7 Simple Steps to Finding Your Perfect Wedding Day Music

The day has finally come to prepare for the wedding of your dreams. You have your beautiful dress picked out, the venue, videographer and photographer, and even the flowers; however, a vital aspect of your special day is still missing—the music!

No worries.

Here are 7 tips that will help you organize the who’s, what’s and where’s for the perfect music played on your most anticipated day!

1. Listen to wedding music.

And we mean a lot of music. Classical. Top 40. Jazz. Hymns. Pop. You name it! Listen to different genres and to different combinations of instruments so you have an idea of what sounds you like—and more importantly—what you don’t like. (Helpful hint: we have our videos divided by ensemble so you can listen and see which instruments you like best.)

2. Ask questions before you hire people.

o How many weddings do they play in a year? It’s important that you hire a group who plays weddings almost every weekend. This lets you know that they are seasoned wedding performers.

o How experienced are the musicians? Remember, wedding performances are different from all other performances. We calculate the timing of our music precisely to match your processionals. Our music must be known so well, so that we can look up from the music to see you walking or to see your coordinator giving us cues. Sometimes songs have to be shortened or lengthened... on the spot.

For example, does your flower girl run down the aisle? Or does she take

three minutes to precisely place every pedal in its spot? Wedding musicians

should be prepared when these spontaneous events occur and always have a

way of seamlessly making it work.

o Are the musicians students or professionals or a combination of both? Some budget-friendly groups may use inexperienced musicians instead of pros.

3. Watch sample videos.

Most musicians, especially professionals, should have sample demos of themselves. Do they have a YouTube channel or a video on their website that you can watch? Hearing and watching these videos will allow you to visualize the musicians playing at your wedding... and you can make sure they sound good!

4. Look at their song list.

Do they play a certain style of music that you like? Are they willing to learn a new song if there is one you love and that they have not played before? Sometimes, they only show a portion of their song list like this one. If a particular song you like is not shown, it doesn’t hurt to find out if they can play it. So, ask away!

5. Decide where your musicians will be set up for the wedding day.

What is their policy on weather? Is your wedding indoors or outdoors? If it is outdoors, what do the musicians do if it rains? Are there sunlight concerns?

6. Read their reviews online. (THIS IS SO IMPORTANT!)

Whether you choose to hire a group or a solo musician, it is always a good idea to read their reviews to see how these musicians influenced other couples’ wedding days! If they have been in the wedding business for any length of time, there will be reviews.

Check out reviews on this page!

7. Choose your music!

Now comes the fun part! Once you choose the perfect group, it’s typical to sign a contract and pay a retainer to reserve your wedding date. We recommend a similar music program to this one here.

With this step-by-step guide to hiring live musicians for your wedding, you’ll be on your way to finding the perfect fit for your wedding day!

This was written by owner April McConnell, as a guest blog for Lauren Petervary of Elle M Events.