Wedding Music Help
7 Ceremony Wedding Music Tips
Expert tips for planning your wedding ceremony music — from checking venue restrictions to briefing your musicians.
Your ceremony is the heart of your wedding day — the moment that everything else exists to celebrate. The music you choose for it will shape how that moment is remembered, by you and by every person in the room. These seven tips will help you get it right.
7 Ceremony Wedding Music Tips
- Check with your venue first. If you're getting married in a church or other religious venue, find out what music is permitted before you fall in love with a song. Many churches can also provide an organist, choir, or sound system — ask about this early, as it may save you money and effort.
- Clarify what's allowed. Religious venues often have specific rules about the types of songs permitted during the ceremony itself. Your minister or officiant is the best person to guide you here. Don't assume — confirm.
- Decide on the mood first. Before choosing any specific songs, decide what feeling you want the ceremony to have. Formal and solemn? Informal and joyful? Intimate and personal? The mood guides all the musical choices that follow.
- Consider involving a talented guest. If you have a friend or family member who can sing or play an instrument, asking them to perform a song is one of the most touching things you can do. It adds an irreplaceable personal dimension to the ceremony that no professional can replicate.
- Provide sheet music or backing tracks in advance. Once you've chosen your songs, make sure all musicians have the correct sheet music or backing tracks well before the ceremony. If they're not familiar with a song, give them enough time to learn it properly.
- Have musicians at the rehearsal. If at all possible, have your musicians present at the ceremony rehearsal. This ensures perfect timing on the day — everyone knows their cues, the procession moves at the right pace, and there are no surprises.
- Plan for the prelude and postlude. Make sure your musicians know they need to be ready to play approximately 20–30 minutes before the ceremony begins (for the prelude) and for around 15–20 minutes after the recessional (for the postlude). Include this in their brief and, where relevant, their fee.