Tag: first dance

  • A guide to choosing wedding music

    A guide to choosing wedding music

    A guide to choosing your music for your wedding

    Music is a significant feature of your big day. When it comes to choosing your music for your wedding, it isn’t just the procession and first dance you need to think about. We’ve put together a handy guide to choosing your wedding music.

    Your wedding soundtrack begins as everyone starts to arrive for the wedding. You need to think about your choice of entrance music, but also, you would need to decide about the filler music during the reception and of course, what’s going to be happening on the dancefloor.

    The music shouldn’t stop until you and your partner have your last dance.

    1. Pre-ceremony

    Pre-ceremony music is what is played as guests arrive and take their seats in the ceremony room. At this point, guests will be talking, and there will be some hustle and bustle as people look for seats and greet others.

    You want to choose something that isn’t too overpowering. Light classical music, or a simple piano track, would do the trick.

    How about some French accordion music?

    2. Pre-processional

    The pre-processional is a slightly more solemn moment, prior to the ceremony. At this point, everyone will have been seated and quietly awaiting the arrival of the bridal party. The groom and ushers will be waiting, while you and the bridesmaids prepare for your entrance.

    There is no need to choose a specific pre-processional piece. If you do, you would want to choose something that flows quite nicely into the processional music.

    3. Processional

    The big moment, your entrance. The choice of music here will depend very much on your own personal musical taste, the venue and how formal the day is. But remember that music will be played as your enter and exit, so you’ll need to explore a few ideas.

    You can choose something traditional, modern, or upbeat, but ultimately, you want to choose a piece that reflects you and the love you have for each other.

    The Lonach Pipe Band with the Bride play during the buffet break at a Scottish wedding with Iron Broo Ceilidh Band

    4. Signing the register

    Once you’ve exchanged vows, there is the register signing. This takes around 10 minutes, so you may want to factor this in when you choose your song. A little like the pre-ceremony music, you want to choose something that is going to lead into the recessional music.

    5. Recessional

    When you choose your track for the recessional music, select something upbeat. You and your husband are happy and are about to start the rest of your lives, so you will want to leave your guests with a smile.

    wedding dining
    wedding dining

    6. Food background music

    Now the reception has begun, you may want a little background music. Try and choose something that isn’t too intrusive, allowing people to chat, and ideally something that matches the venue.

    7. First dance

    When you choose your first dance song, you will want to choose something that truly reflects you as a couple. Think about the lyrics, in particular, as some romantic-sounding songs have lyrics that don’t match the happiness of a wedding.

    If your having a ceilidh why not start with the traditional Grand March and get everyone involved.

    First dance at a wedding

    8. Reception

    The moment where all your guests get to share in your happiness. The reception. You want to choose the right wedding band for you. This can be based on your own personal music loves – it could be swing, rock or an iconic Scottish ceilidh band. You just need a band that will get people up and dancing. Reputable wedding bands will come with all the equipment, but you’ll need to advise them if you’ve got any favourite songs.

    And finally…

    Making the right choices will mean that you and everyone around you will remember this as a fantastic day and a memory to cherish.

    What better way to involve everyone, than with a Scottish Ceilidh with Iron Broo! or tick all the boxes with a ceilidh & disco combi.

    image by Mitchell Orr via Unsplash.com

    Guest post article by Lucas Howard.

  • Margaret’s Waltz

    Margaret’s Waltz

    Margaret’s Waltz

    First Dance idea or a waltz at Wedding

    I had a special request to play this tune on my YouTube Channel by Kevin Dempsey. He is a regular at the Edinburgh Ceilidh Club and they have been dancing Rosa’s Waltz to this tune. He also suggests it is a great tune for the first dance at a wedding. I would have to say I agree with him. It’s a melody that suits a wedding as it’s neither happy nor sad, it’s just beautiful and deeply familiar. A lovely tune.

    Margaret’s waltz, a wee history.

    Margaret’s Waltz is a popular tune in Scotland among traditional musicians made famous here by Aly Bain. For a time it was known to be the most requested tune on Radio Scotland. I often get asked to play it at ceilidhs. The tune was composed in 1959 by Pat Shuldham Shaw (1917-1977). I believe Pat was at a party at Aly Bain’s house in Edinburgh, and Aly wanted to let him hear a new tune he had picked up because Pat came from New England and Aly thought the tune sounded like a “New England” tune. When Aly asked if Pat liked the tune he was taken aback by the reply from Pat, “Of course I do…I wrote it!” More history here

    Iron Broo also recorded this tune back in 2007 during a live ceilidh at the Moray ceilidh club. The CD Album is available here along with other live audio clips and live video clips

    Iron Broo play Margaret’s waltz live. It’s the third tune in this set. Skip to 4.08 to hear it .

  • The Lover’s Waltz

    This lovely waltz was written by Jay Ungar and Molly Mason.  We were asked to play it for a first dance for a wedding in 2016. It stuck with us. Here we played it just before a ceilidh during the sound check so it’s a wee bit rough in places but we hope it does the tune some justice.
  • How to do a Grand March..

    Here is my attempt at an explanation of how to do the ‘Grand March’. A very popular choice for a first dance at a Scottish wedding. Particularly popular in the Northeast of Scotland and the Northern Isles.  Most Aberdonians, Orcadians and Shetlanders will start the wedding ceilidh with this one.  It’s great as it’s very easy and gets everyone up on the floor, setting the pace for the rest of the evening.
    No experience needed and it’s a good excuse to avoid the pressure of having to ‘perform’ a first dance as couple if you don’t dance very well.  Some people  have a Grand March and then have a special first dance as a couple right after, then after a good photo opportunity everyone else joins in…yipeee..