Musicians for the Wedding—Here Are the Options

Every wedding has its own schedule. Among other things, the wedding music helps set the tone for the many events on the program. We'll show you the different music options available and give you helpful tips on choosing your wedding music.

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Music for Your Wedding Ceremony

Music is what really makes a wedding emotional. Professional musicians know how to create those goosebump-inducing moments at just the right time with the perfect song selection. Whether it’s “An Tagen wie Diesen” by Die Toten Hosen or “Your Song” by Elton John—experienced musicians know how to move their audience to tears. But emotionality and sentimental singing aren’t always what’s called for—after all, the wedding party doesn’t stay in the church or at the ceremony venue forever. The guests move on, and as the venue changes, so do the musical needs of the wedding party. As you can see, wedding music is a broad topic and can be challenging. But don’t worry—here’s the guide you need to choose the perfect musical backdrop for your wedding.

Singer-Songwriters & A Cappella Bands

The musical backdrop begins very early in the morning, while you’re getting ready. Yes, that might seem early, but a well-curated playlist on your favorite streaming service makes getting ready much easier for you as the bride and groom and for your photographer, and your budding nervousness will be at least somewhat eased by your favorite songs.

Then comes the transition directly to the wedding ceremony. And of course, choosing the right musician is incredibly important here. Whether in a church or outdoors—a musical duo or a singer-songwriter always works well. They often already have a fantastic repertoire of emotional love songs and can quickly learn new songs upon request. A cappella groups also make for pleasant musical accompaniment during the ceremony. And while we’re on the subject of choirs: If you sing in a choir yourself, you can of course rely on this type of music. On the other hand, something that carries a lot of risk is when friends and relatives get together to form a choir. A makeshift choir of friends can only rehearse to a limited extent in advance, and when you add nervousness to the mix… Of course, it can undoubtedly turn out well, but—especially for such an important part of the wedding—we’d tend to favor a professional musical ensemble!

Agape: Strings, DJs, and More

The reception following the wedding ceremony can serve as a preview of the evening’s program. The music here can be cheerful—not too loud, but still lively. A well-briefed DJ is ideal for this. A combination of a DJ and a string ensemble is also a great option. Or a band that can be booked with a small lineup for the champagne reception and the reception, and then performs with a full band as the evening progresses.

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The Right Music to Play While Eating

Before we get to the main event—the wedding party—let’s first talk about the wedding dinner. While everyone is enjoying their meal, the room is usually quite quiet. To keep that from lasting too long, you can choose some nice background music for this part as well. Many artists can play a wide variety of musical instruments and are happy to set aside time early in the evening to provide musical accompaniment for your wedding. Professional keyboardists, classical music, or gentle handpan sounds—anything goes, as long as it’s to your liking and doesn’t disrupt your dinner but instead provides a peaceful backdrop.

Wedding Music: Let's get the party started!

But now let’s get to the most exciting part of the wedding—at least when it comes to choosing the music. This is where having a good selection of musicians, bands, and DJs really makes a difference. Before making your selection, you should have a good sense of what your wedding guests want. Do you have a lot of party animals among your guests? Does the whole family go wild when old-school classics are played? Or are you leaning more toward a more refined way to wrap up the evening? In our opinion, you can never go wrong with a versatile band and, later in the evening, a professional DJ. After all, music has a way of working its magic, and good musicians will make sure even the most reluctant dancers venture onto the dance floor. An important tip here: Be sure to book the musicians, DJs, and individual performers for the reception, champagne reception, and other events well in advance—they’re often booked far ahead of time, and it makes collaboration easier when there’s time left for wedding planning . That way, you’ll still have plenty of time to discuss the timeline, song selection, and venue setup (sound, acoustics).

Musical Performances for the Wedding

A quick tip to wrap things up: Think a little “outside the box”! How about a flash mob where you organize a small group of professional singers? They’ll mingle with the wedding guests and start singing out of the blue, building up to a wonderful chorus by the end. It’s a great surprise for your newlywed partner and the entire wedding party. Or: You could book a funny comedian for late in the evening who’ll entertain everyone with a mix of comedy and singing. Especially when the mood is already lively, something like this goes over really well! So, beyond the usual musical entertainment, think about whether you can incorporate some small musical highlights throughout your wedding day. Because nothing creates such great vibes as music used at just the right moments!

By the way, you can find great wedding musicians from Austria here .