Hiring Wedding Musicians
We're sure you've pictured your wedding 
in your head before. What did it sound like? Did you have the traditional wedding march playing on a church organ, or was it being performed by an elegant string quartet? What about the ceremony , did you see yourself rocking out to a savvy DJ or slowly swaying to the perfect cover band ? Whatever your choice, the point is that you have to make one! Your wedding music is like the soundtrack to your new life together with your soon-to-be-spouse, and something you'll probably remember forever. And with something that important, it makes sense to do some research and choose wisely! Check out the following guide for some helpful tips to get you headed toward sweet wedding harmony.
Place Matters
Where your wedding takes place is going to affect the musical logistics--from where your band/pianist/singer is placed to the quality of the sound produced.
- Outdoor weddings require instruments that can carry their sound well--like brass horns. If you still want violins or flutes, that's not a problem--as long as you can recruit some more musicians. The more players, the louder the sound.
- Indoor weddings , especially those that take places in echo-friendly places like cathedrals, work well for all types of instruments because sound carries well. Just make sure that your musicians are placed closely to one another so that the tempo doesn't get thrown off by the reverb.
- Discuss room size and equipment needs to make sure your band will have the enough space to perform, and enough outlets to support amps and speakers.
The Basics
This is your time to shine. So after you've picked the instruments, pieces and the style of playing, make sure everything gets executed perfectly by consulting with your musicians.
- Make sure each member of the band knows the name of each song and the order in which they should be played.
- Make sure each member knows his or her cue of when to start and stop each piece.
- Try to have someone (yourself, a maid-of-honour, groomsmen, etc.) maintain eye contact with the band in case anything goes wrong during the ceremony. This also works if giving them specific cues beforehand is too much work. This way, a designated person can nod at the band, giving the musicians cues this way.
- In general, musicians and singers can perform during all parts of the wedding, including the prelude, the processional/bridal procession, the ceremony, the recessional, the postlude/greeting line and the reception.
- Professional ensembles have perfected their craft and can perform to your standards. Don't try to pinch pennies when it comes to the music, because you'll wind up with less well-trained musicians that may flub an important part of the day.
- If your first song at the wedding ceremony is something that's uber-important to you, consider getting a recording for just that song. This way, it will sound exactly as you remember it.
Resources
At a loss for quality bands? Get some recommendations from trusted sources.
Related Guides
Need some more wedding tips? Check out some of our other helpful guides:
