Building a great home and future starts with finding your partner in life. Finding the one is certainly no easy task, nor is building a relationship based on love and commitment. That’s why weddings are so important, because they celebrate all this and more. It’s a way of telling everyone that this is who we are, and we’re dedicating the rest of our lives to each other.
People celebrate weddings differently around the world, with each country and region having their own set of traditions. Traditions make every wedding experience unique and memorable. But however different each experience may be, music binds everything together.
Having music at a wedding just makes the whole event even more special than it already is. In Africa, wedding receptions usually include live music, traditional dances, and a lot of gift-giving. The groom usually presents his bride’s family a dowry consisting of shoes, textiles, jewelry and bags. Song and dance act as a cover for negotiations between the groom and his in-laws. Only then will the groom meet his bride, once agreements have been made.
Arab countries have a slightly different approach to weddings. They usually conduct their weddings in expensive hotel ballrooms, with 2 halls booked for the entire event. Since segregation between men and women is heavily observed, festivities and dancing for both parties happen in each hall separately. Live music is played in the gent’s room, while a livestream of events is shown in a big screen in the ladies’ room.
Many young English couples come to Scotland since they can freely marry each other without their parents’ consent, once they’re at the legal age of 16. Wedding ceremonies usually take place in churches or at hilltops, while wedding receptions are held at a separate venue. Once the wedding is over, the newlywed couple then leaves the church to the sound of bagpipes. Scottish weddings involve a lot of dancing. In fact, couples and groups often enjoy a night of Scottish country dancing called ceilidh. The first dance is led by the bride and groom, followed by the bridal party and the guests.
If there’s one thing all these wedding traditions have in common, it’s their love for music and dance. Your choice of music could determine whether your reception is a hit or a miss. For most wedding receptions, selecting music could either be done by hiring a DJ or by hiring a live band. Of the two, hiring a DJ usually involves a more hands-on approach.
Most couples opt for professional DJs since they know how to work with a crowd and keep the reception going. Moreover, a professional DJ can read a crowd’s reaction and determine whether the songs being played are going over well. Guests will be kept wide awake when good, lively music is played, so it’s always handy to have a professional DJ around in a wedding.
