FREQUENTLY ASKED MUSIC QUESTIONS
Special times and special places,
special friends together; the moments pass so quickly,
but the memories last forever. ~Anonymous
The music during your wedding ceremony and reception may be one of the longest-lasting memories for you and your guests. So you will want to choose your musicians and the music they play carefully. SeaSoundStudio can provide you with as much or as little assistance as you require in this process, but there are several important factors you should consider in making your decisions.
The following are some of the music planning questions that are most frequently asked by bridal couples. Click on the question to be taken directly to the answer for the question.
2. How do we choose music for our ceremony?
3. What factors should we consider in selecting music for our reception?
5. Should we hire individual musicians, a DJ, or a live ensemble for our ceremony?
6. Should we hire a DJ or a live band for our reception?
11. How much should we budget for musical entertainment?
1. We know that music planning is important for us to enjoy the wedding of our dreams, but where do we start?
Music will create the atmosphere and ambience for your wedding, and music can reinforce the theme of your wedding if you have one. To understand the impact music can have on your wedding, start by reading the Ceremony Music page and the Reception Music page. From those pages, you will learn about the many special moments during your ceremony and reception that can be enriched with music.
2. How do we choose music for our ceremony?
Selecting the perfect songs and musicians for your wedding ceremony will be some of the most important decisions you make--the wedding ceremony is the highlight of your wedding day. The music must be perfect--the perfect songs played by professional musicians at the perfect moment. Before you can begin selecting music for your wedding ceremony, you should understand that the typical ceremony has five parts: Prelude Music; Processional Music; Ceremony Music; Recessional Music; and Postlude Music. For a description of each part and music that is popular for each part, refer to the Ceremony Music page.
3. What factors should we consider in selecting music for our reception?
Reception music must be appropriate for the style of your reception and should be determined by the mood and ambience you wish to create. The tone you set with music is one of the best ways to personalize your wedding reception, whether the music is provided by a live band, a DJ or both. When planning your music, you need to select songs for each event during the reception: Cocktail Hour; Newlyweds' Entrance; Dinner Music; Newlyweds' First Dance; Family Dances; Toasts; Bouquet Toss; Garter Removal and Toss; Cake Cutting; Money Dance; Ethnic Dances; Last Dance.
4. Are there any special considerations in choosing music if we have a wedding theme or we are planning a destination wedding?
The music you select for your ceremony and reception can reinforce the theme you have selected for your wedding, and you should select the music just as carefully as you selected the theme. For more information, refer to the Wedding Planning page which describes how you can incorporate your theme into the following essential elements of your wedding: Marriage Vows; Ceremony Readings; Ceremony Music; Reception Music; Wedding Party Attire; and Decorations. In the case of destination weddings, the location of the destination will determine whether you will need to hire musicians living in the destination location or hire local musicians who are willing to travel.
5. Should we hire individual musicians, a DJ, or a live ensemble for our ceremony?
Traditionally, ceremony music is performed by two musicians: a vocalist and an organist/pianist. Another popular choice for ceremony music is to hire a harpist or a duo or trio of string or woodwind players. Occasionally, bridal couples hire chamber ensembles to play classical music at formal weddings. In most cases, a DJ is not appropriate because recorded music can not create the atmosphere and ambience that is critical for a wedding ceremony. For more information on the musical groups that may be most appropriate for your wedding ceremony go to the Ceremony Music page.
6. Should we hire a DJ or a live band for our reception?
When considering whether you should hire a band or DJ, consider the style of your party. If you want ambience and entertainment, you need a band; if you only want to dance, consider a DJ. If you want both for your special day, consider the special rates offered by SeaSoundStudio when you hire both a live band and a DJ.
7. We don't want to ruin our wedding day by selecting the wrong people to provide music for our ceremony and reception so what should we do?
By recognizing that you must hire the right people to provide your music, you have already taken the most important step to making a good decision. Next, you should ask for references from individuals who are qualified to evaluate the professionalism and competence of musicians, bands and DJ's. If you don't know anyone who is qualified, call SeaSoundStudio for a free 20 minute consultation by telephone or in person. After that consultation, you can decide if you want to undertake the arrangements yourself or book one of the artists represented by SeaSoundStudio which will entitle you to additional free consultation. Refer to the Wedding Music Planner page for more information
8. This process of identifying musicians, live bands and DJs appropriate for our ceremony and reception sounds a little overwhelming, particularly because we have so many other important decisions to make. Is there a music planner or someone who can help us make the right decisions?
SeaSoundStudio can advise you of which combination of musical instruments would create the atmosphere and ambience you desire for your wedding ceremony--organ, piano, synthesizer, harp, guitar, banjo, mandolin, strings, flute, saxophone, clarinet, brass, percussion. SeaSoundStudio can also recommend musical groups with the required combination of instruments that have experience playing for wedding ceremonies. SeaSoundStudio can also help you choose a reliable band or DJ to create the atmosphere you desire at your reception, and you can be assured that SeaSoundStudio will only recommend professionals who have experience performing at wedding receptions and helping newlyweds' dreams come true on their wedding day. For more information, see the Wedding Music Planner page.
9. We don't know much about music agreements, set-up requirements, rest breaks, overtime fees and other contract provisions, but we don't want to make any mistakes. Who can help?
After you make your decision, SeaSoundStudio can contract with the individual musicians, live band or DJ to perform at your ceremony, cocktail hour, reception and any related events for which you desire music. SeaSoundStudio will communicate your wishes so that you can concentrate on other important wedding plans, knowing the music will be professionally managed. Most importantly, this service is free if you book a musician, live band or DJ through SeaSoundStudio. For more information, see the Wedding Music Planner page.
10. We want to include all of the traditional events in a wedding, but we also want our wedding to reflect current trends. How can we incorporate both traditions and current trends into our wedding plans?
Music traditions and trends differ according to your heritage, culture, geographic location and family expectations. For a description of the traditional elements of a wedding ceremony, refer to the Ceremony Music page. For a description of the traditional elements of a wedding reception, refer to the Reception Music page. For a description of certain ethnic traditions, refer to Ethnic Dances and Money Dance. For a description of recent trends, refer to the Tying the Knot Trends page. For answers to your specific questions call Patrice Kaluza, the Executive Director of SeaSoundStudio, who has more than 25 years of experience planning and performing music throughout the East Coast.
11. How much should we budget for musical entertainment?
Musical entertainment for your wedding ceremony and wedding reception should be approximately 5% to 10% of your wedding budget, depending upon the location of your wedding and the number of music professionals you need. Spending less for musicians without wedding experience or asking amateurs to provide the music for your all-important day will get you what you pay for. You will likely miss an important opportunity for the music to create the atmosphere required to make your wedding day perfect. In the worst case, your guests may consider the music to be amateurish or they may not be able to hear the music at all if the wrong equipment is used.
12. We realize that some of our guests' fondest memories of our wedding day will be the conversations, dancing and joy the music will encourage. However, we are on a tight budget so are there any insider secrets to keeping the costs of musical entertainment within our budget?
Professional musicians charge for their services as do most other professionals--a fee based upon the amount of time required to perform, the amount of equipment and instruments that are required, and the distance travelled to the performance location. Typically, the cost of musical services increases with the number of musicians, the amount of time they play and the distance they must travel. SeaSoundStudio can help you to stay within your entertainment budget in several ways:
- SeaSoundStudio is often able to negotiate package discounts by locating musical groups that can provide music for your ceremony, cocktail hour and reception. Often, groups will charge less per hour for performing more hours because they have already traveled to your venue and set up their equipment.
- SeaSoundStudio often receives more favorable rates from musicians, bands and DJs as a professional courtesy because SeaSoundStudio provides more business to them than a wedding couple who will likely hire them for one event.
- SeaSoundStudio can provide you with a package rate for the ultimate musical entertainment--a band and a DJ that together will provide music for your ceremony, cocktail hour and reception.
- SeaSoundStudio can sometimes convince a band to send certain of their members the day before the wedding to provide music at a Rehearsal Dinner for a reduced fee.
- SeaSoundStudio can introduce you to bands that include an accomplished musician who plays a synthesizer--a single electronic instrument that can digitally create the sounds of hundreds of analog instruments. This approach reduces the number of musicians required to produce the instrumental sounds you desire at your celebration or reception.
13. We really want a live band for our reception, but our budget is limited. Is our only option to hire a D.J. to play pre-recorded music?
You may be pleasantly surprised to learn that some excellent wedding bands charge less than certain D.J.'s in the area who have dramatically increased their fees in recent years. SeaSoundStudio represents both wedding bands and D.J.'s so call to discuss the various options that will fit within your budget.
14. How do I contact you to take advantage of your discount packages and other ideas described on your web site?
To discuss the discount packages and other ideas for minimizing your music budget contact SeaSoundStudio for a free, no-obligation telephone consultation. It is best to call at least six months before your wedding date so that you can take advantage of all available discounts while booking the best musicians. They will create the perfect atmosphere for the wedding of your dreams. At your option, you can contact the Executive Director of SeaSoundStudio, J. Patrice Kaluza, by any of the following methods:
- Email: Send an email message to jpatricek@seasoundstudio.com
- Text: Send a text message to Patrice at 919-426-5176
- Phone: Telephone Patrice at the Studio by calling 919-870-0442