Wedding Processional Music - Advices From A Professional - Part 2

... continued from the last part on "wedding processional music"

TAKE TIME TO MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICES FOR YOUR SPECIAL DAY

By Richard Waddell

If one of your objectives is to have certain parts of the wedding be different from most weddings, let the professional cake baker, ceremony musician, gown designer, florist, justice of the peace – or in whichever area you have this desire – offer you their ideas on unusual or atypical approaches that will still be appropriate, in good taste and practical.

Every choice you make, by nature of you being a unique individual, will result in a ceremony, a cocktail hour, a dinner, a reception, unlike any ever before, and by making informed choices that naturally reflect your individuality in positive and significant ways, yours will not be mistaken for anyone else’s special day.

Here's an example. I once had a prospective bride who asked me if I could play for her processional down the aisle – after the flower girls, the maid of honor, the bridesmaids and the ushers processed and the mothers have been seated previously – the theme music from the ‘80s TV show “Dynasty”.

Well, unfortunately I ended up not getting that job, but if I had, I would have explained that even though it well may be quite a beautiful piece of music – with the right rhythm and general sound for a processional – the strong identification it has to a fabulously successful television show (whose leading lady isn’t exactly everybody’s idea of a good role model for a sound marriage) is the reason I would offer to choose something else.

Most likely none of your choices will be that radical, but they may require you to learn in greater depth about unfamiliar subjects. In this process you will be talking with people you never previously knew – they may come to you referred by friends or from an ad that caught your eye.

Before you call them, if you can, try to find out just a few things about the kind of product or service they offer, so that you can ask a direct question or two. Don’t try to learn what they are an expert at, just see if you can get a very basic overview – and if yours is a plain “cold call”, don’t worry, just ask questions and listen carefully to see that the professional patiently explains his or her service or product.

Your questions can be very simple: · (regarding the church musicians), “will you play music before the ceremony, while the guests are being seated?” · (re: the videographer), “will you have a stationary video camera aimed directly at the altar? Is that an extra fee?” · Or a very simple and direct question like “Why is your [product or service] superior to another’s?” The professional should put you at ease during this process, explaining things clearly and patiently.

It is you who has the potential for that person’s business to grow – therefore it is their job to give you as many reasons as you need for hiring them. Informing yourself in these various areas will take a little time, so try to enjoy the process and the people you work with.

Many professionals can frequently refer you to other professionals – either in their field or in other lines of work – and thus increase the potential to get good information even faster.