Singing Advice

Nicmorrison14

Hi Ladies! I was just curious because this is something that my Fiance and I (and our mothers) have been going back and forth with. A good friend of mine has an amazing voice, and we would like her to sing at our wedding. The only problem is, we don't really know when would be a good time for her to sing. Our mothers think during the ceremony, but because we come from so many religions, we are just having a short and sweet ceremony. I think it would be a little awkward like she is just being thrown in there. Then again, I'm not sure when to have her sing at the reception? Maybe during cake cutting? We don't know. Any suggestions?

Maggie0829

I think having her sing during your ceremony would be lovely.  It would be like if you added in a reading.  No one would think it was odd at all.  I think the best time in the ceremony would be between your officiant finishing his opening remarks/speech and before your vows.

Or, another suggestion, depending upon your first dance song choice, she could sing while you had your first dance.

Teddy917

Did she suggest that she sing or did you?

itzMS

Nicmorrison14 said:

Hi Ladies! I was just curious because this is something that my Fiance and I (and our mothers) have been going back and forth with. A good friend of mine has an amazing voice, and we would like her to sing at our wedding. The only problem is, we don't really know when would be a good time for her to sing. Our mothers think during the ceremony, but because we come from so many religions, we are just having a short and sweet ceremony. I think it would be a little awkward like she is just being thrown in there. Then again, I'm not sure when to have her sing at the reception? Maybe during cake cutting? We don't know. Any suggestions?

Agreed with the others. A "Song of Reflection" before your vows would be perfect.

Hopefully she has asked you if you'd like her to sing, otherwise you should definitely offer to pay her and plan on buying her a nice thank you gift either way.

ElcaB

I don't think having her sing during the ceremony would be strange at all. She could either do a song at the start of the ceremony (before the BP enters) or time a song with a nice reading or moment during. 

Maggie0829

Unless she is a professional singer who is hired for weddings or other events I don't think you necessarily have to pay her but I would be buying her a very nice and somewhat expensive gift for her services.

Nicmorrison14

We asked her to sing, and she refuses money so we are buying her a nice gift

I thought about our first dance too, but we are dancing to Frank Sinatra's "It had to be you" because that was our "first song"...yes we are cheesy lol.

Maybe you guys are right though, before the vows would be pretty. She is singing "At Last" by Etta James (LOVE that song) and she does it so beautifully. Also, we have been considering doing the ceremony tradition of pouring the sand into a vase to symbolize our new lives together...do you think it would be appropriate to have her sing during that time so it's not just silent?

Maggie0829

We asked her to sing, and she refuses money so we are buying her a nice gift

I thought about our first dance too, but we are dancing to Frank Sinatra's "It had to be you" because that was our "first song"...yes we are cheesy lol.

Maybe you guys are right though, before the vows would be pretty. She is singing "At Last" by Etta James (LOVE that song) and she does it so beautifully. Also, we have been considering doing the ceremony tradition of pouring the sand into a vase to symbolize our new lives together...do you think it would be appropriate to have her sing during that time so it's not just silent?

I think having her sing during that time would be very lovely.

Nicmorrison14

awesome. Thanks ladies, just another thing to check off the list. Ok, one more thing (for now lol). I hat to start a new board just for this. My fiance is a firefighter/paramedic but we are having a beach themed wedding. I'm not one for themes usually, although I'm not against them, but he thought it would be special since he told me he loved me and then a few years later proposed and we had our engagement pics all on the same beach. So anywho, we are doing just subtle beach things, nothing over the top. I thought it would be cool to get a cake topper where the groom is climbing up a ladder to save the bride from a fire just to incorporate the job that he loves so much, but I didn't know if that would be kind of weird. I mean, everyone knows what he does, but would people think it's strange?

KeptInStitches

The fire might be a bit much, but a topper of a groom climbing a ladder to a bride would be lovely IMO.

Nicmorrison14

Oops, I should have clarified, my fault. Yes, I agree the fire would be too much. There won't be fire on the cake. The groom is dressed in gear climbing a ladder up the side of the cake to the bride. The cake will be just a "normal" wedding cake. I just thought it would be nice to incorporate something for him.

KeptInStitches

Yes, that topper would be lovely.

Maggie0829

I believe that if a couple is going to have a cake topper then it should be a cute and special cake topper that really represents them as a couple.  One wedding that I went to the couple had a person on Etsy make a cartoonish version of them dressed in their wedding attire with their dogs on either side of them.  It also had the groom wearing a university of miami hat while holding a beer.  It was so them and very cute.  So with all that said, I say go for it!

Nicmorrison14

Awesome!

NYCMercedes

Been to quite a few beautiful weddings where Ave Maria and where The Lord's Prayer were sung. Maybe not your style, but I'd love a respectful song during the ceremony. As far as toppers, totally up to you, but I love flowers on top.

Nicmorrison14

I do think flowers are pretty, but I just don't feel it's personal. I feel like the whold day is focused on the bride, when it's really about the bride & groom, but he falls in the shadows. So I thought a cake topper that was kind of dedicated to him would be nice. Do you think "At Last" is disrespectful?

NYCMercedes

No, I love At Last. That's great you want to have something specific to him. Would you keep it a surprise?

Nicmorrison14

well, I kind of mentioned it to him a while ago, and he thought it was cool. I haven't brought it up since so I'm pretty sure he forgot...does that count as a surprise? lol