Ok, so we've talked about brainstorming to come up with song choices for your marriage ceremony. And we've discussed choosing music that "reflects" you. Both are handy articles to help you come up with a list of ideas for great songs to use at your ceremony.
But we would be remiss if we did not mention that there does need to be one more list... the list of songs that you don't want for the ceremony. Yes, we said "don't." Now, we know what you may be thinking - "oh no, not another list of songs" Well... yes... another list of songs. If it's any consolation, hopefully this one will be shorter.
Think About Which Songs You Don't Want Played
It's important that you think about the songs you don't want played at your ceremony. This is especially true if you are going to leave it up to the DJ or Musicians to choose the selections for your prelude or postlude music.
Often, bridal couples want to give their DJ/Musicians an idea about what kind of music they want for the prelude or postlude (e.g. jazz, new age, classical, love songs, etc.), and they ask the DJ/Musicians to make the specific choices for them. And, there is nothing wrong with this. In fact, doing it this way allows them to choose music on-the-fly, that may be just right for the mood or the moment.
How A Song or Songs Can Cause A Problem
A problem may arise if, when playing from the genre(s) you wish, a song is played that carries sad or adverse memories for one of your friends or family or even you. This can be done quite easily even by DJs or Musicians with the best of intentions. So, it is important that you think about songs that may not be right for your ceremony, and let your DJ/Musicians know what those songs are.
It's impossible to know what all of those songs might be, but if there are some obvious ones, it's best to state those right up front. That goes for any broad categories of music or artists also (e.g. if you don't want to hear any jazz or Billy Joel, etc... at your ceremony).
Will it be a disaster if a not-so-appropriate song is played? Probably not. But a wedding is a well-planned, joyous occasion, so you probably want to avoid as many miscues as possible.
Other Considerations For Music You Don't Want
Another type of song that might make this list is one that you just don't like (for whatever reason), or one that doesn't fit the mood or theme of your wedding.
Another thing to think about... sometimes a song which is a hit at the moment will be gone and forgotten in a few months, so be careful picking tunes that are current Top 40 - especially for some of the more important ceremony songs like the Processional.
Remember that this music will be the soundtrack on the video or DVD of your wedding when you watch it 20 years from now. It might be best to save those kinds of songs for your reception, the prelude, or the postlude - but again, this is mainly up to you. That Top 40 song may also end up being a classic!
Now, let's learn a little more about how to use music to create a mood for your ceremony.