Settling the Score
Choosing the music for your wedding ceremony
                  

William Shakespeare certainly understood the connection between music and romance. Music is not only the food of love, but the perfect accompaniment to its celebration.

The music you select to precede, underscore and follow your wedding ceremony is perhaps the most immediate and effective way you can create the mood or establish the tone for your event. The music you choose can, depending on the formality of your wedding, be an additional means of expressing your feelings for each other.

The first thing to do when thinking about the music for your wedding is to speak to your officiator (priest, rabbi, minister, etc.) and the person in charge of music at the site of the ceremony. In the case of Christian or Jewish ceremonies, this will likely be the organist or music director. Set up an appointment to discuss your vision of the ceremony, the kind of atmosphere you'd like, your musical taste and so on. And ask the musical director for her or his suggestions for music you might want to consider.

Most importantly, be sure to ask whether there are any rules or restrictions on the kind of music that can be played in the church, synagogue or other wedding location. Many houses of worship will not allow any type of non-religious music to be played during a religious ceremony, weddings included. This means that, even though Wagner's "Here Comes The Bride" and Mendelssohn's "Wedding March" are the two most popular pieces of wedding music in the Western tradition, they may not be allowed in the site of your ceremony. The same is true of any popular or contemporary selections you might wish to include. But many wedding sites do provide the kind of flexibility some couples desire, and if you're committed to putting your personal stamp(s) on your event, then you might want to make that a priority in your search for a location.

The possible aural backdrops for your wedding, while not endless, are certainly varied. Do you want to go the standard route and stick with an organist or do you want to do something a bit different? Would you prefer live or recorded music? A single instrumentalist, a small ensemble or a choir? Is a strictly classical program appropriate for the wedding you envision? Or would you like to incorporate popular songs or other more contemporary music? Is there traditional folk music from your or your parents' country of origin which you would like to incorporate into your ceremony? It's a lot to think about.

If your wedding is fairly formal and/or traditional, there's a wealth of tried-and-true (primarily classical) selections available to you. Your officiator will be able to provide you with a list of popular wedding standards. If, though, your plans lead you off the beaten track in terms of the mood, theme or location of your wedding, it's easy to be paralyzed by choice.

The music you choose will be determined by the nature of your event (religious or civil; formal or casual), your own musical tastes, the attitude of your officiator and the abilities of your musicians, if you opt for live music. We hope you'll find here suggestions that will suit your needs, spark your imagination or both.    Siera H


Go to:
Overture/prelude
The Processional  The music for
Interlude/signing of the register
Classical instrumental
New age
Popular

Classical: Instrumental

Love Divine, All Loves Excelling - Stainer
Panis Angelicus - Franck
Canon in D - Pachelbel
Ave Maria - Bach
Ave Maria - Schubert
Air on the G String - Bach
A Wedding Prayer - Williams

Timing
Six months to a year before your wedding.

What they do
Musicians hired for your wedding ceremony
can play at various points throughout the service (prelude, processional, during communion, while signing the registry, recessional), performing music that you've chosen in conjunction with your organist or officiator. They may have to rehearse with your church organist a few times before the ceremony.

Depending on who you hire, musicians for
your reception will play everything from classical to popular music. (Your musical taste will determine the band you hire.) Most bands will be willing to play any special requests you have.

How to work with them
Make an appointment to listen to a live
demonstration; if that's not possible, they may have a tape for you to listen to. You should specify in your contract the attire you expect the musicians to wear during their performance. If you're hiring musicians for the ceremony, check with your officiator or organist regarding their policy for hiring outside musicians. If you hire musicians for the reception, let them know in writing, well in advance of the wedding, of any special requests you have. Make sure that there is access and ample time for them to set up their equipment at the ceremony and/or reception sites.