Prelude, processional, recessional — where to start with your wedding ceremony songs? We got insight from two local quartets who are experts in helping couples choose music for every part of your ceremony.
When it comes to wedding ceremony songs and music, Alia Abboud of Boom Island String Quartet recommends using Spotify to help your live musicians or DJ get to know your musical interests, “Spotify playlists are a great place to start to give inspiration for the mood you envision before, during, and after the ceremony. The setting of your venue can also play a role in the type of music you choose for your wedding, whether it be a casual backyard wedding or a country club wedding. It helps to focus first on the core music for your ceremony — the processional, unity ceremony, and recessional, and fill in the other transitional music based on what fits thematically.” Keep scrolling to see The Wedding Guys custom Ceremony Songs Playlist!
Boom Island String Quartet
Martha McDermott, also of Boom Island String Quartet gave this advice, “Don’t limit yourself based on what you think wedding music should be. Your musicians will help you figure out what will work and what is doable. My favorite advice to give couples is don’t skip on mid-ceremony music. Even if you don’t have a unity ceremony, take time to enjoy a musical interlude before you start on your vows. Your day goes by so fast; give yourselves a chance to slow down.”
And of course, now that we are able to have gatherings again, a huge trend in wedding music is the ability to have it at all, with live in-person performers. “LIVE music is the trend right now! We’ve all missed out on live experiences over the last 14 months, so what better gift to give your guests than treating them to what might be their 1st in-person music event since March of last year!” says Conor O’Brien, Violinist & Artistic Director, Loring String Quartet.
The beauty of having live musicians is that you can have original arrangements, which McDermott has been seeing a lot of lately, and this adds to the personalized feel of the event. She’s also seeing a return to rock music, “We’re seeing a lot of nostalgia for 60’s and 70’s rock music with The Beatles, Queen, and Elton John making frequent appearances on our ceremony setlists in recent years.”
After you have your wedding ceremony songs squared away, it’s time to chat with your DJ about music for the rest of your celebration!
