Many of you Brides and Grooms to be, will be looking for the Playlist on a musician's website and in many cases it might be a defining factor over the choice of personnel engaged. Whilst I respect that one needs a criteria to make difficult decisions, if that was the case for me I would be spending all my entire weekends watching my live sport because I would never get employed!
You see, for me, this question is hugely insignificant! I have done a huge number of weddings since 1979 and the lasting memory that all my wedding guests seem to have treasured, above everything else, has been my spontaneous musical decisions. Many have been in jest, playing 'God Save The Queen' for the over zealous Bride's mother as she pompously milks her walk to her privileged seat in the Ceremony room prior to the start, dropping into the theme for 'Laurel and Hardy' as the two bungling Best Men drop those sacred rings when requested to present them by the Registrar, or playing the theme to 'The Night Garden' and 'Peppa Pig' during the Signing of the Register as the little ones get restless! I could go on and on...
My friends, what I am really trying to say is that the quality of my live musical contribution is so much more than a rigid list of wedding tunes. This landmark day is not a recital (I do enough of those already!) nor is it an opportunity to pay homage to a particular artist, style or composer (unless that's your stand-out theme), it is for the vast majority a fabulous situation of great memories punctuated by a series of contributions of which music is one of them.
So how do I work? Meeting my couples and spending a couple of hours with them, and sometimes their families is invaluable, and for them a great opportunity for advice. Because for me, the Wedding Day is the 24-hour Olympics and planning is king. If I am doing a wedding, on the big day, I know and understand what's going down, who's going to be there, what to really expect and then apply my art using my experience, huge repertoire and musical ability to ensure the right result! There is too much at stake. The real stars are the Bride and Groom, the supporting cast are the family and friends. After all the pushing and shoving, saving and spending, tasting and fitting, countdown websites and Social Media interaction; it comes down to this, the big day filled with raw human emotion. I want to represent that accurately and a rigid playlist does not come close for me.
So when you are considering music for your day, think about the occasion in real time and the mood and not so much specific lists of songs because no-one is really keeping score; they should be too busy soaking up and enjoying the atmosphere that you have paid good money to own and enjoy...
Good luck and enjoy the planning adventure!
