George Meszaros asked:


When planning your wedding ceremony music, a common questions wedding planners receive is, “How many songs to be performed during the ceremony and where should they go?” There are no hard set rules and there is no wrong way to do it. The following is a useful set of guidelines you can use while planning your wedding reception music.

Prelude - music performed prior to the beginning of the wedding ceremony, while arriving guests are being seated. For the prelude, you may select a pianist a guitar player or a string quartet. The music played in the prelude is more often than not instrumental.

Common classical songs include:

“Air on a G String” by Bach

“Ave Verum Corpus” by Mozart

“Water Music (Air)” by Handel

“Serenade” by Schubert

Processional - music performed while the wedding party enters the wedding ceremony site. The processional is meant to announce your arrival. The guests will stand as you make your way toward the center point.

Common processional pieces are:

“Canon in D” by Pachelbel

“Concerto in D Major” by Vivaldi

“Trumpet Voluntary” by Clarke

“Wedding March” by Mozart

Ceremony - music performed for the duration of the ceremony.

Songs frequently used are:

“Coronation March” by Walton

“Ode to Joy” by Beethoven

“Trumpet Tune in C” by Purcell

“Triumphal March” by Grieg

Recessional - music performed as the wedding party leaves the ceremony site. For many, this part of the ceremony is considered the most exciting. You’re husband and wife. All your ceremony guest will stand as you make your way out of the gathering place.

There are many choices for this music and some songs include:

“Brandenberg Concerto No. 4″ by Bach

“Exsulate, Jubilate” by Mozart

“Rigaudon” by Campra

“The Four Seasons” by Vivaldi

Postlude - music performed as the guests exit the ceremony site, which is normally the same music played during the prelude.

Regardless of what music you choose, be sure they can be performed by a traditional musical instrument such as piano, organ, guitar, or flute or harp.

George Meszaros asked:


Music is an essential part of our daily lives, and it has the power to make your wedding ceremony a truly special occasion. Because so much depends on the music, you have to make sure you plan it carefully. The music you chose can make or break your event.

When choosing your wedding ceremony music, be sure you select music that corresponds with the formality of the wedding. Among other things, keep in mind the religious affiliation, and the length of the ceremony when planning the music. If you ceremony is held in a church, you can expect help from the church organist. Before you finalize your wedding ceremony music, there are a few important issues to consider.

3 Common Musical Categories

Classical - This genre of music conforms to an established form and appeals to critical interest and developed musical taste.

Examples of classical wedding music are:

“Canon in D” (Johann Pachelbel)

“Bridal Chorus from Lohengrin” (Richard Wagner) (also known as “Here Comes the Bride”)

“Air” (from Water Music Suite), (George Frederic Handel)

“The Prince of Denmark’s March” (Trumpet Voluntary in D major) (Jeremiah Clarke) “Guitar Concerto in D Major”, Largo, (Antonio Vivaldi)

“Coronation March for Czar Alexander III” (Peter I. Tchaikovsky)

“Overture” (from Royal Fireworks Music), (George Frederic Handel)

“Promenade” (from Pictures at an Exhibition), (Modest Mussorgsky)

“Sinfonia” (from Cantata No. 156), (Johann Sebastian. Bach)

“Cantata No.29″ (Johann Sebastian Bach)

“Prelude and Fugue in C” (Johann Sebastian Bach)

“Toccata” (from L’Orfeo), (Claudio Monteverdi)

“Romance from String Quartet” (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)

“Piano Concerto No. 21 in C major” (”Elvira Madigan”) (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)

“Trumpet Tune in A-Major” (David N. Johnson)

“A Midsummer Night’s Dream, incidental music, Op. 61 Wedding March” (Felix Mendelssohn)

“Winter,” Largo or “Spring” Allegro (from The Four Seasons), (Antonio Vivaldi)

Sacred - Sacred music is dedicated to religious themes and symbols. It is music considered worthy of religious ceremony. Schedule a time to meet with the church organist before you begin selecting your ceremony music. Beware that some churches have very firm rules on what music is used in liturgical settings. The church organist should be well qualified to help you in selecting your wedding ceremony music.

Secular - Secular music is dedicated to non-religious subject matter. It is not necessarily forbidden during religious service, but you have to confirm with your house of worship that your chosen music is approved.

Examples of secular wedding music are:

“At Last” (Etta James)

“Only Time” (Enya)

“Come Away With Me” (Norah Jones)

“Appalachia Waltz” (Yo-Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer, Mark O’Connor)

“Unforgettable” (Nat King Cole and Natalie Cole)

“It’s Only Time” (Magnetic Fields)

“The Look of Love” (Dionne Warwick/Burt Bacharach)

“The Vow” (Jeremy Lubbock)

“Come What May” (Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor)

“Storybook Love” from the movie “The Princess Bride” (Willy DeVille)

“Wedding Processional” (from The Sound of Music) (Richard Rodgers