The style of music and the particular songs you choose for your wedding ceremony is an important element in creating and expressing the style and feel you want for your entire wedding day. In this article, we’ll talk about choosing your wedding ceremony music, including what parts of your ceremony you may want to include songs, as well as specific song titles themselves.
Unfortunately, unless you are familiar with the different styles and musical options available, the process of choosing ceremony music often goes something like this:
The bride (and/or groom) meets with the person who will be playing the ceremony music (quite often the church organist if your ceremony will be held in a house of worship). The bride (to the organist), “What songs should we have?” The organist (to the bride), “How about this as you girls walk down the aisle.” The organist proceeds to play a few bars of something wedding-ish. “This for the recessional, and something like this as the guests are coming in.” Likewise playing a few bars of something wedding-ish.
Which is fine since you’ll definitely end up with appropriate wedding ceremony music. The music and songs that are suggested will most likely be the most traditional ceremony music selections, including Wagner’s “Bridal Chorus” (Here Comes the Bride) and Mendelssohn’s “Wedding March.” But will these songs and this style of music fit your wedding vision? Is this what you and your partner really want?
Let’s start with some ideas to start with which will help you choose wedding ceremony music that will truly be right for you and your partner, and for YOUR wedding.
4 Steps When Choosing Your Wedding Ceremony Music
1) First of all, start off by taking into consideration the location of your ceremony. If it will be in a church you will need to check with the minister or the music director regarding any church guidelines for ceremony music before you make any music choices. (It’s always best to know their rules and/or restrictions beforehand so you’ll know what types of music you can and cannot have before making any music selection choices).
The next step is to answer the following:
2) How formal will your ceremony be? The three key types of wedding formality are “formal,” “semi-formal” and “informal.”
Clues to determining this are:
a) What time the ceremony will start – (late afternoon and early evening weddings are usually, although not always, more formal than late morning or early afternoon weddings).
b) what will you, the bride, be wearing – (a more elaborate, full-length gown with a train and veil indicates “formal,” full-length or tea-length gown, no train, with or without a veil is “semi-formal”, and a suit or fancy street-length dress is “informal”).
c) the ceremony location – (a church wedding typically is more formal than in a venue that is not a house of worship).
3) What type(s) of instrument(s) will be played or do you want to be played? You’ll probably find that some music selections just seem to sound better to you if played on certain types of instruments. There’s no real right or wrong here, it really is more of a personal preference. Then again, don’t automatically nix a particular song until you hear it on your instrument of choice. Clarke’s “Trumpet Voluntary” sounds equally wonderful on strings.
“Trumpet Voluntary” played on trumpet
“Trumpet Voluntary” played on strings
4) What is the date of the ceremony? If you’re wanting music that is unfamiliar to the musicians will there be enough time for them to learn new music?
By knowing the answers to these questions, you’ll be able to determine how you want your ceremony to “feel.” You may find that the formality and elegance of classical works and hymns may be the best choice for you. Then again, you may prefer wedding ceremony music that is more modern.
After you decide what style of wedding ceremony music you want, and (if your ceremony will be in a house of worship) making sure that the style you have in mind is allowed at your ceremony venue, you can now determine when during the ceremony you would like music played and then which specific songs to be played.
There are four parts to a wedding ceremony, and each will need its own selections.
1) The first part is the prelude, usually played 20 – 30 minutes prior to the actual start of the ceremony, while guests are arriving and being seated. Many couples often choose a particular song to be played as their mothers are being seated (and lighting the unity candle tapers, if they’re having a unity candle ceremony).
2) Next is the processional – the walk down the aisle by the bridesmaids, maid of honor, and the bride, signaling the start of the ceremony. The bride may choose to walk down the aisle to the same music as her ladies, or she may prefer a separate selection altogether.
You may be thinking, “Hey, what about the groom and his guys?” I haven’t forgotten them, but traditionally, particularly during church ceremonies, the officiant, groom, and groomsmen enter from a side room close to the altar, with no music playing. However, many couples are opting to have the entire wedding party walk down the aisle. (Personally, I love that idea, as your partner is no less important).
3) This is followed by the ceremony itself. Having music played during the actual ceremony is optional, although an appropriate piece played during the lighting of the unity candle, communion or the sign of peace, for example, is a nice touch.
4) Lastly, though no less important, is the recessional, which is played as the entire wedding party and the guests exit. It is usually something very upbeat and joyous. Usually only one song is played during the recessional, but depending on the number of guests, two or more may be needed.
Wedding Ceremony Music Suggestions
Although I’ve divided the following list of wedding songs not only by the part of the ceremony to which they are most appropriate, but also by style (hymns, classical, modern), many wedding ceremony music selections are quite interchangeable. For example, “The Lord’s Prayer,” while under “Prelude” is a wonderful “Ceremony” choice.
If you prefer traditional wedding ceremony music, pick up a wedding cd or two so you can familiarize yourself with some of the different selections available. A couple good ones are “The Wedding Album – Anthony Newman, Organ” and “Wedding Day – The Complete Guide To Wedding Music.” You can also check out your local library’s music section, or go to YouTube and search on “Wedding Ceremony Music”.
Here’s our list of wedding ceremony music selections. Since there are so many wonderful wedding songs out there, I’m sure I’ve missed several. (If you have other wedding ceremony music suggestions to add to this list, let me know in the comments section).
PRELUDE
Hymns/Religious
“The Lord’s Prayer” – Malotte
“Benediction Nuptiale” – Saint Saens
“Immaculate Mary”
“Prayer to St. Francis”
“Lord Of All Hopefulness” – Manz
“Jesus, Lead Thou On” – Manz
“Agnus Dei” – Smith
“On Eagles Wings” – Michael Joncas
Classical
“Adagio” – Albinoni
“Aria, Suite in D” – Bach
“Prelude” – Chopin
“Songs Without Words, #48” – Mendelssohn
“Courante from Three Lute Dances” – Francisque
“Adagio” (from Sonata in E Flat) – Mozart
“Allegro” (from Brandenburg Concerto, #4 in G) – Bach
“Air (from Water Music, Suite #1)” – Handel
“Evening Prayer” (from Hansel & Gretel) – Humperdinck
Modern/Popular
“Grow Old With Me” – Mary Chapin Carpenter
“Memory” (from Cats) – Andrew L. Webber
“I and Love and You” – The Avett Brothers
“Theme From Love Story” – Francis Lai
“Everything” – Michael Bublé
“The Rose” – Amanda McBroom
“Time In A Bottle” – Jim Croce
“The Wedding Song” – Stookey
PROCESSIONAL
Classical
“Canon in D Major” – Pachelbel
“Bridal Chorus” from Lohengrin (Here Comes the Bride)- Wagner
“St. Anthony Chorale” – Haydn
“Trumpet, Tune, and Air” – Purcell
“Air on the G String” – Bach
“Water Music” – Handel
“Wedding March (from the Marriage of Figaro)” – Mozart
“Trumpet Voluntary (the Prince of Denmark’s March)” – Clarke
“Prelude to ‘Te Deum'” – Marc-Antoine Charpentier
“The Rondeau” – Mouret
“Coronation March” – Meyerbeer
Modern/Popular
“Theme from Chariots of Fire” – Vangelis
“Nadia’s Theme”
“Can’t Help Falling In Love” – Elvis Presley
“Can’t Help Falling In Love” – Music Travel Love
“Butterflies” – MAX & Ali Gatie
“You & Me” – Dave Matthews Band
“Marry You” – Bruno Mars
CEREMONY
Hymns/Religious
“Ave Maria” – Bach or Schubert
“Alleluia” (from Maccabaeus) – Handel
“Holy, Holy, Holy” – Heber-Dykes
“Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” – Bach
“Sheep May Safely Graze” – Bach
“Bless O Lord These Rings” – Roff
“He Crowns You With Love” – Conly
“No Greater Love” – Michael Joncas
Classical
“Allegro (from Spring of The Four Seasons)” – Vivaldi
“The Call” (from Five Mystic Songs) – Vaughan Williams
“Love One Another” – Chepponis
Modern/Popular
“Hold Us Tight ” – The Macarons Project
“Oh Promise Me” – De Koven
“Sunrise/Sunset” (from Fiddler on the Roof) – Harnick, Bock
“I Am Yours ” – Andy Grammar
“A Wedding Song” – Carroll
“We’ve Only Just Begun” – Williams/Nichols
“Evergreen” – Williams
“Endless Love” – Lionel Richie
“Wing Beneath My Wings” – Henley/Silbar
“Unity Candle Song” – Haan
“Walk Hand In Hand” – Cowell
“One Hand, One Heart” – Leonard Bernstein
RECESSIONAL
Hymns/Religious
“Hallelujah Chorus” (from the Messiah) – Handel
“Ode to Joy” (from the Ninth Symphony) – Beethoven
Classical
“Trumpet Voluntary (the Prince of Denmark’s March)” – Clarke
“Trumpet Tune” – Stanley
“Arrival of the Queen of Sheba” – Handel
“First Movement from Brandenburg Concerto #1 in F” – Bach
“Toccata from Organ Symphony #5” -Widor
“Rejoicing” (from the Royal Fireworks Suite) – Handel
“Trumpet Fanfare” – Mouret
“Wedding March” (from a Midsummer Night’s Dream) – Mendelssohn
“Bridal March” – Parry
“Pomp and Circumstance March #4” – Elgar
“Priest’s March” (from The Magic Flute) – Mozart
“Radetzky March” – Johann Strauss
“Prelude and Fugue in G Major” (from Solomon) – Handel
Modern/Popular
“My Love Will Follow You ” – Dave Barnes
“Best Day Of My Life” – American Authors
“Ocean” – LunchMoney Lewis Ft Meghan Trainor
“Brand New Day (Acoustic 2020)” – Joshua Radin
“Home” – Phillip Phillips
What songs are you thinking about or planning on using for your wedding ceremony music? Let me know in the comments below. I’d love to know!
Hearts, Joy, Love!
Jean
For more wedding planning tips and ideas contact me at jean@weddingsfromtheheart.net or at 937-581-3647!