You're engaged? Congratulations!
Now what?
Planning a wedding may seem pretty daunting at first. There are so many aspects to take care of, especially as you get closer to the date. The music you choose for your ceremony will absolutely set the mood by creating the ideal atmosphere for you and your guests.
That's why it's essential that you plan ahead.
This wedding ceremony music checklist will guide you from selecting and booking ceremony musicians to ensuring a perfect walk down the aisle:
Three to Six Months Before:
Two Months Before:
One Month Before:
Two Weeks Before:
One Week Before:
Wedding Day:
Two Weeks to a Month After:
Questions? Comments? Contact us!
Now what?
Planning a wedding may seem pretty daunting at first. There are so many aspects to take care of, especially as you get closer to the date. The music you choose for your ceremony will absolutely set the mood by creating the ideal atmosphere for you and your guests.
That's why it's essential that you plan ahead.
This wedding ceremony music checklist will guide you from selecting and booking ceremony musicians to ensuring a perfect walk down the aisle:
Three to Six Months Before:
- Consider what style of music you want for your ceremony (i.e. classical, contemporary, jazz, Latin, etc.)
- Consider if you want the same or different style of music for your cocktail hour and/or reception
- Ask for referrals of wedding musicians from your family and friends
- Research wedding musicians on WeddingWire.com, a wedding planning website that also lists reviews for venues, photographers, florists, caterers, stylists, and other wedding vendors
- Contact the musicians you are considering and set up a phone chat, where you can ask them your questions and get a feel for how you connect
- In most cases, ceremony musicians are booked for one hour - the first 30 minutes will be prelude music as guests are arriving, and rest of the hour will be the ceremony itself (which begins with the processional and bridal entrance, and concludes with the recessional)
- Book the musicians for your ceremony
- Most musicians will require a retainer fee at the time of booking (this is usually a percentage of the total cost)
- Oftentimes, speaking with a wedding music professional will help you to clarify your vision for the ceremony
- If you are unsure of music choices, ask for suggestions, or visit Wedding Ceremony Music Guide for ideas
- Many vendors will offer you a discounted rate if you decide to have the same musicians for both your ceremony and/or reception
Two Months Before:
- Let the musicians know if you're thinking of any special songs that may not be a part of the standard wedding repertoire
- These songs will often need to be special ordered and arranged for the musical ensemble you've chosen
- There is usually an extra fee for ordering and arranging music, since each arrangement may take up to several days to complete
- The fee for arranging typically starts at $75-100 per song, so if you DO want any arrangements, you will need to factor this into the total cost
One Month Before:
- Finalize music selections for your processional, bridal entrance, and recessional
- If you'd like music in any other part of your ceremony (i.e. during a prayer or a reading), finalize these selections as well
- Visit the venue where you will be having your ceremony and decide where you want to place the musicians (if possible, email them a photo of the venue)
Two Weeks Before:
- Confirm all your music requests with the musicians (processional, bridal entrance, recessional, and any music for special parts of the ceremony)
- Provide the musicians with a list of everyone who will be walking down the aisle during the processional (this is usually the bridal party and should include everyone who will walk before the bride)
- Designate a contact person and provide his/her name and phone number for the musicians in case any issues arise on the day of your wedding
- Send the musicians the reminder of your balance so that you will have paid in full
- If you are hiring a keyboardist, be sure to confirm that they have their own equipment and are able to bring it (most keyboardists will)
- Most acoustic instruments do not need to be miked, unless the venue is very big or you are expecting a large number of guests
- Be sure to let the musicians know ahead of time if you will be using microphones
One Week Before:
- If it is available, email your musicians a copy of your ceremony script so they can confirm their musical cues (this is especially important for the recessional music, as well as music for special parts of the ceremony)
- Make sure the venue will be able to provide enough chairs for the musicians
- Provide the musicians with the name and contact number of the wedding planner and/or someone from the venue itself
- Decide who -- the wedding planner, the officiant, or a family member -- will give the musicians their cue to start the processional music (the processional music should begin only after the bridal party is ready)
Wedding Day:
- Since most wedding musicians charge by the hour, be sure to start your ceremony as close to your planned time as possible to avoid incurring extra charges
- If there are last-minute changes in your bridal party that may affect the length of the processional, be sure to communicate this with your wedding planner or designated contact person so that they can inform the musicians
- Tell your bridal party to begin walking down the aisle AFTER they hear their music start
- Even if the ceremony begins a few minutes late, as long as it ends before the hour, you can avoid paying extra (i.e. You booked musicians from 6-7 P.M. and your ceremony was scheduled to begin at 6:30 P.M. If it actually starts at 6:40 P.M., as long as it finishes by 7 P.M., you will not need to pay extra).
Two Weeks to a Month After:
- If you are satisfied with the services provided by the musicians, ask if you can write them a review (either on WeddingWire.com or their Facebook business page, or email them a review that they can post on their website)
Questions? Comments? Contact us!