The chapel has a built-in AirPlay sound system — your phone is prepared ahead of time with your playlists. On the day of your wedding, your phone is then used to control the music and volume, and one trusted person (your music lead) runs the whole ceremony's music (even from their seat). Live musicians bring their own amplification.
The chapel's built-in Sonos sound system works over AirPlay on the venue WiFi — any iPhone or iPad becomes the soundboard: connect, press play, and the room fills. One person you trust connects it and runs it from their seat — the WiFi details are on this page, and our team is nearby if they hit a snag. We call that person your music lead.
Pick your music lead
Choose one person — a family member, friend, or coordinator — as your music lead to help run the music that day. Send them their page, chapeltx.com/guide/running-the-music — everything they need in a two-minute read. On the day, their whole job is:
- Join the TCW Music WiFi and connect the phone to the chapel speakers over AirPlay (details below — most people are connected in under a minute).
- Start your Pre-Ceremony playlist right away — ideally the moment you're connected, so 20–30 minutes of background music is already playing while guests arrive and find their seats.
- Play your processional songs as the wedding party enters.
- A few minutes before the ceremony ends, check the phone is still connected to the Chapel speakers — phones can drop the connection after the music sits paused for a while, and it's an easy fix if caught before the recessional.
- Hit the recessional song as you and your wedding party exit.
- Play your After-Ceremony playlist while guests are hanging out.
A nice side effect of AirPlay: once connected, your music lead can run the whole ceremony from their seat — no hovering at the back required.
Chapel WiFi
The sound system lives on the chapel's music network — join it first and the speakers appear in your AirPlay menu:
- Network: TCW Music
- Password: chapelmusic
That network is just for the music phone — everyone else joins TCW Guest (no password). Details on the WiFi page.
Build the playlist ahead of time
Make your playlists ahead of time:
- Pre-Ceremony — 20–30 minutes of background music that starts the moment your music lead connects, while guests arrive and find their seats.
- Processional — one song, or two if you'd like a separate one for the final walk down the aisle.
- Recessional — one song for the exit.
- After-Ceremony — music to keep going while guests hang out on the patio after the recessional. Your music lead can play it on the Patio speakers and the chapel at the same time.
Download them for offline playback the night before and arrive with a charged phone — a fully downloaded playlist can never buffer at the wrong moment.
The best music apps to use are Apple Music or Spotify. Do not use non-music-player apps like YouTube or TikTok as they do not always play over AirPlay. If the song you want isn't on Apple Music or Spotify, the best option is to get the MP3 and use the Wedding Player app — it lets you import MP3 files straight into the app from your Files.
The easy button: Wedding Player + Apple Music
If you want it to be easier for your music lead, there's an app built for exactly this: Wedding Player for iPhone. You line up a song for each moment ahead of time — Pre-Ceremony, processional, recessional — set the fades once, and on the day your music lead just taps when each cue arrives. Pair it with Apple Music to pull in any song you want (a single month's subscription covers the wedding), then download everything so it plays offline. It also comes with a library of ceremony-ready instrumental tracks if you'd rather not pick every song yourself.
If you're hiring live music
Violinists, guitarists, cellists, and other musicians are always welcome — they should bring their own amplification if they want it. The chapel's system is designed for streaming from a device, not as a plug-in PA. Send them our vendor page: chapeltx.com/guide/vendors.
Where they set up: musicians generally play from inside the chapel, at the rear of the ceremony area behind the last row of chairs — the room carries the sound to the front, and they stay out of your photos. If they need a chair, we'll provide one — our ceremony chairs have no arms, so they work for a cellist or guitarist. Just let us know in your questionnaire or when you arrive.
About microphones
During the ceremony, there's no microphone over the chapel speakers — and in our testing, we've found it isn't needed. The room is intimate enough that vows carry to the last row. That goes for readings too.
If you've added our Livestream option, your officiant wears a lapel mic that plays only over the livestream. It picks up your officiant and the two of you during your vows.
For toasts and announcements, like a grand entrance after photos, we have a handheld mic that plays over the Patio speakers. Just ask our staff and we'll get it for you.
Common questions
Where do live musicians set up, and can you provide a chair?
Live musicians usually set up inside the chapel at the rear of the ceremony area, behind the last row of chairs. We'll provide a chair if they need one — our chairs are armless, so they suit a cellist or guitarist. They bring their own amplification if they want it.
Is there someone onsite who can run the music for us?
Our operations person is at the chapel for your entire window, but they're on the venue side — prepping the space, managing any add-ons you've booked, and making sure everything's cleaned up and reset — so they aren't able to run your ceremony music. Your music lead connects with the WiFi details on this page — most people are playing music in under a minute — and our team member is nearby before the ceremony if they hit a snag.
Can the music lead be seated during my ceremony?
Yes — once they're connected, the whole ceremony runs right from their phone, from their seat. They get to watch you get married like everyone else.
Will an iPad work too?
Absolutely — an iPad works exactly the same way: join the chapel WiFi, AirPlay to the speakers, press play. Any Apple device with AirPlay works. Whatever the device, the checklist is the same: playlists downloaded for offline playback, battery charged, and Do Not Disturb on so a call can't interrupt the music mid-ceremony.
Is there internet access onsite?
Yes — the chapel has fiber internet, and joining the WiFi is part of connecting to the sound system. We still recommend downloading your songs for offline playback ahead of time, just in case — a downloaded playlist can never buffer at the wrong moment.
Do we need to bring a speaker for the patio?
No — the patio has its own speakers on the same AirPlay system, so you're covered out there. Once your music lead is connected, they add Patio in the speaker menu and your After-Ceremony playlist plays outside too: a first dance, the toast, or just background music while everyone mingles. For an announcement, ask our staff for the handheld mic.
What is the best app to use for music?
We recommend using dedicated music apps such as Apple Music or Spotify. If you're using an app like Wedding Player, then Apple Music is best. We do not recommend using YouTube or any social media apps like TikTok as they do not play as reliably over AirPlay.
