Here Comes The Bride - picking the music that sounds her arrival

It's possibly the single-most exciting moment in the wedding ceremony.  Silence falls in the room, the music starts and the people rise to their feet: the bride is here.  It's a magical moment as everyone turns around to look at her: eager to see the smile on her face and the dress on her body.

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When Phoebe Miller, the beauty and the brains behind the So You're Getting Married blog, was deciding what she would walk down the aisle to, her vicar advised her that it could be ANYTHING in the world.  She plumped for Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43.  It still gives her goosebumps.  She did also consider the Imperial March from Star Wars, but thought perhaps that wouldn't go down so well with the parents.

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Phoebe's method of choosing which music she wanted to make her first appearance too is as good as any.  If a piece of music gives you goosebumps, it's probably a good choice.  If it has great significance for you and your partner, then it's a good choice (but don't forget to save 'your song' for the first dance).

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Some pieces are best avoided though, no matter how fond you are of them.  Novelty songs and TV themes are prime examples of this.  Some film scores should be avoided.  'Titanic' and 'Harry Potter' spring to mind.  Their scores are far too closely associated with the films.  What you want is something that will remind your guests for years to come of the moment they first saw you as a bride.

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Unfortunately, there are some legal provisos to remember.  If you are getting married in a civil ceremony, you are not permitted any music that has any religious connotations at all.  All music needs to be approved by your registrar beforehand.  Some pieces such as 'I Vow To Thee My Country' can be divisive.  It is generally accepted as a hymn, but many clergy refuse to allow it because it contains no reference to God.  Civil ceremony celebrants may allow or disallow it on similar grounds.

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The best advice I've heard about picking your processional is to choose something slow but rousing.  You don't want to gallop down the aisle after all.  If you can time your walk beforehand, that will help you pick something of appropriate length.  The most important thing is to pick something that you like.  There's no point in marching towards your very-soon-to-be husband to the strains of something you can't stand.  Pick a piece that suits you and that you love.

Please Mr DJ, Don't Upset the Bandman - live versus piped music

It's not often discussed, and yet it is an issue that people seem to have very strong opinions on: live versus recorded music at weddings.  There is a big stigma attached to having a CD play your recessional rather than having a full-blown orchestra there to do it instead.  But would the orchestra really provide a better solution?

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When Big Brother 5 star Michelle Bass walked down the aisle, she did so to the strains of  Water Shows The Hidden Heart by Irish music star Enya.  She loved how pretty the tune sounded.  She could have chosen to have some musicians come in and play their version of the song.  But she didn't want that; she wanted the version she knew and trusted - the Enya original.  Any event musician, no matter how talented, would have struggled to recreate the tune given the level of studio tuning the song has.

Louise Raynham

The main nub of the matter is often cost.  Those with money have the live bands; CDs provide cheap alternative for those who have to watch the pennies.  Even in churches, organists can cost upward of £200.  Most places of worship and civil ceremony venues are fitted with decent sound systems these days.  This is something you can take into consideration when deciding between live or recorded music.  Always ask to hear the sound system play something if you want to be sure.  (This rule is also true of any musician you consider, be they organist, chorister or band - always make sure you hear them perform live before you book.)

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For evening receptions, the classic choice has always been between live band or disco DJ.  Nowadays, with the advances in music technology, you could always create a digital playlist (on iPod, MP3 player etc) to play all your favourite tracks to party the night away to.  Downsides include hire charges for amplification equipment and asking someone to stay sober and keeping an eye on the music all night long.

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Ultimately you must remember to stick within your budget and any other constraints on entertainment you might have.  We can't all be like Petra Ecclestone, who hired the Black Eyed Peas to do a private show at her Italian nuptials.  Given that the final wedding bill came to around £12m, we're guessing they didn't come cheap!

Everything I Do, Nothing Compares 2 Your Song - picking the perfect first dance

First dances can be nerve-wracking to say the least.  There's the not-stepping-on-your-partner's-toes which can prove problematic, not wanting to look like an idiot in front of all your friends and family, and trying not to ruin your dress, sweeping around a dusty dancefloor.

But before you trip into the light fantastic, there is one big choice to be made:  WHICH SONG TO CHOOSE???

Who can forget the couple who choreographed their first dance in the style of Dirty Dancing:

Or the couple who danced down the aisle to Chris Brown's 'Forever':

Whichever moment of your wedding day to pick to do that dance in, the whole point of doing it is to make a memory that will last a lifetime; for your guests, not just yourself.  If you get it right, the piece of music you choose will always send them right back to your big day.

Classic favourites include Bryan Adams' throaty 'Everything I Do (I Do It For You)', LeAnn Rimes' 'How Do I Live' and 'I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing' from Armageddon's (otherwise pretty forgetable) soundtrack.  The bride and groom would hunch close together and embarrasedly hug each other whilst vaguely swaying to the music, wishing they were anywhere else in the world at that moment.

Because of this, more and more couples are favouring uptempo numbers.  The rise of Whitney Houston's 'I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)' and Dusty Springfield's 'I Only Wanna Be With You' has been notable. 

Sometimes it's all about finding the right words and the poetry to sum up the momement.  A word to the wise: don't automatically go for the obvious.  You can find this poetry in the most unusual places.  Would you consider taking your first dance with your new husband to Morecombe and Wise's 'Bring Me Sunshine'?  No?  Really?  Not even when the words go:

"Make me happy, through the years,
Never bring me, any tears,
Let your arms be as warm as the sun from up above,
Bring me fun, bring me sunshine, bring me love."

Picking the right song can be a nightmare to say the least but so long as you make one you and your partner will remember for the rest of your lives, you'll be onto a winner.