How much do ceremony musicians cost?Coming soonThis guide explains what changes the price of live ceremony music: how many players, how long they play, and whether they carry the cocktail hour as well.
Timeline guide
Wedding ceremony music order, prelude to recessional.
The short answerThe wedding ceremony music order runs the prelude as guests arrive, the processional, often a song of its own for the bride or couple, then the recessional. With sound production, your Elevate DJ runs the ceremony sound, and ceremony musicians can play the music live. 4,000+ events, 20+ Elevate-Certified™ DJs, 18 awards, 9.7 NPS and 4.9★ across 1,058 verified reviews, as of August 4, 2026.
4.9(379)
4.9(218)
5.0(305)
5.0(156)
Photo: Integrity Hills, 2025, Chris Killingsworth Photography · Audrey and Abbas at Integrity Hills
The order
What is the wedding ceremony music order, from prelude to recessional?
The wedding ceremony music order runs the prelude while your guests arrive, then the processional, often with a song of its own for the bride or the couple, then the recessional as the two of you walk out together. Some ceremonies add a song to seat the family, an interlude for a unity or signing moment, or a postlude as guests leave. When we run your ceremony too, your songs and cues are set with you before the night.
What music plays before a wedding ceremony starts?
Before a wedding ceremony starts, the prelude plays while your guests arrive and find their seats, and in some ceremonies the family is seated to a song of its own.
- The preludeWhat the music does: Music while your guests arrive and find their seats. Songs on published prelude lists include Clair de Lune by Claude Debussy, Better Together by Jack Johnson and Crazy Love by Van Morrison.What Elevate does: Every line-up of Elevate ceremony musicians includes thirty minutes of prelude while your guests find their seats.
- Seating of the familyWhat the music does: In some ceremonies, parents and grandparents are seated, or walk in, to a song of their own just before the processional.
What music plays for the wedding processional?
The wedding processional is the music the wedding party walks in to, and in many ceremonies the bride, or the couple, then walks in last to a song of their own.
- The processionalWhat the music does: The wedding party walks in. In some ceremonies the officiant, the groom and the groomsmen come in from the side as the first processional song starts. Songs on published processional lists include Here Comes the Sun by The Beatles, Marry Me by Train and First Day of My Life by Bright Eyes.What Elevate does: When you add sound production, your DJ runs the ceremony: mics on the officiant and on you, and the processional cued to the second.
- The entrance of the bride or the coupleWhat the music does: In many ceremonies the bride, or the couple, walks in last to a song of their own; some share the wedding party’s song instead. Songs on published aisle lists include Canon in D by Johann Pachelbel, Lover by Taylor Swift and Turning Page by Sleeping at Last.What Elevate does: With Elevate ceremony musicians, you walk in to live strings, even to a song that has never been arranged for strings, because a music director on staff writes the sheet music.
What music plays during and after the vows?
During the vows and the readings the music stops; after them, some ceremonies play an interlude for a unity or signing moment, then the recessional plays as the two of you walk out together, and some ceremonies keep a postlude going as guests leave.
- The vows and the readingsWhat the music does: The Knot’s main rule for ceremony music is no music while someone is speaking.What Elevate does: Your DJ cues ceremony musicians from the timeline, so they finish the phrase they are in and go quiet before anyone steps to the microphone. With sound production, two handheld mics come for readings, scripture or someone singing you down the aisle.
- An interludeWhat the music does: Some ceremonies play a short piece during a unity ritual, such as a sand ceremony, or during a signing.
- The recessionalWhat the music does: The music as the two of you walk back up the aisle together. Songs on published recessional lists include Happy by Pharrell Williams, Lovely Day by Bill Withers and Walking on Sunshine by Katrina and the Waves.
- The postludeWhat the music does: In some ceremonies the music keeps going as guests leave for cocktail hour.What Elevate does: Some line-ups of Elevate ceremony musicians carry on into cocktail hour, cued by your DJ from the same timeline.
The ceremony music order as The Knot, WeddingWire, Brides and Zola describe it. These songs appear on The Knot’s prelude, aisle and recessional song lists, Brides’ prelude and aisle song lists, and wedding song lists from WeddingWire, Zola, Joy, Inside Weddings and Green Wedding Shoes.
What is included
What comes with an Elevate DJ booking for your ceremony and reception?
Every Elevate DJ booking comes with the six things below, on every tier, because your Wedding DJ is also your Wedding MC: one Elevate-Certified™ person. For the ceremony itself, two add-ons do the work: sound production for the microphones, and ceremony musicians for live music.
Six things in every DJ booking
- State-of-the-art, premium-grade equipmentThe same state-of-the-art, premium-grade equipment at every level.
- Dance floor lightingIt comes with the DJ.
- A 150,000-song libraryMust plays and never plays locked in, all loaded before the night.
- A planning meetingWith the DJ who runs the night.
- Performance & Show-Up GuaranteeA matched backup DJ, full system backups and a 100% show-up record.
- The MCYour MC coordinates the night on the microphone, connects all of your vendors, and makes sure the whole night flows effortlessly and seamlessly for your guests. Your MC is your DJ: the same person, not an extra one.
Some couples skip a day-of coordinator. Your Elevate MC often fills that role, running the timeline, cueing your vendors and moving the night along.
Additionally, Elevate Entertainment serves every client, weddings and corporate events alike, with add-ons such as sound production, photo booths, event lighting, live musicians, the DJ-Band Hybrid and special effects. Two of them belong to your ceremony.
46% of our events
Sound production
Your ceremony, before the reception: mics on the officiant and on you, and the processional cued to the second. Extra speakers and mics go wherever the room needs them.
Integrity Hills, 2025 · photo Chris Killingsworth Photography
Ceremony musicians
Live players set your ceremony, and some line-ups carry on into cocktail hour.
Integrity Hills, 2026 · photo Madison Thompson Photography
Tap any add-on to see how it works.
Who plays it
Who plays the music at a wedding ceremony: your DJ or live musicians?
At an Elevate wedding, the ceremony music comes from your DJ, who runs the ceremony sound and cues the processional to the second when you add sound production, or from Elevate Entertainment ceremony musicians, cued by your DJ from the timeline. The musicians are string players and pianists from the top tier of the local symphony, booked as a duo, a trio or a quartet: a string duo for melody and harmony in a smaller space, a string trio to fill a bigger room without overwhelming the vows, and a string quartet for the full sound most ceremony music was written for. They cover the music, not the microphones: ceremony sound is sound production, a separate add-on.
Your ceremony
Can you change the wedding ceremony music order or the songs?
Yes, you can change the ceremony music order and the songs, because ceremonies vary: some bring parents and grandparents in to a song of their own, some have the bride or the couple share the wedding party’s song, and some add an interlude for a unity moment. The Knot and Brides both point out that some ceremony sites and officiants limit what can be played, so ask your officiant before you settle your list. Your songs and cues are set with you before the night.
Plan it with us
How do you plan your ceremony music with Elevate Entertainment?
You plan your ceremony music with Elevate Entertainment in three steps: see your running order and a price range above, design the night in one free conversation, then set your songs and cues with us before the night.
Elevate EntertainmentYour timeline, three steps
See your running order
Tap what your night needs in the estimator above. It sorts your running order and shows one rough range for the whole night; your exact price still comes from your quote.
See your price rangeDesign the night in one conversation
Your free Entertainment Design Session: 60 minutes, video or phone, with the team behind 4,000+ events. You bring the vision. You leave with a complete plan.
If you would rather build your night with a person than on a screen alone, or want more guidance on what to choose, you can do it together here.
Book your Entertainment Design SessionPlan the night with your DJ
A planning meeting with the DJ who runs your night comes with every DJ booking. Your order and the time for each part are set with you before the night, and your DJ, as your MC, runs them on the night. Your exact number comes in a real, itemized quote, or build your quote online any time.
Pricing
How much does a full Elevate Entertainment wedding night cost?
Experiences begin at $1,500
Most couples spend between $2,500 and $7,500. Highly produced events can run up to $25,000. Where your night lands depends on how much of it you hand to one team: the DJ and MC alone, or the sound production, the lighting, the live musicians and the booth with them.
$1,500Experiences beginOne experience, done right.
$2,500 to $7,500Most couples spendA DJ who is also your MC, plus live music, lighting, photo booths and effects.
$25,000Highly produced events run up toEvery part of the night from one team.
Build your quote online
Build it online, or get your exact number in your free Entertainment Design Session. Klarna and Affirm financing are available.
In their words
What do couples say about the music at their ceremony?
Couples say their Elevate DJ cued the ceremony music well on the day; one bride says hers helped her pick the music for each moment, and another says the ceremony music and the mics were perfect. Filter the reviews by topic or by DJ, check whether we have played your venue, and read the rest on the reviews page.
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★★★★★“…I was a bride that was overwhelmed by the idea of having to pick all of the music for a wedding (wedding party, bride walk, recessional, etc) and in our planning session he was fantastic at helping me pick music or deciding if I couldn’t.…”
★★★★★“…The ceremony music and mics were perfect, she listened to our requests & matched our guest/wedding party vibe so perfectly, and was so kind to us, our wedding party, family, and guests.…”
★★★★★“…The venue was somewhat challenging with outdoor ceremony and indoor reception on 3 levels, and he made it all come together. He kept the event moving along with appropriate and helpful comments. Kalani cued up the music perfectly for the ceremony and kept the dance floor hopping all night long.…”
★★★★★“…She truly cared about every guest having a good time, and executed our ceremony music perfectly!…”
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Related guides
What else helps you plan the music for your wedding?
The ceremony is the first part of the night when we run it too; the guides below cover the reception that follows, the music for its other moments and what the whole night costs.
The wedding reception timeline, hour by hourThis guide lays the reception out in order, from the entrance to the last song.Read the guide →
DJ vs live band for your wedding: cost, sound and the hybridThis guide sets a DJ and a live band against each other on cost, sound and range, and explains the DJ-Band Hybrid, which brings both.Read the guide →
How much does a wedding DJ cost?This guide explains what moves the price of a wedding DJ and MC: the hours on site, the tier of DJ you book, the date and the drive, and what a booking covers before a single add-on. Its estimator shows a rough price range for your night.Read the guide →
How pricing worksThis is Elevate Entertainment’s own pricing page: what a booking includes, what moves the number up or down, and the two ways to get an exact price for your night.Read the guide →
How much do ceremony musicians cost?Coming soonThis guide explains what changes the price of live ceremony music: how many players, how long they play, and whether they carry the cocktail hour as well.
How to plan your wedding music: must-plays, do-not-plays, and requestsComing soonThis guide explains how to build a must-play list and a do-not-play list that your DJ can work from on the night.
How do song requests work at a wedding?Coming soonThis guide explains what happens when a guest asks for a song, and who decides.
Grand entrance songs that actually workComing soonThis guide covers what a grand entrance song has to do the moment the doors open, and how to choose one that suits your room and your entrance.Before the ceremony
What do couples ask about wedding ceremony music?
Couples ask what order the ceremony music runs in, how the processional and the recessional differ, who plays the music, who brings the microphones and whether a venue can limit it.
What is the order of music in a wedding ceremony?
The order of music in a wedding ceremony is the prelude as guests arrive, the processional for the wedding party, often a song of its own for the bride or the couple, then the recessional as the two of you walk out together. Some ceremonies add a song to seat the family, an interlude for a unity or signing moment, or a postlude as guests leave.
What is the difference between the processional and the recessional at a wedding?
The processional is the music the wedding party, and then the bride or the couple, walk in to before the ceremony; the recessional is the music the two of you walk out to together once it is over.
Does the bride walk down the aisle to a different song at a wedding ceremony?
Yes, in many ceremonies the bride, or each partner, walks in to a song of their own, separate from the wedding party’s song. Some couples share one song with the wedding party instead.
Can you have live musicians and a DJ at the same wedding ceremony?
Yes. Elevate Entertainment ceremony musicians play the prelude as guests arrive and the processional as you walk in, and your DJ cues them from the timeline, so they finish the phrase they are in and go quiet before anyone steps to the microphone. The musicians cover the music, not the microphones: ceremony sound is sound production, a separate add-on.
Does Elevate provide sound and microphones for a wedding ceremony?
Yes, with sound production, an add-on: we put lapel mics on your officiant and on you, so guests hear both of you, and two handheld mics come for readings, scripture or someone singing you down the aisle. When we run your ceremony too, it has its own hour, starting about 30 minutes before you walk so guests arrive to music, and every Elevate DJ booking includes five hours with your DJ, which start after that. Some chapels are already covered; send us the venue and we will find out what they provide.
Can a church or venue limit wedding ceremony music?
Yes, some ceremony sites and officiants limit what can be played: some houses of worship keep to a set list of traditional songs or allow instrumental music only. Brides advises asking your officiant before you settle your list.
Your Event Made Perfect
How do I talk to a real person about my ceremony music?
You talk to a real person about your ceremony music by booking an Entertainment Design Session in the four quick steps here. One free conversation, 60 minutes, video or phone. You leave with a complete plan and an exact number, without any pressure on the call.
Complimentary · real numbers. A real person will text you within the hour.
Call or text(816) 477-4077
Step 1 of 4
Which event are we designing entertainment for?
One tap, then we check your date.
Pick the one that fits best and we’ll take it from there.
When and where is the celebration?
A rough idea is fine. Peak Saturdays go first.
Your date
Which of our locations is closest to your event?
Choose your closest market, and either a date or the no-date box.
Help us tailor your session.
Honest answers get you a sharper plan. There are no wrong ones.
Where are you in planning?
Which venue?
Optional. It helps your designer prepare for that room.
By when do you want to have found your best fit?
What do you feel is non-negotiable, if you had to pick one?
At its peak, how loud does the dance floor go?
Tap one answer in each row and you’re nearly done.
Tell us about the event.
Enough to bring the right ideas, nothing more.
What kind of event?
About how many guests?
Where is it being held?
Optional. The city is enough if the venue is not set.
When do you need this decided?
At its peak, how loud does the dance floor go?
Tap one answer in each row and you’re nearly done.
Tell us about the celebration.
Enough to bring the right ideas, nothing more.
What’s the occasion?
Where is it being held?
Optional. The city is enough if the venue is not set.
When do you need this decided?
At its peak, how loud does the dance floor go?
Tap one answer in each row and you’re nearly done.
Last step. Your details, so we can check your date.
Your designer reviews your answers before the session, so the conversation starts at your event, not at a blank page.
We need your name, a working email and phone, and the consent box checked.