Wedding Music

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Hi All…

We’re getting married this year in the church and I’m looking for some music suggestions. My fiance says that sometimes I just like to be a little different (I’d agree with that statement), so the common wedding music suggestions of Canon in D, Ave Maria, Joyful Joyful make me want to do something different but still meaningful. What are some good hymns for a wedding (especially those hymns that might not be traditionally used for a wedding)?

Our church is very rural, so no music director or anything to work with. We share our international priest with two other churches. So, I’d like to go into our liturgy planning meeting with some ideas in hand just to make that process easier.

A few times when I was in church I thought- wow that would make a nice song for the wedding- and one of my regrets is not writing them down because of course I cannot remember them! One of them I heard was this Saturday night and I’ve forgotten it already!

I appreciate any thought that you give to this request. God bless!
 
Perhaps Missa de Angelis as the Mass setting with Franck’s Panis Angelicus sung during communion, both if you have find competent singers. Bach’s Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring would also be appropriate as a secondary communion piece, whether played just by organ or again by a competent singer or choir.

Please don’t hire some teenage girl to sing into a microphone; find singers who can use their God given diaphragms to sing without the need of amplification! If you have an parish run by the FSSP nearby their singers are usually professionals. I know one of the singers in the FSSP parish near me was to audition for Covent Garden. Might cost you $100 or so a singer but will be well worth it. Even just a single competent cantor would be well worth it.
 
Perhaps Missa de Angelis (sorry, the tempo is a little slow here in my opinion) as the Mass setting with Franck’s Panis Angelicus sung during communion, both if you have find competent singers. Bach’s Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring (again slow with the wrong stops used) would also be appropriate as a secondary communion piece, whether played just by organ or again by a competent singer or choir.

Please don’t hire some teenage girl who doesn’t know what she’s doing to sing into a microphone; find singers who know how to use their God given diaphragms to sing without the need of amplification! If you have an parish run by the FSSP nearby their singers may be professionals and will likely be available for hire. One of the singers in the FSSP parish near me was to audition for Covent Garden or some such company in London, I can’t remember which one exactly. Might cost you $100 or so a singer but will be worth it. Even just a single competent cantor would be well worth it.
 
I’m afraid I can only suggest music of the finest tradition such as Missa de Angelis perhaps for the Mass setting along with Franck’s Panis Angelicus for the communion hymn, both if you can find competent singers. Bach’s Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring would also be appropriate as a secondary communion piece, whether played just by organ or again by a competent singer or choir.

Of course you won’t have singers like Richard Crooks or John McCormack singing at your wedding; those are just examples of the music I’m suggesting. Please don’t hire some teenager who doesn’t know what they’re doing to sing into a microphone though; find singers who know how to use their God given diaphragms to sing without the need of amplification! If you have an parish run by the FSSP fairly nearby (I know you said it’s a rural parish) their singers may be professionals and will likely be available for hire. One of the singers in the FSSP parish near me was to audition for Covent Garden or some such company in London, I can’t remember which one exactly. They have sang for weddings at our parish which is a good hour away from ours. Might cost you $100 or so a singer but will be worth it. Even just a single competent cantor would be well worth it.
 
I’m afraid I can only suggest music of the finest tradition such as Missa de Angelis for the Mass setting perhaps along with Franck’s Panis Angelicus for the communion hymn, both if you can find competent singers. Bach’s Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring would also be appropriate as a secondary communion piece, whether played just by organ or again by a competent singer or choir.

Of course you won’t have singers like Richard Crooks or John McCormack singing at your wedding; those are just examples of the music I’m suggesting. Please don’t hire some teenager who doesn’t know what they’re doing to sing into a microphone either; find singers who know how to use their God given diaphragms to sing without the need of amplification! If you have a parish run by the FSSP fairly nearby (I know you said it’s a rural parish) their singers may be professionals and could be available for hire. One of the singers in the FSSP parish near me was to audition for Covent Garden or some such company in London, I can’t remember which one exactly. They have sang for weddings at our parish (also rural) which is a good hour away from theirs. Might cost you $100 or so a singer but will be worth it. Even just a single competent cantor would be well worth it.
 
ServusHumilis said:
I’m afraid I can only suggest music of the finest tradition such as Missa de Angelis for the Mass setting perhaps along with Franck’s Panis Angelicus for the communion hymn, both if you can find competent singers. Bach’s Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring would also be appropriate as a secondary communion piece, whether played just by organ or again by a competent singer or choir.

Of course you won’t have singers like Richard Crooks or John McCormack singing at your wedding; those are just examples of the music I’m suggesting. Please don’t hire some teenager who doesn’t know what they’re doing to sing into a microphone either; find singers who know how to use their God given diaphragms to sing without the need of amplification! If you have a parish run by the FSSP fairly nearby (I know you said it’s a rural parish) their singers may be professionals and could be available for hire. One of the singers in the FSSP parish near me was to audition for Covent Garden or some such company in London, I can’t remember which one exactly. They have sang for weddings at our parish (also rural) which is a good hour away from theirs. Might cost you $100 or so a singer but will be worth it. Even just a single competent cantor would be well worth it.
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It sounds like it was a beautiful wedding
 
ServusHumilis said:
I’m afraid I can only suggest music of the finest tradition such as Missa de Angelis for the Mass setting perhaps along with Franck’s Panis Angelicus for the communion hymn, both if you can find competent singers. Bach’s Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring would also be appropriate as a secondary communion piece, whether played just by organ or again by a competent singer or choir.

Of course you won’t have singers like Richard Crooks or John McCormack singing at your wedding; those are just examples of the music I’m suggesting. Please don’t hire some teenager who doesn’t know what they’re doing to sing into a microphone either; find singers who know how to use their God given diaphragms to sing without the need of amplification! If you have a parish run by the FSSP fairly nearby (I know you said it’s a rural parish) their singers may be professionals and could be available for hire. One of the singers in the FSSP parish near me was to audition for Covent Garden or some such company in London, I can’t remember which one exactly. They have sang for weddings at our parish (also rural) which is a good hour away from theirs. Might cost you $100 or so a singer but will be worth it. Even just a single competent cantor would be well worth it.
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100 bucks? You can’t get anyone around here to sing fro less that 300-500.

At any rate, I would like to ask the OP what hymnal they use at her parish, that will help me make a suggestion that’s doable.
A wedding Mass doesn’t have to have nothing but solos singing. it can be very beautiful with everyone singing as well.
 
pianistclare said:
100 bucks? You can’t get anyone around here to sing fro less that 300-500.

At any rate, I would like to ask the OP what hymnal they use at her parish, that will help me make a suggestion that’s doable.
A wedding Mass doesn’t have to have nothing but solos singing. it can be very beautiful with everyone singing as well.
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We had 6 FSSP choir members sing at our parish for $100 each, and they were amazing. I wouldn’t expect to be paid any more than that if I were asked to sing at a wedding. 🤷 For $500 an hour I almost would expect a John McCormack or Richard Crooks!
 
ServusHumilis said:
We had 6 FSSP choir members sing at our parish for $100 each, and they were amazing. I wouldn’t expect to be paid any more than that if I were asked ot sing at a wedding. 🤷 For $500 an hour I would expect a John McCormack or Richard Crooks!
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I’m just saying. Mileage may vary.
 
pianistclare said:
100 bucks? You can’t get anyone around here to sing fro less that 300-500.

At any rate, I would like to ask the OP what hymnal they use at her parish, that will help me make a suggestion that’s doable.
A wedding Mass doesn’t have to have nothing but solos singing. it can be very beautiful with everyone singing as well.
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Our church uses the seasonal missalette from WLP.
 
I’ve always like the Covenant Song for weddings. It begins…wherever you go, I will follow…speaks of the Lord in beautiful words.
Our wedding concluded with Alleluia Alleluia Give Thanks to the Risen Lord
We used St. Anthony’s Processional in the beginning.
The Communion hymn was Jesus Our Living Bread (Panis Angelicus) sung by all
Prior to the Mass, another soloist from the choir sang “The Voice” another song that speaks of God calling us.
oops I just realized I’m typing in a really random order, sorry.

Good luck and may your wedding be beautiful!
Your Pre Cana priest probably has a list of approved music. It can vary between parishes.
 
Another thing you might consider is to have an instrumental soloist. I realize that you live in a rural area, and the pickins might be slim, a violin / or trumpet / flute would add a lot to the wedding. An instrumentalist could play along with the organ / piano whatever you have. If you have a city nearby, you could try contacting the musicians union, symphony, or university music department (that last suggestion would work for singers, too). I think $125 would be fair for an instrumentalist.
 
Here’s a few hymns I’ve used for friends’ weddings in the past:

“O God Beyond All Praising”
“Gloria” by Vivaldi (organ solo – just a portion of the introduction as the bride’s processional)
“Servant Song” (starts with “will you let me be your servant…”)
“Let All Things Now Living”
“Love Divine, All Loves Excelling”

God bless you in your preparations for marriage!

Gertie
 
the solo instrumentalist can be lovely. Solo violin or solo cello…
Nice!
 
Although Ave Maria is used over and over, it’s typically the Schubert version. The Bach-Gounod version is even more beautiful and less performed at weddings. It’s still traditional but with a bit of a twist 🙂 One of my bridesmaids was my vocalist when I studied piano accompaniment in college, so thankfully I didn’t have to find a vocalist. However, if you can find someone with a real music background to handle beautiful classical pieces plus the less challenging hymns, that person will be worth the price of having a talented, professional musician at your ceremony.

At our wedding last year the organist was able to pull off a solo organ version of the finale of Saint-Saens’ organ symphony that then about half-way through transitioned into the Toccata from Widor’s 5th organ symphony and was fantastic. I’m talking… blew the pipes off the organ fantastic! The church we got married in is large, old, with amazing acoustics, and a wonderful old pipe organ. The Widor Toccata is definitely not typical at a wedding but is a HUGE organ work. If the church has a great organ and you have an organist that can handle it, go with a large organ work. I had chills walking out of the church - I had just gotten married and we had the most amazing recessional piece to match the occasion! I think I paid my organist $250 and I would have paid him more simply because he was able to handle my ridiculous, music-major, performance-rich requests.

Another thought is to have a movement or two from the Faure or Mozart requiems. I realize that a requiem is for a funeral, but some of the movements can stand alone as lovely little works. Use an instrumental version and voila! You get the beauty of the movement without the lyrics about eternal rest!

All the links in here are to youtube videos. I hope you have a nice set of speakers and a good sub to kind of, sort of, give the organ pieces some justice! Good luck!
 
“I love you and you are mine” by David Haas is very nice.

We also had the Song of Ruth at our wedding "Wherever you go, I will go .,… wherever you live, there shall I live … etc.)
 
Pianofish said:
The Bach-Gounod version is even more beautiful!
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I can’t agree with that at all.

I also find that Hayley Westenra’s voice too anemic, like most “crossover” singers. She has a diaphragm that she clearly doesn’t know how to use. As a singer myself I must strive to be better than that. Just listen to her in Puccini… oy! I realize I’m going off topic with this rant. Sorry, I’m a purist.
Pianofish said:
Toccata from Widor’s 5th organ symphony
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FANTASTIC suggestion! Soler’s Emperor’s Fanfare wouldn’t be a bad piece either, perhaps used at the end of the Mass as the new couple walk out?
Pianofish said:
Another thought is to have a movement or two from the Faure or Mozart requiems. I realize that a requiem is for a funeral, but some of the movements can stand alone as lovely little works. Use an instrumental version and voila! You get the beauty of the movement without the lyrics about eternal rest!
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Not sure about this. They wrote other Masses too you know. 🤷
 
ServusHumilis said:
I can’t agree with that at all.

I also find that Hayley Westenra’s voice too anemic, like most “crossover” singers. She has a diaphragm that she clearly doesn’t know how to use. As a singer myself I must strive to be better than that. Just listen to her in Puccini… oy! I realize I’m going off topic with this rant. Sorry, I’m a purist.
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Interesting! I wonder if our perspectives differ coming from either side of the piece - mine from the instrumentalist side and yours from the vocalist side. My preference for the Bach-Gounod version could also be that the Schubert version is more often performed at weddings, and typically by untrained vocalists. That’s never a pleasant experience for a trained ear 😛 The youtube clip was just to show the Bach-Gounod version, not to highlight Hayley Westenra.
 
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