It takes a great deal of experience to play for a wedding. There are important cues to coordinate with members of the wedding party, possibly a wedding coordinator and the officiate, whether they are a judge or a representative of your religious faith. There may be special music for candlelighting or the seating of the parents. There may be a singer or instrumentalist to rehearse with.

Certainly a musician needs to work closely with the couple to ensure that the music is personal and appropriately reflects their feelings for one another. There are many fine musicians, but you need a professional who can stay cool during these special circumstances: they need to get it right the first time.


John has played more than 2000 weddings and receptions all over the country and has now settled in Portland, Oregon. He can help you make musical choices that are personal, appropriate and will set the mood from the time the guests arrive for seating until you walk back down the aisle as husband and wife.

Anything you can do to assign responsibility to a professional is one less thing for you to worry about on a day when you should be free to enjoy the time with your husband-to-be and guests and let others handle the logistics behind the ceremony and reception.

Concluding with an excellent piece of advice from booking agent Becky Stroebel (with whom I have worked for years):  "Another helpful hint for the bride-to-be is to keep a notebook with the phone numbers of everyone you are working with. Cell phone numbers are particularly helpful on the day of the wedding. You should also appoint someone in your wedding party (if you are not utilizing the services of a planner) as the contact for all your vendors on the day of your wedding. It is important for them to have a cell phone or some means by which they can be reached. These contacts and numbers help to assure everyone involved that any little last minute problem can be addressed and alleviated without concerning you. Your only job on your wedding day is to relax and enjoy every second."