Typically you don’t think of the flowers, decor AND music as defining the feel of your wedding, but by definition, AMBIANCE is the mood, character, quality, tone, atmosphere, etc. of an environment. This means the venue itself, lighting, linens, flowers, flatware, china, glassware, and paper items should be paired with the perfect musical selections to create the ultimate wedding ambiance.
Photo Credit: XL-Entertainment
I have pulled some lovely flower/decor looks and paired the perfect song choices with them…feel free to steal these for your wedding!
Glamorous Wedding
Photo Credit: Darin Fong
Mood Music: A live 8-12 piece orchestra is ideal for a glamorous wedding. Focus on timeless classics and cool takes on contemporary songs. From Frank Sinatra to Etta James to Jackson 5 to the Black Eyed Peas, a great live orchestra can totally make any song into a timeless, elegant classic and energize the dancefloor for the entire night.
Nautical Wedding
Photo Credit: found on Finishing Touches
Mood Music: Try an acoustic guitarist singer for cocktail hour, then switch over to a DJ for your reception. Make sure the acoustic singer has a raspy voice so they can belt out a variety of mellow songs even take requests. Some must-plays would include Sitting on the Dock of the Bay by Otis Redding, Come Away with Me by Nora Jones, Into the Mystic by The Wallflowers, and Sail Away by David Gray.
Summer Outdoor Wedding
Photo Credit: found on Hostess with the Mostess
Mood Music: Keep it light and energized infused with some retro hits. Either a smaller rock band (4-6 piece) or DJ are perfect for an outside summer affair. Make sure the sound is good for the space, as sometimes you lose acoustic qualities when you are outside in the open air. Must play songs would include Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison, Saturday in the Park by Chicago, The Boys of Summer by Don Henley, Under the Boardwalk by The Drifters, Summer of ‘69 by Bryan Adams and some more contemporary songs would include Summer Love by Justin Timberlake and Summertime by Will Smith.
Rustic Barn Wedding
Photo Credit: Sarah Yates
Mood Music: Live music would be ideal in a rustic barn space–a folk or country ensemble would be awesome! Ideal song choices would include really any happy-themed country song (think old and new–throw in some Willie Nelson and Lynyrd Skynyrd with the more contemporary songs from your favorite country and folk artists). Also think about great folk and country movie soundtracks like “O Brother Where Art Thou” and “A Prairie Home Companion” for your dinner music.
Winery Wedding
Photo Credit: Luxe Finds
Mood Music: A string quartet or trio for the ceremony would be lovely, playing beautiful instrumental songs to set the tone of the evening. For the reception, a great DJ or multi-piece orchestra would be perfect. Some must hears for the evening would include You Are the Best Thing by Ray LaMontagne, Fields of Gold by Sting, Red, Red Wine by UB40 and really anything by the Iceland band Sigur Ros.
Modern Wedding
Photo Credit: Mimosa Floral Design
Mood Music: Hire a fabulous DJ with a true club-DJ background who can spin and mix it up. With an experienced club DJ in charge, you would only have to provide a list of songs that you DON’T want to hear, you would not need to give them a list of “Must plays”. They will handle that. Let your DJ set the mood and read the crowd throughout the night. They might start things off by mixing some old school songs in new ways and then move on to some bassy house music later in the night once the older folks have left.
Photo Credit: A Posh Production
What MUST PLAY songs are you including at your wedding? Do you plan to hire a band or DJ? What ambiance and feel are you going for at your wedding?
Website: KioKreations.com
Kristen Janes is the founder/owner of Kio Kreations, LLC a boutique event florist and creative services company specializing in wedding flowers & decor. Her background is diverse and includes a BFA in Illustration, a four year career as a product designer and over 15 years spent as a professional floral designer.
After working in three floral shops throughout the years and finishing her fine art degree, Kristen decided that she really enjoyed making flowers for weddings and events. She knew she wanted to pursue Kio Kreations Wedding & Event Floral as a side career while she worked as a product designer in the corporate world. While working as a product designer, Kristen designed hundreds of wedding items, many of which can be purchased around the country at Michael’s, JoAnn’s, Target and Wal-mart stores. She also designed wedding packaging, styled photo shoots and created wedding trend guides.
Meanwhile, Kio Kreations, (which had started as a side career with one wedding the first year), had become a full-time business with over 60 weddings annually just 4 years later. Kristen decided to leave her product design career behind and dedicate her time solely to her ever-blooming Kio Kreations.
What makes Kio Kreations even more unique than other florists is that Kristen combines her graphic and floral design passions into one. Not only does she offer stunning floral creations but also a variety of custom paper products and other decor items like monogrammed aisle runners. Making for a truly unique, well-coordinated, amazing event.
Recently, Kristen’s work has been featured in two issues of The Knot Chicago Magazine, Brides Chicago Magazine and on a variety of national wedding blogs including Style Me Pretty, Ruffled, Hostess with the Mostess, Elizabeth Anne Designs, The Sweetest Occasion, Kara’s Party Blog, Glamour & Grace Blog, The Wedding Chicks, Poptastic Bride, Brenda’s Wedding Blog, and Style Unveiled Chicago.