The wedding breakfast is the perfect part of your wedding to start celebrating with your guests as you sit down to a lovely meal and enjoy the first few hours of being husband and wife. If you’re already planning your own wedding, and have finalised the venue and attended a menu tasting appointment, have you thought about the possibility of providing live music to add ambience and atmosphere?
Guests will be chatting among themselves across each table as they enjoy their food, so the kind of background music you ideally need for this occasion is understated mellow music (save the disco for the reception’s evening wedding entertainment!). We’ve put together our top suggestions for sophisticated live musicians for wedding breakfasts, after all you want your big day to be luxurious and memorable.
String Quartets
Hiring a string quartet is one of the top choices for wedding breakfasts due to the elegant mix of instruments and the ability for musicians to not only perform classical music from the great composers, but gentle instrumental covers of modern music. A string quartet is a grouping of musicians consisting of two violinists, a viola player and a cellist and are one of the most sought after entertainment choices. An advantage of hiring any kind of instrumentalist is that you could potentially book them to provide the live music throughout your wedding ceremony too.
New York Virtuosi – String Quartet from EntertainersWorldwide.com
String Duos
If you are on a bit of a budget but you’ve always dreams of having a string quartet perform at your wedding breakfast, why not reduce the costs and hire a string duo instead? Generally cheaper than hiring a whole string quartet, string duos can be composed of various mixes; two violins, a violin and a cello and additional options. This delicate style of music is well-suited to weddings, especially the quieter parts where you still want guests to be able to talk among themselves.
Cellists
Cello music offers a warmer sound than a violin and not only sounds enchanting, but looks impressive too. Cellists are available to hire to perform a variety of music during a wedding breakfast, and again this can range from classical music to modern covers. Cello music offers a sophisticated sound which is perfect for more intimate weddings. Your guests will enjoy listening to the stunning sound of a cellist and if you want something with a bit more energy, why not hire an electric cellist instead?
Lizzy May – Cellist from EntertainersWorldwide.com
Harpists
Another of the great stringed instruments, the harp is undoubtedly one of the most romantic sounds on offer. Booking a harpist is another popular choice among couples for their wedding breakfast and this option certainly adds visual impact, along with exquisite sounds. The addition of a harpist in your celebrations will add grace and give you and your guests a day to remember.
Pianists / Keyboardists
If you’re not really a fan of string instruments, perhaps a pianist or keyboardist could provide that added background ambiance for your wedding breakfast. Piano music is another alternative to beautiful background music and will create a relaxing atmosphere allowing guests to enjoy conversation. If there isn’t a piano at your venue, a digital piano can provide the same sounds and is much more portable.
Flutists
Moving onto the wind instruments, hiring a flautist for your wedding breakfast will add an upbeat atmosphere to your celebrations, without being too overpowering and loud. One of the advantages of hiring a flutists is that they need very little space to be able to perform, which makes it a perfect choice for a small intimate venue. You can sometimes find flutists who will work with other instrumentalists, such as cellists, harpists or violinists as a duo.
Saxophonists
For something a little different and a more soulful sound, why not hire a saxophonist to perform during your wedding breakfast. Add a touch of sophistication and a visual element as a saxophonist performs while your guests enjoy eating or chatting among themselves. Once your guests have finished eating, you could always request that your chosen musician livens things up a bit with a bit of background jazz!
There are many other types of live background music that would be perfect for a wedding breakfast and depending on your tastes, you might want to try something a little different to our suggestions, such as A Cappella Singers or a classical guitarist. Take a look at our entertainment booking website for many other entertainment ideas for sophisticated wedding breakfasts.