What are some elegant guest entrance songs?

May 23, 2011 11:36 AM

I am looking for a classical or instrumental song for our DJ to play while our wedding guests are being seated at our reception. What are your recommendations?

Our guests will be enjoying cocktail hour in the foyer of our reception hall. Before the guests are seated for dinner, I would like our DJ to play a song that progresses in volume and intensity that ultimately leads to the staff opening up the doors to the dining area. I'm thinking something along the lines of Allegretto from Palladio by Jenkins. What other music is out there that will wow our guests?

Bonus points for a followup song (any genre) that transitions nicely once the guests have been seated.

posted by ieatwords to media & arts (16 answers total)

Heiliger Dankgesang
posted by elektrotechnicus at 11:52 AM on May 23, 2011 [1 favorite]

Wagner, "Entry of the guests" from Tannhauser. (there's choral singing involved, but there might be instrumental versions out there. Nice trumpet fanfares!)
posted by dnash at 11:54 AM on May 23, 2011

Mussorgsky, Promenade from "Pictures at an Exhibition."
posted by dnash at 11:58 AM on May 23, 2011

Lots and lots of fun but chill stuff on the instrumental version of Imogen Heap's Ellipse.
posted by Medieval Maven at 12:07 PM on May 23, 2011

Vitamin String Quartet has a ton of string covers of popular music, so if there is a popular song that holds a special meaning for you, you might be able to find a version of it from them. For my wedding I used their covers of Yellow/Coldplay, All You Need Is Love/Beatles, and Don't Stop Believin'/Journey as a nod to that song being used in one of my fav movies, The Wedding Singer.
posted by halseyaa at 12:25 PM on May 23, 2011

M83 - Lower Your Eyelids to Die Like The Sun
posted by empath at 12:38 PM on May 23, 2011

Brian Eno - An Ending
John Murphy - Adagio in D Minor
posted by empath at 12:42 PM on May 23, 2011

Hans Zimmer - Time
posted by empath at 12:45 PM on May 23, 2011

Star Wars Throne Room Theme
posted by empath at 12:50 PM on May 23, 2011

Penguin Cafe Orchestra - Perpetuum Mobile
Wim Mertins - Struggle For Pleasure
Kashiwa Daisuke - April.#02

Okay, I'm done.
posted by empath at 12:55 PM on May 23, 2011

How's about Jupiter, Bringer of Jollity - Gustav Holst (sorry about the bizarre video...it was the only one I could find with the version that has the full conclusion).
posted by just_ducky at 1:05 PM on May 23, 2011

When I was little, and my dad needed to announce that it was time for bed, he would sit down at the piano or grab his accordion and he would play the Grand March from Aida. So maybe it is a little ridiculous and over the top for a wedding. And I'm sure I only associate it with being herded because of the manner in which I learned it. But at least someone else feels similarly, because it was used for my graduation from law school. A flock of fledgling lawyers, shuffled purposefully toward our seats, our diplomas, or loans and our destiny.
posted by jph at 1:20 PM on May 23, 2011

Also, while I'm not sure whether it would strike the mood you're going for or not, Bolero by Ravel is really the ultimate piece as far as building in volume and intensity goes. I'd personally be thrilled to hear it at a wedding.
posted by just_ducky at 1:39 PM on May 23, 2011 [1 favorite]

It's more grandiose than elegant, but definitely a wow climax - John Williams' "The Planet Krypton".
posted by Trurl at 2:23 PM on May 23, 2011

When we got married, all of our music was orchestral or piano versions of Final Fantasy songs. We used several tracks like the Final Fantasy Prelude, To Zanarkand, Matoya's Cave, etc. Instead of the usual bridal march, our walking in music was the Rebel Army Theme (from FF2). (We also used the victory fanfare for the kiss!) It all worked nicely and it all had an overall theme. But then, our whole wedding theme was video games, so there is that. ;)
posted by xedrik at 3:28 PM on May 23, 2011

Try this. (As a bonus, it's an easter egg for any cinema nerds in the audience.)
posted by lex mercatoria at 6:19 PM on May 23, 2011