The right kind of music played at your wedding ceremony and reception adds to the emotion and drama of the occasion. The wrong music throws off everything your trying to get going! So its very important to put some thought into the music because you want your guests to remember your joyous occasion and the music plays a big part in that. Carefully selected music can enhance the mood and meaning for your ceremony. You may want to choose something  bit slower and somber for the music that will play as you walk down the isle as opposed to a fast past song.

The processional is the music that plays as your wedding party walks down the isle before the bride. You can walk down the isle with the same song playing if you'd like or choose a totally separate piece of music, like the Wedding March. Sometimes if you choose the same song when you make your walk, the tempo changes. You can have a pause that captivates the audience before you enter. Here is a list of traditional wedding music and suggestions for processional songs.

• "Bridal Chorus" –Wagner
• "Wedding March" –Mendelssohn
• "Sheep May Safely Graze" –Bach
• "Trumpet Voluntary" –Stanley
• "Canon in D" –Pachelbel
• "Hornpipe" –Handel
• "Processional" –Charpentier

You can have live music such as that of a piano or organist. You can also choose to play a CD recording. If you choose to do this, make sure the church or ceremony location has the proper equipment and sound to make this happen. The following are more suggested musical pieces for the prelude and cermony music. The prelude music played when guests are arriving until they are all seated, including the mother of the bride who is seated last. This prelude music establishes a mood as soon as your guest arrive. You can choose from upbeat, slow or a mixture of both types.

Prelude Music

• "Water Music" –Handel
• "Adagio" –Mozart
• "Largo" –Vivaldi
• Bach's Brandenburg Concertos
• "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" –Bach
• Bach's preludes and gugues for the organ
• "Adagio" –Mendelssohn
• "Aria" –Peeters
• "Meditation" –Massenet

The ceremony music can have various pieces played throughout the different segments of the service. For example, if you light a unity candle, a short musical selection by a vocalist or instrumentalist may be played. If your getting married in a church, the music played may be religious or faith based but if you really prefer a certain song that is not relgious, let the church or officiant of the service know in advance. Here are some recommendations for songs played within the ceremony.

Wedding Ceremony Songs

• "Ava maria" –Schubert
• "Wedding Prayer" –Artman
• "The Lord's Prayer" –Malotte
• "The Irish Wedding Song" –traditional
• "Panis Angelicus" –Franck
• "Wherever You Go" –Callahan
• "God Is My Shepherd" –Dvorak
• "Wedding Song: Whither Thou Goest, There Will I Go Also" –Peeters

If you are not familiar with any of these songs, check iTunes or search for them online to get a sample recording.

[ Return to Wedding Planning Articles ]