Singing at weddings: planning ceremony music with couples

Wedding singing is planned in one meeting and secured in one rehearsal. Meet the couple a few months before, go through the ceremony moment by moment — entrance, signing, exit, and any readings between — and match a song to each one, with its length and whether it has to stretch or stop on a cue. Then check the venue: its rules on music, power, sound, and where you stand. A short rehearsal, ideally in the venue with whoever gives the cues, avoids the classic problems: a song that ends before the bride reaches the front, or a microphone nobody tested.

Couples arrive with a list of songs that mean something to them, not always with a sense of how those songs fit a ceremony. Your job in the meeting is to turn the list into a running order. Ask about the type of ceremony — religious, civil, secular — because it affects what can be sung and where. Ask who is officiating and whether they have rules. Ask about the timing of the day, so you know when you need to arrive and when you can leave.

Check keys and arrangements: a song the couple loves may need adapting to your voice or to the accompaniment available. If the religious venue has rules about secular songs, say so early and propose alternatives.

A stone church, a town hall room and a garden sound very different. Ask whether there's a sound system, a power socket near where you'll stand, and a piano or organ if you need one. For outdoor ceremonies, plan for wind and for the distance to the last row. Find out who handles the sound on the day and when you can test it before guests arrive.

If a pianist, organist or guitarist plays with you, share the running order and scores well ahead, agree on tempos and endings, and plan at least one rehearsal together before the day.

Rehearse with the officiant or the wedding planner if possible, in the venue, a few days before or on the eve. Walk through each cue: who signals the entrance, how you'll see the couple arrive, what happens if the signing runs long. Sing the entrance at the pace of the real walk. Five minutes spent here saves the moments guests remember.

Arrive early enough to warm up, test the sound and find your spot before guests come in. Keep the running order printed, with the contact details of the planner or a family member in charge. Dress to match the event without drawing attention. Stay until the last song, then leave quietly.

Plan for the likely problems: a backup track or a second microphone, water within reach, a spare copy of the running order. Agree with the couple who decides if the programme changes on the day, so you're not asking the bride mid-ceremony.

On Book, each service has a name, a price and an optional description shown on your public page. A planning meeting or a rehearsal is a slot you open at the length it takes, one place per slot; couples choose a time, and you get a new-booking email. The wedding itself is better booked by you from your calendar once the date is agreed, with the couple's names; email and phone are optional, and you can write the venue and timing in the note when you create the booking. Slots sit within one day, which suits a ceremony.

Durations and prices are examples: set your own. Clients can't move bookings online: they contact you, you reschedule or cancel from your bookings list and let them know, since Book doesn't email clients about changes. Calendar sync (Google, iPhone, Mac) keeps weddings next to your lessons and other performances. Book costs €5/month, everything included: unlimited services and bookings, no commission, no contract. It doesn't take deposits.