Catholic Weddings

Music question...

I've only been to one wedding before, and it wasn't a Catholic wedding. my question is, for a catholic wedding, what song does the bride walk down the aisle to? What about the wedding party? The wedding coordinator from our parish hasnt discussed music with us yet.

Re: Music question...

  • doctabroccolidoctabroccoli member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    There isn't really ONE song in particular.  Different parishes allow different things, so don't get your heart set on something until you've discussed it with the coordinator.  That being said, classical pieces are typically allowed.  You could also walk down the aisle to a standard mass opening hymn.
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  • ootmother2ootmother2 member
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    edited December 2011
    Your music can depend on your diocese or even your priest.

    This is what we used:

    Seating of the Mothers: Hail Mary, Gentle Woman (Landry)

    Bridal Pary: Canon in D (Pachelbel)

    Enterance of the Bride: Bridal March (Wagner)

    Offertory: The Wedding Song ( (Stockey)

    Communion: Irish Wedding Song (Traditional)

    Recessional: Wedding March (Mendelssohn) & Trumpet Voluntary (Purcell)

    HTH
  • edited December 2011
    You should talk with the person who is doing the music for your ceremony -- the music director or other musician. They are in the best position to work through all of that stuff with you. We used contemporary music, but most ladies find that classic music is fine at their parishes. Most/many ladies are also not able to use "Here Comes the Bride" (the Wagner wedding song).
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  • MobKazMobKaz member
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    edited December 2011
    http://catholicweddinghelp.com/wedding-planning/07-choose-music.htm

    You may find this website helpful in your initial search.

    Musical selections, as well as what is allowed, vary from parish to parish.  Typically, the songs need to be liturgically approved, but some contemporary and/or secular music may be allowed.  As others have suggested, check with the musical ministry in your parish.
  • HandBananaHandBanana member
    First Anniversary First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Definitely have a discussion with your organist and the coordinates weddings at your church to find out what they allow and what he/she can play.

    Most Catholic churchs do not allow modern pop culture music so do not get your heart set on dancing down the aisle to Chris Brown which is completely understandable.
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  • edited December 2011
    Thank you all so much for your help!!
  • allegratreeallegratree member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    We are using the March from Ode for St. Cecilia's Day by Handel for our Procession.  It's not at all common, and as it was originally written for orchestra, there are only a couple or three organ transcriptions of it.

    Please do not ask for the Wagner Bridal March in the Catholic Church.  Your musician (and most likely your priest as well) will thank you.  That is if it's not already forbidden by your diocese.
  • edited December 2011
    Yep its forbidden. That was the first thing we were told when we signed up to get married at our parish. Didnt matter though, because we never intended to use the wedding march song.
  • edited December 2011
    I was surprised that the Wagner piece was forbidden, but I had already chosen a religious processional: The Church's One Foundation

    I guess I'll choose more music if they make me, but right now all I know we need is 1 processional. The tune for that hymn is nice and steady. I always liked it as the processional when I sang in a vest choir, as I have trouble with rhythm.
  • allegratreeallegratree member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    The reason it's forbidden is that it's from an opera, which makes it essentially secular music, which is a big no-no in Catholic weddings.  In the opera, it does not accompany the procession to the altar, but rather to the bridal chamber (and the marriage between the two main characters, Lohengrin and Elsa, is a failure).  

    The popular Wedding March by Mendelssohn is also from an opera, "A Midsummer Night's Dream," but in this case it is incidental music.

    The Church's One Foundation is a fine piece of music.  But if you're getting married in the Catholic Church, you'll need more than just a processional.
  • edited December 2011
    Oh, I have the rest of the music chosen, even the preludes and postlude. The OP seemed to just ask re: processional. I know some people have 2 processionals, but I don't think I need 2 for my small church and small wedding party. Father will tell me in time, though.
  • allegratreeallegratree member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    I personally dislike 2 Processionals.  I admire your decision to only have 1, as we are.  It seems like everyone defaults to having separate ones for the bridal party and the bride.
  • edited December 2011
    Actually, if I had my way, the clergy would process as for a normal Mass, and the whole bridal party, not just the males, would already be standing at the front. But I bow to custom.
  • ootmother2ootmother2 member
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    edited December 2011
    The pastor & music director didn't have any problem with some secular music as long as it was tasteful
  • allegratreeallegratree member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011

    Unfortunately, there is not uniformity across every parish as far as what goes and what does not in regard to wedding music.  There used to be, prior to the age when brides began to plan their wedding music based on what they see in movies/television or hear on the radio.  My rule of thumb, as a church music director, is that if you wouldn't use it at Sunday Mass, then it doesn't belong period.  We have to remember that the Wedding Mass (or prayer service) is a sacred act that is taking place in God's house and only sacred music is truly appropriate.  I tell couples that they can have Josh Groban (or whatever else) at their wedding Mass if the parish choir can come and sing "Be Not Afraid" at the wedding dance.  There is a time and a place for each.

    I'm not trying to belittle your music selections, I'm just giving my professional opinion on things.  The Vatican gives us official documents on things like this that dictate how it is to be done.  Technically it isn't up to the priest to decide what is appropriate, since the documents already tell us what is; unfortunately there are too many priests that either don't have a clue, don't care, or have their own agenda.

  • ootmother2ootmother2 member
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    edited December 2011
    The Vatican hasn't issued anything about using Wagner in a wedding.

    It's simply a beautiful and tragic opera with dramatic music.  Have yous seen Loengrin?  It's a pretty heavy opera to start out with but it's quite impressive.
  • agapecarrieagapecarrie member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its Combo Breaker First Comment
    edited December 2011
    The rome documents do indeed say no secular music should be used at mass.
  • allegratreeallegratree member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011

    As far as I know, the Vatican has never singled out a particular piece of music--Wagner or otherwise--as inappropriate.  But we have already established that the Wagner does come from an opera (a bedroom scene, no less), which is secular music.  Every bit as secular as Eminem or Lady Gaga, just from a different time.  That fact alone makes it--and everything else from opera, Broadway, movies, television, the Top 40, etc--outright inappropriate for Catholic weddings.  Refer to Sing to the Lord, paragraph 220, and also paragraphs 126-136.

    This is why many dioceses have outright forbidden the use of certain secular wedding traditions and practices, including the Wagner Bridal March, the Mendelssohn Wedding March (to a lesser degree), the sand ceremony, and yes, in some cases, even the unity candle.

  • ootmother2ootmother2 member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its First Answer Name Dropper
    edited December 2011
    What the diocese says is cleared with the church, is cleared with the church

    Anyone with a problem with that should speak to the monsignor or both
  • allegratreeallegratree member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    I'm sorry, but I think you might be misunderstanding me.  I'm not talking about your parish church.  I am talking about the larger Catholic Church as a whole.  I am a church music director, and I encourage you to read the document ("Sing to the Lord") that I mentioned previously.  It can be downloaded for free online.  This, along with the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) come directly from the Vatican and the USCCB.  They are among the official and authoritative resources on Church music, including weddings, and are the documents by which ALL priests, bishops, music directors, liturgists, and laity are expected to abide.  Not only do they tell us the rules that we are to follow, they also help us to gain a fuller understanding of why we do what we do at Mass, and the significance of what we say and sing.Smile 
  • allegratreeallegratree member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    @Elisabeth, that is actually fairly close to what is preferred for the Procession in the Catholic Rite of Marriage.  I'll have to consult with the official book when I'm in the office this week, but I believe it says that the couple (yes, the couple together) along with their attendants process to the front, either preceded or followed by the Priest, servers, and other ministers.  This takes the emphasis off the bride (no, it is not just her day), and instead places it on the couple and the Sacrament they are about to enter together.  The Rite does give some flexibility in this, though, to also allow for whatever is the local custom.  But I do applaud your thinking on that!
  • agapecarrieagapecarrie member
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    edited December 2011
    allegratree   PM
  • lalaith50lalaith50 member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its First Comment Name Dropper
    edited December 2011
    In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_catholic-weddings_music-question?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Cultural%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:615Discussion:4e417c92-f87f-4d82-a039-3fdfe7168f42Post:21f55d9f-be55-4e7f-b950-c7f944dd1b2e">Re: Music question...</a>:
    [QUOTE]I'm sorry, but I think you might be misunderstanding me.  I'm not talking about your parish church.  I am talking about the larger Catholic Church as a whole.  I am a church music director, and I encourage you to read the document ("Sing to the Lord") that I mentioned previously.  It can be downloaded for free online.  This, along with the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) come directly from the Vatican and the USCCB.  They are among the official and authoritative resources on Church music, including weddings, and are the documents by which ALL priests, bishops, music directors, liturgists, and laity are expected to abide.  Not only do they tell us the rules that we are to follow, they also help us to gain a fuller understanding of why we do what we do at Mass, and the significance of what we say and sing.  
    Posted by allegratree[/QUOTE]<div>true in principal, unfortunately not always true in practice! ;-)</div><div>

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