FAQ’s

CLICK HERE FOR WEDDING MUSIC FAQ’nFEES  | CLICK HERE FOR FEES

Which side of the church do guests sit on?

  • Left side of the church is the bride’s side
  • Right side of the church is the groom’s side

    * If the two sides look uneven it’s perfectly acceptable for the ushers to escort
guests to the side that has less people.
* If yours is  a Jewish wedding, switch sides…bride on the right, groom on the left

** Download the Seating Arrangement Software

What is the correct order for the attendants in the processional?

There are many variations to the processional, here is one.

  • The groom and best man are already at the altar
  • Groomsmen first
  • Bridesmaids follow
  • Maid of honour
  • Flower girl and ring bearer
  • Bride walks with her father, other escort or by herself.

   * If you have a big wedding party your groomsmen and bridesmaids can walk in pairs

Which side of the church does the bride walk up the aisle with her father?

Traditionally, the bride walks on her fathers left side. If the bride has a long train, you might want to consider being on your fathers right side so that he doesnt have to walk around your train to take his seat.

What is the order of the recessional?

  • Bride & Groom first
  • Flower girl & ring bearer next
  • Maid of honour & best man
  • Bridesmaids & ushers in couple pairs

   * If you have an attendant without a partner they walk alone

What do I do with my veil at the ceremony?

  • Your maid of honor will help you put your veil over your face before you walk down the aisle.
  • After your father walks you down the aisle he will turn your veil up and give you a kiss
  • Your maid of honor will fix the veil so that it’s in place and looks nice.

What do I do with my engagement ring?

  • Before the ceremony put your engagement ring on your right hand
  • After the groom puts your wedding band on, you can slip on your engagement ring

       * Your wedding band should be worn first so that it’s closer to your heart

I’m wearing gloves … what happens when we exchange rings?

  • You can buy gloves with a pre-sewn slit on the ring finger or you can slit the seam of the glove yourself allowing easy access to your ring finger without having to remove your glove.

When do I give my bouquet to my maid of honour?

  • After your father has kissed you and your maid of honor fixes your veil, you can hand her your bouquet. Your maid of honor will bring your bouquet up to the altar with her when your marriage certificate is being signed and will hand it over to you after you have finished signing. Remember to place your bouquet with the heads of the flowers outwards for the photographer.

I have children, can I wear a white dress?

  • Etiquette states that you shouldn’t wear white but choose off white or have colored accents sewn into your white dress.
  • Etiquette also states that you can’t wear a veil, choose a tiara, floral head piece or hat.

      * If you want to stick to etiquette those are the rules. If you don’t care about rules then by all means wear
whatever you want.

Who sits in reserved seats and how can I reserve seats/pews in the church?

  • Reserved seats are for immediate family and anyone else that is important to you. These seats are up front…
    best seats in the house
  • Use bows, decorations or rope off the seats/pews that are reserved
  • Let your ushers know who will be sitting in the reserved sections.

    * You can also add to your invitations, Within the Ribbon cards. These are little cards sent with the invitation
to your VIP guests that will be seated up front. These guests will bring this card and show it to your ushers.

Who walks me down the aisle my father or my stepfather?

  • If you are very close to both men your father is the one who gets the privilege.
  • Emily Post says its a no-no to have both men walk with you but if they get along and you want it that way
    go for it. We wont tell.

Should I have a receiving line at the church?

If you are not having a reception or a receiving line at your reception location, then yes. Ask the church if they will allow you to have a receiving line on their property first. If there is another wedding immediately following yours, the church may require you to leave the premises.

What order do people stand in for the receiving line?

We will give you two examples of receiving line order.

Line Up Example #1 Line Up Example #2
    • Bride’s Parents
  • Groom’s Parents
  • The Bride
  • The Groom
  • Maid of Honour
  • Best man
  • Bridesmaid
  • Groomsmen
  • Bridesmaid
  • Groomsmen, etc.
    • Bride’s Mother
  • Groom’s Mother
  • The Bride
  • The Groom
  • Maid of Honour
  • Bridesmaids
  • Men can mingle *

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MUSIC FAQ’nFEES
BOOK EARLY to get the ensemble you want for your date!  Our musicians are busy… we play for not only weddings but also in orchestras in Atlantic City, Delaware and Philadelphia!  We do have “subs” if one of the musicians you see on our pages is busy, however, and we offer to you only the highest caliber of musicians!

THE MUSIC SERVICE

We arrive an hour early to set up, then play 20 minutes to half an hour before the wedding as guests arrive (and until you arrive, even if you are late!).

This sets a nice ambience. We can then play your Mom’s being seated, your bridal party processional, the bridal processional, any music you would like during the ceremony, (a unity candle or some soft guitar, harp, flute, violin, or piano music as you say your vows is beautiful), and your recessional, plus a few more pieces as the venue empties. We are available to help you with your music choices and arrange that special song (or songs) you hold so dear and play any style service. We  have a pianist/organist and wonderful singers who are well versed in Catholic masses.

Our fees include travel and cartage, and are very competitive. We treat your wedding like the first one we’ve ever played…   We are also available for your cocktail or reception, offering both classical and jazz ensembles.

This is your day, you are the princess, and you should walk very slowly down the aisle, reveling in the music and all your friends and family around you!

MUSIC SELECTIONS

Our “wedding song sampler” page, here, provides you with the most popular ceremonial music today.  We will work closely with you to provide you with your very own special program.. We will play special songs but need sufficient lead time to set up the arrangement, so book early.

If one of our musicians has an emergency, we will find another musician of the same caliber.  If you are having complicated Catholic service with mass and communion, don’t hesitate to contact us for help.


ATTIRE

Many people ask how we will be dressed for their wedding.  The answer? (Women) Classy black or navy attire, with pearls, silver, gold, (men) tux or suit depending on the formality of the event..  Sometimes we do get requests to dress otherwise, so just let us know!

OUTDOOR WEDDINGS

If you are being married outside, we can accommodate you with flute, violin, or guitar.  However, if there is inclement weather, and by this we mean rain or excessive wind, especially in the case of a beach wedding, you must have a “Plan B” to play somewhere indoors (usually the reception hall).  The outdoor elements can be very destructive to our instruments, which usually are quite expensive and repairs to them are costly as well.  Please check with us to see who and what is available for your beach wedding!

WHAT PRICE GREAT MUSIC?  FEES  IN A STRUGGLING ECONOMY

Our fees are very competitive and are based on whether you are having a ceremony and/or a cocktail hour or reception, not by the hour.  Some inquires go like this, “We are only having a 15 minute ceremony!”  There is never “just a 15 minute ceremony”.  When you take all of the above into consideration, it is much longer; at least an hour.  We drive to your location (up to 1.5 hours one way); arrive an hour or more early to set up our instruments and equipment, and begin playing prelude music 1/2 hour before your ceremony start time as your guests are being seated.  Also, we charge by the service, i.e., ceremony music or cocktail hour, dinner hour or hours… not by how long your ceremony takes.  It most assuredly will take much longer than you anticipate anyway…

You will find our fees very competitive, starting at $200 per musician, depending on the instrument, travel, etc..  Contact Us today so we can help you pick the best duo or trio for your ceremony or cocktail hour and budget.  And don’t forget… YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR.

Your Cocktail Hour:  If you want the same instrumentation that played for your ceremonial service to play also for your cocktail hour, we add a nominal rate per musician (who played at your ceremony) for that hour as stated above.  If you want different musicians at your cocktail hour, or for example, one from the ceremony and one from the cocktail hour, it will be more for the new musician and the same nominal rate for the ceremony musician.   Many mature couples today like a small jazz ensemble for their reception or dinner hour.  We have many fine jazz musicians from which to choose and form the ensemble you desire!  Also be aware that we are musicians who LIVE in the South Jersey region, and as such, our fees are lower than a service you may book from in Northern Jersey, where the cost of living is much higher and an agent is tacking on an admin fee.

*TIPPING____ If the music moves you, and it should, you may feel inclined to tip!  Today’s rates are 15% to 20% or whatever you would like.

 BOOKING
Ready to book or want to talk to someone first?  Just call Geri at 609. 665 . 1731, or email her at:  [email protected]

Be sure to include  your name, date, time, location and desired musical ensemble!

After you have booked your musicians, we are here to help you with your music selections, the most popular of which can be found here.

Be sure to check out our “wedding services” page, which includes helpful links for venues, officiants, florists, and more, as well as our “testimonial” page with feedback from our happy brides!”