Wedding music...
 

Generally speaking, when you edit your wedding:

1) what songs do you just absolutely hate using?
2) do you have any alternate suggestions that you offer your clients when they make the tired old music selections or do you just grin and bare it?
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Here's my answers...
1) Etta James - "At Last", U2 - "Beautiful Day"

2) We usually try to talk them out of the typical selections and unless the song is THAT special to them (ie: first song they made love to) then we'll get them to really think about song choice or we'll make some sugestions to them.

I always let them know from the start to make a list of at least 10 songs to MAYBE choose from or at least lend me in the direction of their sensibilities. I usually pick the song more than half the time. I have never had any complaints.

I could never be able to edit with just one song possibility. The personality of the people, the space, the weather, the mood, the compositions, etc. will change how I edit. Stamping on music that has been picked out before the wedding is even shot, would be like someone bringing a wedding dress to the event and having the bride wear it before even trying it on prior to the day. The body of the work dictates the dressing...

I think videography gets a bad wrap alot of the time because people use the same tired, adult contemporary songs all the time, and most of the time they either don't fit the footage or they suffocate the personality of the day. If the bride is gonna have the kind of attitude where she forces me to use one song(after contracts have been signed), then so be it. But that has never happened to me.

I think it helps to be well versed in many styles of music so when the time comes you can always find something that matches the edit.

Yes they get annoying...

BTW, DJs have a hard time finding a song for the Mother-Son Dance. I think 'Love Me Like A Rock' by Paul Simon is a good one.

just to clarify, I'm talking about the main songs in the edit: Bridal Waltz, Walk Down the Isle etc... (We don't have Father & Daughter dances in Aus.) We choose the rest of the music based on the way the day turned out and from questionaires that the bride & groom filled out when they came on board.

We've never had a couple tell us they want to choose all the music themselves , but then we don't involve them in the editing process either - did that once and it was a nightmare; can you change this, move that there, swap the music to this... ARGHHH!! - I vowed I would never do that again.

So they take their vows & you take yours! (LOL) I'm with you. The couple hires you as a consultant, meaning that they are not paying you for a DVD; they are paying you for your expertise and talent to be delivered via DVD.

I supposed if a couple really thought they were *all that*, I could rent them my cameras.

they tell me what songs they want before the day.. if not, i shoot generically then they decide on ALL the music..
if they stuff up, tuff shit.. i also dont edit until i have teh entire list or cd provided.. ive stil got edits due to be done but im waiting on clients to provide music etc.. i wotn start until THEY decide to direct me in the music
What i like they might not.. etc etc..

I dont use generic crap and typical music makes me ill.. no literally.. lol
Have one italian girl who provided me with instrumental recordings of some songs.. and it sounds like elevator music.. told her it sucked, she said she still wants it.. who am i to argue.. ?
lol

Yes I hate that generic royalty free stuff too. It might be okay for a corporate training video but for weddings... please spare the MUZAK for your local supermarket.

You're better off just paying $400 a year for a combined APRA/ARIA licence and have the real thing rather than have to worry about copyright infringement.

I really like couples that are into alternate music. On the other hand I've got a Vietnamese wedding coming up where the bridal waltz is the theme from Robert Evans' classic "Love Story" sung by Andy Williams. Asians are really into those old crooner love themes - I should know!

1. I dislike using "At Last". I think it's played out, to me anyway..

2. "Forever and Always" by Shanaia Twain is a good alternate...

Paul:

Where would I find info about the music license fee you mentioned?
Thanks,
John

John here in aus, there is a body or organisation which takes care of our music industry...
what we do is pay them $XYZ amount and we recieve a license which allows us the mechancical use of any particular commercial soundtrack. In turn, that licence fee is broken down and paid to every publisher/distributor

In turn, we can use any music, and do pretty much whatever we like with it.
Even mechanically manipulate it, such as create a medley or "remix" <which is what i do>
There are different fees for different formats, but it seems theyre more concerned with direct CD duplications as opposed to video production.

I remember a while ago when i used to offer CD's of the clients chosen music to be compiled onto customised discs.. i used to (and still do) have the facility to do this, so clients used to ask for 3 or 4 tracks to be put onto a disc and this is then used as a little thank you to their guests.
THIS caused more of a stir than the actual (SAME) music used within the video presentations.

Needless to say, licensed or not, it wasnt worth the hassle.

A question for Peter ,

Does the APRA/ARIA license take care of any music you use on wedding videos in that year? i.e. you're not limited to a certain number of songs or weddings?

Also, what do you do about Promo DVDs? i.e. sample DVDs one might give to prospective clients - what do you do regarding music in that situation?

Thanks.

Hey Matt, long time no see! you still with the XL2?
How was your wedding? My god, its been so bloody long... lol Hope all is well either way :)

ok apra... well the license covers up to 20 copies

in regard to coverage, it is for the financial year. i think its about 450 odd dollars, but this usually changes with time.

CDs are a different beast altogether, however the fee can be added to the dvd fee, most producers dont need this unless theyre providing compilations of soundtracks

in regard to demo dvd's you require a commercial license or sepcial license to go over the 20 copy threshold.

The cost of that is one reason why i prefer to see my clients personally

with the new copyright laws here in aus, i dont know what more has changed with regard to costs as the new "format change" ruling is a nightmare as it makes no sense.
Basically, for a viewer to listen to music I OWN, i must give them permission to listen to it, in my prescence.
Now if were sending demo dvd's out, this is impossible to do.
But wait, heres the doozy..
picture this, 2 kids having a fight, Kid A runs into his room and blasts some hardcore techno on his sound system to get away from it.
Now, he HASNT given permission for his brother Kid B to listen to this music, in turn, THAT person (Kid B) is breaking the law for listening to it

Another example is with DVD.
If your watching a movie or listening to music, and u need to duck down to the shops for some more XXXX (4x is a QLD beer for those that dont know)
you must STOP THE MOVIE unless the original owner/renter is present

see the logic? or lack of.. lol

either way, for us were covered for up to 20 copies,
At this time, there is no foundry for web based demos.. none that i know of anyway

hope this helps

Maybe I'm missing something but why not use the actual sound from the ceremony? Why are you covering that with your own music? My clients would not like that at all.

Joe

Why not use this song?
 

Here is one of my originals titled "This Ring" that people are using for wedding videos and slideshows. http://www.songforwedding.com
Be sure to listen to both versions. One is mainly acoustic.

I know that New Wedding Traditions has a song for Mother/Son titled "Song for My Son" if people are having trouble finidng music for that part of the video.

I'm in the process of writing 3 more wedding specific songs. One is titled "Take my hand, and dance with me". It's a first dance type song, but it's a little upbeat so I don't know what kind of reaction I will get. Another one is titled "Here we Stand" and it's pretty intimate. It's basically the moment where the bride and groom are standing there holding hands. We'll see how they turn out. I'm trying to make a small dent in the wedding music market. It seems that is where my songwriting niche has taken me. Hard to believe that my musical influences are hard rock. LOL