While it might not be the first thing on your mind when it comes to planning your wedding, music tends to be a key part of your big day. Especially for moments like walking down the aisle, or your first dance together as a married couple, music sets the tone and you’ll likely remember these songs for the rest of your lives.
But with a range of choices from a DIY playlist to a full live band, how do you choose what to play at your wedding? And once you’ve decided on that, how do you choose your songs? We share our top tips to help you choose your perfect wedding music.
Set your budget
The first thing you need to decide is how much you’re happy to spend. Whilst you might love the idea of a live band, they don’t always come cheap, so you need to have the funds to support this. However, they do create a great atmosphere, so if you do have the budget, you can be sure it will be worth it.
If you want to keep things inexpensive, then it can be fun to crowdsource a playlist from your guests. Whilst streaming songs won’t offer the same atmosphere as a live band, it is a cheaper option. You’ll just need decent speakers, and to recruit one of your guests to hit play at the right moment.
On your wedding invites, ask guests to email you two songs of their choice (you can adjust this number depending on the size of your invite list) and then you can pull all of these together into a wedding playlist. Just be sure to listen through beforehand to make sure all the songs are appropriate.
Get listening and ask around
If you’ve settled on having a band, but aren’t sure what genre you want or don’t have a specific band in mind, then get listening! There are plenty of wedding playlists on Spotify, so listen to different genres to get a feel of what might suit you best as a couple.
Ask around for band recommendations. No matter if it’s your closest friend that’s recommended them, make sure to listen to a recording or, even better, see them live. If they’ve played other weddings, they may have a video online, which can also give you a better idea of how they might interact with an audience.
You should also make sure to read reviews – there might be the odd few that raise some issues, but as long as the majority are positive, then you’re probably on the right track. You don’t want your first dance after your wedding rings slide onto your fingers to be too terrible music.
Think about creating the perfect moment
Ultimately, your choice of music will set the mood for each moment of your special day. Think about what tone you want for each section of the day. If you’re going for a formal wedding, perhaps opt for classical music for walking down the aisle, and then switch to a party mood for the reception. Or if you’re aiming for a very casual day, perhaps choose a famous romantic pop song for walking down the aisle, and then your favorite song as a couple for when you leave as newlyweds.