RPL Weddings

“Trying to describe music is like trying to dance to architecture,” someone once said.

And choosing music for your wedding is so individual; you’re building an overall mood for your day, accompaniment for your memories.

Some of our couples know exactly what they want, others want guidance, others want some suggestions and then come back with their own choices.

We’ve had everything from “I want something that won’t date too easily” to “We want something that’s really ‘us’!”  We’ve also had our fair share of Take That, Jason Mraz and Snow Patrol!

But for brides and grooms to be, it’s not just about the music for the DVD.  There’s the music to walk down the aisle to, the music for the Reception, and other music choices for your own tastes throughout the day.

This is often where a good wedding planner is worth their weight in gold – when you’re organising a wedding, there is so much to do that, by the time someone puts a song list in front of you, even dedicated music lovers find they wilt just that little bit!

Basically, it’s your day, your taste, your memories: choose whatever is personal to you!  If, however, you do have concerns or are having trouble choosing songs, the following list of suggestions might be helpful…

Choosing Your Music

• Choose something that is personal to you – one of our couples chose You Are The Best Thing because, as she said, “he really is”!  Perhaps it’s “your” song or has significance for you both.
• Try not to pick something that will go out of fashion quickly – I doubt, for example, that Locomotion by Kylie Minogue (in her pre-Kylie days) would have been a choice for most couples, unless it had particular personal significance!
• It might be an idea to really listen to the words – a couple of people have mentioned they love Careless Whisper except the lyrics are inappropriate; and one of our brides said her husband joked that she should walk up the aisle to “Highway To Hell”.  At least, she assumed it was a joke…
• If there is a particular style of music that you like – for example, classical guitar or piano – why not have a favourite piece of music re-worked?  One of our couples chose a favourite piece of music and had the wonderfully talented Ilona Mejia re-work it so she could walk down the aisle to it.  It’s a lovely piece of footage and, even the seasoned wedding workers had a tear in our eyes!  It was personal, original and beautiful.
• Make sure that your music fits the mood you want to create; we’ve had traditional weddings with all things Scottish, we’ve had couples who’ve had a traditional ceremony then a cocktail party-style reception with live pianist.  And another couple who wanted their DVD to start off with a love song, then turn into Pump Up the Jam halfway through the wedding DVD.  Not everyone’s taste, but it was fun and reflected their sense of humour.
• Never be afraid to ask – a wedding planner, again, is brilliant if you need guidance or assistance.  Or, if one of your bridal party is a music buff, you might want to delegate (but remember to give instructions about songs you hate/love or genre notes).

My favourite two sites at the moment, which allow you to search music for free, are www.spotify.com and www.classicsonline.com.  Spotify hosts a wide range of music and you can create playlists to save your music choices.  Classics online is a treasure trove! It’s my new favourite thing! If you’re looking for something a bit more obscure or within the genres of classical, medieval, world, jazz or instrumental music, registration is free and downloads are quite reasonable.

Whatever you choose, remember that it’s your day and we, as well as your other wedding suppliers, are there to make sure your day is everything you want it to be; in our case, that your record of your memories is something you’ll cherish for the rest of your lives.