In Safe Hands.........
By choosing the Sheila Daniels Jazz & Swing
Band with Eugene Portman on Piano, you can rest assured that all the
music you have chosen for every part of your big day will be in safe
hands. Eugene has played as a solo pianist and as part of a duo, trio,
quartet or quintet at hundreds of weddings across the UK, he understands
exactly what is needed at each stage of the day and along with the band,
will offer advice on suitable pieces and will happily cater to the personal
choices of the bride and groom.
Wedding Music for Your Ceremony and Reception
A typical Christian wedding can be divided into four main sections:
the ceremony, pre-meal drinks, wedding breakfast, and evening reception.
About half of the weddings we perform
at have the ceremony in a church, so this means that if they do require
us to provide live music it will be during the drinks and before the
meal and the wedding breakfast, then the evening reception. Everyone's
requirements are different so do feel free to discuss any special preferences
with us.
As far as the choice of specific
pieces of music is concerned, the only part of the wedding that you
really have to think about is the wedding ceremony.
A selection of classical
pieces
for the ceremony
Alnwick
Castle, Northumberland.
; Alternatively, if you have
any particular favourites, either classical or jazz, which you would
like for the ceremony, just let us know.
The Ceremony
The Church Ceremony
A church wedding is easier from the music point
of view in that you very seldom have to provide someone to perform your
choice of music--unlike the civil ceremony. However, a church service
is very straight forward - you'll be able to discuss everything down
to the finest detail with the relevant cleric and the resident organist
if there is one.
The Civil Ceremony
One thing that has become popular over recent
years is the civil wedding ceremony and I think that this is the reason
that more and more musicians are booked for weddings each year. At one
time you had to go to a registry office to have a civil ceremony. Things
have changed as many hotels and other venues have been able to apply
for a license to hold marriage ceremonies on their own premises. The
main advantage of a civil wedding in a hotel is that everything to do
with the marriage can be carried out at the same place. That means less
travelling and less hassle for everyone. Even though you will have to
arrange the music for a civil ceremony yourself there is an added bonus
in that if you choose live music for the service, the musicians can
provide music for the pre-meal drinks and for the wedding breakfast
itself. Your specific choices of music should be discussed with us well
before the event and we can also help to provide you with some ideas.
If you don't want to pick each individual piece of music for the proceedings
then just give us an idea of the style of music you would like or maybe
a composer. For a civil ceremony you can have any music you want as
long as neither the title or the lyrics have any reference to religion.
Many couples prefer to have a classical piece for the ceremony and to
have something lighter for the rest of the day. Eugene is classically
trained and can advise on some beautiful classical pieces if you need
ideas.
The civil ceremony has four main part's, as far
as a musician is concerned, and they are:
1. The gathering of the congregation (sometimes
called "the prelude")
2. The procession
3. The signing of the register (sometimes called "the interlude")
4. The recession
The Gathering of the Congregation
This section doesn't really have a time span,
so when a couple does select music for this part of the ceremony, it
may happen that either you won't be able to have all of your chosen
pieces, or more frequently, the performer will have to play extra music
of his choice.
The Procession
The next section is the entrance of the bride
and traditionally this is carried out to Wagner's Bridal March. Although
most people stick to the Wagner, you can have any music you like. The
one thing you must consider when looking for an alternative is that
it doesn't take long for the bride to walk down the aisle! so it might
be easier to stick to the Bridal March.
The Signing of the Register
There never seems to be a problem with this
part. A piece of up to five minutes is usually fine and anything goes
really. If you did choose something that was too long there would come
a point where the musician would have to stop playing - however, the
piece would have to be excessively long for this to happen.
The Recession
This is where everyone leaves the place of the
wedding ceremony and traditionally this was always carried out to Mendelssohn's
Wedding March. Nowadays wedding couples tend to request everything but
the Wedding March! Anything seems to be appropriate for the recession
and there isn't a problem with the length of the music. As soon as the
last person has gone; the musician or musicians finish.
Pre Meal Drinks
After the ceremony everyone usually
has so much to say because they've had
to keep so quiet throughout all the serious bits. There's not a lot
to pre-
arrange for the music after the ceremony but it is a good idea to discuss
the style of music you are looking for and maybe give us a couple of
requests.
The Wedding Breakfast
Live music for the wedding breakfast has now
become very popular - there will often be jazz pianists, string quartets,
harpists or even flamenco guitarists. It's always nice to have music
while everyone is eating and chatting as long as the music isn't intrusive.
Most of the time musicians just go with the crowd: playing more mellow
music if the mood is relaxed and laid back or lively, up tempo choices
as the atmosphere changes. One of the most important things to be aware
of is whether the music is interfering with the conversation of the
wedding guests: if it is, then there's something wrong. For most weddings
you need the music to carry on right up to the speeches and that's where
it finishes until the evening reception.
The
Evening Reception
Trying
to please everyone with the choice of music can be difficult. However,
for weddings, large and small, a jazz & swing band can create a
fantastic atmosphere and enhance the style and sophistication of the
day - and from our experience, people of all ages love the timeless,
classic sound of this genre.
Some Suggestions for First Dance Songs
• Our Love is Here to Stay
• Let There Be Love
• It Had to Be You
• L.O.V.E
• At Last
• Someone to Watch Over Me
• S'Wonderful
• The Way You Look Tonight
• I Only Have Eyes for You
• Because of You
• Come Rain or Come Shine
• Fly Me to the Moon
• I've Got a Crush on You
If you have any other questions about choosing the music for your wedding
day, please get in touch with Eugene or Sheila through our Contact page
or fill in the enquiry form on the Quote page.
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