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What kind of wedding band would Jay-Z and Beyoncé have?

Thu., Apr. 3, 2008 7:19 PM PDT by Leslie Gornstein

So, it looks like Jay-Z and Beyoncé are finally gonna get married. Great, but who plays at a wedding like that?
—Lavinnia, Rahway, N.J.

The B!tch Replies: For the kind of money I predict they'll be spending, they could resurrect the late Ray Charles and get him to plunk out "Georgia on My Mind" for the first dance.

Celebrity wedding planners say Beyoncé and Jay-Z will easily spend $1 million. But noting that Tom & Katie and Xtina and her guy are each thought to have spent closer to $2 million, I would call that a lowball.

Famous brides and grooms, R&B moguls included, tend to roll out an array of musicians representing different genres, says Harmony Walton of the Bridal Bar, which has planned many a star-studded nuptial. Most top performers admire all kinds of music and like to mix it up.

For example, she says, Michael Bublé recently sang at the wedding of a celebrity musician couple whose own performance style has nothing to do with derivative crooning.

Other examples:

During her wedding ceremony, Christina Aguilera arranged for a choir to perform a piece from The Sound of Music. That was followed by a Latin guitar quartet at the cocktail hour and then an old standard, "At Last," sung by the bride herself. After that, DJ AM played.

Barbra Streisand fan Barbra Streisand chose orchestral music for her wedding.

Gwen Stefani had a choir and a traditional piper during her London church nuptials, followed by dance music at a private club.

Madonna's second wedding, held in a Scottish castle, completed the theme with bagpipers and a traditional Scots band that played spoons, among other instruments. The postwedding disco get-down benefited from a DJ.

So what might we expect from Jay-Z and Beyoncé, if they are, indeed, marrying?

"I've never met Jay-Z," Walton speculated, "but I can see him appreciating a more elegant style of music that isn't necessarily what is offered on the Rock-A-Fella label.

"Maybe a big Motown band to get the night started, and then after the speeches, Beyoncé might serenade her groom, and then the party might go into more upbeat music, maybe a DJ from Jay-Z's 40/40 club."

Don't be surprised if famous guests step up to the mic for impromptu performances, Walton says. That happens all the time at star weddings. Fergie, for example, has offered unexpected music tributes to two couples in recent months, each during a wedding reception, Walton says.

No problem. But, Kanye, if you're reading this, "Gold Digger" might need a night off.