Plan Your LDS Wedding Reception

The perfect wedding reception means a lot of different things to different couples. When you begin to plan your reception, draw up a list to help you determine what kind of reception you want. Will it be casual or formal? Afternoon or evening?

Name the types of services you’d like to include in the open house, as well. Would you like guests to have access to a dance floor? Do you want the elegance of a live band or will a DJ playing recorded music do? Providing some type of food is a given, but will it be a full meal or just a light selection of refreshments and appetizers? A sit-down dinner or a self-serve buffet?

You’ll soon find that planning the wedding ceremony was the easy part (especially if you are to be married in the temple, where so much of the planning is done for you.) Limitless choices await you when you plan the reception. Every single detail is up to you…Read More

Pros and Cons of Hiring Wedding Professionals

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Wedding Service Professionals for LDS Receptions

Wedding Service Professionals for LDS wedding receptions — Photo Courtesy of Whitney Lewis Photography

Some LDS brides and grooms hire a professional wedding photographer and rent a reception hall with professional catering and DJ services for their special day; others let family and friends handle the pictures and serve homemade food at a wedding reception in their backyard or at a local LDS chapel. Which way is best for you depends on your circumstances, preferences, and of course your budget.

First, let’s take a look at the reasons why people hire professionals – and why they sometimes choose not to. Many people like professional wedding services because they…read more

DIY Wedding Music

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DIY Wedding Music

Do-it-yourself wedding music for LDS wedding receptions and open houses — Photo Courtesy of JarvieDigital.com

With all the expenses and costs of a wedding and reception, you may be considering DIY options like you never thought you would. Are you ready for a do-it-yourself job on your reception music, otherwise known as an “iPod wedding”?

Like any DIY wedding option, handling your own reception music has a big list of pros and cons. The biggest benefit is of course the hefty savings once you cut out hiring a DJ or wedding band to provide your reception music. Others like it because you get complete control over the song selection. Being your own wedding DJ is…read more

Live Reception Music Options

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Live harp music for LDS weddings — Photo Courtesy of Effervescent Media Works

Live Reception Music Options for Elegant LDS Wedding Receptions

When choosing music for your wedding and/or reception, don’t forget that your choice extends beyond the question of DJ versus live band. There are many talented wedding music professionals that will make your reception one to remember.

Adam Sandler jokes aside, today’s wedding singers put on a truly impressive show. They can perform all styles of music from Frank Sinatra to Shania Twain to the Beatles.

Some wedding singers…read more

How to Hire a Wedding Band

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How to Hire a Wedding Band

How to hire a live band for an LDS wedding reception — Photo Courtesy of JarvieDigital.com

It’s true that while DJs seem to be the most popular choice for your wedding reception music these days, have you considered hiring a live band? It’s hard to find something that will instantly transform your reception as dramatically as live entertainment during your reception. Have you ever noticed that movies like My Best Friend’s Wedding and The Time Traveler’s Wife have live bands? Nothing is as amazing and classy as a live band.

When booking a wedding band, size is an important consideration. Most bands have between 5 and 7 members, but the band you choose should roughly correspond to the size crowd at your reception.

Three players would seem…read more

Theme Wedding Music

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Theme Wedding Music

Some theme weddings come with a ready-made soundtrack. A Phantom of the Opera or Lord of the Rings themed wedding, for example, is easy to pick songs for. But most of us aren’t so lucky. What about those of us with theme weddings who don’t have a clue what music to choose?

– if you have a tropical or Hawaiian theme, you can choose songs with a bubbly reggae feel like Israel’s “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” “It Must Be Love” by Madness, “Cupid” by Amy Winehouse or “I Can See Clearly Now” by Johnny Nash. If those aren’t for you, opt for songs with beachy lyrics like “Walk on the Ocean” by Toad the Wet Sprocket or “The Ocean” by U2.

– if your wedding falls in…read more

Wedding Dance Lessons

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Wedding Music Checklist for LDS wedding receptions — Photo Courtesy of Ravenberg Photography

Wedding Dance Lessons

The most important dance of your life is the first dance at your wedding reception. You want to make it special, you want it to look polished, and you want it to be remembered. Many couples take dance lessons together in the months leading up to their wedding so that their first dance can be everything they hoped it would be.

Of course, lessons will help you to look good when you’re on the dance floor in front of everyone you know. But aside from the obvious, there are other benefits of taking dance lessons together…read more

Wedding Reception Dinner Music

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Wedding Reception Dinner Music

Dinner Music for LDS wedding receptions — Photo Courtesy of JarvieDigital.com

Depending on the schedule of events during your reception, you’ll probably need an hour to an hour and a half of background dinner music during your wedding reception.

Music should be played softly so that guests can comfortably talk over the music and aren’t encouraged to hit the dance floor just yet. Lyrics don’t need to be especially “wedding-y” since they probably won’t be heard or noticed, but screen potential songs for profanity just in case.

The most typical genres for dinner music are easy listening and jazz, but that doesn’t mean you can’t choose current pop music if you do it right. Instrumental music like acoustic guitar or piano works, too.

A good rule of thumb is to…read more

LDS Wedding Reception Prelude Music

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Prelude reception music for LDS weddings — Photo Courtesy of Effervescent Media Works

LDS Wedding Reception Prelude Music

While the wedding party is taking the last of their pictures or finishing up greeting guests in the reception line, what will be happening inside the reception venue? Sitting in silence in a mood-killer for any party, including your wedding reception!

Though they probably won’t realize they’re doing it, your guests are going to be listening to the reception prelude music to decide what kind of reception this is going to be. Will it be very formal and traditional? Very funky and offbeat? A lot of fast dancing or slow songs?

Keep in mind that…read more

LDS Wedding Ceremony Music

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music for LDS wedding ceremonies — Photo Courtesy of Wasatch Studios

LDS Wedding Ceremony Music

If you are being married outdoors, in your local chapel, or some other venue, you’ll be responsible for choosing your own LDS wedding songs. Get ideas for all the music you’ll need during your ceremony here, whether you’re having a traditional ceremony or something fun and unconventional. (If you are being married in the temple, there will be no music during the ceremony – you can skip to choosing the music for your wedding reception.)

Before the ceremony begins, your guests will be seated and waiting. Music sets the stage for the ceremony to come, so this might be the most important…read more