Music for Your Wedding Reception
Music is an essential
part of your wedding. Good music enhances the
overall atmosphere of the party and will entertain your wedding
guests throughout the day and evening. It's best if you have
experienced and heard the Disc Jockey or Musicians
you hire firsthand or have a referral from someone you trust.
If you are choosing your music provider from
an ad, find one that specializes in weddi
ngs.
Bridal shows are a great way to meet a few professionals under
the same roof. You can ask questions to get a general feel for
them. Always keep in mind that the cheapest is not always the
best way to go when choosing your music providers.
You will usually have to pay more for experienced and well-equipped
music providers. When you are talking to the
different professionals, pay attention to how professional they
are and what their people skills are like. They will usually
ask if you have a preference in music and any
favourite songs. Keep your wedding guests in
mind when choosing the music but it's usually
best to mix the music up a bit. Most disc
jockeys will ask you to fill out a questionnaire, sometimes
called a wedding reception plan. It will inform
them of the music you want played, the music
you don't want played, the names of the wedding
party, the layout for setup, events in the evening you would
like to happen and the overall schedule of your wedding
reception, which is especially important if you are not having
a traditional wedding. Your plan
should also explain if they will be providing any extra equipment
or services like lighting, bubbles, fog or a special event to
get people up and dancing.
Most disc jockeys offer
Master of Ceremony services. When you are interviewing 
different
professionals ask if they offer this service and if the service
is included in their fee or if it's an extra charge.
Book your wedding musicians,
bands and disc jockeys as soon as you can after
your engagement so that you get your first choice. As soon as
you have your places of wedding reception and
ceremony booked, you can book your music providers.
If your music provider
doesn't ask you to fill out a wedding reception plan
with all the needed information for the evening be sure to provide
them with all the needed information. The list should include
the names of all the 
wedding
party and their relationship to you, and all your important
songs that you want played at your wedding
with the times you want them played. Include any events that
will be going on throughout the evening and the time they will
be happening. Don't forget to include any songs you don't want
played. Give this information to them well in advance to make
sure they will be able to play the music you
want at your wedding. See our Wedding
Song List for suggestions.
Most disc jockeys have
many ideas on how to get people up and dancing, after all that's
what they do for a living. Discuss with them if they plan
on doing anything special throughout the night. Here is couple
of ideas to get people up and moving.
The Generations Dance is
a fun way of not only getting people up and dancing, it also
makes the couples that have been married a long time feel special.
Step 1: The Bride and Groom are called up to the dance floor
and all the married couples attending the wedding
reception are called up to join them for a slow dance. Step
2: When the song is over, all the couples that have been married
less than 10 years are dismissed from the dance floor for now.
Start a new song, leaving couples married more than 10 years
and the Bride and Groom. About 30 seconds to a minute into the
song, the couples married less than 15 years are 
asked
to take a break from the dance floor. Then after another 30
seconds to a minute or so, 20 years...25 years...30 years until
one couple or a few couples are left on the dance
floor. This will be the couple(s) that has been married the
longest. Step 3: At the end of the song, the DJ or Master of
Ceremony or Band leader asks the couple(s) to introduce themselves
and for them to offer the bride and groom some words of advice
to help them make the marriage strong and last as long as their
own. (The secret to a long and happy marriage.)Then a new song
is played inviting everyone to join them on the dance floor.
The Snowball Dance helps
to get the dance floor full early on. This dance can start out
with just the Bride and Groom or with the whole bridal
party. After about a 
minute
or two into a song, they separate and each person picks up another
partner from the room of guests. After another minute the couples
split again, and again, until the dance floor is full or everyone
is dancing.
If you are not very confident about your
dancing skills, consider taking some dancing classes before
your wedding. If you do it together it could be a fun experience
for the two of you to share.
Music for
Your Wedding Ceremony
The
music for your wedding ceremony
is just as important as the music for your wedding
reception. It sets the mood and entertains your wedding
guests. The place where you will be having your wedding
ceremony may have someone who plays music for
weddings. You can ask to hear them play to
insure you are happy with their ability. You will need music
for many parts of your wedding ceremony. You
may wish to hire someone special to play for some of the sections
of the wedding ceremony. Make sure hired musicians
are able to come to your wedding rehearsal
so that they are familiar with the wedding
ceremony proceedings. See below the key parts of most wedding
ceremonies where you may wish to have selected music for.
Some couples like to make the exit of the
wedding ceremony or entrance to the reception
a little special by having bagpipes playing, the sound of a
trumpet playing or even a drum roll.
Using Music
to Hold the Memories
Try to make a point of having a dance with
each of the special people in your life at your wedding
reception. You can have a song played that is special to the
two of you. This way you can have a few moments together on
the dance floor alone to talk or just to make
a special memory. It could be a special dance
with your father, mother, grandmother, sibling or close friend;
anyone you feel that has touched your life in a special way
including your new spouse. Make sure all the songs
are on your list of requested music that is
given to your music provider in advance.
Back
to Top
