Music plays enormous parts in setting the mood for your wedding. It sets the day's romantic tone and serves to express the couple's style.

Special moments should be set to special music. Therefore, each part of your wedding day from the ceremony to the last dance should have specially selected musical pieces. Our Music Checklist will help you plan and organize the music for each wonderful part of your wedding day. Give this list to your musicians or DJ and review any questions they may have prior to the big day. If you don't have a fully comprehensive list to give them, supply a "do not play list" of songs you'd rather not hear on your wedding day.

When you start thinking about entertainment for your wedding, Remember there is more to it than just hiring someone to play music. First you need to get some referrals. Some great resources to start with are friends, family, parents, photographers, caterers and hotels. There are also Bridal Magazines and, of course, the Yellow pages.

Ceremony Music

If the ceremony will be in a religious building, be sure to ask if there are any music restrictions. Instrumental music generally begins 30 minutes before the ceremony, and a solo is often performed immediately after the bride's mother is seated. The processional begins with an instrumental -- or sometimes a soloist -- and has a slow, even beat that you can walk to. After the final attendant is down the aisle and in place, special music announces the bride.

The bride's music can vary -- anywhere from traditional to contemporary, an instrumental or a soloist. The most popular choice is Wagner's "Bridal Chorus" ("Here Comes the Bride"). You may also want one or two songs played during the ceremony. Finally, there's the recessional, which generally has a slightly quicker tempo, the most popular being Mendelssohn's "Wedding March".

No matter what you select for your song list, take the time to find music that means something to you both -- or at least music that you both enjoy.

Below are some traditional pieces to help you in your selection

Bach's 'Jesu, Joy or Man's Desiring'
Hyden's 'Serenade'
Handel's 'Water Music'
Mozart's 'A Little Night Music'
Pachelbel's 'Canon in D Minor'
Vivaldi's 'Alegro'
Beethoven's 'Ode to Joy'
Tchaikovsky's 'Bridal Chorus'
Mendelssohn's 'Wedding March'
Or maybe you'd prefer some more contemporary music.
Enya's 'OnlyTime'
Rufus Wainwright's 'Hallelujah'

Reception Music

Unlike ceremony musicians, who need to reflect the moment's solemn, heartfelt ambiance, reception music is all about entertainment. It should inspire dancing, joyful singing, and all-around merriment.

If the ceremony and reception are hosted in the same building, you may be able to hire one set of musicians for both events. More often, however, you'll need separate musicians for the ceremony and the reception.

Once you select your reception musicians, use the Music Checklist to help them play key songs at certain times throughout the evening, such as the first dance and the bouquet toss.

Selecting Musicians

When interviewing potential ceremony and reception music, ask for a recording of a past performance. That way, you both can audition any talent from the privacy of your own home. It also allows you to create a short list of two or three finalists and listen to their recordings back to back.

Another option is to ask musicians for upcoming performance dates. As long as you both promise to stand quietly and respectfully in the hall outside a ceremony, you may be permitted to observe the musician in action.

As soon as you both make your decision, get a written contract. Make sure it includes the obvious elements (such as date and prices) as well as the not-so-obvious ones (the musicians' attire, for example).

Use the Musician Selection Worksheet to keep notes as you talk to each one that you call, and the Musicians Worksheet to record specific information about your final choice(s).

Selecting a DJ

One of the first things you will notice is the great disparity of pricing from one DJ service to the next, and that there are many differences in what they provide. You leave the question about price for last; first you need to find out what makes the DJ worth their fee.

Wedding DJs generally have a vast catalogue of music on hand and should have both mainstream dance hits and rock classics in their repertoire if you want to get all your guests up and dancing! Keep in mind that your guest's tastes will be as various as their ages and personalities. If the DJ does not have a sufficient music library, you may find your guests won't be on the dance floor as much as you would like. A budget DJ simply has not invested the amount of money necessary to provide you with a first class selection of music. At a minimum, 5,000 songs is a necessity today for a professional, and 10,000 or more songs is a very good music library. Therefore, it is important for you to select a DJ who has invested in an extensive music library. Along with having the song titles, your DJ should also have a variety of music genres AND the know how to blend them into a pleasing mix.

Using a professional wedding DJ can help avoid a wedding with bad music, a DJ who shows up late or not at all, a DJ that doesn't take guest's music requests or a DJ with improper equipment.

Use our DJ Questionnaire to find the right DJ for you.

Remember, there is a lot of prep work that should be done prior to the wedding by the DJ. He/she should be able to explain what they will do for you in advance to ensure the success of the event. This includes providing a planner, sample format of how the evening will go, a tentative timeline, making sure they have the music you want and more. Advance preparation is what a professional DJ does as part of their service.

A true professional will spend a minimum of 10-20 hours preparing for your wedding. This includes going over your plans (consultations), music purchasing and editing, setting up and tearing down equipment, working with other vendors, etc. In other words, what you are paying for is more than just a body playing music!

Music is an especially important element at your wedding reception. You have thought about the music you would like and probably imagined the evening as you would like it to be. Find out if the DJ encourages requests from the guests or does he/she have a set music program. Decide in advance which you prefer.

As the guests begin to arrive and enjoy cocktails and as they enjoy their meals it is nice to have quiet background music playing. At some point after the arrival of the Bridal Party, it is customary for a toast(s) to be made to the new couple. For this, a wireless microphone is handy. It allows each speaker to be more relaxed and comfortable and make their speech where they are, and can reach places a standard microphone cannot. A professional DJ should never charge extra to bring or use a wireless mic.

Finally, listen to the DJ as he/she speaks. Make sure the person you are talking to is the one that will be doing the wedding. Do they have a pleasing voice and personality? While most of your interviewing will be done in person, you should speak with the DJ at least once on the phone. What you hear on the phone will be twice as good -- or bad -- when amplified on a sound system. Never, ever accept someone you have never talked to.

Remember, having confidence in WHO you hire is of prime importance in all your planning. As with all things in life, quality and professionalism is priceless.