Wedding Music

Learn about wedding music from around the world.


Walk Down the Aisle to the Beautiful Sounds of Linsay Setzer!

Wedding music cello player Linsay Setzer

One of the biggest decisions you’ll have to make when planning your big day is about wedding music. Wedding music is not just about choosing your first dance song. It’s also about what will be played as you walk down the aisle.

Whether it’s Pachelbel’s “Canon in D” or Christina Perri’s “A Thousand Years,” you may have dreamed of walking down the aisle to a particular song. The question now is how it will be played. Will you play a recording of the song or have an instrumentalist perform it? If you’ve picked the latter, cellist Linsay Setzer just might be the musician for you!

Based in New Jersey, Linsay can travel anywhere in North and Central Jersey. She offers all of the traditional wedding songs, such as the “Bridal March” and “Trumpet Voluntary,” and can play any special requests you may have, granted you provide her with a recording or video. Linsay typically plays before the ceremony as guests are getting seated, while the wedding party processes down the aisle, and while the newly married couple exits the ceremony venue; however, she would be more than happy to play during other parts of the ceremony as well.

Having an ear for musicality and phrasing, Linsay always performs with great confidence and passion. She especially loves to interpret beautiful melodic lines and infuse emotion into them. When Linsay played in the musical Into the Woods, Musical Director Mike G. was impressed by her outstanding musicianship:

“Linsay’s sound is warm and expressive. She is an excellent sight-reader and has the versatility to create rich and beautiful tone across all types of music.”

Linsay started playing cello at the age of 10, having developed a deep appreciation for music through her family. She was drawn to the warm, lower tones of the cello and how the tone connected seamlessly with the qualities of her own voice. In high school, Linsay was a member of the Central Jersey Youth Symphony and the Greater Princeton Youth Orchestra. She then attended Montclair State University, where she participated in the university’s symphony and received a B.Mus. in Music Education with a concentration in cello.

Since 2009, Linsay has been freelancing for weddings, church and holiday services, CD demos, and recording studios. Her favorite gigs are musicals, having played in numerous pit orchestras and over 25 musical titles. From 2013 to 2016, Linsay was the Director of High School and Middle School Orchestras in Nutley, NJ as well as the Cello Teaching Specialist for the Paterson Music Project. In addition, she has taught private lessons in cello, violin, piano, and voice. To learn more about Linsay, check out her Facebook page!

If the sound of her cello warmed your heart (how could it not?), contact Linsay today and make your wedding day truly spectacular.


Need a Wedding Singer in New Jersey? Meet Anna Bansil!

New Jersey wedding singer Anna Bansil

Wedding singer Anna Bansil from New Jersey

Your wedding is almost all planned. You’ve tasted dozens of hors d’oeuvres, smelled quite a few flowers, and planned the seating arrangements. You’ve even decided against that costly ice sculpture (which melts away anyway). Now it’s time to make a decision on one thing that really helps sets the tone for the entire event – your wedding music.

For most, the decision boils down to whether you want to have a DJ or live music. If you are having an intimate wedding and love live music – why not hire a wedding singer? Anna Bansil just might be THE wedding singer who can add that extra sparkle to your extraordinary day!

Based in New Jersey, Anna can travel anywhere in the Tri-State/Eastern Pennsylvania region. Having a performance style reminiscent of Sara Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson, Anna specializes in heartfelt singer-songwriter/folk-pop songs and accompanies herself on acoustic or electric guitar. Her crisp, clear voice has been said to be “soothing like honey.”

Anna’s repertoire consists of songs that are perfect for first dances and cocktail hours. Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” Bob Dylan’s “Make You Feel My Love,” Frank Sinatra’s “Fly Me to The Moon,” Ingrid Michaelson’s “The Way I Am,” and Otis Redding’s “That’s How Strong My Love Is” are just a few numbers she performs. Do you have a special request in mind? Anna is able to learn songs just for your occasion. Although she may include her own spin here and there, she always tries to stick as close to the original as possible.

When Anna sang at the wedding of Kevin and Audrey M., the happy couple was overjoyed at her performance:

“We’ve always known that Anna was an amazing musician, but when she performed ‘That’s How Strong My Love Is’ by Otis Redding for our first dance at our wedding we were floored. From her voice to her stage presence, her performance was emotional, powerful and memorable. It certainly was one of the highlights of our wedding.”

Anna has been singing since the age of 3, having developed a love for singing after watching the movie The Sound of Music. Throughout middle school and high school, Anna participated in All-State, regional, and church choir. She was also a member of the John P. Stevens High School Choir and Khorikos, an a cappella group based in New York City. Her education includes a BA in Music and a BS in Nursing.

Aside from singing at weddings, Anna also records her own music. Some of her work can be found on YouTube. If you find yourself captivated by her voice, as we are, contact Anna today and make your wedding day truly unforgettable!


10 Tunes to Consider for Your First Wedding Dance Song

The wedding reception is a crucial part of your big day. Your first wedding dance is something that you’ll cherish forever. So far, you’ve carefully planned out who is sitting at which table, whether to hire a DJ or a band, what food to serve, and what centerpieces to use. The only thing you are missing is a first wedding dance song. Do you want to pick a classic that everyone loves? A contemporary hit? Or what about a song that is generally unknown?

Spotify, the hugely popular digital music service, recently released a list of the top 50 first wedding dance songs. At the top of the list are Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud” and Etta James’s “At Last.” Those songs may be the perfect fit for many couples, but others may want to be unique and go with something less frequently picked. If you are part of the latter group, here is a list of first dance songs that do NOT appear on Spotify’s list.

1. “Over And Over Again” by Nathan Sykes

2. “Take My Breath Away” by Berlin

3. “Just The Way You Are” by Bruno Mars

4. “My Cherie Amour” by Stevie Wonder

5. “Right Back Where We Started” by Maxine Nightingale

6. “I See the Light” by Mandy Moore & Zachary Levi

7. “Some Kind of Wonderful” by Michael Buble

8. “Rhythm of Love” by Plain White T’s

9. “A Moment Like This” by Kelly Clarkson

10. “Dancing in the Moonlight” by Toploader


MJSA features promotion of a new wedding song.

This article was originally posted on Novell’s wedding ring blog:

The October 2009 issue of MJSA Journal highlights Novell’s promotion of a new wedding song by folk-pop artist Jacqui Naylor. “Celebrate Early and Often” is featured in the Inspired Thinking-Success Strategies column:

To help raise Internet awareness of Rahway, New Jersey–based Novell as a bridal brand, the company’s marketing director Rick Mulholland turned to music. Instead of competing head-to head with other jewelry manufacturers and e-tailers populating search engine results with key jewelry terms such as “wedding bands” and “engagement rings,” Mulholland decided to promote the song “Celebrate Early and Often” by Jacqui Naylor. It’s featured on Novell’s website as a perfect wedding song for couples looking for something a little non-traditional and unique.

“We really needed a way to stand out to consumers that are planning their weddings, and to do so without spending any money,” says Mulholland. “Thanks to our online press releases (www.novelldesignstudio.com/new_wedding_song.php), I was able to earn high-ranking organic search engine results.”

“People looking for song ideas may not have purchased their wedding bands yet. So if they come across the song on our website, there’s a good chance that they’ll be curious about Novell’s prod¬ucts and start to look around.”

And Mulholland’s prediction has proven itself: He reports that web traf¬fic spiked earlier this year to the tune of about 20,000 unique visitors reading the press releases and/or visiting the webpage featuring the song, with “a nice overall click-through.” And that’s music to Novell’s ears.

Please visit www.novelldesignstudio.com/newweddingsong.php to hear a sample and download “Celebrate Early and Often.”

MJSA featured an article about a new wedding song for a new wedding generation.

MJSA featured an article about a new wedding song for a new wedding generation.

Learn more about the album  You Don’t Know Jacq.


Marketing Director talks about new wedding song.

Novell’s Marketing Director Rick Mulholland explains the reasoning behind helping to introduce “Celebrate Early and Often.”

As seen on Daylife.com (March 5, 2009):

“I think it’s time for some newer wedding song ideas. Therefore, Novell is happy to help introduce ‘Celebrate Early and Often’ to the wedding world at large. It’s a new wedding song for a new generation – and for the new times.”

Read more about “Celebrate Early and Often.”


Bride endorses new wedding song.

SImnger Jacqui NaylorOver on TheKnot.com’s bridal message boards, future brides have been chatting about new wedding songs and making suggestions. And one gives “Celebrate Early and Often” – a new wedding song for a new wedding generation – a ringing endorsement.

She writes (as of March 4, 2009):
“Hello Everyone! I heard this song and fell in love with it – “Celebrate Early and Often.”
 I thought it was cool that the artist wrote it for her own wedding! It kicks into the perfect feeling after about a minute into the song and I can picture myself dancing to it with my soon to be hubby. 7 months to go! …Michelle

Read more about, listen to and/or buy the song “Celebrate Early and Often.”