Music for your wedding guests

When choosing your wedding entertainment it’s easy to get caught up in what you and your fiancé want to hear on your big day but in reality it’s your guests that will be enjoying the music for the most part. Of course, you’re not going to choose music solely based on what your guests will enjoy but it’s important to remember that you will be busy on the day and may not get to hear every piece of music on the never-ending list you hand your musicians!

The first thing to think about is the entertainment your guests will enjoy as they arrive for your ceremony. You will need between 15-30 minutes of music at this point as otherwise there can be nervous silence as everyone waits in anticipation of the bride’s arrival! Most clients choose to have relaxing, classical music at this point but if you would prefer your guests to enjoy something more upbeat, that’s fine too.

The music during the ceremony should be based on what you want to hear as this is the time you’ll get to sit and enjoy the music for yourselves before the whirlwind of your wedding day gets going.

Many clients choose to have upbeat popular music played during the reception. It’s likely that at this point you’ll have been whisked off for photographs so again, don’t get carried away with that list! It’s never a problem for guests to make requests directly with the ensemble – if they have it, they’ll play it!

If you’ve chosen for the musicians to perform throughout your wedding breakfast you might like to choose a piece of music to have played when you’re announced. Usually guests make such a racket at this point the piece gets rather drowned out but it’s nice to have a piece playing in the background that means a lot to you.

So remember, it’s your guests that will be enjoying most of the music I’m afraid – you’ll be too busy smiling for photos, catching up with relatives and throwing bouquets to stand and enjoy it. Of course if you have a handful of songs that mean the world to you, just let Apollo Strings know and we’ll try to make sure they’re played when you’re nearby!