Secrets to the Perfect Wedding Ceremony

As a professional violinist, many brides come to me with a picture in their mind of the perfect ceremony. A classical string quartet in the background, playing a romantic melody that swells just at the moment she walks down the aisle. Live classical music is undeniably elegant and, well, classic. But how do you decide which songs are right for you? Here's a quick guide to help you choose and some secrets of the trade.

Timing is Everything

When booking live musicians, know that you're going to be hiring us for about 1 to 1.5 hours for an average ceremony. You might estimate that your musicians will only be needed for 20 to 30 minutes at the most, but you would be surprised at how often the ceremony runs late. To set a lively and atmosphere (and to be on the safe side), have your performers playing for 15-30 minutes prior to the ceremony to welcome your guests.

Musicians become the unofficial welcoming committee, and when the grooms extended family is caught in airport traffic because they've just flown in (true story!) we are the ones who keep just toes from tapping nervously, to tapping with delight! With my expansive sheet music library that features so many genres and wedding favorites, I enjoy entertaining guests by allowing them to make on the spot requests.

What kind of music should I pick?

Of course! For Prelude music with an elegant and traditional feel, ask for your musicians to select pieces from the Baroque and Classical eras. Translation: Upbeat and light music, like Mozart, Handel, Vivaldi, and Haydn. To add a sophisticated and unexpected twist, have a mix with contemporary music like jazz, light pop, Disney, and Broadway.

How many songs should I pick for my ceremony?

I find that couples often want an elaborate set list that includes one song for each processional (that's the walk down the aisle): grandparents, parents, the bridal party, and the bride and groom's processionals. In theory, it's a great plan. The final outcome is you'll hear just a few seconds to one minute of each piece. So, if you choose to have multiple pieces played, keep in mind you'll only get a bit.

Easy remedy: If you love the middle of, say, Ave Maria or A Thousand Years, ask your ensemble to plan ahead and arrange the music so your favorite part is played at that shining moment.

What about picking a super long song?

We can make that work too! If you dream of walking down the aisle to Pachelbel's Canon in D, keep in mind that the full piece takes anywhere between four and six minutes, and your walk down the aisle is usually much shorter. Talk with your musicians and ask them to cut it or, if you don't wanna miss a thing, have it played at a different part of the ceremony, such as the signing of the registrar or communion. Consider having Pachelbel's Canon play for the entire processional. That way, when it comes time to your time to shine, the musicians are just getting to the best part of the piece and you can really take it in that special moment.

For special moments like signing the registrar, lighting the unity candle, and communion, remember remember that you can have a longer song played. This is the perfect time for Bach's Air on the G String, Bach's Sheep May Safely Graze, or Schubert Ave Maria. You can always have a pop song played, like Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen), Halo (Beyonce), At Last (Etta James), etc. The musical world is your oyster!

What should I choose for our recessional?

For a traditional recessional with classical music, you can't go wrong with Mendelssohn's Wedding March or Purcell's Trumpet Tune. Looking for an upbeat and celebratory feel? Try Handel's La Rejouissance, Mouret's Rondeau, Handel's Hornpipe from Water Music, or The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba.

For pop favorites, check out: Marry You (Bruno Mars), Love Story (Taylor Swift), Wouldn't It Be Nice (The Beach Boys), All You Need is Love (The Beatles)

Want to learn more about booking Ariana Strings for your wedding day? Visit the contact page and say hi!

Happy wedding planning!

~Ariana

Love in the Time of Coronavirus

Let's be real: Wedding planning is stressful enough already, never mind amidst a global pandemic.

Photo credit: Stop Go Love at The Wadsworth Mansion at Longhill Estate, Middletown, Connecticut

So how on Earth can we celebrate love despite it all?

With careful planning and support from a fantastic team of vendors, you can safely marry and celebrate your union just like my 2020 couples.

First, find your local state representatives and get in touch:

1. Subscribe to their emails

2. Like them on Facebook

3. Follow them on Twitter

4. Follow them on Instagram

Not every state representative uses the same platform, but when you follow a few (I follow 3), it helps me truly understand the picture of what is happening in my state. Many representatives send out pandemic updates and summaries of changing state rules and guidelines. This is an invaluable resource! It means you can safely plan, knowing that you have the most up-to-date information.

Second, reach out to your vendor team:

Make sure that they have all the big details about your event. The key factors are guest count and whether you plan to be indoors or outdoors. If you planned a church ceremony and an outdoor reception, make sure that all your vendors (ceremony and reception ones) know your plans. The more that we know, the better we can help you.

I've been watching the news like a hawk and I know most vendors are the same. We know we are your most valuable resource in planning your event and can easily step up to help you. If government rules change suddenly and your wedding is affected, we want to be the first to reach out and help you make sense of it all.

We also know the rules like the back of our hands and are there to help you have a safe event. For example, from a performer's standpoint, we're going to make sure that your layout includes safe social distancing from the audience.

During a normal year, we perform at about 70 events. For our 2020 wedding season, we played for only 20 events, but we had at triple the number of phone calls as we normally would! On the bright side, it meant I got to know my couples even better, so when they walked down the aisle I was that much more emotional!

Third, be flexible:

Did your state suddenly shut down large events 2 weeks before your 150-person wedding? You can still get married on your original date. We can perform for your small ceremony this year and then for your vow renewal and reception next year. Many of our couples chose that and were happy they did! (Look below, that's what Allison & Chris, Marina & Rob, and Liz & Dan did.)

Our 2020 couples had to change their dates, ideas, and plans many times. While it was stressful, they all got to have brilliant and safe events, celebrating their love amongst their closest friends and family. Here's a glimpse of our 2020 wedding season:

If you're a 2021 bride or groom, what questions do you have about wedding planning? Comment below and I'll make another post as your guide.

Happy New Year!

Best,

Ariana

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3 Wedding Music Mistakes to Avoid to Make Your Day Perfect

After playing for over 400 weddings, I've learnt what it takes to give your wedding music a lasting impression that leaves your guests raving afterwards.

Without further ado, here are 3 Reasons Wedding Music Mistakes to Avoid.

Photo credit: Evergreen Weddings

Planning credit: Pearl Weddings

1. Don't try pack too much music into your ceremony. The key here is to keep tabs on the overall flow of the ceremony. How many different pieces should be played during the wedding's Processional?Many times, couples will request one song for each processional (one for the grandparents, another for the parents, another for the wedding party, another for the ring bearer.... you get the picture.) Unfortunately, by the time the Bride walks down the aisle, the guests have heard 15-second snippets of 5 different songs and it sounds like you're skipping songs on Spotify. The frequent starting and stopping really disrupts the flow.

Sometimes, couples want a different song played during their vows, readings (or between readings), and

during special moments like the unity candle or a memorial. This can all be planned and timed beautifully, but doing it all at once ends up back-firing.

To help with this, I *always* work closely with my couples to go over the numbers and timing. That way, all chosen music is intentional and flows beautifully.

2. Don't forget about Prelude/Postlude music. Having live music while the couple walks down (and back up) the aisle is definitely a highlight of the big celebration, but don't forget about your guests. Your guests will arrive early and, after the ceremony ends, file out slowly. They're usually so happy to catch up with friends that they often hang around the ceremony site even after you've left. Having live musicians playing in the background before the ceremony begins and after it ends is a touch that your guests won't forget.

What's Prelude Music? Check out our blog post that breaks it down for ya!

Prelude and Postlude are the perfect time to include songs that otherwise would not be performed during

the wedding ceremony itself. These may include selections you like but didn't have time to fit in, or movements from major works that sit well as background music but may not fit during an actual ceremony. For my own wedding Prelude, I rick-rolled my husband 😆 The fun part about instrumental music is that everyone expects it to be serious, so when you get to the chorus of "Never Gonna Give You Up", everyone is charmed and gets a good chuckle out of it. I've had couples include music from movies and rock favorites who really enjoyed thinking outside of the box.

3. Don't hire the discount/student ensemble. Your guests may not realize if you DIY some of your decorations or have a talented friend do your calligraphy, however it will be very apparent if you hire the cheapest ensemble, based simply on their price.

Guests and newlyweds always remember half-rate musicians for all the wrong reasons. The key here is to find professional musicians who perform year-round in professional symphonies, chamber orchestras, and ballets who also perform for weddings together. Everything from playing together and in tune to having the ability to go with the flow (like when the flower girls gets stage fright and runs back up the aisle), you will be thankful when you hire musicians based on experience. Remember, the musicians you hire will be creating tangible memories for generations to come.

In Summary:

If you keep it simple and work closely with your musicians, have some great background music before and after the ceremony, and hire the players who know their stuff inside and out.