Wedding Reception Music – 10 Helpful Ideas – Part II

Steven Vance and the Vienna Nights Orchestra

First dance as husband and wife

Guests wave goodbye after a wedding in Pittsburgh, PA

Wedding Ceremony Music 101

Welcome to Ceremony Music 101, a professional’s approach to your wedding ceremony music. Don’t worry, you don’t have to become a music expert to pick the perfect pieces to reflect your style during your wedding ceremony. But you should at least become familiar with some of the more traditional and most popular pieces used as for a starting point in wedding planning. Most couples use Classical and Religious music to complement their nuptials but you may be able to work in Pop, New Age, Broadway, Contemporary Christian, Romantic, and even Classic Rock hits. There are six key segments of the wedding ceremony that require special attention. I will outline them below in chronological order but for now let’s do them in order of importance.

The Bride’s Procession

A bride and her father approaching the aisle

All eyes will be the bride as she walks down the aisle, so this musical selection can be very personal.  The Big Three procession pieces are, in this order of popularity:  Canon (or Canon in D) by Johann Pachelbel; Bridal March from the opera Lohengrin by Richard Wagner (pronounced Vog-ner), and the Trumpet Voluntary by Purcell. Other favorites include Trumpet Tune, also by Henry Purcell; Vivaldi’s Spring from The Four Seasons; Jesu, Joy Of Man’s Desiring by Bach; Ode To Joy, which many people know as a church hymn but is actually the main melody to Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony; or selections from Handel’s Watermusik or Royal Fireworks.  All of these pieces can be heard in various forms on YouTube.  In selecting your wedding ceremony music, consider the length of the aisle you’ll be walking down.  Some pieces take longer to develop – or make musical sense – so they may not be practical for a short procession.  Often, when the Bridesmaids are coming down to a different selection you may want their piece of music to have a different character, style, pace, or feel to create a dramatic contrast between them and you.

Attendant’s Procession

Many of the pieces mentioned above for the Bride can be used effectively for the Bridesmaids, Mothers/Parents, and Groom/Groomsmen.  A few more suggestions: La Rejouissance by Handel; Air For The G String by Bach; Winter from The Four Seasons by Vivaldi ; Prelude from Te Deum by Charpentier; Sheep May Safely Graze by Bach; and Rondeau by Mouret which served as the theme to Masterpiece Theatreon PBS.

Ceremony Music at a Wedding in Pittsburgh

During the Service

There are numerous opportunities for musical selections during the wedding service.  During a full Catholic Mass the obvious choices are Offertory, Communion, and Rose Presentation as well the Responsorials.  For simpler services you might have a Unity Candle Lighting, Presenting roses to the Mom’s, or a quiet moment of meditation. In the movies you may hear music while the vows are being exchanged but in real life this is much harder to balance.  Nothing should be a distraction from that most important moment.  Several favorite suggestions are Simple Gifts; “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” by Bach; Ave Maria by Schubert; Winter from The Four Seasons by Vivaldi; Reverie or Clair De Lune by Claude Debussy; or the Wedding Song by Paul Stookey of Peter, Paul, and Mary.

The Recessional

When the bride and groom ride off into the sunset as husband and wife, something bright, lively, and celebratory is in order.  The most common is Wedding March from the opera Midsummer Night’s Dream by Mendelssohn. Many other musical selections may be fitting including quite a few that have already been mentioned here: Ode To Joy; Rondeau; Spring; Hornpipe from Watermusik; Eine Kleine Nacht Musik by Mozart and many more. Any number of Pop tunes could work here as well.

Postlude Music

This is music for after the Recessional to be played as the kissing and hugging begin and the guests move off to the wedding reception.  Any of the Recessional tunes could be used.  Most times you don’t need more than one unless you are planning a Receiving Line which slows the exit time.

Here is a chronological lineup of the events related to wedding music:

Wedding Ceremony Music

Prelude (as the guests arrive)

Mother’s procession

Bridesmaid’s procession

Bride’s procession

Selections during the service

Recessional

Postlude

Steven Vance is a noted wedding musician in the greater Pittsburgh area.  He offers the finest Strolling Violinists, String Quartets, Trios, and more for your wedding ceremony, reception, or rehearsal dinner. If you found this information useful and are looking for musical entertainment for your upcoming wedding or event, learn more about Steven at   Steven Vance Strolling Violins

Wedding Reception Music – 10 Helpful Ideas – Part I

Most people tend to notice things when they go wrong and overlook things that go right. So an evening of wedding reception fun that moves seamlessly from one part to the next may seem like it just simply “happened” the way it was supposed to.

However, wedding receptions that transition smoothly from beginning to end are more likely the result of good planning and preparation, along with the efforts of an experienced and talented disc jockey or wedding musician.

This is the first of two articles written to help you decide on the type of music you would like to have at your wedding reception. Often it is helpful to break down the reception into parts. This will help to create an understanding of the flow of the reception and will keep wedding guests engaged and entertained. On the wedding day, your disc jockey or wedding musicians will be responsible for transitioning from one part to the next, allowing the bride and groom to relax and enjoy the most exciting day of their lives. When planning your wedding music, consider the following reception events:

Guests enjoy food and music during cocktail hour

1.) Cocktail hour
2.) Introduction (grand entrance)
3.) Prayer and toasts
4.) Dinner music
5.) Cake cutting

Here is a little more information to consider on each of these topics. Hopefully these thoughts will inspire you as you continue your wedding planning.

1.) Cocktail Hour- The cocktail hour is generally held immediately following the wedding ceremony, and is the first opportunity to establish the mood for the wedding reception. This is a great time to create a first impression on your guests. Along with the room décor, food, and drinks, music will be an important factor in creating a theme for the evening. Decide if you would like to have smooth jazz or classical sounds, Italian or Irish music, oldies or classic rock, live music or a wedding DJ. Indicating your taste and style early will tell your guests that they are in for an evening that will be classy, unique, energized, sophisticated, fun, or all of the above.

2.) Introduction Music- This is when the bride and groom make their grand entrance into the wedding reception, so considering music that is a reflection of your personality and background is important. Keep in mind that this will be background music to the introduction and commentary made by your disc jockey or MC, so you don’t want it to overshadow what he is saying. You may choose to have one selection for everyone or select one piece of music for the wedding party and something else for the bride and groom. Remember to keep your selections short to keep things moving so the energy is not compromised.

3.) Welcome, Prayer, and Toasts- Once everyone has settled at their tables it will be time to move on to the formal pre-dinner festivities. A welcome by a parent is a nice ice-breaker and if desired can be followed by a prayer. This will act to quiet the crowd and capture the attention of your wedding guests to keep them focused on what is to come next.

Wedding Toast to the Bride and Groom

Having a member of the clergy or your wedding officiant is an obvious choice to do this but you may also consider family members or friends. The wedding toasts usually come immediately after, starting with the best man and followed by the maid of honor. If the groom or bride wishes to address their guests it is generally done after everyone else, right before dinner.

4.) Dinner Music- The dinner music will accompany the meal and again should reflect something of your taste and personality. Allow the music to be present enough to be heard but not so loud as to be distracting. Many couples consider having a live musician, such as a strolling violinist, perform during this time. Soothing music such as this creates an elegant atmosphere in which your guests can relax and enjoy the food.

5.) Cake Cutting- The ceremonial first slice of the wedding cake is always a whimsical moment as the bride and groom feed each other a small bit of cake. Its’ not much more than a photo-op but the right piece of music can bring a smile to everyone’s face. Popular music for wedding cake cutting includes tunes such as “How Sweet It Is” by James Taylor or Marvin Gaye, “Sugar, Sugar” by The Archies, or “Cut the Cake” by the Average White Band. Other selections that have that whimsy are “Love and Marriage” by Frank Sinatra and “When I’m Sixty Four” by The Beatles.

Part II of this series will include the last five events you will want to consider in planning your wedding reception and selecting your wedding music:

Wedding Disco Jockey and Strolling Violinist Steven Vance

6.) Bride and groom first dance
7.) Wedding party dance
8.) Dance with parents
9.) General dance music
10.) Last song of the night

Steven Vance is a noted wedding musician in the greater Pittsburgh area. He offers the finest Strolling Violinists, String Quartets, Trios, and more for your wedding ceremony, reception, or rehearsal dinner. If you found this information useful and are looking for musical entertainment for your upcoming wedding or event, learn more about Steven at Steven Vance Strolling Violins