Are you planning a civil wedding ceremony and thinking about hiring wedding ceremony musicians? By adding music, you will be able to personalise your big day, so we have listed some possible options below.
A civil wedding ceremony is a non-religious marriage that is performed by a registrar. The ceremony is legally valid. Some couples opt for a longer religious ceremony (or a non-religious blessing such as a commitment ceremony) before or after the civil ceremony to ensure they are legally married. This is also true for couples who marry overseas in a country where non-residents find it difficult to marry legally. However, many couples choose to have a civil ceremony as their primary and only wedding ceremony.
But first, there are a couple of rules you must follow.
The ceremony must not have any religious references.
So that means no singing of hymns and readings from the Bible for example. The service would be performed by a registrar, and it will be legally binding.
The ceremony can’t be held in a religious venue in England, Wales, and Northern Island.
The venue must be approved by the local council, or it can be held in a registry office. The good news is there are many available all over the UK and these could be a barn, country house, and hotels.
For more information take a look here.
There are no rules to what you wear, so you could be as casual as you like or dress formally.
Live Wedding Musicians
What could be better than having a wedding musician perform at your civil wedding ceremony? You won’t be restricted to who you have to perform and what music you choose. Maybe you would like a string quartet or a harpist to perform a classical piece of music? You could opt for a singer to perform your favourite pop song?
Just like a religious ceremony, there are four main phases where music can be played
· Your family and friends arriving and taking their seats
· The arrival of the bride/walk down the aisle
· As you sign the register
· Leaving the ceremony
Generally, while guests are arriving music can be played for around 15 or 20 minutes which would be around 4 or 5 five tunes.
The arrival of the bride would just be the one song, while the signing of the register your wedding musician could possibly fit 2 songs in.
While leaving the ceremony you could go for something livelier and more upbeat and thus setting the tone for your evening’s entertainment.
A Few Popular Wedding Musicians
String Quartet
Harpist
Violinist
Classical Guitarist
Popular Wedding Singers
If you are looking for an intimate wedding ceremony then a choice of an acoustic guitarist-singer is a popular choice.
Performing either as a soloist or as a duo they would be able to cover any song choice you desire. Armed with a vast repertoire and available in different combinations an acoustic duo would be the ideal complement to your wedding celebration.
Acoustic duos don’t need a large space to perform in and can be set up quickly, and also have the advantage to perform later on in the evening if you are looking for some entertainment and to get your guests up and dancing.
These are just a few ideas that will help make your wedding ceremony extra special.
Evening Entertainment
Live music is the way to go when it comes to an evening reception. It is such an important part of the day, and it can add so much to the entire evening if you were to hire a band.
With so many bands to hire from, we thought we would list three styles we think would light up your evening entertainment.
Folk-Rock Band
There are many benefits that you can gain from hiring a folk wedding band. For starters, this type of band has the potential to produce all kinds of music because they have extensive experience with different styles. This means that they are capable of playing both contemporary pop music as well as folk-rock songs in the style of Mumford and Sons.
Soul & Funk Band
There’s a kind of magic that a soul and funk band will bring to your evening reception. Hiring a soul band is a great way to get those good feelings into your close family and friends. These bands will charm delight and dazzle your guests throughout your evening ensuring the dancefloor remains permanently full.
A live soul band will certainly make things unique and memorable for every one of your guests.
Covers Party Band
A typical party band for hire would be a four-piece band performing chart hits from the 60’s to the present day. With a wide range of songs to choose from, this makes them a great choice for the evening reception as there will be something for everyone to enjoy.
