Weddings are one of the most popular celebrations and one of the best times to truly enjoy yourself and have a great time! So as the bride and groom, there is a level of responsibility that you have to pick good music! [Of course, if the song(s) means alot to you but not to many others, that’s okay too!] But what do you choose?

Well, as for your wedding ceremony, that’s usually limited to what is acceptable in the ceremony location. It’s common to have the wedding ceremony in a house of religion, so there are various rules that must be followed so go over these with your officiant. However, if you’re having your ceremony at a garden or other non-religious location, really, the sky is the limit for you! Usually, instrumental music will begin about 30 minutes prior to the processional (aka wedding march). The type of instrumental music, for your non-religious ceremony location, is really up to you. Often, it’s a soothing, relaxing type of piece. Once the mother of the bride is seated the processional begins (where everyone glides down the aisle in everyone’s amazement) and is usually some version of Wagner’s “Wedding March”. Of course, it doesn’t have to be a classical piece, just as long as the song has a steady beat that everyone can walk to. After all the “I do’s”, go for something upbeat and party-like! At this point, pretty much anything goes!

Now, your wedding reception, if you’ll be having a cocktail hour beforehand, common choices are jazz trios, strolling musicians or a string quartet, something along those lines, not too loud or disruptive to allow guests to mingle.

For the actual wedding reception, the most common choice is a DJ, able to cover varying styles of music and, if accompanied by an MC, can rile up your wedding guests into a dancing frenzy, that is only if that’s what you want! A DJ/MC option is usually a crowd-pleaser and usually less expensive than professional musicians with instruments, who also have their own charm when it comes to wedding receptions. Other options include hiring a band to do cover songs, ethnic musicians, and even professional dance instructors to teach your guests some ballroom dancing! The wedding reception is an anything-goes type of party where, however you and your new husband/wife can party to your hearts’ content!

When it comes to wedding flowers and bouquets, there are a number of variables that can affect, obviously, the look of your wedding and cost too. For the look of your wedding, obviously the types and colors of the flowers are key. With cost, the best solution is to pick flowers that are in-season during your wedding. Check out our article on that very topic to choose the right flowers for your wedding!

Read “The Long and Short of Wedding Flowers”

Perusing through our favorite sites, we came across this very useful, very interesting commentary on wedding photography in today’s time. Slate Magazine rolled out a “wedding week” issue, if you will, and offered some interesting insights into the wedding of our time. Most useful, in our opinion, is their slideshow on wedding photography.

Read “Wedding Photography: The Good, The Bad, The Almost Posed”