Great music at the wrong moment falls flat. Here is the thread of the day as we build it with our couples, and where live music works best. Timings follow a typical French wedding, and adapt easily to yours.
Around 4 pm: the ceremony
Celebrant-led or religious, a ceremony has three key musical moments: the entrance, a highlight in the middle (readings, exchange of rings) and the exit. A song that means something to you for the entrance, a more intimate one for the rings, then a bright, festive track for the exit.
The music stays calm: guitar and vocals, no percussion. The ceremony is a moment to be present.
"What if the walk down the aisle is shorter than the song?" Don't worry: live, we always finish at the end of a chorus, never in the middle of a verse. Just make sure the song can run at least to the first chorus. Everything is in our article on choosing your ceremony songs.
Around 5 pm: the drinks reception
In France, the vin d'honneur is the moment of reunions, and often where live music shines brightest. We start by accompanying conversations, then, after about an hour and a half, we lift the mood for the last thirty minutes before dinner. This festive moment in broad daylight is a JamBag speciality. We wrote a whole article about it: music for the drinks reception.
Dinner: let your guests talk
A band during dinner might sound like a good idea. In reality, it rarely is. Guests are eating and talking: their attention is not on the music. Live music adds to the noise and makes conversation harder, and guests end up frustrated that they could not really enjoy the band. It is a card played at the wrong time, one that would have been far better used elsewhere.
During dinner, a soft playlist is more than enough, or even no music at all. Your entrance into the dining room is usually handled by the DJ or a recorded track: that is perfect.
What dinner really needs is a good rhythm. It is the time for speeches, placed in the gaps between courses, and for small surprises. If you really want some live music during the meal, the band can play a few well-placed moments between courses, when the whole room can pay attention.
Around 10 pm: the dance party
The most common mistake is starting the party too late. After midnight, some guests have already left. Starting the live set around 10 pm brings every generation onto the dance floor at the same time.
- The cake: don't worry too much about it, guests often help themselves between dances. The band can even play it in, and make it the signal that starts the live set.
- The first dance: a very personal moment, which many couples prefer on the original recording. If you want it live, we learn the song especially for you.
- The live set: two hours to build the energy, up to three hours with the quartet.
After the live set: until the end of the night
A DJ takes over: we prepare a smooth handover together, planning the technical side so the band's space is cleared at the right time. Or, more simply, we leave Bluetooth speakers so the party carries on with your playlist while we pack up.
And for live music all evening, the full band, up to 7 musicians with several singers taking turns, can play for up to four hours. A rarer option, quoted on request.
In short
- 4 pm: ceremony, acoustic
- 5 pm: drinks reception, with a 30-minute festive finale
- 8 pm: dinner, soft playlist and speeches
- 10 pm: live dance party
- Midnight or 1 am: DJ or playlist
Most of our couples trust us with one or two of these moments: the ceremony and drinks reception, or the start of the evening. That is where live music makes the strongest impression. These times are a starting point, which we adjust with you to your venue and schedule.
Carl, for JamBag
