Wedding Venues on a Budget

The High Cost
Wedding venues are one of the most expensive costs of a wedding day so getting the best value for money is important. Of course you won't want to skimp on the necessities, but a bit of careful planning can go a long way in being able to reduce the cost.

Popular Wedding Venues
Having the reception at a hotel that is very popular for wedding receptions, has the merit of knowing that if it is popular, it is probably very good. However, with high demand usually comes higher prices so it is good to get as many quotes as possible in order to find wedding venues on a budget.

The Wedding Day
Saturday has traditionally been the day to get married, but it is becoming more popular to get married on other days too. This of course has the advantage of being off-peak and likely to be less expensive. People who provide wedding services such as wedding music and musicians are also more likely to be available on less popular days of the week.

High Standards
Check out their bar/restaurant food first and also the friendliness of the staff. You may also wish to check the bar prices and the cost per bottle of wine etc. Sometimes a venue that sounds good value for money may put higher prices on other items such as the drink.

The Least Expensive Options
The way people who had very little money used to do the reception, was to get members of the family to supply the food and hire a local hall. Another less expensive option is to book a pub or restaurant to provide the wedding meal. If other customers are able to eat too, this may not cost anything apart from the cost of the food!

All Inclusive packages may be cheaper
In wedding venues like hotels where wedding receptions are frequently held, wedding packages may be available.
If you consider all the services that are available for a wedding day, a package deal may give a significant saving. This may also include discounts for overnight accomodation for family and close friends to stay.

It is great to be able to spend lots of money and have the best of everything, but remember that this is just day one!

Wedding Musicians

Wedding Musicians and Music
An increasing number of people who are getting married nowadays want wedding musicians and music that not only compliment the setting of a church but also reflect the feeling that the couple wish to create. So here are a few tips for the possibilities of music and musicians.

The Church Wedding
Deciding on the music for a wedding in church might be quite clear-cut. However, it often will depend on if you choose on classic music or go for a more modern option where the Bride and groom pick music that is more current or means something particular to them.

Possibly the most significant music is the Bride's processional piece. The standard music for this is the "Bridal Chorus" by Wagner often known as "Here Comes the Bride". Nevertheless, more regularly, couples are selecting pieces that represent their own preferences in music which may include Pachelbel's "Canon in D" or "Jesu Joy of Mans Desiring", both of which are very well liked. "The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba" also makes a wonderful entry piece.

You might find that you want more hymns incorporated in the wedding than time will permit. These may include: Love divine all loves excelling and Lead us heavenly Father lead us. Obviously if you desire a lighter style of hymn like all things bright and beautiful or morning has broken and make me a channel of your peace, are all ideal.

The next choice could be deciding on the music to have through the signing of the register. If you choose to have a soloist, he or she might have a repertoire to choose from. Even so, the choir may sing a suitable piece or the organist play until the Bride and groom finish their job of signing the register.

The Bride and Groom's exit, or recessional music is frequently the customary "Wedding March" by Mendelssohn but it can also be quite popular to have Vidor's "Toccata" - just to examine the organist! Or a "Trumpet Voluntary" by Clarke or Purcell.

Wedding Musicians
An organist and choir are not the sole choice for a wedding ceremony. Partners frequently opt for a flute and classical guitar or a flute and harpist at wedding ceremonies. This occurs mostly when couples choose not to have any hymns! This might appear rather unconventional, but not all couples who may have a ceremony put on in a church location, also want traditional hymns. This is all the more so with regards to civil ceremonies, where music with a religious association is frequently prohibited. Additional options for musicians may consist of a pianist or string quartet.

No matter what wedding musicians or music pieces you may decide on, it is the Bride and groom who ought to have the ultimate approval, in the end, it is their big day.

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.