Our bride Belle wanted her wedding music to reflect her love of Disney, especially Beauty and the Beast. Early in the planning stages, Serena O’Meara and I met with Belle and auditioned some of the music we designed for her. Serena and I loved working with the Disney theme and creating a truly unique set of music for the wedding!

The Central Minnesota Wedding Association is a valuable asset to me as a wedding professional.

One of the highlights of my job as a solo musician is getting to meet with my engaged couples to plan their music. It puts me directly in touch with their wedding needs and wishes. I absolutely love getting to know them! On the day of their wedding I feel a wonderful connection to them and the special moments that their wedding day represents.

Even though I have this wonderful connection with my wedding couples, as a solo musician I miss the comradeship that those in traditional professional roles enjoy. This has led me to reach out to other professionals in the wedding business.

Being a member at Central MN Wedding Association has been fun, insightful and educational. Members of CMWA are accepted based on their business integrity, professionalism and commitment to excellence. At our meetings I have had the opportunity to get to know some of the best in the wedding profession! 

My favorite meeting of the year is the Wedding Panel where newlywed couples share their insights with members of the CMWA. The couples share what went wrong and what went right with their weddings and how their wedding professionals contributed to their wedding experiences. I always come away from this meeting with inspirational ideas on how to improve my services!

I am very proud of our Code of Ethics that each member pledges to follow.

Watch the video below to view first hand how CMWA has helped myself and others in our professional lives.

I am happy to have found a wonderful balance between my solo piano performances, interaction with my wedding couples, and networking with other wedding professionals!

Are you at a loss in selecting your Ceremony music?

You are not alone! For most couples, planning a wedding is a first time experience...and a daunting one!

Among the thousands of decisions you have to make, music is one of them. 

Some couples have very definite song ideas while others have no clue as to what songs to select for their Ceremony. Whether you are a DIY and having a friend play recorded music or you are working with a musician or wedding planner, you will want to have a musical atmosphere that enhances the style and theme of your wedding.

The musical landscape for your wedding can be as traditional or unique as you wish!

Before compiling your song list, here are some questions you may want to ask yourself. 

• Do you have a particular style or theme for your wedding day? Consider music that will reflect your style or theme. I recently performed piano music for a wedding at the Saint Paul Athletic Club. The city of Saint Paul, MN, was especially important in this couple's relationship and they wanted to highlight aspects of the city of Saint Paul throughout their Wedding. They selected the Peanuts theme 'Linus and Lucy' as their Recessional. The guests LOVED it! Their wedding venue was in the heart of downtown Saint Paul where Peanuts sculptures are seen everywhere!

• Do you wish to incorporate certain religious components into your Ceremony?  Look for songs that might accomplish this. Do you wish to celebrate different faith traditions? Music is a wonderful way to do just that. If your Ceremony is at a place of worship, the staff may be able to offer suggestions. Note: if your Ceremony is in a place of worship, find out what music restrictions may apply.
• Do you wish to include cultural songs? Music is a wonderful way to celebrate the bringing together of different cultural backgrounds.

A long distance romance of a bride in Minneapolis and a gentleman in Italy was celebrated in a wedding on the steps of the Washington County Courthouse amidst the 16th century Italian Architecture. The blending of their cultures was displayed in their music and ceremonial flag exchange. During the planning process I met with the bride. She had special American jazz song requests that she wanted performed as solo piano music in their ceremony. The groom communicated with me from Italy and sent me sheet music for some romantic Italian songs that he wanted me to perform in their ceremony. The thought and care that the bride and groom put into the planning of their music culminated in a beautiful ceremony that celebrated the union of their cultures and love.

If you need inspiration for song ideas, there are many song resources online. I have posted some song lists on my web site at http://pianistforparties.com/songs/  

If you plan to follow a fairly traditional program for your wedding, here are some places where music can be performed.

• Prelude - 15-30 minutes of music as your guests arrive.
• Processionals - songs for the Entrance of the Parents, also  the Wedding Party, and then Entrance of the Bride.  For LGBTQ weddings the Couple might enter together or separately depending upon preference.
• Unity Ceremony - music is appropriate.
• Recessional - music at the end of the Ceremony while the Wedding Couple exits followed by their Wedding Party.
• Postlude - music while the guests wait to exit the Ceremony location.

What is special about you and the relationship the two of you have?

 Are there particular songs that represent your love? Those songs might be perfect for certain parts of your wedding! Reach out to your Wedding Planner and Musicians. You can benefit from our experience. We are there to help guide you through the experience of planning your wedding music.

Do you need a pianist or a little help in planning your wedding music? I would love to hear from you! Just send me an email at sharon@pianistforparties.com