How many songs does a string quartet ceremony need?
Song counts are the first thing couples ask about when they open the song list. Here are the numbers we plan around, part by part.
About 15 to 17: around 10 prelude songs for the 30 minutes before you start, 1 to 3 processionals, a recessional, and about 3 postlude songs. Cocktail hour adds about 20 songs an hour. Your picks are due about two weeks before the wedding.
The count, part by part
| Part | Songs | Why that many |
|---|---|---|
| Prelude | 10 | Fills about 30 minutes. We used to ask for 7, but that cut it too close, so in 2026 we raised it to 10. |
| Processionals | 1 to 3 | Fewer song changes keep the aisle moving. |
| Vows | 0 | The officiant has the floor. |
| Unity moment | 0 or 1 | Only if you plan one. |
| Recessional | 1 | Your walk back up the aisle. |
| Postlude | About 3 | Plays as guests start to leave. |
| Cocktail hour | About 20 an hour | About 30 if it runs 90 minutes. |
A sample afternoon
Say your ceremony starts at 4:00 and cocktail hour runs from about 4:30 to 5:30.
- 3:00. The musicians arrive, set up and tune.
- 3:30. Prelude begins: 10 songs while guests arrive.
- 4:00. Two processionals, then quiet for the vows, then the recessional.
- After the recessional. Three postlude songs as guests head out.
- Cocktail hour. About 20 songs.
The players bring the music for the songs in your portal, in your order, so a full prelude list means there is always another song ready if guests take longer to sit down. That is 16 songs for the ceremony and about 36 for the afternoon. If the players have to move to a different room for cocktail hour, the postlude songs usually become the start of the cocktail hour set instead.
You don't have to pick them all
Ten prelude songs can feel like a lot of homework. Choose the moments that matter to you, like the processionals and the recessional, and ask us to fill the rest, drawing on over 300 weddings since 2018. Everything lives in your BookLive client portal, where you can drag songs into order and change your mind until picks are due, about two weeks before the wedding. If a favorite isn't in the song list, it can usually be added for $25 to $50, depending on how complicated it is.
What couples say about the song choices
★★★★★“The process to organize this was easy to follow and the repertoire is large and varied.”
★★★★★“Everyone loved the performance, it was a crowd favorite. The song choices were great, the communication was spot on, the quartet was friendly and willing to go with the flow.”
Song count questions
Why do you need 10 prelude songs?
The prelude runs about 30 minutes while guests arrive. Seven songs left too little margin, so we now ask for 10.
How many songs for the postlude?
The recessional plus about 3 more songs as guests leave.
Can songs repeat?
Yes. During a long processional, for example, repeating a song is fine.
When are our songs due?
About two weeks before the wedding, in your BookLive client portal.