Personalizing Your Wedding Ceremony Through Live Music
I’m so excited to have another guest vendor blog post for you this week, especially because this week our guest vendor is Boom Island Strings! Music holds a special place in my heart, I grew up singing in choir from 3rd grade and didn’t stop until I graduated college. I miss singing so much, so I appreciate that these ladies have found a way to make music such a huge part of their lives still! Keep reading for their advice in making your wedding day unique through music!
There are so many decisions when it comes to planning a wedding. Indoor or outdoor ceremony? Urban or rural venue? Plated dinner or buffet? Recorded or live musicians for the ceremony?
In navigating the many details of a wedding, many couples don’t consider ceremony music in the early planning stages and don’t set aside a budget for it until it’s too late! Other couples love the idea of including live music in their ceremony but are intimidated by the details of hiring live musicians. As someone who has performed at weddings for the past eight years, I wanted to provide some insights on the topic of wedding music!
Even if you are downsizing your guest list, musicians can still bring something special to your ceremony!
Imagine how live music will set the atmosphere for your wedding, even if gathering constraints only allow a soloist or duet. Whether as a couple you prefer something classical or contemporary, musicians add a personalized touch for you and your guests! Especially in a time when most musical performances are on hold, including live music for your ceremony and/or reception can uniquely set the scene for your big day. As a member of Boom Island String Quartet, we event have an in-house arranger and composer who can write a custom arrangement of a song you have been dreaming of including in your wedding ceremony or for your first dance.
Start by considering which instrument(s) you’d like to feature in your ceremony.
Instrumentalists are versatile and a great choice for ceremony music. If you are looking for music with lyrics, vocalists are a great fit for prelude, special music, and postlude. Another consideration is which instruments are a good logistical fit for your venue. For outdoor ceremonies, vocalists, guitarists, and keyboard players will typically require a sound system for amplification, and a generator may be needed to use electricity outdoors. These logistics are a good topic to discuss with your venue coordinator and/or wedding planner.
One great thing about string ensembles is that they perform acoustically, which allows adaptability in many different settings. String quartets and other wedding musicians often can perform a wide variety of genres. When considering which songs you might like to include in your ceremony, Spotify playlists are a great place to draw inspiration! Some I recommend are Wedding Songs, Classical Wedding, and Wedding Songs 2020.
Set up a conversation on the phone, on Zoom, or in-person with the performing ensemble before booking.
As with your other wedding vendors, the musicians you choose must be a good fit for you as a couple and the vibe of your wedding. Once you have checked out some demos or videos of the musician(s) you are interested in booking, consider having a conversation to see if their personalities mesh well with yours. This is a chance to learn more about the ensemble than what may be searchable on their website or social media accounts. Getting to know the musician(s) before booking can help you feel informed and confident in the investment you're making.
Don't feel like you need to have every detail in place before reaching out to the performing group or soloist. Part of their expertise is providing suggestions based on each couple's preferences!
Whether you decide to book musicians for your wedding or not, I’m here to let you know it’s an option! I’ve talked to many engaged couples and friends who’ve said “I never considered hiring a performing group for my wedding!” Just think, you may not have another reason to book a musical group in your lifetime, and with the lack of performing gigs during COVID-19, this is also a great way to support local artists in your community.
