For most couples when you mention the idea of music at their wedding, the groom will think about the evening party with a DJ or Band whilst the bride will most likely think about her bridal entrance.
These are, of course, two very important points during your wedding celebrations where you ideally need music, but more on that later.
How popular are daytime wedding musicians?
Jules and Anne-Marie provide music for usually between 200 and 300 weddings a year which might seem a lot. But, if you factor in there are on average around 250,000 weddings in the UK every year (source ONS) then our very small contribution is almost negligible. Of course, we are not the only wedding musicians out there – in fact we would estimate at least 50,000 people in the UK claim to be wedding musicians of one sort or another.
Even so, last week at a wedding we spoke the staff at Gaynes Park in Essex and they said in the last 6 months we were probably the 3rd set of musicians they had seen playing for a ceremony. Now to be fair we didn’t get the number of weddings this might refer to, nor how many weddings this particular staff member might have attended. But nevertheless, even to us, this was a surprisingly low figure.
But it comes as no surprise. We are well aware that unlike photographers, florists and even videographers, wedding musicians are quite a long way down in terms of the pecking order of wedding suppliers. We therefore count ourselves extremely grateful that we play for as many weddings a year as we do.
Now it’s not all doom and gloom and if you follow a few wedding musicians on social media, there are plenty of them who seem to be busy, particularly during the summer months, often with back to back weddings.
How do musicians fit in to your wedding day?
So, if you have decided you want to add musicians in to your supplier mix at your wedding, where should they be involved?
The Wedding Ceremony
Music for the ceremony is always our starting point when providing daytime music for wedding couples. We do offer reception only packages if required but most couples see music for the ceremony as a starting point for their daytime music.
JAM Duo start to provide music as your guests are seated in the ceremony space – so usually from around 15 minutes or so before your official ceremony start time. Following this point and during the ceremony there are 3 key moments where music is played:
- Entrance of the Bride
- Signing of the Register
- Exit of the newly married couple
To find out more about what music works best for this time please refer to our page on ceremony music.
For musical inspiration why not head on over to our listen page.
The Wedding Reception
After the ceremony you will move on to your daytime reception which typically will include a drinks reception followed by the wedding breakfast / meal. This is another great moment to include music.
For the drinks reception, JAM Duo will typically provide an upbeat set to create an atmosphere while your guests enjoy drinks and canapés. We can play equally well indoors or outside. Music really helps to lift and occasion and create a fabulous ambiance. It is also good for creating a talking point and avoids awkward silences, particularly where some of your guests don’t know each other!
After the drinks most couples will typically have a wedding meal which might be a sit down meal or a buffet style occasion. No matter what, this again is a good time for musicians to be involved. Jules will often provide a little bit of cocktail piano and light jazz to create a slightly different atmosphere to the drinks reception.
Music during your meal can really make a difference and again avoids the silent moments when everyone is eating and enjoying the food.
First Dance & Evening
The first dance is typically the last moment in the day where JAM Duo are suitable, although we do occasionally get asked to provide and evening set with more upbeat music. Ultimately it depends on the style of your wedding, the guests you have invited and the atmosphere you are looking to create.
For the evening party most couples will book a DJ or a Live Band.
And so you can see, music really does play an important part in your wedding day. Almost from the moment guests gather for your ceremony through to the point they depart after the evening party, music has played a central role throughout.
