# Marcy Prochaska: Hammered Dulcimer

Home | Contents | Blog | About | Performance | Recordings | Instruction

## Weddings

### In and around Plymouth, IN, beginning mid-July, 2007.

Ceremonies | Receptions

The hammered dulcimer is a unique and elegant way to provide music for your wedding, whether ceremony or reception or both. Suitable for almost any musical style from folk to classical, the dulcimer sounds great solo or with other acoustic instruments.

### Ceremony Music

Planning the order of the ceremony is the first step; work with your officiant to decide what the ceremony will include and in what order. Think about these elements:

PRELUDE:

Fifteen to thirty minutes of varied music as your guests arrive.

SPECIAL SEATING:

Special music for the seating of mothers and grandmothers or other guests of honor. If you have a unity candle, often the mothers will light the side candles as they are ushered to their seats.

PROCESSIONALS:

Beautiful music to accompany the bride and her attendants to the altar. Some folks have the groom’s attendants process as well — either paired up with the bridesmaids or alone. In some cases, a single tune can provide music for both bride and attendants. At other times, particularly with a long aisle or a large number of attendants, a bride might choose one piece for the attendants, and another for herself. You’ll need to let the musicians know how many attendants there will be, including flower girls and ring bearers.

SPECIAL MUSIC:

You may feature a meaningful piece during the ceremony, invite your guests to sing hymns or other songs, or have a special piece playing while you light the unity candle or take Communion.

RECESSIONALS:

Lively, triumphant music as the wedding party leaves the altar. Like processionals, sometimes one tune is sufficient, and other times there might be two or three pieces.

POSTLUDE:

A variety of music as your guests are leaving.

Once you have decided on the order of elements, you may select particular tunes for each part. Perhaps you’ve always wanted to walk down the aisle to Pachelbel’s “Canon in D” or Bach’s “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring.” Maybe you have favorite pieces you would like to hear in the prelude or postlude. Or you might want mostly Celtic or mostly classical music. Please visit my Repertoire page for ideas. If you would like me to learn new material, you’ll need to provide sheet music and / or a recording; depending on the difficulty of the piece(s), an additional fee may be charged.

### Reception Music

The music for your reception will depend, like ceremony music, on the nature and structure of the event. It can be as simple as continuous background music as people talk and nibble hors-d’oeuvres. Or, you might have this kind of background music while your guests await the arrival of the wedding party, or during dinner — and then bring in a DJ or dance band. Let the musicians know if you’d like a particular tune during the cake-cutting, bouquet toss, or other special parts of the reception, or if you just have favorites you’d like to hear anytime during the background music. My Repertoire page lists examples of the kind of music I play, along with some soundclips.

Ceremonies | Receptions