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Ep. 8 The Mike Bills Podcast | How To Plan The Music For Your Wedding Ceremony

20 December 2019

The inspiration for Episode 8 of The Mike Bills Podcast actually came at the expense of a recent inquiry for sort of a "last minute" wedding DJ booking. During the course of this inquiry, it became apparent that the bride and her mother had contacted another wedding DJ besides myself. While it's encouraged for all brides and grooms to shop around, it became quickly obvious that this prospective client had already begun talking to a DJ who was over HALF of the cost of my services. When speaking to the bride over the phone, she mentioned  the cost of the other DJ and that the ceremony music would cost them $50.00 extra.    Who are these DJs that think that charging $50.00 for ceremony music is acceptable, and more importantly "professional"?  Hearing these stories can be discouraging, not only for me as a business owner who provide a higher end service, but curiosity began to kill me as thoughts came over me as to how a wedding DJ could pull this off? Were they playing music off their phone and holding it up without any PA? According to the bride, there were going to be 100 people there.  As one of the top Charleston Wedding DJs, I could continue to speculate how ceremony music can be done for $50.00, or head into the production studio and record another podcast and tell you how it's REALLY supposed to be done. Episode 8 is online now and available at Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and IHeart Radio.  It's quickly become the perfect companion for engaged brides and grooms looking for a wedding DJ.  You'll want to read on to learn more about planning the music for your wedding ceremony.

The most common question that brides and grooms inquire about is the extra expense that is involved in providing wedding ceremony music, even if their ceremony is located at the same location as the wedding reception. Years ago, a separate DJ system had to be designed to be able to accomodate a wider variety of needs for my clients.  This system was also designed to provide top notch sound for all of my clients.  Since this extra gear is required, there is additional setup time, which in some cases can include a great deal of labor.  An example of this "extra labor" might include running 350 feet of extension cord to get to your desired location for your wedding ceremony. 
Wedding Ceremony Stock

There are rare situations where no power is available for any equipment hook-up. In this situation, a professional, quiet generator is needed so my ceremony setup can have power and my clients can have the best sound possible.  Years ago when a generator was needed, other industry professionals referred me to an all-in-one system that had a speaker, a CD player, and battery.  After checking out this piece of equipment, it was determined that the sound quality was not up to my personal standards, so the rental of the generator was needed to maintain the sound quality I had established with my existing ceremony system setup.  My system is comprised of a high end mixer, and 2 CD players. After the bride and groom have determined what they'd like their songs to be, they are burned to a CD, as well as a thumb drive for extra backup purposes. Those CDs and songs are also tested before leaving the house.

Charleston Wedding Ceremony WhitePoint Gardens

Your Wedding Ceremony Music
When planning the music for your wedding ceremony, sit down and discuss how you dreamed your wedding would be.  Did you dream about a formal and solemn wedding ceremony with more traditional music, or was it a little more casual and fun? Before choosing the perfect songs for each portion of your wedding ceremony, you must first determine the style. If your ceremony is being held in a church, there could be requirements as to what can be played. 

Wedding Ceremony Charleston Music

The Wedding Ceremony Music Theme
Once you determine the style of your ceremony, it's now time to decide on the type of theme.  If you take the traditional route, do you prefer Canon In D in "strings" or "piano"? Modern weddings today have even more options with artists like the Piano Guys and the Vitamin String Quartet , who have recorded many different genres of music like Top 40, rock, indie, and alternative music. Believe it or not, brides and grooms can even hear instrumentals of Guns & Roses these days! You are getting married because you both are deeply in love with each other and want to share this day with your friends and family.  Every song you choose for your wedding ceremony should be full of "love".

Father And Bride Inside Church For Ceremony

Wedding Ceremony Prelude Music
Prelude music is played 20 - 30 minutes before the start of a couple's wedding ceremony.  Brides and grooms can choose their prelude music or let their DJ choose the songs. Popular choices of  prelude music include soft rock, instrumental jazz, and even slow Motown songs, or light country music. 
Wedding Ceremony Prelude

The Bridal Party Processional Song
As the set of prelude music is faded down and the ceremony begins, the bridal party processional song is played.  Some couples opt for a song to be played while their parents and grandparents are escorted out, then kick off the bridal party processional song.  Canon in D is the most popular traditional song that is chosen for the bridal party processional song.

Bridal Party Processional Charleston Wedding Ceremony

Bride Processional Song
The absolute most beautiful moment of the wedding ceremony is when the bride walks down the aisle. Brides and grooms should take some extra time in choosing this song. It truly is a special moment and guaranteed to not have a dry eye in the house.  All eyes are on the beautiful bride walking down the aisle. 

Bride Walking Out On The Beach Ceremony

The Recessional Song
Your officiant has just declared you husband and wife. You have just kissed each other for the first time as husband and wife.  The most important business of the day is done. Now, it's time to begin the party of your lives. Your recessional song needs to be fun and upbeat, and serve as a catalyst for all the great fun that will ensue later.  In a recent wedding, "Paradise" by Coldplay was used, but an even more choice is "Wouldn't It Be Nice" by the Beach Boys, but you could go even more upbeat like "Sweet Child Of Mine" by Guns N Roses.

Katie Emma Recessional Beach Ceremony

Postlude Songs For Your Wedding Ceremony
Brides and grooms occasionally opt for more happy -go-lucky songs to play at the ceremony location after the ceremony has ended.  These are called "postlude" songs, and they can played for some of your guests who are still gathered around your ceremony location.

Other Special Moments:  Unity Sand Or Unity Candle
Some couples opt for the unity sand moment. This is one when the bride and groom each pour sand into a container at the same time as a sign of "unity".  There are some times when a couple would like to hear a song during this moment. A "unity candle" can also be lit during the ceremony which symbolizes the uniting of the two families.

Unity Sand During Wedding Ceremony

Wedding Ceremony Interlude Songs
Whether it's a special reading or a pause in the ceremony where music is needed, interlude songs can be chosen to be played at these special moments. Interlude songs might include portions of instrumental songs, or could also be complete songs. Interlude songs can also be special songs sung by a family member or other guest.

Interlude Songs For Wedding Ceremony


Download Episode 8 Of The Mike Bills Podcast NOW
As you can see, there is a lot to consider when planning your wedding ceremony. And with all that is required, there is no way that any professional wedding DJ would even think that it's worth $50.00. Be sure to download The Mike Bills Podcast from wherever you get your podcasts. It's available on IHeart Radio, Apple Podcasts, and Google Play, as well as TuneIn and Spotify. Feel free to download back episodes of the podcast and as you begin to plan your 2020 or 2021 Charleston wedding, be sure to check back for more helpful information about finding the best Charleston Wedding DJ for your most special day.  Care to contact Mike now about your wedding,  click this link. Thank you so very much for the downloads. I look forward to continuing to providing modern brides and grooms more excellent content in 2020 and beyond. In a world where there are over 800,000 podcasts, the fact that people can find my podcast and download it, means the world to me. 

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