Weddings

Where to Begin

Choosing the right musical group to perform at your wedding makes a huge impact on your life from the early planning stages through the moment you walk down the aisle and the lasting memories of your wedding. But planning the music is usually one of the last choices couples make because they feel insecure about their knowledge of music and how to use music to create the perfect atmosphere.

As with other aspects of your wedding, it is wise to shop around a little. Here are some things to consider in choosing your ensemble:

 

Experience:

Is this a group that has performed in many venues? How long have they been together?

 

Customer service:

Are you impressed by their customer service from the very beginning? Did they promptly answer your calls? Are they patient with your questions? Do they seem willing to hold your hand through the process?

 

Choices of ensembles:

Most couples don’t have specific ideas about the size or sound of the group they want. Choosing a vendor that offers more than one ensemble gives you options to fit your site, atmosphere, musical tastes, and budget.

 

Choice of music:

Does the group offer a wide selection of styles and pieces? Are they willing to accompany your cousin who wants to sing? Can they play a pop song that they’ve never even heard before?

 

Presentation:

Do the men wear tuxes and do the women have classy matching outfits or do they all show up in mismatched funeral black?

 

Cost:

This is so many times first on people’s list but isn’t it true that the cost is less important compared to the value? You may find the cheapest group but you get what you pay for. Of course trying to stay within a budget is important, but on your 25th wedding anniversary will you remember the price you paid or the feeling you had walking down the aisle to the music that made your dream wedding come true?

 

Next Steps

You’ve decided to hire Silverwood for your wedding. What’s next?

Once we’ve answered your questions and confirmed our availability for your event, we require a $50 non-refundable deposit to hold the date. Savvy brides and grooms book us well in advance.

When we’ve received the deposit, we’ll send you a signed contract, our list of helpful hints, and your own Here Comes The Bride CD the very next day.

Now you can relax in the confidence that you’ll have all the help you need in planning your music. Isn’t it nice to cross music off your long to-do list?

When you’ve had a chance to decide on your group, and then later on your music choices, give us a call. We’re always here for you.

Silverwood Wedding Vow

We know you’ve imagined this day your whole life. Now that you’ve found the perfect partner, we promise to set the stage for the perfect wedding.

We vow to:

• Listen to your needs
• Make planning your music fun and easy
• Be prompt and professional
• Make your wedding day sparkle
• Give you and your guests a memory that will last a lifetime.

FAQs

Does Silverwood perform at Jewish weddings?

Silverwood can help enrich your ceremony with the music of the proud history of the Jewish faith. We will work with your Rabbi and Cantor to perform music in the finest Jewish tradition. Silverwood is the only group recommended by Stephanie Solomon of Solomon Event Planning, and we have performed at many Jewish ceremonies. We are proud to feature Julie Mirel, nationally recognized recitalist and Cantorial Soloist on our Kiddushin, Jewish Wedding Music CD. From the processional to the breaking of the glass, guests will love and remember the music by Silverwood that made your day so perfect.

L’Achaim!

 

Does Silverwood perform at receptions also?

Silverwood offers you many choices:

• Wedding only
• Reception only
• Music during cocktails
• Music through dinner before a DJ starts
• Music throughout the entire reception

 

How much does it cost to hire Silverwood?

Our prices vary with the number of musicians, which instruments you choose, and your location. Obviously two musicians is less than three; the harp and guitar are slightly more expensive than the other instruments. We charge a travel fee for outside the Seattle area, and the number of hours we play affects the cost. Please call us to discuss the details of your wedding, and we can tell you our fee.

 

How do I choose my music?

We know it can be tough to “name that tune.” You would know it if you heard it, but you can't remember its name. Silverwood Music Ensembles has made it as easy as possible to review and select popular wedding music by creating our “Here Comes the Bride” CD and our "Jewish Wedding Music” CD. Each contains a large selection of classic musical selections for you to consider.

If you are not a classical music aficionado, I bet you still have some favorite pieces. Perhaps there is music in movie scores that resounds with you. Did you like the music at your friend’s wedding? Did you ever take music lessons and had some favorites from your past? Do you have any friends who can give you suggestions?

 

OR , as some brides do, just leave the choice to us. We know what works and what doesn’t work and we’re happy to plan every detail.

 

What’s my wedding day going to be like?

Well I can’t tell you about how the flowers will look or when the groom is going to show up, but I can tell you about your music.

We’ll arrive 15–20 minutes before the start of the prelude to set up. If we’re accompanying a singer or other instrumentalist you’ve chosen, or playing a special song you’ve selected that’s outside of our normal repertoire, we’ll arrive 30 minutes ahead of time to rehearse. The prelude will start 30 minutes before your ceremony so that the moment your first guest walks through the door or into the garden they will see us in our matching sparkly outfits and be greeted with joyous, elegant music. We love what we do, and our years of experience and passion for music shines through in our playing to set the perfect mood for the beginning of your new life.

 

Any other advice for brides and grooms?

After playing at literally hundreds and hundreds of weddings, I’ve seen it all.

Here’s my most important piece of advice. Just like that old Frank Sinatra song, “I Did It My Way,” it’s your wedding and you should have it your way.

If you want a particular piece of music that doesn’t fit with the rest of the service but is special to you, then you should have it.

If you don’t want to walk down the aisle, don’t.

If you don’t want any bridesmaids or you want 12 bridesmaids, that’s up to you.

If you want your mom to walk you down the aisle and not your dad, that works.

If you want a five-minute wedding with just the vows and a kiss or an hour-long wedding filled with readings and music, that’s your choice.

There is no real right or wrong way; there is your way.

The Prelude

It is not necessary to choose particular pieces for the prelude. You can give the group a list of a few pieces you would like included or tell them the piece you would like played right before the processional. Leave the rest up to them.

The Processional

The moment you’ve been waiting for! Perhaps you have always dreamed of being the bride walking down the aisle to the traditional Bridal Chorus (Here Comes The Bride) by Wagner. Or perhaps you want to choose something less traditional. If you have a long aisle or if there are five or more attendants, then it is a good idea to choose a separate piece for the bridesmaids and the bride. Having a new piece when the bride walks down the aisle also builds the excitement. Whatever your choices, the processional should be stately and almost regal. Don’t walk down the aisle in time with the music, but process at a slow, relaxed pace and enjoy yourself. Your wedding is beginning.

 

The Ceremony

The ceremony offers many opportunities for music. Some good spots are between readings, during communion, the signing of the registry, unity candle, giving flowers to the mothers, after the exchange of rings. Most people choose one or two places for music.

If you have a cantor, you might also think about having the congregation participate by singing a hymn or part of the service. The pieces here should be love songs or of a reflective nature. If you have a special song, place it during the ceremony when you’re there to hear it!

Some couples opt for no music during the ceremony because they want to get in and out as soon as possible.

Only you know your comfort level, but music can give the bride and groom a little breather and adds meaning and emotion to the events of the ceremony.

 

The Recessional

The recessional sweeps the bride and groom down the aisle.

The music for most processionals and recessionals is interchangeable, although if you use the popular Wedding March by Mendelssohn it should be only as the recessional and the Bridal Chorus by Wagner is used exclusively for the processional.

You can also choose a final piece to be played as a postlude as the guests are escorted out.

Now the ceremony is over and you are ready to start your new life as a couple. On to the reception!

 

The Reception

All the Silverwood groups are excellent choices for the reception too and can play a mix of classical and more contemporary tunes if you would like. If you use the same group for the wedding and reception, it will be less costly than adding on the cost of another group or a DJ.

What about the volume? Don’t worry about unamplified music being too loud. Musicians are used to being “background music” and can easily adjust their volume or music choices. If you have a very large reception in a hotel, consider using the “house system” which will distribute the sound through speakers equally around the room.

Even though the music is only in the background, it becomes a focal point of the reception and adds a touch of class.

Without music, all you'll hear is crowd noise, which changes the whole atmosphere of your reception. Live music makes such a difference!