Music at your wedding can be something that is easily forgotten and not given enough attention. But just as the flowers, dress, and location are crucial to setting the scene, music is a crucial way to convey your feelings, personalities, wedding theme, and to help your guests relax.

If you are like most brides and grooms your wedding music is something that is special to you and for years to come will mean something, so selecting what kind of music you choose to have on your special day is very important and should not be taken lightly.

The Ceremony

One of the first things you need to consider when choosing your wedding music is of course the setting. If your ceremony is not going to be held within a religious setting, you have a wide variety of music to choose from and are only limited to that which the guests would find suitable; you don’t want your great grandparents rocking to Metallica. On the other hand, if your ceremony will be held within a church based setting, you will have to check what the guidelines are for that particular place; this can be done by contacting the head of church or religious setting you are having your ceremony at.

As a general guideline most churches will allow songs that make respectful references to God, Jesus, Holy Spirit etc and also allow songs that don’t focus specifically on God but enforce the religious ideals of that in vows such as faithfulness, love and support.

Different Choices

Vocal Solos and Duets

One choice that is available is to use solo vocalist to sing some of the songs during the wedding, they are usually accompanied by some kind of musical instrument such as a piano or guitar, a duet is also another option and both can be very effective, if hiring out vocalists be sure that you hear some demo tapes or music before you leave deposits or you may end up disappointed. Find out whether they require a meal at your reception and also what they require in relation to breaks during the night. You don’t want to pay for five hours if they break for half an hour every hour. You may also want to consider asking a friend or family member if you feel that they have the sound you are after.

DJ- Disc Jockey

If you have decided to choose a DJ, the first step that can be taken is to call your favourite local radio station and find if they offer a DJ service, sometimes they can offer services for not much more than those within the yellow pages, the bonus being that you already know what they are like to listen to. You also know what kind of music selection would be available as it would be the same as station plays on a daily basis.

If the prices are too high then the yellow pages are the next step, these are usually private companies and you can sometimes get them to offer you a cheaper price and play around with what music will be played as they only have to keep their customer, you, happy. It is also wise to ask for sample of what they play and their play lists. Their voice can also be important as sometimes DJ’s will add a little humour and make jokes.

Live Band

Finding a live band to play at your wedding is another option that is available. Chances are that if you ask family and friends who they would recommend or who they have heard at weddings, recommendations are great because the people referring them have usually already heard or seen them play and they were obviously entertaining. You can also ask what types of music the band played to help you decide if they would suit the atmosphere you are trying to create. Your reception venue may also be able to suggest some bands that are local to the venue, they usually are well aware of what is available within the local area and will be able to make recommendations based on what they know about the bridal industry and what previous weddings have had.

After you get a few names of wedding bands in your area, call them and ask to have a meeting. Ask to hear a sample of their music, either from a tape, video, cd or live. Most bands will already have this ready for you to listen to because they want your business. You will be able to tell if they are suited to what you require also by asking what types of music they normally play at weddings, the longer the list the better the band as this means more of selection for you and more variety for your wedding guests. Also ask about meal and break requirements.

Choosing the songs

The music is one of the areas of your wedding where it gets to be personal. Since songs are usually chosen because of specific lyrics that are meaningful, you will want to make sure that you make the right selection. Although it is your wedding you should also make sure that the music will not offend guests that are present, you may not be able to please everyone but foul language and music you can’t understand is usually considered inappropriate for a wedding ceremony or reception. The best way to make sure you are organised is to make sure you have picked a song for each special part that takes place within a wedding. Such as walking down the isle, signing the marriage certificate, walking back down the isle as husband and wife, cutting the cake and the bridal waltz. Feel free to add some humorous songs, love songs, songs to dance to so that you have variety.

Contracts and Checklists

While I am sure that most of you understand by now the importance of making sure when you sign something that everything is included on the contract there are few things that you need to make sure are there and in writing so that there are no disappointments on your big day. I have compiled a simple checklist that you can feel free to take along with you to the meeting you have or feel free to make up your own adding in the things that you feel are important and using this as a guideline.

Checklist of Questions to ask

1. How long have you been in Business?

2. How many people do you contract or employ?

3. Are we allowed to submit a music list of some type?

4. What is the attire suitable for your Wedding DJs/Band etc? (Tuxedo a must)

5. How vast is your music collection? (Minimum 10.000 titles for DJ’s)

6. Do you have any coverage of previous weddings that I am able to see?

7. How many functions have you performed at?

8. Do you require a deposit? How much? (50%)

9. Do you accept major credit cards for payment?

10. Is there someone to replace you in case of sickness?

11. What is the cost for entertainment?

12. Amount of hours for the price?

13. How much is it for an Extra Hour?

14. When does the DJ/Band/Vocalist come to set up?

15. Does the entertainer require meals/parking?

16. Do you offer a free consult prior to function?

17. What type of music do you prefer? (As this may have an affect on what they play/sing/perform.)

18. Is your equipment in good condition?

20. Do you have any sample music, or a video I can view?

21. Are there any testimonials from customers that I can see?

23. What stages are payments due, when is final payment due?

24. If I cancel how much of the money do I lose, if you cancel do I get all my money back?

25. Do I need to provide a track list of do you choose what music is played?

Another handy checklist to have is one that lists all the songs you may need to pick if choosing a DJ. The one below outlines the times that are considered special throughout the ceremony and reception. It is very extensive so many of them may not need to be used.

Ceremony Music

1.    Prelude

2.    Walking down the isle

3.    A song during the ceremony

4.    Walking away as husband and wife

5.    Music as guests are departing

Reception Music

1. Introduction
2. First dance (bridal waltz)
3. Father and daughter dance
4. Mother and son
5. Brothers and Sisters
6. Cake cutting
7. Bouquet toss
8. Garter toss
9. Last dance

Other music that may need to be selected are things such as group dances or any requests you may have from family, friends. If you want to lighten the mood a little you may ask for songs such as Nutbush, chicken dance. If it is more of a formal affair songs such that people can waltz too are always a good choice.

By Rachael Cronshaw