Planning your wedding ceremony music should be a fun process to personalize your wedding.  For many, it can be overwhelming and brides and grooms often don’t know where to start.  In another Music Remembrance article you can find information on Choosing Music Ensembles for the Wedding Ceremony. This article guides you through the process of choosing your wedding music style and ensemble.  Once you have selected your ensemble then it is just a matter of selecting the music.   These tips will help you select your wedding ceremony music and have it run smoothly.

Knowing the different events that you will need music for at your wedding ceremony is the first step.  Following are the main events of the wedding ceremony that most brides and grooms use music for and some tips in selecting the music for each.

Prelude (Also Called Seating Music)

Any music ensemble that you select for your wedding should provide prelude music while your guests are being seated as part of their wedding ceremony music fee.  I recommend, for an average size wedding, that the musicians be in place to start the prelude 1/2 hour before the ceremony begins.  They should start performing as the first guests arrive.  The wedding music ensemble should have enough music to perform should the ceremony starts late.

Seating the Mothers

 A piece is usually selected to be performed during the mother’s entrance.  This entrance most commonly takes place  immediately preceding the wedding ceremony.  This piece is often continued while the groom (also possibly groomsmen) and officiate take their place. (Know that this order can vary. At some wedding ceremonies the groom and wedding officiate take their place before the mothers.)  A piece that is somewhat subdued is usually selected for this, thus saving the drama for the bridal party and bridal processionals.

Music For the Bridal Party Processional (Entrance) 

The bridal party includes the flower girls, ring bearers, bridesmaids (and groomsmen if they are escorting the bridesmaids) and any pets in the ceremony.  It is most typical to select one song for the entire bridal party.  For large bridal parties and/or very long aisles, some brides and grooms will select one song for the flower girls and ring bearers and another song for the brides maids.  The music for the bridal party can either be lively or subdued depending on the tone that you would like to set and if you want a dramatic contrast for the bride’s entrance.

Music for the Bridal Processional (Bride’s Entrance)

Select one special song for your moment.  In general, I suggest that this be the most dramatic piece out of all your wedding ceremony music.  This can often be preceded with a fanfare for an added dramatic effect.

Music for Unity Candle, Sand, Crystal, Coin or Wine Ceremonies, Rose Presentations or Similar Event in the Ceremony Requiring Background Music

 If you use music for these ceremonies you will want to select soft subdued music.This will keep the music in the background of the event and allow your guests to hear the words spoken.

Music for the Bridal Party Recessional (Return Down the Aisle at the Conclusion of the Wedding Ceremony)

Most brides and grooms choose to use one piece for this event.  A joyous piece to celebrate this wonderful occasion is most commonly selected.

Postlude

The postlude consists one or two pieces that can be played immediately following the recessional if your guests have not finished exiting the ceremony site. You can choose to keep the mood celebratory or give more of a feeling of closure for the ceremony by selecting somewhat more subdued music.

For traditional classical pieces for each segment of the wedding ceremony visit our article in our Music Remembrance blog.

Have fun planning your wedding ceremony music to make your special day personal and memorable.

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Selecting string music for weddings need not be a challenge. There are so many popular pieces of string music you can choose for your wedding.

String music adds elegance and sophistication to any Orlando or Florida wedding. There are many different string soloists and ensembles to fit a variety of types of Orlando wedding ceremonies, venues, and budgets.

Stringed instruments can be heard without amplification in small to medium venues and have the capability of playing soft for smaller venues.  Stringed instruments can be heard well through some large wedding venues if the acoustics of the room are reverberant.  This will usually be the case if there is limited carpeting and drapery.  If you have a very large venue amplification will most likely be needed so that all of your wedding guests can hear.

Stringed Instruments Used for Wedding Music

• Violin
• Viola (A viola looks like a larger violin, is held and played like a violin, has a deeper sound and plays lower notes.)
• Cello (A cello looks like a very large violin that rests on the floor and is held  between the musicians knees when played.  It has a rich and deep sound and plays lower notes than the violin and viola.)
• Stringed Bass (The largest and lowest sounding of the bowed stringed instruments, it looks like a large cello and is played standing up or sitting on a stool because it is so large.)
• Harp
• Guitar
• Classical Guitar
• Ukulele (Looka like a very small guitar)
• Piano
• Harpsichord (played much like the piano has a softer sound and is commonly heard in Baroque music)

Any type of music can be performed by the string soloists and ensembles violin, viola, cello, and harp are most typically known for performing classical music.  Guitar is known best for pop, rock and jazz music but classical guitar is wonderful for weddings.  To me, there is nothing more beautiful for a wedding ceremony than strings or trumpets playing baroque music.  Baroque music is classical music written from 1600 to 1750.  Some good examples of this are Handel’s La Rejouissance and Henry Purcell’s Trumpet Voluntary.  For something unexpected and unique a string trio or string quartet playing other kinds of music like pop, country, blues, jazz or folk music adds a personal touch.  Using a jazz, folk pop or even rock guitar for your ceremony can help personalize the day for many as well.

When choosing a string soloists or string ensemble for your wedding music it is important to use full time professionals.  Stringed instruments are difficult to play in tune and using part time “weekend warriors” or students for this important day often leads to disappointment.  Just imagine walking down the aisle to poor sounding out of tune music.  You want to make sure that your wedding day is memorable, in a good way.

Musicians are paid per person so for weddings on a budget a soloist or a small ensemble works best.  Some of the nicest and most budget friendly choices are the small ensembles (also called chamber ensembles) .

Small String Ensembles

• Solo Violin
• Violin Duo
• Violin and Viola Duo
• Violin and Cello Duo
• String Trio:  A string Trio most often consists of violin, viola and cello although some trios consist of two violins and cello.
• String Quartet: The string quartet is the most classic wedding music string choice and gives a full and elegant sound perfect for any wedding venue.  The string quartet is comprised of two violins, viola (looks like a slightly larger violin)  and cello.
• Solo Harp
• Harp and Violin Duo
• Harp and Flute Duo
• Harp and Violin Duo
• Harp, Violin and Cello Trio
• Solo Guitar
• Solo Classical Guitar
• Guitar Duo
• Guitar and Violin Duo
• Guitar and Harp Duo
• Guitar and Flute Duo
• Guitar Trio
• Guitar with Violin Duo
• Guitar, Harp and Violin Trio
• Guitar and Singer
• Solo Piano
• Piano and Violin Duo
• Piano and Guitar Duo
• Piano with Violin Duo
• Piano with String Trio
• Piano and Vocalist Duo
• Solo Ukulele
• Ukulele and Guitar Duo
• Ukulele, Guitar and String Bass Trio
• Ukulele and Vocalist Duo

Large String Ensembles

I have include some ensembles with harp with the larger ensembles because of the higher cost.  It is considerably more expensive (approximately double the cost) to hire a harpist than other string musicians.  The reasons for this are the cost of the instrument and the difficulties in transporting it to wedding venues.

• Harp with String Trio
• Harp with String Quartet
• Piano with String Quartet
• Harpsichord with String Quartet
• String Orchestra When it comes to making a strong and extraordinary statement the string orchestra sets an opulent and elegant tone.  Best for larger budgets, a string orchestra is composed of violins, violas, cellos and string basses.  Some string orchestras add harp and/or piano or harpsichord.
• Symphony Orchestra (A full orchestra which includes the string orchestra and brass, woodwinds and percussion)

There are many different string soloists and string ensembles, like the popular string quartet, that add elegance and sophistication to any Orlando or Florida wedding.  For more information on hiring strings for Orlando wedding music please visit our wedding pages.

Using fanfares and fanfare trumpets can make any Orlando or Florida wedding or event regal and dramatic.  This article gives a brief description of fanfares and list some of the many ideas for using them to make your Orlando wedding or event dramatic and memorable.

Fanfares are usually short pieces of music played by trumpets or other brass instruments and sometimes accompanied by percussion.  Fanfares are used to announce kings and queens, before announcements to gain audience’s or guest’s attention, important parts of events, events involving dignitaries, the beginning of television and radio news shows, at the winning moment in video games.  Some fanfares are full pieces, such as The Fanfare for the Common Man by Copeland, but these are not as commonly used for events.

When fanfares are seen played in movies, they are usually performed on fanfare trumpets.  Fanfare trumpets are the long trumpets used for playing fanfares that can hold banners. They are also referred to as herald trumpets, coronation trumpets (because the are used for coronation of kings) or ceremonial trumpets.

Today, fanfares played by fanfare trumpeters, trumpeters, brass quartets, brass quintets, brass choirs and brass ensembles are commonly used in weddings and events.  For extra drama or a regal atmosphere banners can be hung from the fanfare trumpets and the fanfare trumpeters can be dressed in a variety of costumes.   Some wedding couples have special banners with their names or initials on them and some events use banners with company or charity logos or names.  Here are some of the many ways that fanfares and fanfare trumpets may be used in weddings and events.

 FANFARES AND FANFARE TRUMPETS IN WEDDINGS

There are many uses for fanfares and fanfare trumpets in wedding ceremonies and receptions.  These are some of the most effective.

Wedding Ceremony Music

• Fanfare Trumpets play a fanfare after the bridal party entrance and immediately before the bridal processional (the bride walking down the aisle).  This gives a royal tone fit for a princess and lets the guests know that it is time to stand for the bridal processional.
• At the end of the ceremony a fanfare is played before the priest/minister/officiate announces “Mr. and Mrs…  This can be done several ways.  One effective way is for the officiate to say I now present to you [short fanfare is played] Mr. and Mrs…

 Wedding Reception Music

• Fanfare trumpets play fanfares at the end of the wedding cocktail hour to announce when it is time to move to the dinner location. The fanfare trumpeters perform a fanfare to get your guests attention and then either the trumpeters, or a chef standing in-between them, announces that “dinner is served” as the doors to the dinner room open.
• Fanfare trumpets play a fanfare to announce the bridal party entrances.  This helps get all guests attention and makes the entrances dramatic.  Some wedding couples use fanfares before each bridal party member enters after their names are announced.  Some brides and grooms reserve the fanfares for when they are announced.
• For large weddings, fanfare trumpets are used before every event of the wedding ceremony to get everyone’s attention e.g. cutting of the cake, toss of the bouquet, exit of the bride and groom.  These fanfares are coordinated with the wedding band leader who announces the events.

FANFARES AND FANFARE TRUMPETS FOR EVENTS

Fanfare trumpets make any event dramatic and regal.  These are a few examples of the many ways that fanfare trumpets can be used during events.

•  Fanfare trumpets are used during events to gain guests attention for announcements e.g. “Dinner is served.” “The silent auction closes in ten minutes.” “Please go outside for the fireworks.”
•  For events with awards or prizes being given fanfare trumpets make the presentation exciting.  “And the winner is,” fanfare played by fanfare trumpets, “John Smith”.
•  Fanfare trumpets for morning events or meetings really wake everyone up and get them ready to participate.

To find out more about using fanfares and fanfare trumpets at Orlando, Tampa and Florida weddings and events, please visit the Music Remembrance web site or contact Music Remembrance.