Ceremony Music
When choosing your ceremony music, consult the organist of the church - he/she has performed for
numerous weddings and will have lots of ideas. There are also several wedding CD's out with
traditional examples of ceremony music. Or search on your own -- listen to CD's your friends
and family might have, or visit the media center of your library. Be sure to consult your
minister too for approval of all songs - some churches do not allow secular music. If you
hire instrumentalists or vocalists, ask for references and request a tape or personal audition (or attend
a performance). Find out appropriate times for music in the ceremony from your minister and/or organist.
Your minister and organist can let you know of appropriate times in the ceremony for special music or solos.
Some appropriates times might be after the grandmothers are seated, after the mothers are seated, after the blessing
of the marriage by the parents, during the unity candle ceremony (although it's best to keep
it very short here - no more than 30 - 90 seconds in general), or after the declaration of the marriage. Keep in
mind that whenever there is a solo, attention is drawn to that person or group of persons performing. Therefore,
it would probably be rude to have a solo when the mothers are lighting the unity candle and are being seated since
attention should be drawn to them at this time for example. Many people also believe that solos should not
be performed prior to the seating of the grandmothers or even the seating of the mothers since they consider
this to be the start of the ceremony, and these people should not miss the important components of the service. These
are just some suggestions and ideas to keep in mind when planning your ceremony.
Here are a bunch of suggestions for ceremony music. Please email me
if I've listed a song twice (but with a slightly different title). I'm not familiar with all of these songs,
so please let me know of any errors! Also try
rec.music.christian Wedding Song List,
the Ceremony Music Resource Page,
and University of Virginia Music Dept. Wedding Music Guide for more great ideas.
Processional (P) and Recessional (R)
Title |
Composer |
|---|---|
| Air de Trompette | Telemann, G. P. |
| Alla Hornpipe (from Water Music) | Handel |
| Allegro from the Water Music (R) | Handel |
| Allegro, Organ Concerto in F (R) | Handel |
| Arrival of the Queen of Sheba (P) | Handel |
| Bridal Chorus from Lohengrin (R) | Wagner |
| Canon in D | Pachelbel |
| Choral Song (P) | S.S. Wesley |
| Clair de Lune | Debussy |
| Concerto in G, 1st Movement (P,R) | J.S. Bach |
| Crown Imperial (P) | Walton |
| Fanfare from La Peri | Paul Dukas |
| Fanfare (R) | Jacques Lemmens |
| Hornpipe from Water Music | Handel |
| Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring | Bach |
| La Rejouissance from Fireworks Music | Handel |
| March from Poppea (P) | Claudio Monteverdi |
| Music for the Royal Fireworks (P) | Handel |
| Ode to Joy (aka Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee) | Beethoven |
| Prelude from Te Deum (R) | Marc Antoine Charpentier |
| Prelude to Die Meistersinger | Richard Wagner |
| Promenade from Pictures at an Exhibition | Modeste Mussorgsky |
| Psalm 19 ("The Heavens are Telling") | Benedetto Marcello |
| Rigaudon | Andre Campra |
| Rondeau in D major (Masterpiece Theater) (R) | Mouret, Jean Joseph |
| Rejoicing (R) | Telemann |
| Sinfonia from Wedding Cantata (P) | Bach |
| Spring from The Four Seasons (R) | Vivaldi |
| Toccata | Martini, Giambattista |
| Toccata in B Minor (R) | Gigout |
| Toccata from Symphony V (R) | Charles-Marie Widor |
| Triumphal March from Aida | Verdi |
| Trumpet Tune in D (P,R) | Purcell, Henry |
| Trumpet Tune called Cebell | Purcell, Henry |
| Trumpet Tune in D (P) | John Stanley |
| Trumpet Voluntary (P,R) | John Stanley |
| Trumpet Voluntary (Prince of Denmark's March) (P,R) | Clarke, Jeremiah |
| Voluntary on Old Hundredth | Purcell |
| Wedding March (R) | John Hodgson |
| Wedding March from A Midsummer Nights Dream | Mendelssohn, Felix |
Prelude, Mother's Procession, Candlelighting, Offertory, Communion
(These selections set an appropriate tone for the worship and reflective portions of the service.)Title |
Composer |
|---|---|
| A Wedding Benediction (vocal piece) | Lovelace |
| Adagio Nobile | Don Jon |
| Air from Water Music | Handel |
| Air on the G String | Bach |
| Andalouse | Pessard |
| Andante in C | Mozart |
| Aria | Handel |
| Ave Maria | Franz Schubert, Bach, Gounod |
| Ave Verum | Mozart |
| Ayre | Henry Purcell |
| Barcarolle | Offenbach |
| Berceuse-Dolly | Faure |
| Bist du bei mir (Draw Near to Me) (vocal piece) | Bach |
| Brian's Boru | Anonymous |
| Canon | Johann Pachelbel |
| Come Lord Jesus to This Place (vocal piece) | Busarow |
| Come, Thou Dear Redeemer (vocal piece) | Cesar Franck |
| Divertimento | Giuliani |
| Eine Kleine Nachtmusik | Mozart |
| Entreat me not to leave thee (Song of Ruth) (vocal piece) | Gounod |
| Es ist ein Ros entsprungen | Johannes Brahms |
| First Arabesque | Debussy |
| Fragment Fantasia in C | Bach |
| Gavotte | Gossec |
| German Dance | Mozart |
| Gigue | Corelli |
| God Bless This Marriage (vocal piece) | Billie Hanks Jr. |
| Great Mass in C Minor | Mozart |
| Greensleeves | Anonymous |
| Gymnopedies | Satie |
| Hungarian Dance | Brahms |
| I Believe | Drake |
| In His Care (A wedding song) (vocal piece) | Leland Sateren |
| Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring | J.S. Bach |
| La Vie En Rose | Anonymous |
| Largo from Xerxes | G.F. Handel |
| Le Fille | Debussy |
| Le Tambourin | Gossec |
| Let There Be Peace | Miller |
| Love in Christ (vocal piece) | Schultz |
| May the God of Love (vocal piece) | John Wilson |
| Moonlight Sonata | Beethoven |
| Morning Has Broken | Anonymous |
| Movin' On | Hannison |
| My Heart Ever Faithful (vocal piece) | Bach |
| My Spirit Be Joyful | J.S. Bach |
| Now May There Be A Blessing (vocal piece) | Douglas Moore |
| O God of Love (vocal piece) | Lovelace |
| O Perfect Love (vocal piece) | Cassler, Phil White |
| Offertoire | Don Jon |
| Oh Love That Casts Out Fear (vocal piece) | Bach |
| On Wings of Song | Mendelssohn |
| Pan! | Don Jon |
| Panis Angelicus (vocal piece) | Franck |
| Pavanne | Faure, Ravel, Wachs |
| Prayer of Saint Gregory | Alan Hovhaness |
| Prayer Perfect (vocal piece) | Oley Speaks |
| Prelude from Te Deum (R) | Marc Antoine Charpentier |
| Prelude in C BWV 545 | Bach |
| Prelude No. 4 | Chopin |
| Prelude No. 7 | Chopin |
| Reverie | Debussy |
| Rhosymedre | Vaughnn Williams |
| Scarborough Fair | Anonymous |
| Serenade | Haydn, Persichetti |
| Sheep May Safely Graze (or "The Soprano Aria from the Birthday Cantata," Cantata 208) | J.S. Bach |
| Sicilienne | Faure |
| Simple Gifts | Anonymous |
| Strange Lands | Schumann |
| Thais Meditation | Massenet |
| The 23rd Psalm (vocal piece) | Malotte |
| The Ash Grove | Anonymous |
| The Coulin | Anonymous |
| The Gift of Love (vocal piece) | Hal Hopson |
| The Harmonius Blacksmith | G.F. Handel |
| The Lord Bless You (vocal duet) | Bach |
| The Lord Is My Shepherd | Kaplan |
| The Lord's Prayer (vocal piece) | Malotte |
| The Messiah (numerous selections appropriate) | Handel |
| The Swan | Saintsaens |
| This Love (vocal piece) | |
| Traumerei | Schumann |
| Vesperes Solemnes de Confessore | Bach |
| Vocalise | Rachmaninov |
| Wachet Auf (Sleepers Wake) | J.S. Bach |
| Walk in Love (vocal piece) | Powell |
| Walk With Them, Lord (vocal piece) | Don Besig |
| Waltz in a minor | Chopin |
| Water Music (numerous selections appropriate) | Handle |
| Wedding Blessing (vocal piece) | Pelz |
| Wedding Prayer (vocal piece) | Fern Dunlap |
| Wedding Song (There Is Love) (vocal piece) | |
| Where e'er You Walk | G.F. Handel |
| Whither Thou Goest (vocal piece) | Guy Singer |
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