Music is Key

Key to creating an appropriate atmosphere, making your guests comfortable and reverent at the ceremony, helping them have a good time at your party and winding down at the end of the festivities.

How you create this atmosphere really depends on your personality as well as considering the expectations of your guests. Remember, you are the hosts of your first major shindig as a couple...it is about you but it is also about everyone else!

Ceremony Music
Your guests arrive about 30 to 20 minutes before the ceremony. Do they sit in awkward silence waiting for you to arrive or would you like some beautiful music to set the scene for your grand entrance? Are you in a church with strict music policies or in an open field, far from electricity and any walls the music can bounce off of? These things need to be considered and shared with your music professionals.

Generally speaking live music works best for the ceremony as the pros can play endlessly for the before music if the ceremony runs late and can adjust on the fly for speedy/slow processions and last minute gaps in the proceedings that can be covered by music. Lovely options are: string group (trio or quartet) - duos with strings can be a smidge thin but still lovely; flute/guitar or flute/harp duo - these combinations are fabulous and can cover all kinds of tunes because of the 'chordal' instrument (guitar/harp). Harp can be more expensive if you have visions of the lovely concert harps - they take about an hour to tune and are bears to travel with so you pay for that time; a single guitarist is quite lovely as well and you might find a bonus singing guitarist.

If you are at a church a little goes a long way because of the accoustics and if you are tight on budget you can ask if the organist will play, if that's to your taste.

If you are outside with at least one wall or structure handy, you can get away with a string group or a flutist with the guitar 'unplugged'. If you are in the middle of a field a guitarist is more likely to be able to bring a small battery operated amplifier in order to be heard and flute will carry regardless. Either way, you will need to provide shade for the musicians as the instruments can be damaged by sun.

Cocktail Hour
This is a nice transition time for your guests while they wait for you to take your pictures, if you didn't do it beforehand. Consider keeping the musicians from the ceremony for the cocktail hour, provided they are in the same location or not far. Live music again is a really classy touch for not much money and never fails to impress. Professional musicians will be able to read the crowd and will have a wide variety of music to amuse and even take the occasional request. String groups are somewhat less likely to have a pops/jazz book but be sure to ask.

Reception
Ah, the reception music. DJ? Live Band? Jazz? Rock? Classical? The possibilities are endless and you could have a combination of all of the above to really build the excitement and energy. Imagine a live duo or pianist doing classical music during dinner and a live band taking over the dance floor. Or perhaps the DJ will run the rest of the evening or even the entire reception. Personally, I'm a fan of the small ensemble or pianist during dinner - way classy and gives people a form of live entertainment to amuse.

The above may be slightly skewed to the 'live music is best' line as I am also a professional musician, but I sincerely believe that real people-powered music gives a great deal of class and positive energy to any occasion.