Fun Ideas for your Ceremony Music
Orlando wedding ceremony music selected today by most brides and grooms is personal to them. Most brides and grooms used to select from the same few traditional selections, e.g. “Here Comes the Bride”. Now it has become more popular to personalize your Orlando wedding ceremony music. Brides and grooms often pick wedding songs, wedding music ensembles or musical styles that are personal to them. If having unique and personal wedding ceremony music is something that you are thinking about, here are some fun and unique ideas.
- Have a dixieland band parade your wedding guests from your traditional ceremony to the wedding reception or cocktail hour location. This is a fun way to transition from a quite and romantic ceremony to a celebratory and party mood.
- Have a dixieland band parade the bride and groom down the aisle for the recessional after the wedding ceremony. This can be done instead of the dixieland parade to the reception if the reception site is too far for your guests to walk. This can also be done in addition to the parade to the wedding reception or cocktail hour location.
- Use nontraditional music for your Orlando wedding ceremony music. Many Orlando wedding couples choose to use music that is special to them rather than the traditional classical music. Music Remembrance had one couple that choose to have alternative 1980’s rock music like songs of “the smashing pumpkins” performed at their Orlando wedding ceremony. In order to make it more serious feeling and enjoyable for older guests they had the music performed by a classical guitar and bass duo. This way that had music that was unique and personal to them that still fit the tone they wanted to set for their wedding ceremony and their guests. If you are a jazz fan, romantic jazz ballads always make a beautiful edition to wedding ceremony music. They can be performed by vocalists or by instruments such as the trumpet, trombone, saxophone accompanied on piano or guitar. You could also have jazz ballads performed on solo guitar or solo piano.
- Use traditional music on nontraditional instruments. If you are a fun couple that would like to do something unique you may elect to have traditional classical wedding music played on nontraditional instruments. Electric guitar or electric guitar duo, electric guitar and bass duo, small rock band, singer with electric guitar, traditional organ with an oboe, english horn, french horn or other nontraditional instrumental soloist, bagpipe ensemble, solo bagpipe (has a limited classical repertoire), accordion, blue grass band, banjo or steel guitar are just a few choices.
- Use instruments that are special to you. If you met your fiancé at a concert, if you met your fiancé in a school band or at a concert, or if one or both of you play instruments you might consider using those instruments. If you met at a John Mayer concert you could use a guitarist/singer that performs his music. If one of you played trombone and the other piano a trombone and piano duet might be a fun and unique choice that your guests will enjoy.
- Ethnic music is a great way to personalize your Orlando wedding ceremony music. If you have an ethnic background or would like to pay tribute to a grandparent or parent from another country, Ethnic music can be so personal and unique. You can choose from using the style of music, the authentic ethnic instruments or both. I have yet to see a German band at a wedding so you could be the first in Orlando.
Whether you choose traditional music or something unique and personal for you, your Orlando wedding music will help set the tone and make your ceremony a day to remember.
Author-Andrea Rowlison. Music Remembrance. For more event and wedding music tips please visit the Music Remembrance blog or Published Ezine Articles by Andrea Rowlison.
New Orleans Band Parade
A New Orleans band parade is historically for funerals and are now used for funerals, weddings and events. The New Orleans parade was originally performed by dixieland jazz bands or dixieland brass bands in the early 1900’s. The dixieland band processes to the grave site performing slow sad music like “Just A Closer Walk With Thee”. After the funeral service the band plays upbeat dixieland songs like “When the Saints Go Marching In” to celebrate their loved one going to heaven to be with God. Now the celebratory part of the tradition is also used for weddings and events.
The New Orleans band parade is often called “second line” parade. This is because when the parades were first done, there would traditionally be a “second line” of people marching along with the band.
Events Using New Orleans Band Parades and Music
- Funerals: Traditionally the parade is at the cemetery. The dixieland band processional leads family and friends on foot, or in cars, to the gravesite. The band performs slow jazz funeral music until everyone gathers at the graveside. After the service the dixieland jazz band performs upbeat New Orleans jazz music to celebrate their loved one’s transition to heaven.
- Memorials: New Orleans jazz music at the memorial service. The band provides prelude music (music before the memorial service), service music hymns and postlude music or parade out of the service music. The postlude or exit processional parade music is traditionally upbeat second line music celebrating a love one’s transition to heaven.
- Weddings: Use jazz brass band parades for your wedding ceremony recessional (walk back down the aisle at the end of the wedding ceremony) for a memorable surprise for your wedding guests. Some wedding couples like A parade starting right after you walk back down the aisle. The most popular New Orleans wedding parade is a parade from the ceremony to the cocktail hour or the cocktail hour to the reception. What a fun surprise for your guests instead of being herded from cocktails to the reception. A trumpet performing a fanfare to get everyone’s attention and then inviting everyone to join the parade.
- Conventions/meetings: Wake up everyone at your morning meetings with a New Orleans Brass Band parade though the room performing fun interactive music. Imagine your CEO leading the parade with a traditional New Orleans umbrella.
- Parties and Events: Nothing livens up a party more than dixieland jazz music. Choose soft background music or a fun lively performance.
Costumes
Different brass band costumes for different occasions
- Funerals: The traditional New Orleans band parade Costume (pictured above)
- Weddings: The traditional New Orleans band parade costume (pictured) with mardi gras beads
- Fat Tuesday/Mardi Gras Parades & Parties: The traditional New Orleans parade costume with mardi gras beads or purple, green and gold mardi gras costumes
Hire A New Orleans Band Parade
In Orlando, Florida, Central Florida and Florida contact Music Remembrance for an authentic New Orleans style brass band performing dixieland second line music. A large selection of different size brass jazz bands are available. If you would like, the band continues performing for your event after the parade.
While booking a second line parade, mardi gras parade, dixieland parade, jazz parade, funeral processional, and New Orleans wedding parade, ask your musicians if they are full time performers to get the best bands available. Music Remembrance uses all full time professional musicians.
New Orleans Band parades make your funeral, wedding or event memorable. We hope to be a part or your event. Please let us know how we can serve you.
