This is the part of the wedding ceremony where your guests arrive to the ceremony location.  You may choose any instrument for this part and should plan for 15 - 30 minutes of music as background music to entertain your guests.  You are welcome to make a detailed selection of music for this time period, but remember that you won't be there to enjoy these musical selections.  Most musicians have multiple selections of music that would be appropriate and you will want to make sure that they have extra music for this section just in case you need a few more minutes more than expected before the ceremony starts.

The Seating of the Parents is usually seen as the beginning of the wedding ceremony.  Some couples choose to use a specific piece of music to welcome their parents and grandparents to their places at the front of the wedding ceremony.  It is also possible to choose a single, longer piece of music for the entire processional (Seating of the Parents, Procession of the Bridesmaids, Flower Girls/Ring Bearers and/or Procession of the Bride).  Your guests usually won't stand during this section of the procession and will wait for the Entrance of the Bride.

How you choose to arrange your processional is up to you and thankfully, the music selections are very flexible!  Some couples choose to have specific pieces of music to usher in their Bridesmaids, Flower Girls and/or Ring Bearers. Depending on the number of people coming down the isle for this section, you will want to pick a piece of music that ranges from 2 to 5 minutes long.   Wedding musicians are very familiar with how flexible the timing on this can be and are prepared to shorten or lengthen a piece of music during the ceremony to fit the appropriate timing during the actual Procession.

This section of the Wedding Ceremony is the true beginning of the wedding ceremony.  I have found that most couples prefer to have a special song for the Bridal Procession.  It is usually an instrumental piece, but that is completely up to you.  I don't recommend having anyone sing during the Bridal Entrance because this is the bride's moment, and you don't want anything distracting from that!

This is when your priest welcomes you, the couple, and all of your guests to this special day!

You will need to select two readings for your special day.  Depending on your denomination or interests, you may pick a Biblical reading or a poem of your liking.

If you're a big fan of music, this is a great part in the ceremony to have your instrumentalists/ soloist perform a short piece.  During my own wedding I was very appreciative of my friends singing a duet at this point in the ceremony because it gave me a moment to catch my breath (after the adrenaline pumping 'walk down the aisle') and it allowed for a moment when all of our guests were concentrating on someone other than me and my to-be-husband!

Here is a second opportunity to have a reading read during the ceremony.

This is it!  The Marriage Vows!  Some choose to read the usual Marriage Vows, while others decide to exchange their own written vows.  There is a lot of flexibility here, depending on how you want to express your lifelong promises to one another.

Sometimes this follows a quick blessing by your priest or charge by your justice of the piece.

And now you're married!  Your priest or justice of the piece will announce and present you to your guests for your walk back down the aisle!

While you and your new spouse exit the ceremony, you will want to select a piece of your choice to accompany you for that amazing walk down the aisle.  You will want a piece of music that is a little bit more upbeat and celebratory!

Lastly, you will need to have some music playing while your guests exit the ceremony location after your walk down the isle.  You may feel free to make a selection of music on your own, or allow your instrumentalists/ soloist to choose a few appropriate selections.