The Instrumental Element

Submitted by Entertainment Solutions to Bridemalta.com

Planning a wedding ceremony and reception is a most challenging task encountered by hundreds of couples all year round. And not surprisingly, considering the amount of money involved. Every couple spends a lot of time assessing the various features that make a complete wedding. Due to various reasons, one of the very first things to be decided upon is the wedding venue. From there on, it is a combination of tradition and individuality that beget the famous priority list.

This article will take into consideration the entertainment aspect of a wedding. Though a crucial part in any event, let alone weddings, some couples do not give this element the attention it deserves in the wedding planning priorities. As yet, it is not generally seen as a make or break factor, but the fact remains that music should hold its place at the very top of the priority list.

Just as the bride takes into consideration the overall colour scheme of the wedding attire, and the adequate amount of servers needed that would be able to professionally serve the food fare chosen, entertainment should also be given the same respect. Choosing from what is left available should not be an option to any couple. The entertainers chosen have to be part and parcel of the whole wedding plan.

It is recommended that a list of questions in relation to entertainment is compiled, regarding aspects such as venue, guests, atmosphere and budget. Couples should start thinking about entertainment as soon as the date is set and once they have a clear idea on what they are looking for.

The venue is definitely a crucial factor if the couple is planning to have entertainment till the early hours of morning, while the type and number of guests invited may hint towards the genre of music to be chosen. Usually couples getting married are quite concerned about the kind of atmosphere that they would like to have during their reception, but fail to recognize that such events do not take less than five hours, during which more than one atmosphere may be created. Would the chosen setup be versatile enough to switch from one mood to another?

As in all other major areas, choosing the appropriate musical setup is no easy job if planning is not done at an early stage. On the other hand with a little thinking work and proper guidance, musical entertainment could prove to be one of the most instrumental features in a wedding.

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The Instrumental Element
Part II

Submitted by Entertainment Solutions to Bridemalta.com

In the previous article, 'The Instrumental Element', we briefly introduced the role of musical entertainment at weddings. Let's describe in more detail why music is so important.

First of all we must go through the instances where music sets the mood throughout the event. We will start from the ceremony. It may be either civil or religious; in any case music welcomes the Bride at the door and accompanies her on her way to the Groom. We will not go into the details concerned with music at ceremonies in this article, but it is quite obvious that it does play a most important role. Although as yet not quite popular, some couples also decide to have some sort of musical ensemble to greet them outside of the ceremony venue, usually a church with a large 'zuntier' (parvis), to create a more joyous atmosphere just after the most important part of the event.

By the time the newly wed couple is happily posing for some photos outside of the ceremony venue, back at the wedding reception guests are already gradually arriving in time to welcome the couple. By then, any musical setup should be in place, and providing some sort of background music. After some time, the newly weds appear at the door, and guess what? the entertainers are cued to play the 'Wedding March' or some other grand entrance song. Upon hearing the familiar tune, guests at the other end of the venue come rushing to catch a glimpse of the couple. From there on we may consider that some kind of music, whatever the style, is to be heard constantly all the way during the event and throughout the venue. Traditionally, background music is performed while the couple meets most of the guests, up until the time comes for the first dances. Here, again, the musical setup is a make or break factor, particularly if the couple wishes to have a livelier atmosphere and thus the setup would be needed to provide a good session of lively dance music.

The next highlight of the event is the cutting of the cake where without adequate celebratory music, the required atmosphere is quite impossible to achieve. Eventually, the 'going away' is again marked and announced by particularly lively music, thus bringing to an end an eventful day where music wasn't just an added luxury but a determining factor.

Fine, we've realized that music is one of the most important considerations when planning for the big day. But what's to be done about it? How shall one choose the right setup? And what are the points to make clear before committing to any booking?

Look out for the next article where we will answer some of these questions in detail!