7 Reasons to Consider a String Quartet for Your Wedding Ceremony

Choosing live music for your ceremony entertainment guarantees an elegant start to your big day. Plus, it makes for an especially memorable (and melodic!) walk down the aisle. While any live music is a great choice, we're particularly fond of a string quartet, typically made up of two violin players, a cellist, and a viola player. Guests will be wowed by this beautiful arrangement, and you'll have an ultra-romantic and timeless soundtrack for one of the happiest moments of your life. If all of that doesn't have you convinced, see what these three wedding planners have to say about how the sweet sounds of string instruments can instantly upgrade your nuptials.

WEDDING IDEAS FOR MUSIC LOVERS THAT HIT A HIGH NOTE

Nothing says "elegant" quite like a quartet.

"Combined with beautiful flowers and the perfect lighting accents, an instant air of excitement permeates the space and anticipation builds," says wedding planner Tonia Adleta of Aribella Events. "A string quartet provides just that foundation, maintaining a traditional elegance and providing a wide range of versatility. The repertoire that a well-versed string quartet can perform may be reason alone to consider them as the front runner of your ceremony music."

It adds depth to your overall music.

Multiple musicians can mean multiple delightful instruments. "Think of Pachelbel on an organ, a harp, a guitar, or a piano, it's one sound," says wedding planner Ellen Condie of Absolutely IN! Events.

Live music goes with the flow.

If you're using a recorded soundtrack, you and your bridal party have to keep the pace of the music as you make your way down the aisle. But in-person performers can be flexible. "They can adjust their playing speed or even repeat a section of music to accommodate for a larger bridal party," says wedding planner Krista Olynyk of KJ and Co.

You can go classic or trendy.

There are beautiful choices from traditional classics, like Pachelbel's "Canon in D," the "Wedding March" by Mendelssohn, and Vivaldi's "Seasons," Adleta says. But you can also choose something more contemporary. "One of my favorite things to do is take something traditional and twist things a bit to create a very personal experience," she says. "For example, one of my favorite recessionals was The Beatles' "All You Need Is Love" performed by a stellar string quartet. We've even had the Star Wars theme performed as the recessional, to roaring applause, by strings!"

You can trust their direction.

You can decide how involved you'd like to be in your music selection, Adleta says. You can give the quartet some of your go-tos, like the tune you'd like to walk down the aisle to, but otherwise, you can leave the music that fills your downtime up to them, such as the prelude or secondary.

A planner can help you pick one.

"Your wedding planner should have all the details on file to make a suitable referral," Olynyk says. "If you're planning things yourself, ask for referrals from some of your other wedding services provides, or venue, who are used to working with the pros."

They can carry over to the reception.

"Quartets are portable," Condie says. "The ceremony only uses them for maybe an hour and a half. Use them for a room flip [or] cocktail hour. Even ask them to transport to the reception venue." Olynyk says this is also a great opportunity to add a vocalist.