Top 5 tips when booking the musical entertainment for your wedding

Music on your wedding day is hugely important as it can have a big impact on the overall atmosphere as well as set the tone for your day. We’ve put together some key things to consider whilst planning and booking your musical entertainment for your wedding along with a few of our famous Wedition hot tips.

When booking your entertainment here are our top five things to consider:

1. Are you able to hear your wedding musician play live or listen to some demos first?

When choosing your wedding music for your ceremony and wedding reception it would be a good idea to find out from the wedding musicians that you have short-listed if you can hear them play live. They may well be playing at a wedding fair or have a regular slot at a restaurant or bar. Seeing your wedding musician play live before your big day will not just reassure you that they have the right sound for your day but it will also give you a chance to see how they interact with a crowd.

Failing the chance to see your wedding musician perform live ahead of your day, ask them to send you a demo or give you the link to their online music platform. Listen to as many songs as you can, not just the ones you want performed and played on your day as it will give you an idea of their overall ability.

Wedition Hot Tip: Include a song request area with your invitation. If you are having Wedition invitations we can include an interactive code to take your guests straight to the right place on your website to make their requests!

Photo credit: Red on Blonde Photography.

2. Consider the location of your wedding musician

If you are wanting your wedding musician to play outside on your wedding day then you must make sure they have shelter from the elements, and a plan B for if the weather is not what you had been expecting. If your musician is familiar with your venue then they will already know the best locations where their sound will carry well. You don't want the wind to carry their sound away!

Photo credit: Ideal Imaging by Alistair Jones. Harpist: Amy Turk.

3. Allow your wedding musician time to set up

Make sure you allow your musician enough time to set up and get into position. Bear in mind that they will most likely need to make multiple journeys back and forth form their transport to get all their musical equipment in position. They will need time to plug in speakers and microphones and test that everything is working. Make sure comfort breaks are factored into their schedule and offer them a bite to eat.

Photo credit: Ideal Imaging by Alistair Jones. Wedding musicians: Steve Carrell and Megan Luna Rhodes.

4. Consider the music for yourselves, and for your guests

Top Surrey pianist Bryan Edery gave us his top tip when selecting the song list for your day, he told us that "you should choose the music you want for your ceremony, but the music your guests would like for your wedding breakfast/evening entertainment." We couldn't agree more, the music played during your ceremony must be special and hold meaning for you, yet the music during your wedding reception is all about maximising your guests enjoyment of this special day and making it memorable.

Photo credit: Hayley B Weddings. Pianist: Bryan Edery Music.

5. A ‘do not play’ list is perhaps more important than you realise!

Your wedding musician will of course want to know what the must-have tunes are, but it is perhaps more important to consider a ‘do not play list’. All good musicians will be able to judge the crowd well and play the music that will appeal to them so it is perhaps not fair to insist on a hugely long song list that they simply MUST play. There may be a few certain songs that really get on your nerves and you would feel might spoil your mood, these are the songs you must make sure your wedding musician is aware of and that they must not play.

Also consider if you want special songs for key moments such as throwing the bouquet, cake cutting, and your last dance.

Wedition Hot Tip: It's great fun choosing a first dance, but how about a last dance? If you're not sure what song to finish the night on, perhaps ask your parents what the first dance at their wedding was, it will be a great way to round up the evening and your parents will feel loved and appreciated.

Photo credit: Hayley B Weddings.

Include your music choices within your Wedition

Your personalised wedding magazine is a wonderful way to ensure all your wedding day details are shared amongst your guests. If your ceremony music choices have very special meaning to you then you may well choose to include this within your Wedition. Perhaps the music playing during your readings was the music you heard on your first date, maybe the music you walk out to was the music your shared your first kiss to. Maybe the musicians you have chosen where the ones who often play at your favourite restaurant, whatever your reasons for choosing your magical music, your guests will love reading why.

Clockwise:

• Wedition couple L & G shared some background information on their harpist and steel band in their pink and white Chinese themed personalised wedding magazine.
• K&J had the words to 'The Twelve Days of Christmas' inside their Christmas themed personalised wedding magazine, their guests had great fun singing this loudly after the wedding breakfast.
• A&M opted for their wedding ceremony music to be listed inside their cherry blossom themed Wedition.
• Wedition couple L&T shared all their special wedding day details with their guests including the special reason they choose their wedding DJ and harpist, inside their pastel pink and green Wedition.

Get in touch with Liz at liz@wedition.co.uk to discuss what you would like to include inside your Wedition for your wedding.