Weddings

         So...you're planning a wedding and you want to hire a musician for your ceremony!

                         You will need to let him/her know when to play and what.

Music for wedding ceremonies is typically played during 3 sections with occasional exceptions that might make it 4 or 5 sections. Below is a list of these sections and alongside are some song suggestions, though song choices are entirely up to you. You should choose whichever soundtrack you want for your memory.

--- You can also download my wedding song list from the excel list ---

Seating song suggestions

Air On The G String - Bach

Ave Maria - Schubert

Canon in D - Pachelbel

Hallelujah - Leonard Cohen

Here, There, Everywhere - The Beatles

Flightless Bird - Iron & Wine

Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring - Bach

The Scientist - Coldplay

Yellow - Coldplay

You Raise Me Up - Josh Groban

THE PRELUDE (SEATING/GATHERING)         

guests gather, greet each other,

take in the ambience and await the

special moment.

THE PROCESSIONAL                  

The special moment begins. Members of

your wedding party make their way to the

altar (front of ceremony).

The wedding party can include all or some of the following

members (in no particular order):

Officiant/Priest

Family

Groom

Best Man

Maid Of Honor

Groomsmen

Bridesmaids

Ringbearer

Flowergirl(s)

Bride

Examples of ceremony interlude moments where music can be played:

SAND CEREMOMY

couple pours 2 different colors of sand into one vessel

symbolizing how their lives have become intertwined.

LIGHTING OF UNITY CANDLE

bride and groom take lit candles to light a separate common candle

to symbolize the joining of their respective families and love for one

another or simply to signify their own union and love for one another

PRAYER

the officiant leads guests and wedding party in prayer

WORSHIP SONG/HYMN (Christain wedding)

song of choice sung by entire congregation

RECESSIONAL (EXIT) &

POSTLUDE

The ceremony ends.

RECESSIONAL: The bride and groom are

announced and presented to the audience as

husband and wife and make their way away

from the altar, followed by the rest of the wedding party.

POSTLUDE: Guests leave their seats.

***Postludes are not always necessary as a lot of times the Recessional will serve the purpose of this part of the ceremony which is to conclude the ceremony (traditionally with upbeat music). Smaller weddings, in particular, will not need Postlude music, as there are not that many guests who will need to be ushered out with music.

15min - 20min

30sec - 8min

Processional song suggestions

(you need to decide if you want 1 song for the entire procession or separate songs for certain members of the procession)

Air On The G String - Bach

Beauty & The Beast - Disney

Canon in D - Pachelbel

Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring - Bach

Sleeping At Last - Turning Page

Somewhere Over The Rainbow -

                       Israel Kamakawiwo'ile (IZ)

(following songs are great for the Bride's entrance)

A Thousand Years - Christina Perri

You Are So Beautiful - Joe Cocker

Bridal Chorus - Wagner

Sleeping At Last - Turning Page

Ave Maria - Schubert

Interlude song suggestions

You Are So Beautiful - Joe Cocker

Recessional/Postlude song suggestions

All You Need Is Love - The Beatles

Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring - Bach

I'm Yours - Jason Mraz

Ode To Joy - Beethoven

Somewhere Over The Rainbow - IZ

Trumpet Voluntary - Clarke

Wanna Marry You - Bruno Mars

Wedding March - Mendelssohn

30sec - 15 min

All My Life - K-CI & Jojo

To be determined by bride & groom

Ave Maria - Schubert

(A video sample of my playing during a wedding ceremony. I usually play solo with a backing track, but for this particular video, I am playing with a guitarist, per request of the bride.)

So, now that a basic outline has been laid out, your job is to figure out which of the previous sections I just listed will be in your ceremony, and then what music you will want for each section (Again, keep in mind how long the procession will be!! Is it just the bride that will be making an entrance? - in which case you'll want just one song, or will there be groomsmen, bridesmaids etc. making an entrance? - in which case you might want more than one song.)

Nothing is set in stone. The music for your ceremony is entirely in your hands. Some folks, for example, have very small weddings and don't need seating music and only need 1 song to be played during the processional and then 1 song for the Exit. Some folks have bigger weddings with 100+ guests and need 20 minutes of seating music plus 6 total songs to be played throughout the course of their ceremony; 2 for the Processional, 1 song during the Sand Ceremony, 1 song for the Exit, and 2 songs during the Postlude while folks mill around after the ceremony.

Some folks want a Guns & Roses song for the Bride's entrance, while others want a more traditional song like the "Bridal Chorus". You can do all the choosing of the songs yourself or tell me guidelines as far as genres/styles you prefer and I can choose accordingly. You get my point. It is entirely up to you.

Hopefully this helps you out! Feel free to contact me with any questions!!!

playing a wedding & cocktail hour at the Wrightwood country club

Playing for a very small wedding (7 total      

   guests) at the Trump National Golf Club

Moments before a wedding ceremony at the Greystone   Mansion in Beverly Hills

Playing a wedding at the Calamigos ranch in Malibu, CA