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As a musician, I hear this sad wedding music story over and over again:
A couple thinks planning their wedding ceremony music will be simple. So they wait until a month or so before the ceremony and then approach their church's musician to see if he or she is available (or maybe they start looking for outside musicians).
They quickly discover there's a lot more to do than they thought.
Combined with all the other wedding plans they're already working on, they become completely stressed out. There's got to be an easier way to plan wedding music.
Another sad story
There is an approach to wedding music planning that's simple. But it often leads to stories that are just as sad, such as this:
A couple just wants music for their ceremony and does not much care what that music is. They find a musician and give permission to play whatever he or she wants. The musician assumes this means the couple wants the same music everyone else uses.
At the ceremony, the music ends up being all familiar and has no connection whatsever to the couple. It's uninspiring. The music may be well-played, but it's uninspiring because the couple had no interest in it. When it's over, no one mentions it.
There is a better approach to wedding music planning.
I recommend a hands-on, "DIY" approach like in the first story. It gives better, more personal results and avoids surprises along the way.
While it is more work than the "I do not care, just play some music" approach, it's also so much more satisfying.
But I suggest starting earlier and being aware that there may be some trial and error involved, there may be some unexpected surprises.
So what are some of the surprises There are quite a few things that couples seem to not realize when thinking about their ceremony music.
Here's my top 3:
- It is not the musicians that makes your ceremony music special (though it does help!). It's having distinct music that you chose (your choices will express your joy the way you want, making it personal). The musicians are there to make your music come alive.
- Your chosen music may not sound like the recordings you based your choices on.
- Not knowing about and working with the church's wedding music and musicians policies before making your decisions can lead to extra work and frustration.
How can you avoid these surprises?
What can you do about these three wedding music planning surprises?
- Start early. Leave yourself some time to deal with things that come up that do not go according to plan.
- Get good, solid advice. If you did not start early, get even more advice to make sure you do not waste any time.
- Listen to your music selections performed by your musician and make refinements if necessary.
- Talk to your church very early and be sure you know their ground rules before starting your planning in earnest.
