How Ceremonies Work
Never planned a wedding before? It’s going to be okay.
Here’s how we walk with you from first ideas, to concrete plan, to beautiful wedding ceremony:
Reserve your date
Design your wedding with an Account Manager, then reserve your artists.
What kind of music? Which ensemble? What about sound?
This 15-minute conversation ensures you’re booking what you actually need – and want.
Enter plans online
After you book, we’ll send you a login for online planning tools.
Check the songlists we provide. Pick the music you want.
Or, ignore this step – and work things out personally with your lead musician.
Finalize with your lead musician
Several weeks before the wedding, your music leader will call you.
Talk through your requests, or get suggestions.
We’ll email you our agenda afterward. Putting it in writing ensures we understand just what you want.
Get married
On the wedding day, your musicians execute the plan you made.
We’ll cross-check the details with your venue and make sure your officiant knows where her mic is.
Your job: Just say “I do” and smile. (A lot.)
At every Backthird wedding ceremony:
- You work directly with your lead musician to plan songs and cues
- You get a final agenda from your lead musician with your customized requests and plans
- You can leave details to us – we check in with your venue, officiant and wedding coordinator
- Your music can include:
- prelude music while your guests arrive, parents are seated etc.
- processional music for the wedding party processional
- processional music for the bride or wedding couple entrance
- interlude music for a candle lighting or other key ceremony moment
- recessional music to get you back down the aisle when the wedding’s done
- postlude music if needed while your guests are departing
Traditional Ceremony
- Classical duets, trios or quartets featuring instruments like strings, flute and harp
- Pick your song selections from our online list of classical wedding standards
Pop Strings Ceremony
- Pop Strings ensembles only – choose a trio with piano, a trio with guitar, or a quartet with both
- Pick your song selections from our online list of traditional standards and modern arrangements – or even from our list of reception pop instrumentals
Sound Equipment
If you’re getting married in an outdoor setting or in a ballroom, you probably need microphones and a sound engineer so guests can hear what’s being said during the ceremony. If you’re getting married in a church or have a very small guest list, you probably don’t. We consider these factors when we build your ceremony plan so you’ll have the sound support you need.
Into details? If you book a Backthird ceremony sound system, here’s what you can expect it to include:
- wireless clip-on lapel mic for your officiant
- wireless handheld mic, on a stand, for your readers
- backup wired microphone (no taking chances with your wedding vows!)
- 1 or 2 speakers
- small sound mixer, with additional inputs for musicians if needed
- system is run by a DJ or sound engineer – not by a multitasking musician
