Wedding Music

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For all of those who are married, preparing for marriage or who have helped someone prepare for a marriage, do any of you have any recommendations for a good source to use when selecting wedding music? I’m engaged and my fiancee and I are planning for our wedding. We are using the Together for Life book to prepare all of the readings and Mass layout. But I don’t have a clue where to start for music. Any suggestions of a good booklet, pamphlet or website to help with ideas for music?

Thanks.
 
It is best to meet with the music director at the parish, and the musicians that will be playing the music. Some musicians are limited on ability and repertoire.
 
steve975 said:
For all of those who are married, preparing for marriage or who have helped someone prepare for a marriage, do any of you have any recommendations for a good source to use when selecting wedding music? I’m engaged and my fiancee and I are planning for our wedding. We are using the Together for Life book to prepare all of the readings and Mass layout. But I don’t have a clue where to start for music. Any suggestions of a good booklet, pamphlet or website to help with ideas for music?

Thanks.
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I’m in the midst of doing this, too. (Congratulations!)

Yes, definitely make an appointment with your parish’s music director. They often know popular music from the hymnal that will fit your needs. They may also be able to arrange for a cantor to sing for you and will know what songs are restricted (generally secular music).

Musical directors must also be consulted if use of any musical instruments are to be used by non-parish performers (can’t have the organ broken).
 
When I was engaged, we met with the main pianist for my church (who played for many weddings) & she played samples of each song. If you have someone like this, he/she can probably give you the names of those who could accompany (solo, flute, harp etc).

Congratulations and good luck!
 
I agree that it is best to meet with the music director and musicians of your parish. Most parishes will have a list of music that will be in the repertoire of the musicians who play there. If you are permitted to have outside musicians, then you can see what they have in their repertoire. BUT, if those outside musicians aren’t familiar with the liturgy and what is permitted and appropriate for mass, always have the music director or the pastor approve the music. (Some parishes will have that in their policy already.)

It also never hurts to ask the church musician if they are able to play something not listed in their repertoire. Some will have the ability to sight-read or learn quickly.

All the best in planning your nuptial mass and life together. Congratulations and God bless!!!
 
Congratulations OP! Definitely meet with the music director. I got to say this was one of my most favorite parts of planning our wedding.
 
We let the music director have the final say 😉 (it was my mother in law!) but we went through the hymnal and they had an index in it that said what season the hyms were for. So we went to the wedding section and looked at those, chose 3 and then asked his mom if she was OK with singing them. We live in a rural area, it’s a small parish, and we had a VERY small wedding. I don’t think that any of the songs were specifically ‘wedding’ though, and I’d heard most of them other times. Plus, we left the communion song as just a communion song and did not have it relate to a wedding.

Congratulations!
 
I planned my cousin’s wedding back in November, including readings and music. What folks should remember, in my opinion, is that there is a hierarchy of music that should be sung at Mass (weddings included).

Even more important than the entrance processional and the recessional are the parts of the Mass. The responsorial psalm should be sung, if possible. The Gospel Acclamation (Alleluia or the Lenten settings) needs to be sung. If it is not sung, it is omitted. The Sanctus, Memorial Acclamation and the Great Amen need to be sung. The Agnus Dei should be sung as well.

For the entrance processional, I chose the instrumental version of Jesu, Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring. The parts of the Mass were all sung, including the responsorial psalm. The offertory (wherein I had my aunt and the groom’s mother bring up the gifts) was a Spanish-language hymn called “Donde Hay Caridad y Amor”. The Communion hymn was Panis Angelicus and the recessional was the instrumental to Sing with all the Saints in Glory (Ode to Joy). The Ave Maria was used while my cousin presented her bouquet to the Blessed Mother before the recitation of the post-Communion prayer. If the celebrant is going to use incense (my parochial vicar was the celebrant of my cousin’s wedding Mass and he incensed not only the gifts, but, the couple as well), it would nice to play an instrumental. In his case, though, he chanted a Marian hymn in Latin.

I hope this helps.
 
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