Wedding Vows & Ceremony Discussions

How do people feel about the bridal march?

I am currently thinking that I want to walk down the aisle to "Here comes the bride" but I am worried that most people don't like it.  I'm not sure where I came up with that idea, but I just wanted to get some opinions.  Does anyone walk down the aisle to the bridal march nowadays?

Also, I've read that the song is considred by some to be anti semitic.  My fiance's grandmothers are catholic and go to church every weekend, do you think they would be offended?

Thanks!

Re: How do people feel about the bridal march?

  • I don't like it for myself but I have no problem with another bride walking down the aisle to it.  If you like it, that's all that matters.  I am Catholic and never get offended by that song.

    Anti-Semetic is a little extreme, but the story is something about the guy who wrote the Bridal march was anti-religion... something like that.  Anyway, that's where that whole business stems from.
  • yes, jennylove, that's what I meant, the person who wrote it was antisemetic (at least according to wikipedia)... I guess secular is a better term to describe the song.  my bad...
  • megk8ozmegk8oz member
    First Comment
    edited March 2010
    I know that Wagner (The composer) himself offends certain people, and by extension so does his music.

    Personally, I don't think about things like a composer's life views. If a song is pretty, I like it. If it's not, I don't. I'm pretty simple on that front.

    If you like it, and the place you have your ceremony allows it, then use it! I usually don't give the "It's your day, of course you can do what you want!" advice, but in the case of what a girl walks down the aisle to, I really think that as long as a piece is allowed, you can use what you want.

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  • I'm a church organist, and more brides request Wagner's Bridal March than anything else I play.  I've never seen anyone get up and leave because of the music a couple used.

    If you and your FI want the piece, use it.

    FWIW:  It's from the opera Lohengrin which is a secular opera.  That's reason #1 that some churches don't allow it.  Richard Wagner was fiercely anti-semetic and that's the other reason that people don't want to use it.

    I think music is music, and someone's politics really don't, for me, have a bearing on whether a piece of music is good or bad.  It's music.
    "Trix, it's what they/our parents wanted. Why so judgemental? And why is your wedding date over a year and a half ago? And why do you not have a groom's name? And why have you posted over 12,000 posts? And why do you always say mean things to brides?" palegirl146
  • If it's the song you want and the church allows it I see no reason why you shouldn't have it! It's your day and I think everyone in that church will be there to see you and wish you well, not to obsess over your song choice :) 
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  • I'm using it to walk down the aisle.  We aren't getting married in a church, so we could pick whatever we wanted, and I decided I wanted to be more traditional. 
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  • I didn't want to use it because I felt that it's too cliche. I felt that there were a ton more options out there to pick from, and cliche/political issues aside I just don't care for that tune very much ... I think there are prettier songs out there.

    But I can't imagine people being offended by it. The important thing is that YOU like it.
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  • The Bridal March isn't on the approved list for my Catholic church's music list but that doesn't mean when I hear it I would be offended, nor would my grandmother who's a devoted Catholic.  My personal opinion though...its overplayed and just so run-of-the-mill.
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  •  know this doesn't make Wagner a nice person, but Heisenberg was a Nazi and we still use his uncertainty principle. 

  • For me, it felt WAY to cliche. But I'm doing Pachebel's (spellling?) Canon in D, which if you don't know is very traditional, so who am I to talk, haha
  • I agree with StageManager. I doubt that anyone will even know the history behind the song. Heck, I didn't even know all of this!

    I'm using Trumpet Voluntary by Clarke. It's still pretty traditional (my mom walked down the aisle to it) but it's not as cliche as the wedding march. I just feel like I sang the Wedding March when I played dress-up when I was five. That might actually make some people want to use it more, but I feel like it's too traditional, if that's possible.
  • Jews typically don't use it, because Wagner was the official musician of the Third Reich.  You really don't want an older relative having a flashback to the concentration camps during your wedding!  And even younger ones typically would know the history.

    Catholics typically don't use it, because it is secular music.
  • In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_ceremony-ideas_people-feel-bridal-march?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:10Discussion:5c118e45-edf6-4963-9ad2-2c435fb0fc79Post:3211d232-7823-430a-a028-0e6a41579990">Re: How do people feel about the bridal march?</a>:
    [QUOTE] know this doesn't make Wagner a nice person, but Heisenberg was a Nazi and we still use his uncertainty principle. 
    Posted by jenn.daniel[/QUOTE]

    You're not really saying you don't understand the difference between using a known scientific theory and consciously choosing to use one piece of music, when there are literally millions of other pieces that will also do the job. Are you?
  • In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_ceremony-ideas_people-feel-bridal-march?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:10Discussion:5c118e45-edf6-4963-9ad2-2c435fb0fc79Post:f1df343c-5e51-48fb-a943-3cd282916f9a">Re: How do people feel about the bridal march?</a>:
    [QUOTE]In Response to Re: How do people feel about the bridal march? : You're not really saying you don't understand the difference between using a known scientific theory and consciously choosing to use one piece of music, when there are literally millions of other pieces that will also do the job. Are you?
    Posted by tenofcups4me[/QUOTE]

    I'm saying I can still appreciate the artistic worth of his music despite the fact that I dislike him as a person.  Plenty of people go to UVA despite the fact that it was founded by a slave owner (Jefferson), and there are plenty of other universities out there.  Just my opinion.
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