The resonant strains of “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” accompany you down the aisle towards your beloved. Miles Davis’ “Milestones” puts guests in a relaxed party mood as they sip cocktails and nibble canapes in the warm afternoon sunshine. And at the reception, guests shimmy to Katy Perry’s “Hot N Cold” as confetti-like flecks of light bedazzle and entrance on the dance floor. The flower girl is spinning in circles. Great-Aunt Lydia’s showing off moves you never thought possible of an 82-year-old. Your wedding day soundtrack plays a key role in setting the mood for every part of your wedding day.

Press Play: Ceremony Music

Your ceremony is the first event on the wedding day where music plays a prominent role. Popular choices for ceremony music include string ensembles, jazz combos, pianists and harpists. The ceremony is the most solemn part of the day so create a formal mood with live musicians playing classical pieces. Vancouver’s Musical Occasions has provided musical services for thousands of wedding in their 20 years. “In all that time, the string trio or quartet have remained the most popular choice for weddings . . . . pedal harp with violin and/or cello has also become popular in recent years,” says the company’s owner Jan Trerise.

If classical music isn’t your forte, your musicians can suggest songs that suit your wedding ambience. According to Trerise, most couples opt for either classical only or a mix of classical and popular music—the latter works well for outdoor celebrations.

For a twist, many live musicians offer contemporary pieces in addition to traditional ones. The string ensembles from Musical Occasions for example, are known for their arrangements of songs by Coldplay, The Beatles, Adele, and Guns N Roses to name a few. There are also steel drum and mariachi bands for hire if you’re looking for an exotic flair.

Swing Into Cocktail Hour

Cocktail hour is a time of transition between gravitas and celeberation;  a jazz combo provides is an easygoing, elegant soundscape. Leanne Bitner, aka DJ Leanne of IDoLuv Weddings DJs & Videography, offers a fusion of live and DJ’ed music, “For cocktail hour, we’ll have a DJ playing jazz, electroswing (remixes of old standards) and have a sax player and purccussionist play along.” Another popular choice is hiring duos or trio of vocalists and instrumentalists to perform during and after the ceremony for a seamless progression into the reception.

Hit the Dance Floor: Reception Music

Afternoon gives way to evening and with that comes the revelry of your wedding reception. If you opt for a DJ take into account that your guests come from diverse ages and backgrounds so it’s important to play songs from a variety of genres, then everyone has a chance to have fun. “The number one trend for dancing is remixes,” shares Bitner. Remixes create a smooth transition between songs of differing genres.“Then you can go from ACDC to Katy Perry!”

A live band is a great choice if you prefer a specific musical genre to encompass the entire evening. Don’t worry, the cover bands of today are nothing like those in “The Wedding Singer.” Musical Occasions has a wide range of options— bands that cover the hits from the past six decades, to cover bands that play the latest pop music. There are swing era bands, classic rock bands, R&B/Funk bands—a band for every taste. A good band will interact with guests and keep the energy up at the right times. SideOne Players and Famous Players Band are two more live bands in Vancouver.

You Are the DJ

Many couples opt to create their own playlist to play over their venue’s sound system. Bitner advises those going this route to consider their guests’ experience as well as their own, “When it comes to dancing, you have to get people going. You have to have a good kick off song and think about what would make people dance . . .  playing all your favourite songs won’t necessarily be the best for the dance floor.”

Bitner and her DJs keep grooving with consecutive three-song medleys. They’ll play a motown medley of  Earth, Wind & Fire’s “September” into Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” into Aretha Franklin’s “RESPECT” then switch to a classic rock medley with ACDC, Journey and Bon Jovi. That grouping is then followed by a Top 40 medley of artists.

Break It Down

Here are some tips on wedding music selection for the ceremony and reception:

Ceremony
Processional: Usually a classical instrumental. ““Pachelbel’s Canon in D” still remains the most popular selection for the bride’s processional,” observes Trerise.

Registry Signing: Also often accompanied by a classical piece as it is easy to fade out or conclude at the end of the signing.

Recessional: A more jubilant sounding classical piece is often used to play the newlyweds and their wedding party up the aisle although you can break from tradition and use any upbeat song you like. “The Wedding March” is a traditional favourite whereas a pop song like the Beatles’ “When I’m 64” is a more contemporary, cheeky alternative.

Cocktail: Think “transition” Timeless jazzy music that’s uptempo — Miles Davis or John Coltrane works. For standards, think Frank Sinatra, Billie Holliday or contemporaries like Norah Jones, Micheal Buble or Harry Connick Jr.

Reception

Entrance of the Newlyweds: An energetic song sets a party mood, though it really is up to you. Bitner has had requests for “Welcome to the Jungle,” “All You Need is Love,” and for more conservative folk, “The Wedding March.”

Entrance of the Wedding Party: The wedding party could either walk in on the latter half of the newlyweds’ song or have their own song.

Dinner: Food service usually takes about three hours. Keep the music unobtrusive—the focus is socializing and, of course, eating. Instrumental music is a safe bet, think elevator but with more, um, class.

Wedding Dances
First Dance: Your first dance as husband and wife is a tradition you can infuse with deep personal meaning. If you have ‘a song’ use that one. If not, consider romantic, mid-tempo contemporary ballads or standards with lyrics that resonate with your relationship. You could also break with tradition and do a 1st dance with some edge. Choreographers Amy Alto and Moe Brody of Clear the Floor work with couples (and their wedding parties) to create 1st dances with a hip hop edge.

Second Dance: The 2nd dance is usually the father-daughter dance. Some dads may feel uncomfortable with the attention so if this is the case, approach this with his comfort in mind. Perhaps allow him to select a song he likes and remember to practice before the big day. Alternately, you can dance for only part of the song for a short dance and ask the DJ to fade out the music at a certain point.

Your wedding day soundtrack helps create an unforgettable nuptial celebration. Whether your hire professionals or select the songs yourselves, your music will forever be a part of your wedding day memories.