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One aisle song or two? How to time your wedding entrance music
One entrance song or two?
It sounds like a tiny decision until you start working out who is walking in, how long the aisle is, whether doors need closing between entrances and exactly which bit of the song you want to hear.
There is no rule. I regularly play ceremonies where one piece covers the whole entrance and others where the music changes for the main entrance. Both can work brilliantly.
The right answer is the one that fits the actual ceremony rather than the version of it in your head before you have seen the room set up.
One piece keeps everything flowing
Using one song for the entire wedding party is the simplest option.
It works particularly well when the entrance route is short, there are only a few people coming in or you want the ceremony to begin quietly without a big musical announcement between different groups.
The music starts, the wedding party enters, the main entrance follows and the piece ends once everybody is in place.
With live music, I can stretch or shorten the arrangement to follow what is actually happening. If somebody pauses at the doorway, I keep going. If everybody suddenly develops Olympic walking speed, I can find a sensible finish.
That flexibility is much harder with a fixed recording.
Two pieces create a clear change of moment
A separate song for the main entrance can work really well when there is a larger wedding party or when you want the room to feel the change.
The first piece brings in bridesmaids, groomsmen, children or whoever else is part of the entrance. It finishes. There is a brief pause. Then the second piece begins for the main entrance.
That pause can be very effective. Everybody knows something is about to happen.
But it only works if there is enough physical time and space to justify it. In a small ceremony room, the first group may already be at the front before the second song has had time to make any impact.
Measure the aisle with people, not metres
Knowing an aisle is twenty metres long tells me something. Knowing that six people are walking it individually tells me much more.
Think about:
- how many people are entering;
- whether they walk alone, in pairs or as one group;
- whether children are involved;
- whether doors close before the main entrance;
- whether there are steps or a turn in the route;
- how slowly you realistically intend to walk.
Children are the great destroyers of precise wedding timings. They may walk beautifully, sprint, stop halfway, turn around or decide at the last second that the entire concept of an aisle is unacceptable. Build flexibility into the music and everybody can just enjoy it.
Do not worry about reaching the chorus
Couples often say, "I want to walk in exactly when the chorus starts."
That can be done in some settings, but remember that the ceremony is live. The registrar may take longer opening the doors. A dress may need adjusting. Somebody may miss their cue.
If the important part of a song is ninety seconds in, I would normally look at whether the arrangement can begin closer to that point rather than forcing everybody to stand outside waiting for the track to get there.
Music should follow the entrance. The entrance should not become choreography designed around a progress bar.
Tell the musician which moment matters most
If there is a particular phrase, melody or section you absolutely want for the main entrance, tell me.
That allows me to shape the arrangement around it. I may be able to use an instrumental introduction for the wedding party and bring in the main melody for you, even within the same song.
That can give you the effect of two musical moments without needing two completely separate pieces.
Rehearse the route, not the performance
You do not need a Broadway rehearsal.
It is useful, though, to know where everybody starts, which door is being used, who goes first and roughly how people are grouped. If the venue has a ceremony rehearsal or talks you through the entrance beforehand, pay attention to the route and the practical cues.
The music can then be fitted around that.
The aim is for the entrance to feel natural. You should be thinking about the person waiting at the other end of the aisle, not whether you are three seconds ahead of the second verse.
