Help With Ceremony Music

JudeG20

Hi Ladies,
I was hoping you ladies could help me out. I am getting married in SFL on 04/28/2012 and I need some Ideas for Ceremony music. We are looking for modern Contemporary Secular music. Any suggestions?

TIA

FaithCaitlin

Ladies, this is one of my SoFla girls-- I'd appreciate any help you can give her regarding music. Her church is being pretty strict. Anything you can suggest would make me smile! Thanks!!

JudeG20

Thank you Faith!

fpaemp2011

What restrictions has your church given you?  Here's our list of music from our ceremony and reception.  It's all Christian, but it's modern.  If you're looking for instrumental music without lyrics, look up Vitamin String Quartet on iTunes.

Love Never Fails- Brandon Heath
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nQy-aP_Koo

Marriage Prayer- John Waller
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4_sfgjRcfI

When I Say I Do- Matthew West
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ui_FcYlI_NU

Hold You Up- Matthew West
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTOQX-gWtus

Waiting For You- Matthew West
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkGDRiZYX64

The Day Before You- Matthew West
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fn2H0ZjIguU

Wouldn't Change a Thing- Matthew West
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnazuajjGr0&feature=related

A Page Is Turned- Bebo Norman
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxxFGRLDFX0

Hundred More Years- Francesca Battistelli
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0Uz51NJJxM

Worth It- Francesca Battistelli
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AunpKZ0vIdk

Dancing in the Minefields- Andrew Peterson
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Gs3fg_WsEg

Lead Me- Sanctus Real
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLr6G8Xy5uc

Light of Day- Jimmy Needham
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwHGK-PS8Kw

Unfailing Love (Kelly's Song)- Jimmy Needham
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oK4jdexjgz4

Love Is Not a Fight (Worth Fighting For)- Warren Barfield
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwK73QbNPKo

God Gave Me You- Dave Barnes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hQK6GIrpYU

DramaGeek

The guidelines the church has given would be really helpful, as well as your personal preferences.  You say you want contemporary secular music, but most churches don't allow that if they're being strict.

JudeG20

Sorry ladies. Ijust notice I mean non-secular. I kept writing secular and kep forgettign the non part.

DramaGeek

Again, more info about the type of music you want would help us narrow it down.  do you want instrumental, things with lyrics?  Slow, fast, rock, pop, jazz?  Does it have to be inately Christian or does it just need to be non-offensive?  Did the church give you a list of recommended or approved songs that would help guide us in the right direction?

JudeG20

I would like them to be instrumental. slow and the church has asked for the songs to be strictly Christian. No the church has not given us guidelines at all only that they can not be secular.  I have had a hard time getting a hold of the director of music in the church and I finally did today and he said we could not use the selections we had in mind it could only be sacred music

DramaGeek

That must be so frustrating to not get any guidelines from the church.

As far as the music, I always think of sacred music as things like Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring.  If that's what they want, you'll need to stick with more classical stuff.  If contemporary Christian is ok, there are a lot of great songs that can be found in instrumental versions.  My brain isn't functioning well enough right now to think of songs but I'll work on it :-)  I know the other ladies on here have tons of ideas too.

BekahL90

You can find beautiful instrumental arrangements of many hymns and other Christian worship songs. You just have to look around a little bit. Go to a music store and see what they have, or look around a bit online. 

fpaemp2011

You can also go to a Christian bookstore (Lifeway, Family Christian Stores, cbd.com, etc) and look through their accompaniment tracks.  They'll have the instrumental version of the song.

CBD's Tracks: http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/easy_find?Ntt=accompaniment+tracks&N=0&Ntk=keywords&action=Search&Ne=
0&event=ESRCQ&nav_search=1&cms=1

sessionswedding

I would clarify with the church to be sure, but I always thought that "sacred music" meant hymns, etc.

Bett2012

We're doing Great is Thy Faithfulness (hymn) on piano only and then a band with our relatives along with the piano for O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing (David Crowder), Our God is Greater (Chris Tomlin), In Christ Alone (Newsboys) and Today I Choose (Brian Doerkson).

Good luck choosing

DramaGeek

If it needs to be classics or hymns, I really love 

Morning Has Broken (I actually thought about walking down the aisle to this)

All Things Bright and Beautiful

Be Thou My Vision

How Great Thou Art

Ode To Joy

The Prayer

Great is Thy Faithfulness

Here are some websites that might help

http://www.stjohnsfortworth.com/documents/Marriage%20Customary/Sacred%20Music%20Repertoire%20for%20Weddings.pdf

http://www.wednet.com/wedding-music/wedding-articles/finding-wedding-music

http://www.the-wedding-information-site.com/sacred-wedding-music.html

http://www.sacredmusiccentre.com.au/smc/listen.html

JudeG20

Thank you ladies for all the suggestions. I am goingt o look into them

drama1308

I got all my music from this website. It's run by a family friend and his uncle. It's worth a try.

ETA: oh hey, it looks like the link didn't work here's the link http://www.weddingmusicproject.com/#all

I think you will find it helpful

naomikb

We went through our hymn book and picked some of our favourites.  We used:
- Beautiful Savior
- Blest Are They
- Let There Be Peace
- Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring
- Laudate Dominum

Another good one is In Christ Alone.