With so many decisions to make in the wedding planning process, it may be difficult to ensure you hit each and every note. Music is an instrumental element of the wedding day. It creates the mood of the event and can help get the party started.
Select Your Music Vendor
First, you should decide whether you want to have a band, DJ, string quartet or another music performer. You can also elect to create your own playlist and hook it up to a speaker for the music at your wedding.
Choosing a band will give you more of a concert and personal feel on your wedding day but it will take up more space and may shrink not only the dance floor but also the capacity of the venue.
A DJ is one of the more popular choices. You will be able to dance away the night to all of your favorite songs. The DJ will act as the emcee for the evening and control the flow of the event.
A string quartet is commonly used for the ceremony to create a more elegant and serene mood. You can choose to have a string quartet for the ceremony and cocktail hour and then have a DJ, band or something else for the reception.
Playing your own music allows you to have complete control of the music selection and order in which the music will be played. You will need to account for how long each piece of your ceremony/reception will be and have someone in charge of the music so that it is cued at the correct moment for things such as the cake cutting and walking down the aisle. This is a great option for couples that do not want to spend a lot of money on music.
Choose Your Wedding Vibe
What vibe are you looking for on your wedding day? Are you looking for something more laid back or do you want a more high-energy wedding day? Deciding this before deciding who your vendor will be will help in choosing who will fit best during your wedding day.
Choose Your Vendor
Once you have decided what type of entertainer(s) you want at your wedding, now you can select who you want this entertainer to be. To select this vendor first go online to a website such as The Knot or WeddingWire and take a look at the vendors in the area of your venue. Come up with a list of these entertainers and start your research. Look at their websites, see if they are playing anywhere that is open to the public in the future and check out the reviews. Also, ask your venue, other vendors and friends for their recommendations and to see if they have previously worked with someone that you are thinking about to see what their opinion is of the entertainer. Make sure that whoever you choose is going to bring the energy you want on your day.
Make Two Lists, Check Them Twice
After selecting your entertainer, you will want to make two lists based on you and your fiancé’s taste. One of these is a “Must Play” list. For this list you will want to list out all of the songs that must be played on your wedding day. These can be your favorite dance songs, songs that mean a lot to you or just songs that you want to hear on your wedding day. Also, include on the list in a separate section the songs that will be played during specific points of the day such as the ceremony, first dance, mother/son dance, father/daughter dance and the cake cutting.
Another list that you will want to make is a “Do Not Play” list especially if there are songs that you just cannot stand. This will help if the entertainer receives recommendations from your guests and one of these songs come up.
Make sure that your entertainer knows the mood that you want for cocktail hour, dinner and the reception so that they can ensure that the music they play goes with what you envision.
Selecting the right entertainer for your wedding day may take some work but it is definitely well worth it in the end.
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