Wedding music

No question, wedding music is a must. But most important is to remember to keep it simple.

Suggested live forums: violin, harp, flute. This also works just fine with CDs.

Not suggested: opera singers at varying points in the ceremony. I officiated a wedding last year that had an exquisite singer featured. On paper this sounded like a good idea, but in fact this was an unusually warm September morning and the guests were outdoors, facing directly into the sun. The wedding party, including me, were in the gazebo and comfortably in the shade.

The singing was not short and sweet, and not in a rhythm that blended with the flow of the wedding readings and vows. Each peace was sung in toto, a "feature" worthy of pause. However, this threw attention over to the singer and away from the couple. And the guests were baking (and sweating) in the direct sun. Of course, everyone praised the singer, but why were we there? The problem was not this artist's skills or sensibilities; he is a gifted musician. Had the couple asked the singer for thirty seconds, rather than three and a half minutes, it would have complimented the "flow". Flow is essential to a successful ceremony, especially in the outdoors where you can't control the weather.

I have lots more to say about this, but we'll leave it here for now. Most people can't afford or don't even know a gifted opera singer, but even CD music can be overdone. More later.