As far back as I can
remember, musical entertainment has always been an important feature of a
marriage ceremony. Whilst there are no set rules as to the genre of music which
should be selected it could be said that the choice (amongst other things) is
influenced by culture and/or life experiences. This said, the rule of thumb or
shall I say 'the norm' is that the theme for the final choices are usually
centred around love, romance and relationships.
Having been privy to a
number weddings over the last few years I have had the opportunity to discuss,
advise and guide clients about the preparations for their special day. Contrary
to what you may think, selecting the best repertoire for your wedding isn't
always an easy task; there are a number of points that need to be considered
including;
· Agreeing suitable junctures where the
repertoire will be performed;
· Getting the technical requirements
right so that the performance goes to plan; and
· Setting the ambience to create the
right atmosphere
Selecting the most
suitable junctures where the repertoire will be performed is definitely worthy
of a mention here. Balance the content of the ceremony, inject variety and fill
those unfilled gaps, by placing your repertoire at that points which allow the
ceremony to 'flow' rather than the 'stop and start' approach, which is often
encountered. Some of the most appropriate junctures include the point where
your guests arrive, are being seated and the signing of the register.
Secondly, If you want the
entertainment to 'hit the mark' and have the desired effect, do not forget to
consider the technical detail which is so often missed during the planning
stage. When I say 'technical detail' I mean 'the pre determined requirements
which need to be satisfied for the event to be a success' so in terms of the
venue the technical detail will include the height of the ceilings, position of
the power sockets and the most suitable position for the singers and musicians
to perform. To ensure that you fully understand the context and importance of
this point, consider the following;
· During a wedding ceremony the singers
and musicians were positioned at the back of the church behind the bride, groom
and wedding guests. As the singers performed, the guests (who were seated) had
to physically turn their heads to observe the performance;
· At a drinks reception the singers and
musicians were positioned in a public area of a well known hotel which has very
high ceilings, during the performance the guests who were mingling below the
mezzanine, seemed less engaged with the performance as the sound was being lost
mid air.
These real life examples
are the result of poor planning; consequently, the full effect of the
performance was not realised.
The third point - as your
plans progress you should be thinking about the 'ambience' you want to create
at each of the junctures; by ambience i mean 'the mood a place or setting has'
it is one of joy, laughter, tears, reflection or one of boredom? The choice is
yours, so choose your repertoire carefully.
Finally, you may have come
across the saying 'a failure to plan is a plan to fail' therefore utilise the
time during the planning stage carefully. Preparation is key; use the tips in
this article to get started and as you go along you will understand the 'bigger
picture', you will then be able to make informed decisions which help you to
create entertainment for your wedding day, just as you always dreamed it would
be. Perfect.
