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Top 10 Wedding Ceremony Music tips.

I’ve been playing the violin since the age of three and played my first wedding at the tender age of twelve. I’ve played for countless weddings, as a soloist and as a member of a quartet, and my experiences as a professional wedding musician certainly helped me in my professional career as a soloist, arranger, and composer in Los Angeles. It took me years of experience to learn how to maximize my potential as a wedding violinist, and I’d like to share these 10 tips with brides that want to make sure their wedding ceremony music is the best that it can be. – Ann Marie Calhoun for TarynCoxTHEWIFE

1. Choose a group that fits the environment:

When you begin to look at your wedding ceremony music, you need to consider how the environment will inform the group that you choose. Make sure the acoustical environment is appropriate for the group you choose. For example, a string quartet is perfect in an intimate chapel while a brass band will overpower guests. Also, be aware that outdoor weddings create unpredictable environments for fragile instruments. No violinist will be willing to play in direct sunlight or extreme temperatures.

2. Understand the musical moments:

Most wedding music will fall into the categories of prelude, processional, recessional, and postlude. The prelude sets the tone for the ceremony and starts right before guests arrive. The processional is for the seating of the mothers, bridesmaids, flower girls, ring-bearer, and of course the bride. The recessional is for the exit of the newly married couple and the wedding party. The postlude accompanies the exit of the guests. Some couples also choose to have “special music” to highlight moments in their ceremony, such as an intentional moment of reflection or a candle lighting ceremony.

3. Choose appropriate pieces:

While every couple wants their music to be special and unique, it is important to choose music wisely to have appropriate tone and tempo. Prelude music is usually gentle and reflective, allowing for the processional to have greater impact. The processional music should be chosen at a tempo that allows for a natural walk. We are hard-wired to walk in rhythm to music, and a too-fast tempo results in an awkward gait. While it is fine to have one processional piece, it is also highly impactful to choose a new processional piece for the bride to make for a grander entrance. Skilled musicians can suggests processional pieces that cadence and segue logically. The recessional music is celebratory in tone and should also be chosen with a faster exit-walking tempo. The postlude should also be up-beat and energizing.

Most groups will have a demo recording that will aid in selecting your wedding program. It is important to listen to the specific suggestions of your musicians. They have valuable experience and will instinctively know if a suggested piece will be a good fit for your ceremony. If you ask your musicians to learn a new piece for your ceremony, you should aid in providing music (sheet music and recording) and check in on how the piece is going a few days before the ceremony. If the piece doesn’t rehearse right, there is still time to make a change.

When choosing all your pieces, it is also important to factor in the implications of a religious ceremony. It would be inappropriate to play “Jesus, Joy of Man’s Desiring” or “Ave Maria” at a Jewish wedding.

4. Rehearse your musicians:

Professional musicians do not need to practice and rehearse specifically for your wedding. Most will be able to sight read perfectly on site and are already familiar with the wedding classics. However, it is important that they are familiar with the logistics of your particular wedding. It is a good idea to have a member of your musical group attend the rehearsal and take notes on the number of bridesmaids, flower girls, etc… It is also helpful for the musicians to know the last words of the ceremony so that the recessional music starts exactly on time (it is a disaster if it starts early and awkward when it starts late). If the musicians are unable to attend a rehearsal, make sure that they are given specific instructions when they arrive. Appoint a bridesmaid to run through the logistics of the wedding with the musicians.

5. Check for a back-up plan

Most musical groups factor in a back-up plan in case a member of the group gets caught in an emergency situation. Quartets often sub-out membership so if a violinist drops out at the last minute, a new one fills in. Check for this kind of a back-up plan. If you hire a soloist, it becomes even more important to make sure another musician is on call.

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Every WIFE will at one time or another will work with a caterer in her lifetime, whether it be at your own wedding or for a small event. Danielle Summors from Fraiche Catering Company has compiled 10 tips every wife should know to have you prepared to ask the right questions and what to expect when planning your next event. – Taryn Cox for THE WIFE.

1. Make sure the catering company has hired and is working with an Executive Chef with a complete background and length of experience in catering and cooking.

2.  Working with the Catering Coordinator: How long have they been with the company? What is  his/her experience and Background?  Invite them to do a site tour of your location.  Listen to their recommendations of how the event can flow and how they can contribution to the color and design. This shows their knowledge of the overall event planning. You are putting a lot into their hands. Make sure you trust your coordinator!

3.  Two words: taste test. You wouldn’t want your guests to dine on anything you wouldn’t eat yourself. Before deciding on a menu, interview different caterers to see what they have to offer and if their treats are as tasty as they claim.

4.  What resources does your caterer recommend for wine, party rentals, linens etc. Experienced caterer’s will have the great resources with the best prices to meet your needs.

5.  A good caterer should seek out what you want by asking the right questions.  The Caterer should develop custom menus to fit your event if requested and backups incase certain options aren’t available.

6. Make sure your caterer has sufficient staff to service the party. Check that the staff is hired and trained within the company.

7. Be sure to ask your caterer where they get their fish, meat, and produce from? Is it local? Organic? All Natural? You want to make sure they use the best resources in the area.

8.  It is always best to use caterers that  have been recommended by friends and family. You want to know from someone you trust who has used the company and  has had a first hand experience.

9.  Notice attention to detail while going through the process. Be sure both parties are clear on things like what time the food will be delivered, who is supplying the dinnerware and who is responsible for cleanup. That way, you can relax on the day of your event.

10. A Caterer should turn around a menu and cost proposal within 24 to 48 hours. Be sure to ask questions about anything you don’t understand. Make sure both you and the caterer have read the contract thoroughly and sign it. – By: Danielle Summors for Fraiche Catering

Parents traveling with kids are probably all too familiar with the grimacing faces of fellow passengers when you board a flight with a baby or toddler… It’s enough to make any new parent feel apprehensive about traveling.

My daughter Violet was born three years go, right around the time my husband’s work was due to take him around the globe. Not wanting to be apart for so long we decided to travel together, so at 3 weeks old Violet had her passport and we were packing our bags… and we haven’t looked back since!

Saying that, traveling with a baby isn’t what I’d call ‘easy’, but there are things you can do that make it a lot easier. Here are my top ten tips to making journeys with little ones bearable, even enjoyable!

1. Routines are key! While everything around them is changing keeping to a routine helps to make your baby feel secure in their new environment and adjust faster to time zones. It also helps avoid those tired/hungry melt-downs! If it’s bedtime or naptime at home then it’s sleep time on the plane too. Bring diapers, pajamas and their favorite cuddly toy and make it clear it’s time to sleep. When you land, adjust this routine to the new time zone. Sticking to it can be hard but persevere as over time it really does pay off.

2. Consider travel plans when investing in key baby equipment, particularly your stroller. Go for a compact, light-weight, fully collapsible one. I recommend a sling for very young ones, which allows you to carry your baby but be hands-free at the same time. BabyBjorn does a brilliant one.

3. Travel with your own car seat. It’s a pain but better than arriving somewhere and finding there isn’t one or it’s the wrong size. When you check-in ask them to bag it in plastic or pay to have it wrapped by machine. Otherwise they get battered, dirty and often wet when stowed.

4. Organize your hand luggage ready for security checks. Sounds silly but you’ll have your hands full with baby, removing coats & shoes, folding down the stroller etc, so make life easier by putting lap-tops and liquids within easy reach. Plus wear easy to remove footwear!

5. Bring a change of clothes in your hand luggage – for you as well as your baby. Spillages, leaky diapers, sicky-babies… there’s nothing worse than a long haul flight wearing soiled or wet clothes!

6. Don’t fall into the sugar trap! Tempting as it may be to give sweet treats to toddlers to keep the peace, avoid at all cost! Sugary snacks, juices & sodas make them more over-excited and less likely to behave. Bring a good stock of healthy snacks and keep them hydrated with regular drinks of water. Bringing your own beaker cup helps avoid spillages.

7. Don’t reply on airlines to provide healthy food. It doesn’t matter which airline or class you fly, kids food always seems to be junk and usually full of high-sugar snacks. Try to cook up one meal to bring with you – something simple like veggie pasta. There are great lunch boxes designed for kids-on-the-go – invest in a fun one.

8. Bring a good selection of toys and activities. Pack a ‘bag of tricks’ full of little things for them to play with on the plane, plus some good books. Coloring pens and children’s magazines are excellent too. Anything they can play sitting down! Bring one DVD for long flights – but save it for emergencies!

9. If you are staying in a hotel phone in advance and put in a list of requests. Hotels are usually happy to provide basic baby equipment. If you know people where you are going, beg & borrow whatever you can to make life easier. The less you have to carry the better!

10.  Make it exciting! If you are relaxed and enthusiastic your child will most likely follow your lead. Things will go wrong sometimes but try your hardest to stay calm in front of your baby. Chat to your toddler about your travel plans. Get excited together about the trip to the airport, the plane, the hotel and the prospect of a new bed/crib to sleep in. Do some research into fun things to you can do when you get there. There are lots of websites and baby-blogs with good city guides and chat to hotel staff for suggestions.

Happy Travels! – Chloe Buckland

You will have seen Jim Sturgess most recently in the Peter Weir’s epic tale of survival in The Way Back (in selected cinemas now) alongside Colin Farrell and Ed Harris. This year you will see him in a love fantasy story about two opposing gravitational worlds with Kirsten Dunst called ‘Upside Down’ and the film ‘One Day’ based on the bestselling book by David Nicholls where Jim plays Dexter alongside Anne Hathaway. Many of you probably know Jim Strugess from Across The Universe and 21. He is currently working on Tragic Toys, a musical project with his girlfriend Mickey O’Brien who also plays keys and backing vocals in La Roux.  Here’s Jim’s City Guide to “The Way Back”… to London.

1.  Dennis Severs House – Dennis Severs decided to recreate the 18th and 19th centuries by decorating this amazing Georgian terraced house in Spitafields. When you visit, you have to imagine yourself in another time with the help of your surroundings. www.dennissevershouse.co.uk

2. Dans Le Nior – Dine in the pitch dark with waiters who are blind helping you on your way. Talking points afterwards are what you think the people next to you look like. www.danslenoir.com

3. Whanda Fish Pedicure – There is not too much exotic about London, but close your eyes and you could be swimming in the warm oceans off the Maldives. Either that or you have fallen asleep with your toes in the fish tank again. www.wahanda.com/treatment/fish-pedicure/

4. The Last Tuesday Society – Hackney’s very own Little Shop Of Horrors. You can buy all sorts of things here from two headed lambs to vintage surgical equipment to phrenology heads to great taxidermy. There are also puppet shows, talks, exhibitions on occasion. Be sure to stop at The Cat and Mutton (Broadway Market) after for some supper. www.thelasttuesdaysociety.org

5. Garlic and Shots – 101 different vodka shots and garlic EVERYWHERE – probably not the best for a first date or before a first date. www.garlicandshots.com

6. The Bath House Avenue – Have dinner here or just drink and be merry but you are guaranteed a decadent turn back in time to a hedonistic London. Saturdays and Sunday evenings recommended for burlesque night. www.thebathhousevenue.com

7. Hampstead Heath Park – Go for a walk on Hampstead Heath. All year round it is lovely – wide open space in the centre of London for absolutely any outdoor activity. Lots of lovely cosy pubs nearby when finishing your outdoor adventures.

8. Portobello Road – Its good on Saturdays for the antiques that line Portobello road. Buy and old bassoon or football, some cool old compasses, decanters and pictures. But always finish with a red velvet cupcake at Hummingbird Bakery.

9. Camden’s Brick Lane – On a Sunday walk from Liverpool Street, round Spitafields and through to Brick Lane. Enter into the market and Search for lots of amazing food from all around the world – great vintage furniture, clothes, records and jewelry.

10. The Slaughtered Lamb – The Slaughtered Lamb is a Lovely pub for good roasts with classy vintage wall fans and nice lighting. Upstairs can get crowded, but venture downstairs for acoustic music. www.electroacousticclub.com – By: Jim Sturgess

1. The most important thing to consider when buying a coat or jacket is the cut and structure. Good tailoring can make you look a size smaller and will even out any subtle differences in your upper body shape. A good example of this is that many women shy away from shoulder pads when they think they are broad shouldered, however if the structure and fit of the coat is correct, the shoulder pads will only serve to make your shoulders appear in proportion to your bust and waist – one must remember that tools such as shoulder pads can in fact be very subtle (don’t think of the 80’s type!) and can enhance your posture and create a nice straight line.

2. Another important factor to consider when buying a coat or jacket is the quality of the materials used. The fabric should be the correct weight for the occasion (if this is a winter coat then it should be dense enough to keep out the cold) and should not look cheap or feel uncomfortable when worn. If you like a jacket but are put off by the ugly zipper and don’t think you can easily change it then seriously consider whether that jacket is right for you. A coat or a jacket should be an investment piece as it should make up the backbone of your wardrobe as you can wear it with jeans and flats to work or over a dress with heels for the evening.

3. Whether you value chic simplicity or edgy details, design plays a big role in buying jackets and coats. Whatever your preference you should pick something that is timeless and that you see yourself wearing for years to come. That does not mean that you have to go for something that is regular or that you’ve seen before, in fact some of the pieces that I have kept in my wardrobe longest are the unique standout design pieces as I appreciate the craft and creativity that went into them.

4. Whilst it’s important to make a unique choice, it should also be mentioned that you should pick something that is practical and fits your lifestyle. Consider the piece’s functionality and usefulness before making your final decision.

5. Don’t be put off by trimmings such as cheap buttons as these can easily be changed and will make your piece individual and more personal.

6. A coat or jacket is often a fun way to play with colour or print. You might not see yourself wearing a red coat but it can sometimes make for a nice change to add a block of colour to your outfit via your coat. Conversely, if you wear a lot of colour in your everyday life and are only looking to buy one coat this season then it might be wise to buy a neutral such as navy, black, grey or cream to go with everything in your wardrobe.

7. Remember that this is a very important element of your wardrobe and whilst you don’t need to splurge to get something beautiful, it should definitely be one of the bigger investment items you purchase during the season. If you can’t afford the designer price tags that many labels sport, it might be worthwhile to do some research into emerging labels that offer quality, design and craftsmanship and you will probably be buying something that no one else you know will have. it’s also fun to “discover” a new designer – you never know, they might one day be the next Marc Jacobs!

8. If you are interested in the idea of finding an emerging designer, many smaller labels also offer you the option of being socially aware as each one has their own niche, whether it is using organic fabrics or being locally made.

9. Faux fur vs real fur. Jacket and coats look great with a trim and whether you prefer to go for the real or faux option, both can really add another dimension to your outerwear, as well as being fantastically warm!

10. Finally, one must take into account the accessories that you’ll be wearing with your jacket or coat: if you are lucky enough to be able to wear heels all day long then you have the ability to pull off both long and cropped versions as the heels with lengthen your silhouette, however if you are more comfortable wearing flats then consider the length of your coat, as sometimes long coats won’t be as flattering as a cropped or mid-thigh shape might be. By Misha Nonoo