From the background music playing while the guests await the arrival of the bride to the bridal waltz, the wedding music will dictate the tone of your ceremony.

There are two aspects of your wedding music that you need to consider when planning your big day.

First, you may wish to select certain music or arrange for professional soloists or musicians to play before and during the wedding ceremony. But at the wedding reception, it's pretty much anything goes when it comes to selecting wedding music.

If you plan on having live musicians, booking your music a full year in advance is advisable. Talented musicians get booked fast and you don't want to end up having to select second-best. At a minimum, you should know who will be showing up and what he or she will be playing at least six months prior to the wedding date.

When selecting the music for the wedding ceremony, the most important consideration is whether you have any control over the choices you make. When you're researching your wedding ceremony options, be sure to inquire about any guidelines regarding wedding ceremony music as these could possibly impact your decision. If the ceremony is being held outdoors, check for electrical hook-ups or book live musicians.

Wedding music during the ceremony forms a wonderful backdrop to the ceremony itself so the music acts to sort of "fill in the gaps" during the non-speaking periods such as while guests are being seated, during the procession, and while signing the register. Of course, it's your wedding, so you can choose from The Rolling Stones to Rachmaninov!

As for the music played at your reception, your selections can mean the difference between a successful reception and one that's ho-hum. And this is where things can start to get complicated.

When you begin searching for wedding reception music, you'll realize rather quickly that you have a lot of options. You can book a live band, or a DJ that'll play pre-recorded music, or you can buy that CD full of top wedding songs and have someone act as the DJ.

We've compiled a selection of fabulous wedding songs available from amazon music, like the album shown below. Alternatively, you can always fire up the laptop and download your favorites songs from the Internet (legally, of course!)

Classical Wedding Various artists including Symphony No 9 - Ode To Joy by Ludwig van Beethoven; Music for the Royal Fireworks by George Frideric Handel and Ave Maria by Franz Schubert.

Try to book experienced professionals for your wedding music. Recommendations are always best, but ask for and check references. If you are going to book live talent, arrange to hear a live performance before booking. Scrutinize the contract before signing to make sure all parties agree on the number of hours music will be provided and that everything that has been agreed to is in writing. Find out about the cancellation and refund policy, too.

It's important you both agree on the type of wedding music you want played at your reception. There are 'traditional' songs that almost always are played at certain points during the reception such as the wedding waltz, the father/daughter dance and the cake cutting, and so on. And then there is all the music in between. Do you want jazz, country, R&B, new age, Italian, Latin, Jewish-inspired, or a little bit of everything?