It’s safe to say that out of all the events for which you will gather your friends and
family to celebrate your marriage, the wedding ceremony itself will be the most
meaningful and, hopefully, memorable. Music plays many vital roles in the ceremony,
from providing flow and ambiance to highlighting the deeper emotional meaning. Many
former brides and grooms remember the songs played at their weddings for the rest of
their lives, and they can relive that romantic day when hearing those songs again.
Since music is so important to your wedding ceremony, I always advise hiring one or
more live, experienced, professional musicians to handle it. Qualified, well-researched
musicians will be able to tailor the music in real time to fit what is going on in your
ceremony, which will help one part flow effortlessly into the next. Also, you’ll find it
truly ties together all of the visual and verbal elements, from the flowers to the vows,
with timeless style and class.
For the music, most American wedding ceremonies have six major parts, each with their
own special requirements:
1. the prelude
2. the wedding party’s processional
3. the bride’s processional
4. the interlude
5. the recessional
6. the postlude
If you do not want to choose individual songs for your ceremony, experienced wedding
musicians will be able to play appropriate songs in the right places. But picking out your
own music can be more meaningful and satisfying. The first decision you should make
that will guide you in your choices is whether you want your music to be traditional and
classic or lesser-known but unique. The professional wedding musicians you hire
should have a supply of music from both categories in their repertoire.
The purpose of the prelude music is to welcome guests as they are being seated
before the ceremony. It also should give a cheerful yet subdued atmosphere, setting
the stage for the solemnity of the event. The prelude generally begins 15 to 20
minutes before the ceremony start time, and it often involves quite a few songs.
Because of this, it’s best to give the musician(s) an idea of the genre of music you
want and leave the individual song choices up to their discretion. Since the prelude
sets the tone for the rest of the ceremony, it’s a good idea to base your genre choice
on the type of music you will be using later in the ceremony. Popular genre choices
include Classical, Love Songs, Jazz, and Broadway, and these genres can be mixed
together within the prelude to suit your taste. Each of these genres has sub-categories
(Baroque or Romantic Classical music, old or new love songs, etc.), but it’s safe to
leave those choices up to the musicians unless you have strong feelings one way or
another.
The wedding party’s processional marks the official beginning of the ceremony. It
should have a slow but flowing feel, ushering the beautiful bridesmaids and other
members of the wedding party down the aisle. Perhaps the classic example here is
Canon in D by Pachelbel, but you should listen to various musical selections to find a
song that strikes a chord with you.
The bride’s processional can be an incredible moment, as memorable to everyone
involved as the vows or any other part of the ceremony. You should choose a very
special song here. If you go with Classical music, the obvious traditional choice is
Wagner’s Bridal Chorus (“Here Comes the Bride”). But any Classical piece that strikes
you as particularly beautiful or meaningful can be used here. If you’re going with jazz,
pop, or Broadway, use a song with beautiful music as well as lyrics that are meaningful
to you. Even if you don’t have a singer at your wedding, the lyrics to a popular song will
still play in everyone’s minds when they hear the melody.
The interlude can actually be many different moments in the ceremony, my very loose
definition being any time there are no words being spoken for a minute or more. For
most ceremonies, the interlude is the unity candle, memorial candle, or rose
presentation. These are moments of quiet reflection, and the music you choose should
encourage this mood. A popular and appropriate unity candle choice is The Wedding
Song, partly because the lyrics mention the word “union.” Sweet Classical favorites
include Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring by Bach, Ave Maria by Schubert, and Meditation
from Thais by Massenet.
At last, time to celebrate! The wedding officiant’s pronouncement of husband and wife
is followed by enthusiastic applause and joyous recessional music as the happy couple
leads the way back up the aisle. The song you choose should be bright and upbeat,
inviting everyone to celebrate your union. The top traditional choice for the recessional
is Mendelssohn’s Wedding March. A close second and third are Beethoven’s Ode to
Joy and Clarke’s Trumpet Voluntary. But any song with a joyous feel that speaks to
you will work well in this spot.
The postlude sets a pleasant atmosphere as guests are leaving. It can last between 10
and 30 minutes, so it’s best to treat the postlude like the prelude and simply give the
musicians an idea of what you want. Experienced wedding musicians will play postlude
music that is refined but upbeat, adding the finishing touch to your beautiful ceremony.
The best starting point for specific ceremony music ideas is the repertoire list on the
website (or in paper form) of the musicians you are hiring. The songs listed there are
usually ones that the musicians are requested to play frequently and that the musicians
know very well. Talk with your musicians as far in advance of the ceremony as possible
about your musical selections. This way, if you have a special request that is not in the
musicians’ repertoire, they may be able to accommodate it.
Lastly, have fun with the process of choosing your music! You can make listening to
possible ceremony music a wonderful opportunity to slow down in the midst of your
hectic planning and reflect on the love that you and your partner feel for each other.
Music has the power to express this beautiful sentiment to all of your friends and family
during your wedding ceremony, so take advantage of it!
Chicago Harpist Courtney
Lawhn during the prelude of a
wedding ceremony
As a Chicago harpist, I have been playing the harp for weddings all over the Chicago
area for years. During this time, I have accumulated a great deal of experience with
wedding ceremony music, from planning it to performing it. I originally wrote the article
below for ezinearticles.com as a way to share my experience with brides-to-be and
grooms-to-be nationwide. But I found that it was also helpful to my own clients to get
acquainted with their ceremony's musical structure and some of my own
recommendations for them. Click on weddings to check out example song combinations
for wedding ceremonies if you're looking for more specific ideas. Please contact me
when you're ready to get started, and we'll put together a beautiful customized
ceremony for your musical needs.
Planning the Music for Your Wedding Ceremony - Copyright 2005 Chicago Harpist Courtney Lawhn. Display of this
article on any other website or in a print publication is by permission only.
