Wedding Music 

Eddie's Wedding Experience

Eddie performed his first wedding as a professional trumpet player in 1982, at St. Patrick Cathedral in El Paso, Texas. Since then he has performed hundreds of weddings, most of them being in the Houston area.

On the Job Training

At most of the weddings Eddie performed in El Paso, he was hired as a second trumpet player, typically performing under  the guidance of more experienced players. This is where he learned the "ins and outs" of wedding ceremonies and also where he learned how to do the general business "behind the scenes", which goes on before the wedding begins. By the time Eddie moved to Houston, in 1988, he was already a seasoned pro as far as playing trumpet in weddings is concerned.

Variety

In Houston, the main theme behind the weddings Eddie has performed is a theme of variety. In every aspect, his wedding playing experience has covered the gamut of possibilities.

Denominations? He has played everything from weddings with full Catholic masses to short "justice of the peace" ceremonies in hotel ballrooms. He has performed trumpet in Jewish weddings, Baptist weddings, Methodist, Lutheran, Presbyterian and dozens of mixed denominational weddings.

Venues? Eddie has played in huge cathedrals and small "wedding chapels". He has performed in weddings on beaches, in the woods and in rose gardens. He has even done a few renaissance weddings, in full costume. It's true that most of the weddings he does are in churches but at least a few weddings each year break away from the norm.

Accompaniments? Eddie has performed, many weddings without any accompaniment at all, which is what you will hear on his wedding demo CD. He has also played in duos with organ, piano, harp and even with string quartets. For one wedding about ten years ago, he even orchestrated a few contemporary Christian songs (mostly Amy Grant songs) for a small band which included piano, bass, drums and half a dozen horns.

Summary

So you can see that Eddie's experience performing trumpet in weddings is long standing and comprehensive. This kind of experience shows that he can get the job done and do it right, regardless of the individual "circumstances" of each wedding.

List of Services

Sometimes people don't know exactly what to ask for when they hire trumpet players for their weddings. The following list describes the services currently available within Eddie's capacity as a wedding trumpeter.

Trumpet and Organ/Piano - Most church weddings use this combination. And in most cases, the organist is hired separately from the trumpet player, through the church. However, if you are in need of an organist, both players may be hired at once, as a duo.

Trumpet Alone - Trumpet players are typically hired to play solo, without accompaniment, at outdoor weddings and other locations which do not provide piano or organ.

Note: The current demo recording included with this package is of Eddie performing standard wedding pieces without accompaniment.

Trumpet and String Quartet - Hire string quartet and trumpet for just about any kind of wedding; indoors, outdoors, churches, wedding chapels and private homes. It works practically anywhere.

Trumpet Ensemble - An alternative to "Trumpet Alone" is two or more trumpets together. There's something royal and majestic about the sound of many trumpets. It's an age old association dating back to days of kings and queens in their castles with fanfares and flourishes performed at every occasion of great importance.

Ceremonies and Receptions

Some instrumentations will work for both the ceremony and the reception. For example, trumpet with string quartet is an excellent choice for such a cause. If your reception requires light classical music (no dancing) then trumpet and string quartet is a perfect solution. Or if you would like something just a little bit jazzier, try the trumpet and string bass. Neither of these instrumentations could possibly replace a dance band at a large reception. But not all receptions call for these kinds of bands. Some receptions require lighter music meant only to enhance the ambiance of the event.

Top Twenty Wedding Songs

The following is a list of the top twenty wedding songs which Eddie Lewis has performed in ceremonies over the past twenty years. It is a representation of Eddie's wedding experiences and should not be interpreted as a limitation placed on the bride and groom. Eddie invites and encourages you to choose the music that you find most appropriate for your own wedding day, regardless if it is listed here or not.

Trumpets and Keys

A Brief Note:

Eddie uses different instruments and keys, depending on whether he is accompanied or not. If playing with an organ, piano or string quartet, he performs all of the musical works in their original keys and usually on piccolo trumpet (for the baroque pieces). However, when playing unaccompanied, Eddie plays most of the pieces in lower keys and on his "B Flat" trumpet. The reason for this has mostly to do with sound quality and endurance.

“Thank you for playing at our wedding. It was really beautiful and touching to everyone. Thanks for making our day wonderful.”
Buck and Kelli

About the CD

Recorded in December of 2001 at Sugar Hill Studios in Houston, TX

All of the following selections were recorded unaccompanied. Although most weddings Eddie performs are with accompaniment, the unaccompanied recording gives the listener an opportunity to hear him in an intimately revealing basis. There's nothing in this recording to cover any imperfections there might be in his playing.

1) Intrada by Henry Purcell - This is an example of a fanfare that can be used either as part of the prelude or part of the ceremony.

2) Trumpet Voluntary by Jeremiah Clark - This is by far the more commonly requested trumpet song for weddings. It was made popular by Prince Charles and Lady Diana who used it as their bridal procession in their wedding.

3) Air on the G String by Johann Sebastian Bach - Here is a piece of music which goes well as either a part of the prelude or as a selection performed for the seating of the mothers.

4) Amazing Grace traditional - Amazing grace has been requested in the past as prelude music, for the seating of the brides and also as a musical selection during the ceremony.

5) Sleepers Awake (Wachet auf!) by Johann Sebastian Bach - In an unaccompanied situation, this piece makes a nice substitute for another piece, "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring", also written by Bach which really cannot be done without an accompaniment.

6) La Réjouissance by George Frideric Handel - This short piece also makes a great fanfare but can also be used as a short recessional piece.

7) Rondeau (Theme from Masterpiece Theater) by Jean Joseph Mouret - This piece is most commonly used as a recessional but sometimes also used for the procession of the bride's maids.

8) Wedding March by Felix Mendelssohn - This piece, taken from Mendelssohn's "Midsummer Night's Dream", is almost exclusively used as a recessional.

9) The Bridal Chorus by Richard Wagner - This march, taken from Wagner's opera, Lohengrin, is quite possibly one of the most popular wedding pieces. However, many churches and synagogues do not allow it to be used for religious reasons.

10) Trumpet Tune by Henry Purcell - This flexible piece can be used as a bride's maids processional, bride's processional or recessional.

Feel free to email me at eltigredo@sbcglobal.net or call me on my cell phone at 713-594-4584 if you have any questions. 

 *Services
 *Songs