Last week I met with a lovely couple who are really looking forward to their wedding in the spring at Manchester Town Hall, and, being music lovers, they are particularly looking forward to having a saxophonist playing live music at various times of the day. I’m sure the acoustics will be incredible in such a glorious building, and the live music element really will add to the atmosphere on the day. However, live music is not to everybody’s taste, and of course, it does not fit in with everybody’s budget, but even without musicians being present, people still often incorporate music into their wedding days in such lovely ways.
The bridal preparations are such a lovely chilled part of the day, and sometimes the girls will be listening to a pre-planned playlist, or they might just have the radio on or a music channel on the tv, bringing a bit of life and energy into the proceedings. I have known brides who prefer silence, and brides who like classical music, and once, a crazy gorgeous lady who was literally moshing around to The Prodigy whilst getting ready!!
Depending on where the ceremony is taking place, a lot of couples choose a special song to walk down the aisle to, which can be really emotional, but in the loveliest way possible. Some people incorporate music into the ceremony, perhaps during the signing of the register; I have seen friends playing guitars, choirs in churches bringing the house down and soloists singing and filling the grandest of venues with just a single voice. Of course, walking back up the aisle together is always a fantastic moment too; one couple chose “Let’s get it on” by Marvin Gaye, which had everybody in stitches, and I’ve been present for one wedding where they did the “Love Actually” scene, and had various friends on the church pews playing instruments and singing “All you need is love”! Incredible times!!
Some people have a string quartet in the afternoon, and some people have a live band, or, most of the time, a DJ to take them from the first dance, where I’ve seen all kinds of crazy goings on….from a mash-up between “Beauty and the Beast” and “Gangnam style” (honestly, I couldn’t make that up!), to the groomsmen playing “It’s all about you”, as a wonderful surprise for the groom.
I find this is one element that really is so personal and individual to each couple, and can really set the tone for the day, so whether it’s elegant, sophisticated, relaxing or even a little bit crazy, this is one part of the day where you can have fun and play around, and just think of the music as the soundtrack to one of the greatest day of your lives!