LIVE music is great for energising a crowd and building guests up for the significant parts of the evening such as the bridal waltz and the dancing afterward. Musicians can also change the tempo of songs to suit the time of night and a good band leader can also act as an MC during the evening if required.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Whether you hire a band or DJ, the decision-making won’t stop there. You may be asked to create a list of songs that you would like to have played at your wedding. If you listen to music a lot, selecting songs for your wedding may not be too difficult. If you don’t, then you may find it a struggle and prefer leaving the matter to the band or DJ.
One of the benefits of choosing a DJ is that they have a huge library of songs; including that song you and your partner call ‘our song’. They’ll have music that your friends like and that is suitable for your parent’s generation.
A good DJ can provide the perfect segues from the ideal bridal waltz song to great dance music and back to the cake cutting song.
If you choose a band, choose accordingly to the size of the venue and number of guests. Live music can be loud and you don’t want to overpower a smaller venue. Find out if they can play your favourite songs and ask what they provide during their breaks.
Either way, just make sure whoever you choose knows what music genres would best suit the tone of your wedding and your guests’ tastes.
If you would prefer to select the special songs for your wedding yourself and the band or DJ has no problem with that, make sure you do some research. Several websites are available that list popular wedding songs and offer suggestions for various wedding events and activities. You will definitely want to check those out.
You will need several songs for the actual ceremony, including some for the prelude when guests are arriving, the processional when the bridal party is coming in, the interlude when the vows are being exchanged, and the recessional when the newlyweds are walking down the aisle.
You may have specific activities planned for your reception, like the father/daughter dance and the garter and bouquet toss. When picking your selections try to find tunes that reflect the tone. For the first dance, for example, you may want something romantic, whereas for the cutting of the cake, you may want something less stirring and more fun. Whatever the activities, make sure your song selections relate to them.
Selecting the right songs for your wedding will take some time. Do your homework and don’t hesitate to get your fiancé and friends involved. They are sure to have suggestions. And don’t forget about the band or DJ you have hired either. They may be willing to do a lot of the work for you and come up with their own list of suggestions for the ceremony and the reception from which you can pick and choose.
