Wedding Dress | Wedding Ideas

Here is the list of songs we used at our Wedding!

Pre-Ceremony: Lucky - Jason Mraz & Colbie Callie

Family & Bridal Party Entrance: You Belong to Me - Jason Wade

My (Bride) Entrance: Angel - Jack Johnson

Unity Candle & Sand Ceremony: A Page is Turned - Bebo Norman

Walking (we danced) back down the aisle: I'm a Believer - Smash Mouth Reception

Cocktail Hour: Latin Jazz

Newly Wed Entrance: Rocky Theme

First Dance: Better Together - Jack Johnson

Father/Daughter dance: Isn't She Lovely - Stevie Wonder

Mother/Son dance: My Wish - Rascal Flatts

Cake Cutting: Grow Old with You - Adam Sandler

Included in the favor package was a cd of all the songs used in our ceremony/reception, as well as the songs below.

Banana Pancakes - Jack Johnson

The Way I am - Ingrid Michaelson

I'm Yours - Jason Mraz

Sideways - Citizen Cope

L-O-V-E - Harry Connick Jr.

Hey there Delilah - Plain White T's

You're my Best Friend - Queen

Belle - Jack Johnson

You & Me - Lifehouse

Sea of Love - Cat Power

Waited all My Life - Raul Midon

If you are like most brides and grooms, the music that will be played during your wedding ceremony is very important to you -- but you may not have a clue how to go about selecting it! Here are some guidelines for American weddings (customs vary in other countries).

An important factor in choosing your music is the setting for your wedding ceremony. If your ceremony will not be in a religious setting, you can choose just about any kind of music you like -- although you will want to stay within the bounds of good taste! On the other hand, if your ceremony will be in a church or synagogue, or conducted by a clergy person at another location, you will probably need to stay within guidelines set by the clergy person or the church.

Popular music
Most religious denominations consider a wedding ceremony to be a form of worship service. For this reason, churches generally do not allow “secular” music (non-religious popular music) during a wedding. Some will allow secular music while the guests are being seated, but not during the ceremony itself. Check with the church where your wedding will be held for its specific guidelines.

How religious do the lyrics of a song have to be for a church wedding? Songs that make respectful reference to God (or to Jesus or the Holy Spirit in Christian churches) are almost certain to be acceptable. Many churches will also allow a song that does not make specific reference to a deity, as long as it focuses on religious ideals and values relating to love and marriage, such as faithfulness and mutual support.

How many songs?
Most weddings include a vocal soloist singing anywhere from one to four selections during the wedding ceremony, depending on the length of the ceremony. The accompaniment is usually piano, acoustic guitar or harp. A duet sung by a male-female vocal duo is often used instead of a solo, and can be very effective! You will probably need to hire live vocalist(s); many churches do not allow recorded music in wedding ceremonies, except perhaps recorded accompaniment for a live vocalist.

Appropriate places in the ceremony for vocal selections, depending on church guidelines, may include: (1) during the seating of the mothers or lighting of candles by the mothers; (2) immediately before the processional; (3) before the vows; (4) during the lighting of the Unity Candle; and (5) during the serving of communion to the congregation, if this is included in the ceremony.

Finding the right songs
Vocal music is probably the aspect of your wedding music selection where you will want to have the most personal involvement, since the songs include lyrics and you will want them to be especially meaningful for you. Where can you find songs with just the right lyrics that will be acceptable in a church setting? And preferably something you haven’t heard at a hundred other weddings?

First, ask your vocalist or accompanist for suggestions. Have them show you their sheet music for the songs they suggest, and when you find one with lyrics you like, have them play or sing that song for you.

Before deciding whether the songs suggested by your musicians are really what you want, you should go to a store that sells sheet music and songbooks and browse in the wedding section. (Look for printed music rather than recorded music, as your musicians will probably need printed music to work from.) Chances are, you may find something that more closely expresses what you want to say than the songs suggested by your musicians. If you don’t live near a store that sells sheet music and songbooks, or if you just prefer shopping on the Internet, take a look at the Truly Yours Music website, www.truly-yours.com.

Custom songwriting
Another option is to hire a composer/songwriter to write a special song for your wedding ceremony. There are several websites where these services are offered. Be sure to give the songwriter plenty of advance time before your wedding to complete the song.

What about the instrumental-only music for your wedding ceremony? Your choices here may include the church organist or pianist, a string quartet, a harpist, or other instrumentalists. When you meet with your instrumental musician(s), they will probably be happy to play various pieces for you that can be used for the processionals and the recessional. You may be allowed to select one piece for the processional where the bridal party enters, another for the bride’s processional, and another for the recessional.

By Elaine McDonald

On this page you’ll find tips on wedding songs for each part of your wedding. You can browse and buy a great range of wedding songs on Amazon.
Ceremony Music

* Ceremony music welcomes guests and is played gently in the background whilst guests are seated. Generally these songs lasts for 20 to 30 minutes prior to the wedding ceremony.
* Whether you prefer a festive, elegant, or religious ceremony the songs you choose create a unique and memorable occasion as well as add to your individual wedding style.
* Having live music for your wedding ceremony is now more popular than ever.
* Live wedding songs means you have a level of atmosphere that can’t be replicated. Whether it be a string quartet, harpist, guitarist or singer, live songs create a warm, inviting and stylish atmosphere.

Popular ceremony song examples:

* Pachabel’s “Canon in D”
* The Wedding March by Mendellsohn or Wagner
* Handel’s “Water Music”
* Ave Maria

Because the walk down the aisle won’t take as long as an entire wedding song, make sure you trial how long it will take you to get to your destination and have your wedding songs timed appropriately.
Signing Song

Whilst you’re signing the bridal register it’s an ideal opportunity to have a wedding song played that’s close to your heart. This part of the service can sometimes take some time – so it’s good to have a “back-up” song on standby!

Some popular contemporary examples include:

* Every breath you Take – Police
* Ave Maria
* Pachabel’s “Cannon”
* More than Words – Extrme
* All You Need is Love – The Beatles
* Have I told you Lately – Michael Buble
* Your Song – Elton John
* “It Had To Be You” - Harry Connick Jnr
* “Air on a G String" Bach

Wedding Songs for the Reception

You may need to consider songs that appeal to both the older and younger generations who will attend your wedding reception. Your wedding songs may also be affected by your setting and theme.

For example an intimate beach wedding may call for laid-back, acoustic style songs, whereas a formal wedding of many more people may best be accommodated by a more conservative choice of music that appeals to a wide audience. When you discuss weddings songs with your DJ or musician they should have many examples of what would work well for your particular taste and wedding style.
First-Dance Songs

First-dance songs are in general chosen with regard only to the couple’s song preferences. These songs will generally mean something to you as a couple and will be significant and memorable.
Personalised Wedding Songs

A trend to become more popular in recent times is to have your own wedding song created and produced by specialists. Some take part in a professional recording of the song which is played back on the day, and can become a musical centerpiece of your big day. A song can be created from a poem or speech and turned into music as a unique and heartfelt gift for bride or groom.

“Just for You” wedding songs in Melbourne is one such company which does just this.
For all kinds of wedding music choices vist Wedding.com.au’s Wedding Music area and search from lists of local musicians throughout Australia.

by mark

The music played on your wedding day is important in setting the tone and mood. A special song shared between the newlyweds or an upbeat dance number that gets all the guests on the floor will be sure to make your wedding day unique and memorable.

Try to remember that there will be a variety of different people of varying age attending your wedding. This is important when selecting music for the day as most couples want to accommodate their guest’s tastes and play a wide variety of music from romantic ballads to the latest commercial tunes.

It is also important to specify to your DJ or singer what their role is. Whether it is to keep the music flowing or to double as a master of ceremonies, ensure you have discussed your expectations. Let the musicians know where they will be performing so that they can adequately prepare and be sure to check your venue for adequate power sources and room for the band to perform. Also ask your musicians if there is an extra charge for learning new music and allow them plenty of time to do so. Finally, make sure you book your music as early as possible. Provide the musician with a deposit to secure the date and ensure you have a signed and written contract stating what you expect from them.

Music during the ceremony is usually of a softer and more romantic tone to ease the guests in. Instrumentals are a favourite amongst brides and serve as good unobtrusive background music. If the ceremony is to be held in a church it is important to remember to ask about any restrictions with musical pieces. Some churches may request that only sacred music is featured.

At the reception a wider of selection of music may be played that properly reflects your tastes and those of your guests. You may prefer a traditional string quartet or soothing jazz band for a romantic feel or perhaps a band or DJ if your mission is to get all the guests involved and on the dance floor!

Approximately 10% of the cost of the wedding is set aside for music and entertainment. A popular alternative to having a band play at your wedding is to hire a DJ to play pre-recorded CD’s. This trend has become which is become increasingly popular due to the high cost of live entertainment. In addition to this, using mixed CD’s ensures that you can have all the songs you want played non stop on your wedding day without the worry of hiring a band and figuring out where they will be located and how well they will execute songs.

by asfa