It's Wedding Season: Making Memorable Music Choices

The wedding season is in full swing and I have had quite a few inquiries with questions relating to music for weddings in the past few months. The music choices people make can say so much about a couple. Your personal taste should be considered as well as the appropriateness of your selection for your ceremony or reception.

Selecting music for your ceremony
Many officiants and churches have strict rules that govern what types of music can be included in your ceremony and where. Talk with your officiant or wedding consultant if your church has one to find out the rules in your situation. Some churches don't even have a policy. Most ceremonies will include the basic selections of processional music that plays during the seating of the family, the bridal party's processional, the bride's walk down the aisle and the recessional at the end. Additional selections can be made to include solos or congregational hymns.

You want your selections to fit the style of your wedding and the message that you are trying to convey. Choose classical music for your ceremony if you are more traditional. If you and your groom are jazz lovers find some soothing jazz to walk down the aisle to. My husband and I had an Asian inspired wedding so we chose to use recorded meditation music for our processional music and a singing bowl for silent prayer.

Selecting Reception music
Here is where you can have some fun. Your first big choice will be the song you will have your first dance to. My husband requested that somewhere I sing at our wedding so I chose our reception. After I finished singing a friend of ours continued to play our song on the piano while we danced to it. It was a very special moment.

If you can afford a DJ or music group to come in and be your musical entertainment make sure you are clear about your likes and dislikes from the beginning and put as much as you can in writing. Create a must play list of songs that you can't live without. If you in a low budget situation like we were create a play list from your own collection or from friends and family and have someone at your reception man your computer connected to a speaker system. There are many play list ideas out there on the net to get you started. Check out sites like weddingchannel.com or theknot.com

Some of my favorites
Here is a list of some of my favorite selections for ceremonies and receptions. I would love hear what some of yours favorites. Don't forget to share your comments!

"You're Nobody 'til Somebody Loves You" -Russ Morgan, Larry Stock and James Cavanaugh
"Time in a Bottle" -Jim Croce
"From This Moment On" -Shania Twain and R.J. Lange
"Come Rain or Come Shine" -Johnny Mercer and Harold Arlen
"This Can't be Love" -Lorenz Hart and Richard Rodgers
"That's All" -Alan Brandt and Bob Haymes ( I sang this one at my own wedding reception)
"Beautiful In My Eyes" (Joshua Kadison)
"She's Got A Way" (Billy Joel)
"Someone To Watch Over Me" (Sting)
"A Little Dream Of Me" (Louis Armstrong)
"I've Got The World On A String" (Bing Crosby)
"Isn't It Romantic" (Mel Tormé)
"It Had To Be You" (Tony Bennett or Ray Anthony)"
'S Wonderful" (Benny Goodman & His Orchestra)
As Time Goes By" (from Casablanca)
"At Last" (Etta James)
"Our Love Is Here To Stay" (Billie Holiday)
"The Best Is Yet To Come" (Frank Sinatra)
"I Get A Kick Out Of You" (Frank Sinatra)
"In My Life" (The Beatles)
"Nobody Does It Better" (Carly Simon)
"You're Just Too Good To Be True" (Lauryn Hill)
"She" (Elvis Costello)
"L-O-V-E" (Nat King Cole or Natalie Cole)