The Soundtrack To Your Day

The Soundtrack to Your Day – Live Wedding Music in Queenstown & Wānaka

Every wedding has its own rhythm. From the first notes before you walk down the aisle, to the background hum of chatter over canapés, to the full-tilt sing-along on the dance floor, music is the thread that ties it all together. As a wedding musician based here in Queenstown and Wānaka, I see every week how the right songs can turn moments into memories.

Ceremony – Setting the Scene

The ceremony is where everything begins. Live music can add a unique weight and warmth to that walk down the aisle that breathes a different life into the moment than a simple Spotify track through a speaker.

The beauty of this is that there is no wrong choice, it's all about what is personal to you. I've had requests ranging from the classics, Can't Help Falling In Love, Perfect by Ed Sheeran to some more out of the gate requests, a personal favourite was a totally stripped down version of the "I've Got 2 tickets to Iron Maiden baby" section of Teenage Dirtbag, and it just worked.

In Queenstown and Wānaka, the scenery is already larger than life. Music doesn’t compete with it; it shapes the atmosphere around it. A single song can turn stillness into magic.

Canapés – The Social Hour

Once the vows are done, guests are ready to relax, mingle and raise a glass. The music here is about setting an easy backdrop: familiar enough to make people smile, but light enough for conversation to flow.

I often mix in Kiwi and Aussie favourites - Crowded House, Dave Dobbyn, Paul Kelly, INXS - but no genre is off limits if that's what you want. It gives the hour texture and makes everyone feel at home, wherever they’ve come from.

Reception – Into the Night

By the time the reception rolls around, it’s all about energy. Some couples choose a first dance with heart - All of Me, Thinking Out Loud, or something personal that only they know. Then, when it’s time to open the floor, the big crowd-pleasers always deliver: Mr Brightside, Country Roads, Living on a Prayer, all the way through to club classics, Freed From Desire, Everytime We Touch, Praise You.

And if you want a wild card, an upbeat Irish reel has a way of pulling everyone out of their chairs. There’s nothing like seeing a dance floor full of people who didn’t think they’d be dancing.

A Final Note

What I love most about playing weddings in Queenstown and Wānaka is how music and place combine. A guitar line floating across the lake. A chorus carried back by the mountains. It doesn’t just soundtrack the day - it becomes part of it.

Irish traditionals, Kiwi gems, Aussie anthems, or the song you’ve always called yours -they all belong here. And together, they make up the soundtrack to your day.