Wedding Music Planning

Wedding Music Guidelines

The music for your wedding can be both a source of great beauty and a strong unifying force to draw your guests together in prayer and celebration. Your wedding music is governed by the liturgical guidelines of the church. In general, the music for your wedding should resemble the music done for a Sunday Mass. All music selections must be sacred, in keeping with the sanctity of the sacrament.

The overall principles in selecting music are as follows:

1. In the Roman Catholic Nuptial Liturgy, every effort should be made to involve the Assembly in "full, conscious, and active participation" in the Liturgy, including elements of the music.
2. The text of the music chosen should ideally speak of the love between husband and wife as a reflection of God's love for us, his Church. Secular love songs may not be used in the liturgy.
3. A wedding liturgy is not a "wedding with concert attached." The music selection and the musicians must be servants of the liturgy, not the other way around.
4. In Roman Catholic Liturgy, we worship together, here and now. Therefore, the Church does not allow recordings, taped music, CD's, or accompaniment tracks in the Liturgy.
5. Our parish policy calls for at least one of the musicians present for a wedding to be one of our regular parish ministers of music. These musicians a prepared to act as actual ministers of music, not just "soloists." They also know the workings of the sound reinforcement system and can operate it properly to avoid audio problems.

 

Wedding Music Samples

We are delighted to help you prepare for the sacred day of your Sacrament of Matrimony.  We hope the music listed on this page will help you make music choices that will honor God and his central role in your life together.  We also hope that this music will uplift you and your guests, help you and them participate in the liturgy, and contribute significantly to the beauty and holiness of your wedding.  May God bless you as you prepare for your life together.

Click on each song title to listen!

Processional(s) and/or Gathering Hymn:

Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring - Johann Sebastian Bach

Canon in D Major - Johann Paschelbel

Air - JS Bach

Trumpet Voluntary-Clarke - Ellen MacLeay

Largo - Handel

Sheep May Safely Graze - Bach

Trumpet Tune - H. Purcell

La Grace - Telemann

Rigaudon - Andre Campra

The Rejoicing - G.F. Handel

Trumpet Tune - Stanley

Hornpipe - Handel

Rondeau - Mouret

Prelude to Te Deum - Charpentier

Ode To Joy - Beethoven

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Psalms

103-The Lord is Kind and Merciful - Guimont

103-The Lord is Kind and Merciful - Alstott

103-The Lord is Kind and Merciful - Haugen

128-Blest Are Those Who Love You - Haugen

128-May The Lord Bless Us - Haugen

145-I Will Praise Your Name Forever - Guimont

145-I Will Praise Your Name Forever - Alstott

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Offertory, Communion

Alleluia, Sing to Jesus - Rowland H. Pritchard

All Who Hunger

Ave Verum Corpus - Mozart

Be Thou my Vision

Draw Near - Steven R. Janco

I Have Loved You with an Everlasting Love - M. Joncas

I Received the Living God

Jesus, My Lord, My God, My All  

Love Divine, All Loves Excelling

Now in This Banquet - Marty Haugen

No Greater Love - Michael Joncas

O Lord, I Am Not Worthy

O Sacrament Most Holy

Panis Angelicus - Lambillotte

Panis Angelicus - Cesar Franck

When Love is Found

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Presentation of Flowers To Mary

Ave Maria - Schubert

Ave Maria -Bach/Gounod