I meet with several wedding couples every year, and they are almost always the ones who ask me what kind of music I offer during a wedding, probably under the mistaken belief that, as several “colleagues” do, each wedding is a copy-paste of the previous one, where I throw out a playlist of songs that is broadly the same from wedding to wedding.
This should not happen because every wedding is unique, you are unique, and the succession of songs offered should somehow tell who the bride and groom are, their love story, their tastes, and emphasize the different moments of the day in a crescendo until the evening party.
That is why you cannot and should not let the DJ decide for you;
We together with the bride and groom agree on the different songs for the “wow” moments and music genres from the aperitif to the cake cutting and then let the professional identify what music to propose to suit all the different types of guests present at the evening party.
I couldn’t imagine a hall entrance or cake cutting where it is left to the DJ to choose which song to put on!
It could ruin the moment with a choice that does not reflect you, or worse, does not excite you or the guests present.
To ensure that this does not happen, it is necessary to plan everything down to the smallest detail.
Nothing should be overlooked, underestimated or left to chance;
Structure a musical project that takes these aspects into account:
Choice of Location
The first rule to achieve the wedding you have always dreamed of is to choose a location that meets your taste, meets your needs but most importantly, represents you.
In the last two decades, the solutions available to newlywed couples have multiplied, historical locations such as castles or villas, farmhouses and rustic houses have been added to the classic restaurant, and each location corresponds to different characteristics; That is why the choice that newlyweds have to make must be well thought out because it will have to meet certain characteristics in order to achieve as an end result the wedding you have always dreamed of.
We invite you to download our FREE guide so you can look at your venue through the eyes of a professional musician and thus prevent it from penalizing your wedding. [Scarica la guida]
From the type of reception you want to realize, the planning of the different moments to be accompanied by music, the conformation of the location and where the different moments of the aperitif, lunch/dinner and evening party will take place, different solutions will have to be adopted, which usually the professional should structure with the bride and groom during a consultation in order to be able to build a musical project that meets all your needs while respecting the rules and impositions that locations often impose during a wedding on the music service.
That is why meeting with the bride and groom only after identifying the location that will host the wedding for us is critical.
Let’s not copy-paste every marriage!
We leave that kind of service to the IMPROVED DJs and musicians who don’t care where you’re going to celebrate the wedding because their service is standardized and proven-they just need an outlet within 20 meters and that’s it…
Do you really think it takes so little to achieve the wedding of your dreams?
Do you really think that just by feeling a few minutes on the phone or exchanging a few emails, you can pull off a wedding that all your guests will remember for many years to follow?
Do you really think that without a careful analysis of the couple, the location, the guests, the mood you want to give to the wedding and the expectations you place in the musical service you will be able to achieve a unique and original wedding, or is it very likely that you will end up with a copy-and-paste, anonymous and impersonal wedding with all those aspects you wanted to avoid?
In addition, the music must amplify and enhance the location and environment around you; it cannot be a playlist that is repeated time after time at each wedding by the Di/musician.
Choice of moments
After choosing the venue for your wedding reception, it is time to start identifying the various moments in which music will accompany you and your guests.
Usually the main moments are:
- Aperitif
- Arrival at the location of the bride and groom
- Entrance into the hall of the bride and groom
- Lunch or Dinner
- Cake cutting
- First dance
- Evening party
Obviously this list of moments is purely indicative as more will vary depending on the type of event you are going to structure and the relative moments you want to personalize: if, for example, you are getting married with a civil or symbolic ceremony directly on location a musical accompaniment will have to be provided for this first situation as well, but every moment has to be planned and structured together with the music service.
The study of timing then is indispensable and fundamental to structuring a schedule that takes into account the time you want or need for each of these moments as well as allowing you to do everything you want to experience during the entire event.
This analysis we happen to do punctually and very carefully with those wedding couples who choose to have an afternoon wedding, especially if the venue imposes an early closing time on the couple with the real possibility of not even being able to start the evening party. The early closing time coupled with the classic delays that accumulate throughout the day can dilate to the point where the bride and groom do not get a chance to have their much-anticipated evening party, and the first dance will also turn into the only one of the evening.
How much do you value the evening party?
How much does it matter to you at a certain time to have fun and dance with your friends?
Do you still think that defining and planning in detail every moment of the day is superfluous?
Timing analysis is an imperative and fundamental part of any of our specialized consultations
We often see disappointed brides and grooms when, on paper, we have them reasoning about how a few minutes lost here and there in the day can greatly reduce the time available for the evening party, not to mention the unknown friends with the associated games, jokes and videos that can further reduce the marginality of the party.
Our job is to entertain you, but to do that we need to be put in a position where we can work optimally that is why it is necessary for us to carefully structure the timing of each moment.
The technical inspection
This point is crucial to the success of any wedding and you should absolutely request it from the DJ/musician you have hired especially if the latter does not know the venue, even better then if it is done together with the bride and groom so they can analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the venue.
During the inspection, the professional will immediately identify any critical issues due to the structure, know how to investigate whether there are passage constraints, volume limitations, or any other technical problems that may limit his work.
He will be able to advise you on the number of stations needed to be of minimal impact on the event while also assessing any timelines for the set-up, possible moves of one or more systems during the day as well as identifying issues related to the flow of guests in the area set aside for the set-up of one or more sound points.
A technical inspection is also needed by the professional to check whether the technical conditions are in place for the system to be set up and placed in a workmanlike manner. The study of the aesthetic impact is essential to assure the bride and groom that her presence will not detract from or detract from the aesthetics of the location, but on the contrary, she will know how to enhance the chosen location or, on the contrary, minimize its impact with her presence.
Special attention will, for this reason, be paid to the placement of the necessary casework, which should be concealed as much as possible to make the audio points look elegant as well as ensure the safety of guests and staff
In addition to the technical aspect, the inspection with the professional also has the task of exciting the bride and groom by making them imagine what will be the different moments of the day, from the background during the aperitif while taking some romantic photos, to the dining room where there will be fun moments with the games and jokes that friends will surely have prepared to the goliardic moments such as the bouquet and garter toss that accompanied by the right music will surely wring a smile from all the guests, and then make them immerse themselves in the explosive evening party between wild dances and songs taken from your playlist…don’t you find it exciting?
Do not underestimate the importance of the inspection with the professional especially, I repeat, if the latter does not know the location you have chosen; By doing so you will be able to touch upon the qualities of the professional you will be able to give coherence and reality to what you have chosen, matching it to the context and why not, even to come up with new ideas and ideas that you had not thought of assisted by the experience of the professional.
Planning
We said it at the beginning of the article, the music must tell your story so it is most important to draw up a set list that represents you, it will then be the task of the professional to distribute logically at different times of the day the songs you have indicated but you will then be sure to have conveyed your character, tastes and preferences by personalizing the DJ’s playlist and consequently the event in every part.
Do not pay any attention at all if, among you newlyweds, you have discordant or diametrically opposed musical tastes, if you love songs from different genres, or if the indicated songs apparently seem out of place.
If you have chosen to entrust the music direction to a professional, he or she will have the necessary skills to be able to combine different songs and genres into a single thread with absolute fluidity.
Personalizing each moment as said many times is essential to bring out your character and tell the story of yourself but at the same time excludes the possibility of the cliché wedding so fashionable among non-professional DJs/musicians.
Remember, however, that the evening party should be left to the skillful hands of the DJ who will figure out “live” what your guests like to dance to, always following your directives, of course.
When planning the different times of the day from a musical perspective, do not forget to structure the day from a weather perspective as well.
Planning a music project means not only envisioning the classic beautiful sunny day that all couples desire, but it also means planning for the day by assuming the worst-case scenario and with the professional defining what and how they should behave in case of uncertain weather or a sudden change in the weather.
There won’t be time to do it that day and you almost certainly won’t have the lucidity to make such important decisions quidni better to do it analytically with a cold mind by having the professional and his experience advise you on what are the best solutions to ensure you despite everything get the wedding you have always dreamed of.
Your playlist
We now take up the title of this article related to your wedding lineup…
When everything has been planned in detail, musical moments, special songs, placements and analyzed the critical issues of the location you can relax and concentrate on all the other services that require your supervision. Be wary, however, of those services that once confirmed will anticipate that the next meeting will take place close to the wedding because in that case at your wedding you will not have a vendor with whom you have had a chance to build a feeling in the months leading up to the wedding, but will be for you a perfect stranger to whom you have entrusted one of the most important aspects of your wedding.
Usually from the confirmation of the engagement to the actual wedding should elapse 4/5 meetings or video-calls that allow the bride and groom to build with the professional a relationship of esteem, of “friendship” in addition to using these opportunities to adjust, expand or modify what was decided and planned months before since music is practically everywhere, while working, while playing sports, while listening to the radio in the car or simply during a chat with your friends, in short, every opportunity is good to find and receive new ideas!
So it happens that when you least expect it, a song you had forgotten about comes on, or a song you cared about so much that you didn’t include it anywhere in your reception or the new hit from your favorite singer…keep SHAZAM this great app handy that allows you with just a few seconds of listening to a song to find out its title and singer; information that then stays stored and you can pick up later and add to your wedding playlist.
So pay attention to all input from outside: listen, listen and listen!
From time to time tell the professional about any additions or changes you want to make to your wedding playlist.
You will then be sure to get the soundtrack you have always dreamed of and a one-of-a-kind wedding.
That said.
Now that you have the knowledge of how important it is to personalize your Yes playlist by taking care to follow these few simple guidelines, visit our website www.weddingsymphony.it and go to the contact page to book a specialized consultation with our Paul and figure out how to give that personal touch to your playlist that will leave your guests with a pleasant, indeed, indelible memory of your wedding.
Remember that
“Marriage is a live movie. You can’t go wrong because you can’t buy a memory.”
We always say this to all our wedding couples.
A few simple tips combined with a dash of common sense in choosing a musician not just based on price will make your wedding a memorable event.
I am Paolo Furlan the first Wedding Music Planner in Veneto and founder of the Wedding Symphony music agency specializing in music for civil or religious ceremonies and music and entertainment for wedding receptions.
Follow our social channels to stay up to date with the latest news and get helpful tips on how to best plan your wedding!
More info awaits you on our blog.
Don’t let them pass you by.
Enjoy your reading and have a good life!
