For your ceremony music, you can choose to hire one or more professional musicians, enlist musical family or friends to perform, or DIY the music with a playlist streamed over your sound system.
Each choice has pros and cons! Here are some to consider:
Option #1: Hire professional wedding musicians
Pros:
- Plenty of choices for instruments and genres
- Can guide you through choosing music
- Experienced dealing with issues like tricky processional timing
- Will be calm and professional on the wedding day
Cons:
- Most expensive option
- May need to be booked far in advance
- Lack of personal connection with the performers
Option #2: Enlist musical family or friends
Pros:
- Inexpensive or free if offered as a wedding gift
- Special personal connection to the performer
Cons:
- Performer is working rather than just enjoying the ceremony
- May be nervous or stressed at performance time
- May have limited song choices depending on experience level
Option #3: DIY with a playlist
Pros:
- Inexpensive or free
- No limit on music genres or song choices
- Know in advance exactly what the music will sound like
Cons:
- Requires sound system setup
- A guest or helper must be assigned to cue songs
- May be viewed as too informal by more traditional guests
Whichever option you choose, your wedding ceremony music will be a beautiful and meaningful part of your day!