I’d love to introduce you all to the lovely and super talented Hannah from South Wales Pianist! Hannah and I met for the first time when we were both working at Yasmin & Jonny’s Fairyhill wedding in November 2019, and have kept in touch since. Some of you may remember the live video we did on her Instagram page a couple of months ago about weddings. Now I get to welcome Hannah to my website as a guest blogger, and she’s so kindly written this amazing post about the important of live music at weddings 🙂
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Why You Need Live Music During Your Wedding Day
When people ask me how long I’ve been playing the piano, the honest answer is for as long as I can remember – growing up I thought it was something everyone did because it was part of our daily life at home. My interest in the piano ebbed and flowed through my teenage years and it wasn’t until I went to uni that I decided it was worth pursuing seriously. Fast forward a few years and I found myself graduating from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama with a PGDip in performance.
But What Next? And Why Weddings?
To start with, playing at weddings was just one of the many different avenues I explored as I began to piece together my freelance career. It began with just a handful of dates per year, alongside performing with my flute and piano duo, often on board cruise ships which took us all around the world. Then I began to examine for ABRSM (instrumental exams) and now that takes me abroad for certain chunks of the year, often to Far East Asia.Â
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As more and more wedding requests kept coming in I was often already booked up, so after ten years of operating on my own, I put together a team of hand-picked pianists. This means we can serve more couples and avoid disappointment when requested dates are already taken. It’s been a really exciting journey – being able to take part in such an important day is a huge privilege, and I love seeing faces light up when a couple’s favourite song is played. It really is the BEST job!
But do you really need live music during your wedding day?
I think often when couples sit down to plan their wedding, live music isn’t marked up as a priority. A photographer, florist, wedding cake – these are the essential factors that make the top of the list, and with good reason. You want the most important day of your life to be documented with beautiful photos; a gorgeous venue deserves stunning flowers and is a celebration even a celebration without cake?!
But have you ever imagined a wedding without music? Close your eyes for a moment and picture a wedding without any music at all. Walking down the aisle to silence, broken only by the click of a camera; no soft background soundtrack to take the edge off the noisy chatter during a drinks reception; awkward pauses during the wedding breakfast as everyone tucks into the main course. And would there even be an evening party without music to dance to?
My guess is that if music tugs at your emotions and plays an important part in your everyday life, you are going to want something special for your wedding, especially the wedding ceremony. Your walk down the aisle is the most significant moment of your life, as you transition from Miss to Mrs, and you deserve the most beautiful piece of music, chosen by you and tailored to fit the occasion. A live musician can take the parts of the music that you love the most and combine them to fit the exact length of your journey down the aisle, fading out discreetly once you’re ready for the ceremony to start. Communication between the registrar and musician is subtle, but it allows the ceremony to flow seamlessly, without needing to wait for someone to press play, and that moment of silence before the track gets going. (Have you ever been at a wedding where the track wouldn’t play, or kept skipping, or the speakers weren’t working so you could hardly hear it? It’s the stuff of nightmares!)
My One Piece of Advice
If I was to give one piece of advice to couples, it would be to give some thought to your wedding music in the early stages of your planning so that you have time to find the musician that is just right for you. Because a beautiful wedding deserves a beautiful soundtrack.
At South Wales Pianist we offer piano music for the ceremony, drinks reception and wedding breakfast, and there are several different packages you can choose from – just visit www.southwalespianist.co.uk/weddings to find out more! And if you need help in deciding which music to choose for your wedding ceremony, click here to sign up for access to my free, quick video tutorial on how to choose your ceremony music in just six easy steps!
