Music lenghts

For the waiting music - do your invites state that guests are to arrive at the ceremony time, or a time before. What I mean is, our service starts at 3pm but my invite time is 2:45, so i'm expecting arrivals from 2:30, so will schedule 30-40minutes of music. I'm fairly sure I won't be more than 10mins late (OH would kill me!)

For signing the register, we have a church wedding, and have been told we'll need 3 songs, but i've got down 4, just in case.

The service starts at 12 and that's what the invites say, I'm not wondering if I should have put 15 mins before ?

I think I'll allow 4 for the signing then and if it takes longer it'll be ok, how many do you think for the waiting bit then? 4 or 5?

I'm assuming I only need 1 for when I walk in and 1 for when we walk out, right?

We're having a civil ceremony in a venue (rather than a registry office) but:

H2B has been charged with the task of putting a CD together of pre-wedding music. I think he's going to cover about half an hour as we're anticipating guests arriving up to half an hour before with a view to being sat 15 minutes before.

I'm a traditional gal so having Pachelbel canon in D to walk in - at 5 minutes long, that should do it!

We've only put down one song for the signing of the register (Etta James - At Last) so we'd better write quickly! At a push, I'll chuck down dave Brubeck's Take 5 as a filler - hey it's non-religious!

We then have 2 songs to walk out to... the first (a surprise, but V appropriate) only being 2 minutes which is fine for us but we've added the second for the guests to file out to - ELOs Mr Blue Sky, just because I love it! :o)

Hmm, maybe I should plan for half a dozen songs rather than just 3 or 4 for the waiting bit just in case

We too are having a ivil ceremony in a house, I'm hoping the weather will be nice sowe can have it outtside so there won't be very far to 'walk out' anyway, maybe I'll try and think of a second song for leaving just in case

(I edited my previous post, not sure why I put that we are getting married at 3, it's actually at 12!)

For guests arriving... half an hour of music with a few spares just in case you're delayed.

Processional - generally I use less than a minute of this song, fding it down a couple of seconds after the bride has reached the table.

signing - 3 songs to be on the safe side.... depending on how long the photographs take.

Recessional - normally more upbeat than the rest to signal the end of the formalities and the beginning of the celebrations.

More guidance on ceremony music can be found here http://www.weddingdjalliance.co.uk/ceremony_music.php

Hope that helps

Thank you so much sandysounds, that's perfect!

Hi, Our guests will be escorted into the ceremony room at 1:20 where music will play for 15 minutes (4 songs) then i will enter at 1:30...we've chosen 3 songs for signing the register, mainly because the photographer will be taking pictures of us all signing it then then guests so feel it will take maybe 5-10 minutes, then 4 songs again for guests leaving


HTH

A long list of music choices here - hope this helps!

https://www.celebratewithmusic.co.uk/recommendations.html

Simon

They told us e.g. that signing the forms during the ceremony can take up to 10 minutes. But they weren't sure really. So we're having our musician play something instrumental since you can stop that - while the middle of a song might be difficult. If you have a recording you could ask someone to stay there and fade out the volume when it seems time.