How to Plan Your Wedding Reception Music
The ideal wedding reception is dependent on several factors – the quality and synergy of the mix of guests, the quality and timing of the food and the quality and variety of the music. If you can get these three things right, you’re going to have a wedding reception that will live in fond memory and become a family legend.
But there’s a lot more to how to plan your wedding reception music than you’d think. There’s choosing a mix of music that appeals to a broad cross-section of people, from the happy couple, to the parents, to elderly grandparents and everyone else that’s going to be there.
No mean feat, right?
Where you start is with a CTO Artists band. Every one of our bands has a skilled, experienced bandleader whose job is to make sure your reception goes according to plan. This person is your most powerful ally.
Timing is everything.
Every wedding reception has a trajectory. There’s music to settle people into their seats at their respective tables, music for the entrance of the newlyweds, light dinner music, TOP 40 to get the party rolling and later – the rhythms that get people out on the dance floor for the rest of the night.
A CTO Artists bandleader knows exactly what you need and will work closely with you from the moment you book, to ensure that your wedding reception music is right on time, from the moment your guests arrive.
The bandleader is like your event concierge for the evening, liaising with other service providers to make sure everyone’s on the same page and knows what’s going to happen at every point on the night’s trajectory.
Key moments.
At weddings, tradition reigns. That means certain key moments will be expected. These are wedding staples that should be planned to reflect the tone of your event, while providing the traditional framework people are accustomed to.
That basic framework consists of the following:
- Entrance song for the newlyweds
- First newlywed dance
- Father of the Bride and Bride dance
- Mother of the Groom and Groom dance
- Music reflecting ethnic or religious tradition for group dances
- Cake cutting
- Bouquet/garter toss
- Last song of the night (reflecting overall theme)
These are all traditional elements of a wedding reception, but what’s played between them will be carefully planned when you liaise with your CTO Artists bandleader. Your tastes are honored, while those of your guests are acknowledged, when you have one of our professional bands playing your wedding.
CTO Artists.
At CTO Artists, we know about wedding bands, because until about 30 years ago, we were the wedding band!
With more than 10,000 events under our belts, we’re now the Northeast USA’s premier producer of exceptional, live entertainment.
We nurture our artists to become the best they can be, orchestrating everything from choreography to stagecraft that keeps your guests engaged and having the time of their lives.
Your wedding deserves the very best and at CTO, that’s what we bring you, every time. Contact us, or register for our live showcase.