Have no idea where to start in planning your wedding music? In this article I will be addressing the traditional formal Protestant wedding in which you may be using a vocalists, string ensemble, mixed ensemble, organ or piano/keyboard.
Usually there will be a twenty to thirty minute prelude. These selections can be just a few or up to ten selected pieces depending upon their length. Most songs are from two and a half minutes to four minutes. You can choose a mix of classical, Christian contemporary, hymns, or folk songs. Remember, check the church policy if you are having the ceremony there. If your ceremony is outdoors or in a non-religious site you can expand that to include light classical, love songs and popular music. Listed are some selections that would be appropriate for the prelude:
- Amazing Grace-Folk Hymn
- I Love Thee-Grieg
- Be Thou My Vision-Irish Hymn
- Sweet Adoration-Adler, Roger, Bannister
- Meditation from Thais-Massenet
- Wachet Auf (Sleeper's Awake)-Bach
- Simple Gifts-Shaker Hymn
- Ave Verum Corpus-Mozart
- Hymne-Vangelis
- Wonderful, Merciful, Savior-Roach, Rogers, Wyse
- Eine Kleine Nachtmusik-Mozart
- Air-Bach
- Music from the Water Music Suite-Handel
For the no-policy site you many want to use these in addition to the list above:
- Can't Help Falling in Love With You-Weiss, Peretti, Creatore
- All I Ask of You-Webber
- Unchained Melody-Zaret, North
- In My Life-Beatles
- From This Moment On-Twain, Lange
- You Light Up My Life-Brooks
- Sunrise, Sunset-Harnick, Bock
- When You Wish Upon A Star-Washington, Harline
- Bridge Over Troubled Water-Simon
-
We've Only Just Begun-Williams, Nichols
The seating of grandparents and mothers signal the beginning of the ceremony. For this seating you will need one selection. I have experienced that it is much better to select just one song for the seating instead of two different songs. The procession will flow better if you keep it to one selection.
Depending upon how your bridal party enters you will need one selection. If you think you need one for the clergy, groom and groomsmen and then another selection for the bridesmaids I would discourage that. One selection will flow better and help your bridal party from becoming confused. At one wedding the mothers had a beautiful arrangement for their entrance and then a song was selected for the bridal party. We never played the music for the bridal party because the clergy entered on the mother's music and it would have been inappropriate to stop the music and begin something else when the bridesmaids were processing. We just kept playing until all the wedding party was in place and skipped to the bridal entrance. I am sure the guests didn't know, but it was a surprise to the musicians that had come to the rehearsal and played the music exactly as it was suppose to occur. So keep it simple don't try to play to many selections.
Make sure your wedding coordinator is familiar with what you have chosen. Of course you could just select one longer song for the seating of the grandparents, mothers and procession of the bridal party. It is also proper to use the same song for the bride with a pause before her entrance. However, when you do that, I would suggest that the grandparents and mothers be seated with a different selection. Listed below are some suggestions for these processionals:
- Air from Water Music-Handel
- Air-Bach Autumn-Vivaldi
- Canon in D-Pachelbel
- Hornpipe from Water Music-Handel
- Jesus, Joy of Man's Desiring-Bach
- Intermezzo-Mascagni
- Largo from Xerxes-Handel
- Ode To Joy-Beethoven
- Rondeau-Mouret
- Sheep May Safely Graze-Bach
- Simple Gifts-Shaker Hymn
- Spring-Vivaldi
- St. Anthony Choral-Brahms
- Trumpet Voluntary-Clarke
- Trumpet Tune-Purcell
A most stunning bridal entrance is to have a brief trumpet fanfare announcing the arrival of the bride followed by music.
The last selections to be made are the recessional of the bride and groom, wedding party and postlude music as your guests leave. Some selections can cross over the various parts of the ceremony because they are appropriate for use here too:
- Autumn-Vivaldi
- Hallelujah Chorus-Handel
- Hornpipe from Water Music-Handel
- La Rejouissance from Fireworks Music-Handel
- Ode to Joy-Beethoven
- Rondeau-Mouret
- Spring-Vivaldi
- St. Anthony's Choral-Brahms
- Trumpet Voluntary-Clarke
Of course you may want special songs sung by a vocalist or an instrumental selection played during the ceremony. Appropriate times would be during the unity candle lighting or after a prayer:
- Amazing Grace-Folk Hymn
- Be Thous My Vision-Irish Hymn
- Panis Angelicus-Frank
- The Lord's Prayer-Malotte
- I Could Not Ask for More-Warren
I hope this has given you some ideas. These are just a few suggestions. There are many appropriate selections and these are just some of the most popular. Remember that the professional musician can help you with your selections. Blessings, as you begin making decisions about your wedding day.
