Music during ceremony help!

groomguy87

My fiancee and I are getting married in May and having a Christian ceremony outdoors.  We decided that we would like the song "Great is Thy Faithfulness" to be done during the ceremony but due to the outdoor set-up having someone lead it and everyone sing along would be too difficult.  Instead we are just going to have a recorded version play and allow everyone to listen to the song, but we are trying to decide between two different versions:

Option 1 is by Chris Rice:   https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0k1WhFtVp0o

Option 2 is by Israel Houghton and New Breed:  https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-jJDnummQ8w

Basically I'm wondering what some of your thoughts are on if a particular version would be better suited for the ceremony.  I dont want something too slow but fiancee also doesnt want something "poppy" which is how she described the Israel Houghton version.  Would appreciate any feedback!

southernbelle0915

Definitely #1.

It almost sounds like you wanted this as a hymn, but since you're outside, there aren't hymnals so you just want to play it during the ceremony? It's 4 min 40 seconds. That's a really long time for people to just sit there and listen to a song. Like awkwardly long.

I suggest having this as your processional song and/or recessional song. Or play it while people are being seated. Or during a unity ceremony or something. Just during something so people aren't just sitting there awkwardly for almost 5 minutes.

groomguy87

That's a good tip, thanks.  I think we'll play it while people are being seated and just do another reading during the ceremony instead.

Knottie35551595

How did it work out. I will copy your idea since we also have an outdoors ceremony. I was also thinking about Ave Maria since my Fiance is catholic