a selection than a $2.19 olive de-pitter or $599 electronic robot that cleans the home. And for goodness sakes, send the gift, don't drag it along with you. (Brides, you can help train future wedding guest by refusing to have a gift table at your reception). What makes you think the bridal party wants to end their evening hauling the gifts you should have sent as soon as you got the invitation (not something you picked up between the wedding and the reception)? Base the dollar amount spent on what you can afford, of course, but also take into consideration what you would have spent on an evening out for dinner and dancing.

An added touch, but not a requirement, is to send a thank you note to the host of the wedding, be it the bridal couple themselves or parents or a combination. Send copies of any photos you may have taken. Mention the details that made it "A Wedding to Remember (Pleasantly)". You in turn will be remembered fondly.

A Wedding to Remember (Pleasantly), part I

As you and your betrothed are planning your wedding and reception, you have carefully considered each other’s dreams, ideas, budgets and wishes. This may lead you to believe that your wedding day is All About You. For the most part, that’s true. However, if you would like your guests to remember your day with almost as much joy, there are a few things you can do.

Whenever possible, do not monopolize the entire day of your guests. A wedding at noon and a reception at 5:00 p.m. makes many groan, especially your out-of-town guests. It may also create a situation where some guests choose to skip the ceremony to avoid lag time between the two events. If a large gap of time is unavoidable, plan activities for your guests. A trolley ride of the city, a place for guests to socialize such as a friend or relatives home, or a local (inexpensive) attraction that has a wide interest may be appropriate. Information and maps provided to guests are always appreciated.

To cut down on the amount of time between ceremony and reception, take some of the photos beforehand. If you wish to follow tradition and not see your future spouse before the ceremony, leave the group photos for the end. Take photos with parents, friends and your side of the wedding party first. That will dramatically cut down on photography time.

Many guests prefer not to go through a long reception line. It can be awkward to think of things to say to a bridesmaid you don’t know. However, it is always good manners to have a receiving line for guests to greet the newly married couple. What to do? Consider shortening the line. Include parents, the bridal couple and possibly just the maid/matron of honor and the best man. Make it possible for those who absolutely wish to skip it to do so, but make it more palatable for those who wait in line.

Make it clear whom you wish to invite and don’t feel guilty standing firm. An invitation to “Mr. & Mrs. Jones” does not include their children. An invitation to “Mr. & Mrs. Jones and family” does. You may wish to include childrens names, should Mr. & Mrs. Jones have a three cousins twice-removed visiting on your wedding day and choose to bring them along. Put together a seating chart for your guests. It is unpleasant for guests to jockey for a position at a table and try to try save a chair by leaving their purse or jacket behind.

What ideas do you have for making your special day enjoyable for everyone?

To be continued....

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