Like the great Athenian philosopher Plato once said, “music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything”. Create a personalized atmosphere for your special day by choosing the perfect mix.
(Above guitarist is from Silver Arrow Band)
Song selection is an important part of your wedding planning process, as it sets the tone for the moments you and your guests will enjoy throughout your event. With so many options at your disposal and new music being released every week, it can be overwhelming trying to decide what exactly to include in your playlist. Don’t fret! We offer a song suggestion guide, which includes a variety of songs for different parts of your wedding as well as a Spotify playlist, which you can check out here!
Of course, every wedding is different! Depending on personal tastes, religion, and cultural backgrounds, decisions regarding music and entertainment will vary from party to party. We decided to take it upon ourselves to poll some of our married couples using Instagram to gather information about particular aspects of their wedding.
Prelude Music
Our Poll Results: 58% DJ, 42% Live Musician
Prelude music is often overlooked, but is so important! This is your guest’s first impression of the ceremony and proceeding events. Prelude music often starts 15 minutes prior to the start of the ceremony time, which coincides with when the 'doors open' as noted on the invitations. If couples aren’t looking to have live music at their reception, we always suggest having a playlist for this part of their day. Whether it be vocals or something as simple and romantic as a guitar strumming, prelude music adds to the atmosphere of your wedding.
Did Your Wedding Party Walk In Together?
Our Poll Results: 60% Yes, 40% No
Yes, this also plays a role in deciding music! Different types of weddings employ different processional orders and lengths, you’ll want to choose a song accordingly. If the guys and ladies are walking in separately, we recommend either a very long song, so the DJ or live musician doesn't have to loop it more than once, or picking a song for 1 side of the wedding party, then transitioning to another song for the other side. If your party has decided on walking in together, that’s one less song you have to worry about for your playlist!
Did You Have a Song for Cake Cutting?
Our Poll Results: 14% Yes, 86% No
While many couples are now opting for a dessert bar or donut wall, many still go the traditional route of having a cake, minus the cake smashing…. Choosing a song for the cake cutting really depends on the intimacy level couples are looking for. If they’re looking to share this moment with just their significant other or immediate family, we recommend picking a cake song to keep the guests dancing on the dance floor while you’re busy nibbling away at cake!
Who Gave You Away? (Mom/Dad)
Our Poll Results: 100% Dad
We were also curious to see who was walking the brides down the aisle. This is a 'traditional' wedding element that a lot of couples and brides in particular still stick with. We love it and aren't opposed to seeing it vanish anytime soon!
Who Gave You Away? (Both/None)
Our Poll Results: 71% Both, 29% None
While traditionally the father walks their child down the aisle, some want to be walked in by both parents. For others, they feel like they owe it to their parents because they're forking up all this money for the wedding. Alternatively, some may chose another relative to walk them down the aisle.
I always remind couples to look forward 5 years from now. What do you see yourself doing? Are you happy with that decision? Also, many couples (mostly women) today are walking in by themselves, as they feel as though no one should be 'giving them away’. #feminismatitsfinest!
Did You Take Dancing Lessons for Your First Dance?
Our Poll Results: 36% Yes, 64% No
For couples who have two left feet or have never really been in the position to be dancing with their significant other (other than 90s grinding, which is definitely not what the parents want to see!), we highly recommend taking dance lessons, especially if you have a videographer. It’s also a great excuse to get out of the house and helps build trust in more ways than one. If our couples don't opt to take dancing lessons due to financial reasons or other circumstances, then we recommend they open up a bottle of wine, play your first dance song, and dance together at least a few times before your big day! Generally, we recommend couples wait to do their first dance until after dinner to open up the dance floor with a slow song. It's also a great way to have other elderly guests join in.
Parent Dances Together? Or Separate?
Our Poll Results: 13% together, 87% separate
For couples who have parents that aren't mobile or have two left feet and don't really enjoy the attention, a great way to execute the parent dances is for both sets of parents to dance together. Doing it together is also a great idea if you have a very large wedding and you have lots of tables to go around and thank or many toasts. However, from our poll we found that most couples are still giving each set of parents their own special moment. If it’s important to both have a special moment with each parent and keep these dances timely, consider cutting each song to a shorter length!
Did You Do a Garter Toss?
Our Poll Results: 11% Yes, 89% No
Not too much to say here, this is an older tradition that we’re seeing dwindle away and we’re not sad about it! 🤷🏼♀️
Did You Do A Bouquet Toss?
Our Poll Results: 22% Yes, 78% No
We love seeing this! Newlyweds just wanna have fun, so why not give them another reason? We’re finding that most lovers are not preserving their bouquets after their wedding is over. What are you going to do with a $200 bouquet other than toss it backwards? Leave it in a vase and forget it when you check out of the hotel the next morning?
Finishing Touches
In regard to music, we recommend picking a cocktail hour playlist or asking your DJ if they have one to help the flow of guests from the cocktail hour to reception. More often than not, this process takes way too long and cuts into your toasts, dances, and eating all the expensive food you selected months prior!
At the end of the night, we recommend couples pick two final songs. The first should be a slower song, as many of the elderly guests hanging around probably don’t want to be listening to Drake or the Migos. By having a slower song first, it will give the elderly guests the opportunity to stay to the very end. Then, we recommend doing a fast song, especially if there’s an after party to get to!
We provide recommendations in order to help and make this process easier, but ultimately, decisions for your day come down to you and the vibe you want to extend to your guests. Take a deep breath, break out that old iPod and select your favorites!
Photo credit from left to right: KR Photography, New England Portrait, Sweet Lady Jane, Lindsay Lazare, Shire Photography, and New England Portrait.
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