MUSIC AT WEDDINGS
MUSIC AT WEDDINGS
I have been a professional musician for 10 years, and have performed at numerous venues, for a wide variety of functions – including weddings. These are some of my favourite engagements!
I have lost count of the times people have remarked that they ‘wished they had had a professional musician,’ to perform at their wedding. Likewise, a professional live band, singer or instrumentalist at the ceremony or reception, completes your special day. This adds quality to your wedding as well as providing a memorable atmosphere for your guests – and yourself!
Singers and musicians can create a special atmosphere at your wedding, providing music that is to your taste, and to reflect your personality. As a soprano, I am often asked to sing Schubert’s ‘Ave Maria’, whilst the signing of the register is taking place. However, it is not to everyone’s taste – and not as appropriate for some civil weddings, but a singer could sing a favourite or particularly special song for the wedding couple – such as ‘My heart will go on’ or ‘I will always love you’ – I am sure you have your own special favourites! A singer or other musician can also be asked to perform when the bride arrives and leaves a church, or when the couple enter and leave a civil marriage. The possibilities are endless: and from your point of view, why not use the singer or musician if they are at the venue anyway!!
For the reception, the music you choose is entirely dependant upon the type of do you are having. For example, if you are having a disco, you might want to consider hiring a live band, who can design a programme of songs to suit your tastes. Do however, consider that some guests at the wedding will not have seen each other for some time, and might want to talk: we have all been at weddings where there is only one hall, and nowhere quiet to sit and talk!! Also, the volume needs to be suitable for the venue and not too loud – or quiet for the hall. It is always worth your while talking to the band prior to the wedding to check whether or not they do a sound check, how flexible they are about repertoire (for example, if no one is dancing will he change the music) and requests on the day.
Live music, can create a unique atmosphere at your reception and can easily be designed for the type of venue, reception and time as well as your personal tastes. I had a string quartet for my reception. They started to play when we arrived for drinks and moved onto the minstrel gallery for the wedding breakfast. They provided me with a list of repertoire and offered to play pieces that I specifically wanted, provided I gave them enough time to arrange them. Later on, I had a jazz trio to play; guests danced and it created a lively atmosphere. The music wasn’t too loud, so guests could still chat. It really worked! Another wedding we attended had a classical guitarist playing at the reception: everyone remarked on how lovely it was.
Finally; I have conducted some market research on live music for special occasions. The most significant results I had were: 98% wanted music that they knew and music that wasn’t too loud!
My top tips for successful live wedding music are as follows:
1. Listen to lots of music, to decide what style you want to include in your wedding service and reception
2. When contacting musicians, ask lots of questions: for example, how flexible are they with taking requests, sound checks, repertoire. My recommendation is to book someone that listens to your needs and wants to make your event special.
3. Request recordings and repertoire lists from musicians, and also letters of recommendation.
4. If you have an opportunity to hear musicians performing live, that is a better indication of how good they are. Recordings don’t always tell the truth!
5. Don’t be afraid to ask the musicians to adjust the volume if they are playing too loudly or too quietly for your needs. You want to create an atmosphere appropriate for your needs!
6. Listen to the advice from musicians; they might have some great ideas!
7. Consider the needs of your guests; not all age groups want to dance with a band or disco, and unless there is another room that they can sit and chat, they might not be very happy!
8. Don’t have music that is too loud: a lot of guests want to talk to people they haven’t seen for a while, and others really don’t like loud music.
If you would like any further advice or ideas, please feel free to contact me on info@nsn-productions.com or see my website www.nsn-productions.com
Written by The Editor on April 5th, 2006 with 1 comment.
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