Generally, your wedding ceremony will include three distinct types of music: preludes, processionals, and recessionals.
Preludes
Prelude music is light background music that sets the atmosphere while your guests arrive. It typically begins as soon as the doors open, which is usually about 45 minutes prior to but no later than 20 minutes before the beginning of the ceremony.
Processionals
The next part of your ceremony is the processional, which welcomes the extended wedding party - family, attendants, and bride. You can technically use the same song for each group of people, but I personally prefer switching to a different song when the bride enters to really emphasize that special moment.
Recessionals
As the ceremony comes to an end, the recessional plays. The purpose of this section is to create a celebratory atmosphere as everyone makes their exit. Think of it as a musical reflection of the beautiful emotions you just experienced during the ceremony.
Every wedding is unique, and you may desire music at other points throughout the ceremony as well. This should give you some guidelines to work with as you plan your wedding, but feel free to change it up if you have creative ideas for your ceremony!
If you live in the Southeast United States and would love to have live music at your wedding, I'd be happy to chat with you about how I can help. Click here to schedule your free wedding music consultation!
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