By Elisabeth Scott Daley, WED®, ABC™
“A Passion for Performance”
Wedding Ceremonies, which are, as they should be, the “serious” part of a wedding celebration, are often really boring musically. I haven’t had a bride ask for “The Bridal Chorus” (from the 1850 opera “Lohengrin” by Richard Wagner) in years. Brides tend to eschew this choice because it seems OLD. Little do they know that in the original opera, the marriage did not have a happy ending, which is a far better reason for them to choose another song.
Many brides stay within the “status quo” and choose a variation of “Canon in D Major” to walk down the aisle. It’s a beautiful song, and I love it…no harm, no foul. And…there are a gazillion recordings of this tune. Brides can choose different instrumentations or different interpretations; whatever…nonetheless, their choice is still somewhat “traditional”.
What about the brides and grooms who unequivocally want non-traditional music? They are not particularly religious and they are not getting married in a church. What are the options musically? Of course, the broad but simple answer is anything, but where do they start? How do they decide? Today’s brides and grooms are often trying to find ceremony music that truly represents them and their personalities.
One fun alternative that has supplied a plethora of options is a group called “Vitamin String Quartet”. You can find them on iTunes. They record string quartet versions of modern music. Think of their repertoire, as the Opus your grandmother never knew existed.
Of course, if you want to get really fancy….pick a signature band, just like you pick a signature drink.
Several years ago, I did a wedding where the musical group “Queen” was the preferred artist for every song chosen for the ceremony. There was an additional level of frivolity for the wedding guests and me because we knew that the bride had “two dads” (meaning she was raised by two men in a committed relationship)
Here is the musical program for the ceremony:
Seating of the Mothers: “Somebody to Love” by Queen
Groom’s Entrance: “Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy” By Queen
Bridesmaid’s Entrance: “Crazy Thing Called Love” by Queen
Bridal Entrance: “You’re My Best Friend” by Queen
Recessional: “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen
The choice to have music that was uniquely them and completely NON-TRADITIONAL suited this couple perfectly! They were quirky and fun and walked their own path. It was an amazing choice and an amazing day!
Professional Advice: Don’t let “old school” musical traditions stifle your wedding day. Embrace the new…take chances….and let your ceremony music be as unique as you and your beloved.
Author
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Liz Daley is a seasoned veteran of stage and screen and is the owner of Liz Daley Events, a boutique entertainment company in Virginia opened in 2004 that delivers dramatically different results. She got her first radio job at 16, but her passion for live entertainment moved her across the country performing from New York to Nashville as well as the entertainment capital of the world, Las Vegas! She works with brides and grooms to create Classic, Fun and Memorable wedding receptions. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from The Boston Conservatory of Music, she is a certified Wedding Entertainment Director® and the National President of the Wedding Entertainment Directors Guild® and an Accredited Wedding Planner™ with the Association of Bridal Consultants. She is currently co-hosting educational performance workshops for Wedding DJs and Masters of Ceremonies with Peter Merry, “The Fun Wedding Experts”.
