What You Need To Know About Basic Wedding Terminology…the ‘Scenes’ of Your Wedding

Here’s another important step to take at the beginning of your wedding music planning.
 
Successful wedding planners, consultants and musicians instinctively conceptualize different parts of the wedding as ’scenes’, using the definitions we outline here. If you use these categories when dealing with your wedding professionals it’ll be easy to stay on the same page with them…plus…you’ll have a natural framework to use for building variety and drama into your wedding plan.
 
• Prelude ~ Pre-Ceremony: This is the very beginning of the wedding, the time you allow for everybody to arrive and get seated before the Ceremony begins. Listen to Prelude Music Sound-clips Now
 
• Pre-processional: When everyone is seated, waiting for the Processional to begin, you can introduce a special piece of music to set the tone…like “The Wedding Song”…or as background music so elderly relatives or special friends who are not part of the official Wedding Party can be escorted down the aisle to their seats reserved in front. Listen to Pre-Processional Music Sound-clips
 
• Processional: The entrance of your Wedding Party and then you and your fiance. Listen to Processional Music Sound-clips

 
• Ceremony: This is where you exchange vows and rings. It’s a time for prayers, blessings, invocations and pronouncements. (Sometimes wedding coordinators/musicians/DJs loosely refer to all events that take place before the reception as the Ceremony) Listen to Ceremony Music Sound-clips
 
• Unity Candle: This is an optional part of the Ceremony… usually a candle-lighting and brief period of reflection on the unity and joining of your two lives (and your families) into one. Listen To Unity Candle Songs
 
• Recessional: This is your return as Mr. and Mrs. and your newly joined families down the aisle after the Ceremony… followed by your guests’ exit to the next part of the wedding. Listen To Recessional Music Sound-clips
 
• Interlude/Postlude/Cocktail or Champagne Hour: This is the time immediately after the Ceremony and just before the main Reception. You can be congratulated formally in a receiving line, or informally while pre-dinner refreshments are served. …totally your call. You can even take a break and spend a few private minutes together before your grand entrance at the Reception as Mr. & Mrs. Listen to Interlude Music Sound Clips
 
• Reception: The Reception is the celebration after the Ceremony. (Not all weddings have full dinner or dance receptions, but all weddings should be ’set to music’). There are lots of highlights and special moments and dances that make for a great reception…and we’ll be getting to those in future Blogs.
 
You can listen to more song clips for each ’scene’ of your wedding when you visit Wedding Music Central
 
‘Bye for now…

Gloria