Why You Should Have Live Music For Your Wedding Day

Photo by The Taylors

Congrats, you're engaged - the wedding planning begins! Venue, photographer, flowers, dress, suits, favours, videographer, stationary, entertainment...there's so many different suppliers to think about. Every couple has their priorities whether that's the tastiest food, the party in the evening, or that beautiful venue that you keep seeing pop up on Instagram - it's so hard to know what to book, and what do you choose to prioritise?

Often live music can fall quite far down the list of priorities, a lot of venues offer packages with a DJ for the evening included, so why book anything else? We're here to tell you why live music is such a gorgeous addition to your day, and for many couples why it ends up being the most important part of their day.

Your wedding day is ultimately about celebrating you as a couple and telling your love story. From the moment you first met, to your favourite memories together, your wedding day is the best time to reflect on your lives together. It has been proven that music and memories are closely linked, with certain songs having the ability to trigger recollections of memories, and strong emotions. Most of the couples that we speak to have a song that is theirs - whether that's a song they heard in the background of their first date, a song they sing to each other in the car, or a song from the first gig they attended together - including songs from moment like these are the perfect way to tell your love story, and heighten the emotion during your wedding day - whether that be during your ceremony, or first dance.

Some of the songs you love might not be the right vibe for those pivotal moments during your day such as walking down the aisle. It also isn't always possible to find a version you like on Spotify or Apple Music. We're often asked by our couples to rework their favourites songs, strip them back, and make beautiful arrangements suitable for their wedding day, matching the vibe they want to create. For example, our version of Walking On Sunshine has been slowed down and arranged on the piano, emphasising the lyrics and the emotion they hold, which you otherwise might not notice in the original!

Live music is also the perfect way to set the tone for the day. Are you looking for a classy, romantic affair, or are you up for partying all day AND all night? Live music can create the atmosphere you're looking for that a playlist can't. Musicians can read the room, and determine which songs are going to work best for you and your guests, and also know when to bring the mood up or down. Sometimes all it takes is an ill-timed song to come on shuffle, and the vibe changes completely. Think Proud Mary followed by A Thousand Years.

Having musicians during the daytime is also a great way to get your guests hyped for a party in the evening - acoustic arrangements of Motown classics during the drinks, or a saxophonist performing 90s Dance during the room turnaround as evening guests arrive. Hearing arrangements of popular songs is a great way to keep your guests engaged throughout the day, and makes for a smooth transition from day to night - you want to it to feel like a natural build, rather then a sudden dash.

Photo by Mollie McAusland

On to the evening - nowadays there are soooo many options for evening entertainment, from oompah bands, to DJ & sax, to solo acoustic looping acts, the beauty of live music is that there's something out there for every couple, regardless of taste in music.

Many people think 'we have a DJ, won't that be fine?', and yes a DJ is a pretty important part of keeping the tunes flowing, but have you considered throwing other musicians into the mix, and making the dance floor a more interactive experience? Including a sax player or a live vocalist who can roam on the dancefloor with you and your guests is such a great way to get you all involved with the music and performance, creating an unforgettable experience, and some pretty fab photos too!

You may be thinking 'I'm having an intimate wedding, so won't a five piece band, or a DJ be too much', and that is where acoustic acts come in. We've all seen how Ed Sheeran can create a full band sound using just his guitar, voice, and a loop pedal, there are so many amazing acoustic acts who can perform your favourite dance floor fillers, but not be as imposing as a full band would be, easily adapting to suit the atmosphere you want on the day.

Take Janelle & Alex's wedding - we performed two sets during their evening reception with less than 20 guests in attendance, and it was not any less fun then a wedding with 100 guests, just a smaller arrangement to suit fewer guests, with all their favourite songs still performed. One of the highlights of the evening for us was seeing Janelle and her sister country dancing to 5678 by Steps - absolutely classic!

Whether it's for the daytime or evening, live music can have such a lasting impact on the day, helping to create unforgettable memories that will come back to you whenever you hear your song being played. It's your day, so make it as uniquely yours as possible - including the music!