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HOW T O S TAY ON A S OU N D T R ACK F OR YOU R W E DDI NG B Y A R I E L WAT E R M A N
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edding music used to be so simple. As the bride came down the aisle, an organist would play Felix Mendelssohn’s traditional “Wedding March” from his suite of incidental music (Opus 61) to William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The couple would exit to the strains of Richard Wagner’s “Bridal March.” Three Central Coast masters of ceremonies (a title they all prefer to DJ) offered their insights on how to keep today’s ceremonies in sync and make receptions swing. Ronnie Simons is a transplanted Lon-
doner with a lovely British lilt in his voice. “I hate the term DJ,” he said. “I’m not a juke box. What I do is more than that. I’m the guy that brings everything together and blends families together. I take the nervous edge off and give them permission to relax and have fun.” Some companies, he explained, send an employee emcee who has never met the clients. This can result in confusion—and even disaster. “I’m there for the start of the event to the last dance,” Simons said. “I stay focused for the whole event. Guests will ask questions about seating, where the restrooms are, when the cake will be served—because I
am the emcee, and they turn to me for all the answers. I tell my clients that they own the ship, they set the course, and I’ll steer. They are in control; I’m just there to guide them through.” The key to success for any emcee is to listen to what a couple likes and doesn’t like. “It only takes one song to upset the bride,” Simons said. The most requested song for the ceremony is Johann Pachelbel’s “Canon in D Major,” he said. “Going from CDs to computers and iPods makes carrying vast lexicons of music very easy. I have a separate library for ceremonies and receptions,” he added. “Couples can select their songs on my website. I later burn a CD with all the music from the ceremony and reception, which I give the couple as a memento.” Asked about a most memorable event, Simons laughed. “I hosted a Renaissance wedding,” he said. “The wedding party were dressed in Renaissance attire, and the groom wore full chain mail on a summer day. That guy was sweating bullets!” Some emcees, like Manny Mestas, may also officiate at weddings. “I’m the emcee, an ordained officiant,
and a classical guitarist,” he said. “I can conduct the ceremony vows, then pick up my guitar and play a romantic song. After the ceremony, I’m all set up for the reception with lighting, music, and everything.” Mestas makes a CD recording of the ceremony, the vows, and the toasts for the bride and groom. He said the most important thing an emcee must do is pronounce names correctly and stick with the timeline and flow of the ceremony and reception. Mestas has hosted a diversity of weddings, from traditional Hispanic, Portuguese, and Filipino affairs to Japanese rites that include a tea ceremony. “Weddings are more active with different rituals,” he said. “So the music is more active and more festive. There is a broader range of styles, and music is more diverse for various cultures and ages to relate to.” Mestas agreed that Pachelbel’s “Canon in D Major” is most popular for the ceremony. He added, “There is a unique approach to the music now. I am performing the Vincent Guaraldi theme for ‘Peanuts’ on guitar for a wedding. I’m a walking music lexicon and appreciate the challenges that come my way.
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