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Prelude music is an often overlooked aspect of ceremony coordination.  Typically, it is considered well after the choosing of those crucial songs for the bride walking down the aisle and after the couple is introduced.  To me, however, it is just as important and can really enhance the emotional and spiritual impact of this once-in-a-lifetime event.

Prelude music plays in the background before the wedding, as guests arrive.  It sets the mood for the occasion.  Usually, I play prelude music for 30 minutes before a wedding is scheduled to begin, and continue to play it right up until everyone is ready to start.  Of course sometimes this extends for several minutes past the start time.  The music can be a blessing in this instance, because it will keep everyone calm and relaxed, and remind them to be patient.  This is a very special day that need not be rushed.

In considering musical options, I look at every ceremony as a blank canvas: ready to be painted in any colors and patterns that are fitting.  Therefore, the prelude is the perfect place to start by establishing a foundation in theme & mood.

To begin, the first thing I recommend is to change your way of thinking about Ceremony music.  Don't start by asking "What music is typically used?"  Start with your imagination!  Visualize your wedding day in your mind and ideas will come from everywhere.  Listen to music on the radio, in your CD collection, in restaurants, malls, and public places.  Think about what musical expression represents your feelings and the mood you want to create on your special day.

There are a myriad of possibilities, and of course I must mention the most commonly used style: traditional wedding music.  There are good reasons that classical, romantic orchestra music is perfect for weddings.  If you decide, after considering all of your options, that this is for you...it's still a good idea to research.  You should look around to find the specific pieces of music that you like, and just as importantly, the right versions of those songs.  There are lots of wedding compilation CD's.  I have dozens myself.  One problem I have found, however, is that there are discrepancies in quality.  Sometimes classical recordings have very high background noise.  Other times the recording just sounds cruddy.  On one occasion, I was reviewing one of these CD's and I heard (very clearly) people coughing in the audience during the the performance!  You can pick up these types of wedding compilation CD's at a discount on websites such as half.com, Amazon, and eBay.  Buy a few and choose your favorites.  Or just spend some time on iTunes and create your classical wedding mix, and buy the music then and there.

Wedding CD's are a great place to start, but don't be afraid to pick & choose, and of course research.  There are many places on the web that can give you advice on good classical music selections for the prelude.  Also, there are many online discussion boards where you can talk to other brides and get their advice and opinions.  Some popular ones include TheKnot and Brides.com.  Also, don't be afraid to explore non-wedding resources.  Find your own romance!  Explore classical music on your own and you might find something that touches you.

Next, let's consider some other instrumental music that is a few steps away from traditional classical wedding music.  You can find beautiful instrumental music in many formats.  Some, you might find in the classical music section, such as some romantic classical guitar or instrumental piano.  I have put together prelude music for a few ceremonies with various music from a popular pianist Jim Brickman.  For my own wedding in 2004, I mixed together various classical compositions that I liked with some of my favorite Enya songs.  Sometimes you may choose a style of music and go looking for the CD's (if you like the Saxophone, a search for romantic sax on Amazon turns up some nice prospects).  Other times, your search may turn up an unexpected treasure.  One such find is Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings CD.  It's made specifically for weddings and is filled with romantic instrumentals of Disney love songs from Beauty & The Beast, Aladdin, Cinderella and etc...  Perfect for beautiful prelude music.

Once we move beyond instrumental music, more possibilities abound.  As long as your choices stay true to your love & personality, just about anything goes.

How about a classic rock themed wedding?  Who says that wedding music has to be sedate?  Bring out the Lynyrd Skynyrd & Led Zeppelin.

Other brides simply put together a list of songs they love.  My cousin's wife, who got married in summer of 2006, made a list of romantic Christian & country love songs.  It was gorgeous, really made their wedding personalized, and put everybody in the mood to enjoy & celebrate their marriage.

Unless you're getting married in a church (in which case there may be requirements on what music you can use) I say go for the moon!  Use your imagination.  No one has ever had a wedding like yours will be, and that's just how it should be.

Here are some suggestions from http://weddings.about.com/

Contemporary Songs Appropriate for Wedding Ceremonies

• "At Last" (Etta James)
  
• "Only Time" (Enya)
  
• "Come Away With Me" (Norah Jones)
  
• "Appalachia Waltz" (Yo-Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer, Mark O'Connor)
  
• "Unforgettable" (Nat King Cole and Natalie Cole)
  
• "It's Only Time" (Magnetic Fields)
  
• "The Look of Love" (Dionne Warwick/Burt Bacharach)
  
• "The Vow" (Jeremy Lubbock)
  
• "Come What May" (Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor)
  
• "Storybook Love" from the movie "The Princess Bride" (Willy DeVille)
  
• "Wedding Processional" (from The Sound of Music) (Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein)
  
• "Can't help falling in love" (Elvis Presley)
  
• "What A Wonderful World" (Louis Armstrong)
  
• "When I'm Sixty-Four" (The Beatles)

As you can see, there is nothing magic about this list.  Maybe this music fits you, maybe it doesn't.  These songs were thought up by an individual based on what they think would be great for a wedding, but not necessarily your wedding.

The overall point of this blog is to open up your mind and inspire you to create your own vision.  No matter what you do, whether you find the perfect music on CD or hire instrumentalists (a guitar player or harpist, for example), my hope is that it will fit you, instead of being simply what is "traditional."

I hope this discussion of prelude music will get you started with a few ideas and a bit of inspiration.  Next week, I'll continue this series and we will discuss processional music.

Yours,

-Aaron Mauldin
Aaron's DJ Services
http://www.aaronsdjservices.com