Ceremonious tunes

If you're planning a formal affair and relish tradition, you'll have little trouble coming up with options for your big day: many brides before you have walked down a similar aisle and you can simply follow their lead. If you want to marry to a different tune, however, be sure to talk to your officiant well in advance of the big day about what music can be played for your ceremony. The Catholic church, for example, won't allow Wagner's "Bridal Chorus" (known as "Here Comes The Bride" to you and me) because it's a secular work. If you're getting married in a house of worship, your officiant should be able to provide you with a list of approved music.

There's a lot more to planning the music for your wedding than what tune will accompany you as you walk down the aisle and what will be playing during the first dance.

For the ceremony, consider music for:

• The Prelude: the arrival of guests as they are ushered to their seats
• The Processional: the entrance of your bridal party
• The Bridal March: the moment you've been dreaming of for most of your life
• The Interlude: moments of religious significance, or merely a musical, well, interlude
• The Recessional: the walk up the aisle with your new spouse
• The Postlude: the departure of your guests
• For the reception, consider music for:
• Cocktail hour, if you're having one
• The entrance of the bridal party
• Dinner music
• Your first dance
• All successive notable dances: father/daughter, mother/son, bridal party
• Any special events: cake cutting, bouquet toss, garter toss

Trust the bandleader

Or DJ, if that's the case. This person actually plays a much larger role in your wedding day. "Guests fail to realize how very, very important the bandleader truly is," says Lychelle Lawrenz, director of catering for the University Club in Chicago. "He or she is the actual emcee that orchestrates everything. That individual must be able to speak well, follow a very detailed timeline and also be able to shave off or add on dancing time if the kitchen is ahead or behind. And the bandleader needs to be someone who listens to what the bride and groom want and not tell them what he thinks they want."

A must, period. This isn't the list of songs that you've selected for all the special moments of the day. This is a list of songs you want to be sure are played during the reception ö and a list of songs you want to be sure aren't played during the reception. If you and your spouse-to-be agree that KC and The Sunshine Band's "Celebration" must not be heard at any time on your wedding day, make sure whomever you've hired for music knows it.

Make a sound budget

As a rule, you can expect 10 percent of your wedding budget to go toward music. Of course, if you have a string quartet for the ceremony and a jazz trio for cocktail hour and a 10-piece band for your reception, you'll spend a lot more. As with all things wedding, though, if you're getting married in one of the less-popular months, you might be able to negotiate a better deal. Make sure the contract you sign details:

• The date
• Arrival time (or times, if the musicians are playing at more than one location), the location and address
• Number of hours they're scheduled to perform
• Who is expected to provide what equipment. Most bands will tote everything they need to a gig, but don't assume.
• Attire guidelines. Within reason
• The names of the musicians who will perform that day, as well as alternates
• Base fee and overtime rates
• Cancellation and/or refund policy

Hiring a band is a big decision. There are a slew of resources on the web to help you make up your mind. But there's no substitute for legwork. Stick with professional musicians who understand the kind of even you are planning, listen to them perform live if you can, and ask for references. The best musicians have solid reputations and are happy to refer you to satisfied clients.

Musicians are often booked for gigs more than a year in advance. No matter when you're getting hitched, you can't start deciding on music soon enough.