Choosing Music for Your Wedding
Weddings are stressful. After all, how often are you juggling dress fittings, food tastings, and out-of-town family members at the same time? There are a lot of decisions to make for a wedding, and we want the music selection process to be as painless as possible.
Below is an overview of where to place string music during your wedding. If you need additional help choosing music, please contact us for suggestions. We are music-selecting aficionados and can help you put together a list that flows well and completes your vision for the event. Our repertoire list is also updated regularly and is a great resource for finding the tunes you love.
The (Painless) Process
1
If you have not received it already, please contact us for a password to access the Music Planner. The Planner will walk you through your event and allow you to select songs for the wedding ceremony, cocktail hour and reception (if applicable). You may save the Planner and return to it later.
2
Decide what atmosphere you want to create for your wedding. Do you want a traditional, classical ceremony? An upbeat, contemporary cocktail hour? A mix of both classical and contemporary? It's your day, pick whatever styles fit the two of you the best.
3
Select your favorite tunes from our repertoire list OR contact us for a few suggestions.
4
Submit the Planner and you are DONE! As long as the music is already in our repertoire list, you may make changes up until a week before the event.
How Many Songs Should I Select?
Depending on the length of the prelude, there will be about 4-6 pieces while the guests are being seated. You do not have to choose all of these unless you would like to! We are happy to put together a setlist that complements your genre preference.
There is typically one piece for the family, one for the processional (bridesmaids, groomsmen, flower girls, ring bearers), one for the bride or partner, and one or two for the recessional.
You may opt to have a piece played sometime during the ceremony. The best timing for this is during traditions such as the lighting of the unity candle, sand pouring, knot tying, etc. If the officiant will be speaking throughout the tradition, we do not recommend music as it can make it difficult for the guests to hear.
For cocktail hours and receptions, we suggest that you provide us with a few of your favorite songs from our repertoire. We will fill in from there according to your genre preference, how loud the setting is, what the guests seem to be enjoying, and the overall atmosphere of the event. Please note that we usually perform our contemporary list during this time unless you have requested otherwise.
Here is a Summary...
Prelude: 4-6 pieces
Processional
Family: 1 piece
Wedding Party: 1 piece
Bride or Partner: 1 piece
Ceremony: 1 piece during a tradition such as the Unity Candle (optional)
Recessional: 1-2 pieces
Can I Choose Music That Isn't In Your Repertoire?
Yes! However, new music typically costs extra to compensate for the time it takes to arrange the piece(s) for strings. Cost is $30-$70 depending on the difficulty of the arrangement. The new music also needs to be feasible for strings. Certain songs work better than others, so please note that new repertoire is added only at Nexus' discretion.
Have a song in mind? Contact us for more information and a quote.