A Royal Wedding is Great News!

In a world where there is so much sadness, it is wonderful to hear the news that William and Kate are to be married next year.

There is nothing quite like a wedding for bringing people together and enjoying the traditions that a wedding brings. The hen party, the stag night and the invitation list are just the beginning of a huge planning process that challenges even the most modest wedding, let alone a royal one!

One part of the ceremony that is particularly significant is the choice of music.

There is the traditional entry and exit pieces of Wagner and Mendelssohn, but couples are more often these days, choosing music that has a special meaning for them and often contemporary music too.

Also, it is not just the organ that takes pride of place, other intrumental ensembles are becoming popular such as a harp, guitar and flute, string quartet and even a rock/pop group may all be found in both church and civil weddings.

More information about live music for civil ceremonies can be found here.

Live Music for Civil Weddings

When people think of live music at a civil wedding it is usually a band for the "evening do".

However, it is possible to have live music at just about every stage of the wedding day, infact, it will enhance the mood of the ceremony, the drinks reception perhaps as the photographes are being taken and also the wedding breakfast too. Why have a CD player when you could have live musicians?

Of course there are some consideration to take into account such as the amount of space available and the cost.

If space is limited in the ceremony room or dining area, a string quartet may be a little difficult to "fit in", but a classical guitar and flautist will take up a lot less room, as will a harpist or solo guitarist.

The cost is of course something that must be taken into account for most weddings but live musicians for the ceremony and drinks reception can be a lot less expensive than the photographer for example.

Wedding Music - Traditional & Contemporary

If there is one piece of music that is indispensible at weddings, it would be Pachelbel's Canon in D - whatever would we do without it!

However, before the popularity of the Canon in D, "Here Comes The Bride" and the "Wedding March" were the regular "in and out" of the wedding ceremony.

Although the Canon is still regularly in use, and rightly so because it is a lovely piece of music, wedding couples are also choosing contemporary music from their favourite artists. This is great but can challenge the organist or civil ceremony musicians so it is a good idea to take this into account.

Youtube can provide a great starting place for getting ideas about wedding music.

Live Music for Civil Ceremonies

The options for live music at civil ceremonies depend on three things, the room available, the budget available and the mood that you would like to create.

 

Some rooms that are licensed for civil weddings are so small it would be difficult to squeeze in one harpist let alone a string quartet.

 

Of course, if cost is not an issue, a string quartet may provide a very classical and sophisticated atmosphere whereas a flute and classical guitar will have a very wide range of styles and probably be less expensive.

 

The mood that the instruments create is also an issue and this will probably be what determines the final choice of the ensemble.

Popular Music for Civil Ceremonies

If you ask anyone interested in civil weddings ... "what do you think the most popular piece for the Bride's entrance is at a civil wedding ceremony", the answer wouls probably be "Pachelbel's Canon" nine times out of ten!

The traditional "Here comes the Bride" has been replaced - even in church - by the more floating gentle nature of the "Canon in D".

The "Ave Maria" is not allowed in a civil ceremony, although very popular in a church ceremony but a good substitutue would be "Gynopodie No.1" by Satie ... another wonderful piece which lends itself to the elegant nature of a wedding.

In contrast, "Vidor's Toccata", although wonderful to hear played on an organ, may not suite the atmosphere of a small gathering or be playable by any other instrument than the church organ.

More and more couples, the days, are choosing music that has some special connection to themselves rather than the tradition wedding music of the past.

"Here Comes the Sun" by the Beatles is one such piece used often for the Bride and Groom's exit. There are many contemporary pieces that suite a wedding perfectly ... "We've Only Just Begun" by the Carpenters is one such example.

Conform to tradition or be original ... it really doesn't matter as long as the Bride and Groom get to choose the music they want.

Live Music & Civil Ceremonies

What are the benefits of having live musicians play at your civil ceremony?

Music of your choice played to fit the occasion. That is, musicians can start and stop "on the fly" and come to an end, for example of the Bridal Entrance, at a professional sounding moment.

Musicians can play as the guests arrive and entertain them while waiting for the Bride ... sometimes longer than expected!

There is no substitute for live music - just ask anyone who has had live music at their civil wedding ceremony.

The wedding couple won't have to rely on the quality - or not - of the CD player at the wedding venue.

The person who presses the buttons of the CD player can mess things up badly - it is actually quite a lot of pressure to do that job!

Wedding musicians are used to civil ceremonies and you should always get a professional performance.

Music is often one of the last details arranged for a wedding ceremony, but if planned well, can make a huge difference, changing what could be an awkward situation into a magical moment that will always be remembered - for the right reasons.