How to choose the repertoire for a religious wedding ceremony

This article is dedicated to all couples who are preparing their wedding ceremony in a religious setting.

Clarification: For couples organizing their wedding in Spain with the help of a wedding planner, these are usually the main moments in which music is included during the ceremony:

Bridal entrance
Lighting of candles
Communion (if included)
Signing of the register and recessional

All other musical moments are optional.

When I begin preparing a repertoire with a couple who have hired my music for their wedding day, I am often asked the same questions: Which moments should include music? and What kind of music is appropriate for each moment?

Before looking at ceremony outlines from other weddings, adding music where it is unnecessary, or choosing pieces that are unsuitable due to their style or length, I suggest first answering the following questions:

Is it a full Mass (traditional ceremony) or a shorter ceremony (without offertory and communion)?
Is the priest happy for music of a different style from traditional religious music to be played?

The first question determines how many musical moments the ceremony will include. The second is essential in order to know whether we can choose “alternative” pieces to traditional religious music, such as pop ballads or film soundtracks.

This second point is no joke 😊. It is extremely important to make sure that the priest agrees with the use of pop or non-religious music, to avoid last-minute surprises just before the wedding. Most priests are open to this, and if they are not, it is usually quite easy to explain: the music is instrumental, and even if the piece originates from pop music, there will be no inappropriate or profane lyrics. In addition, my musical style for wedding ceremonies is always melodic and gentle -there are no intrusive sounds such as drums – so the result is respectful and suitable for a religious setting.

However, some venues are much stricter when it comes to music choice, particularly cathedrals and main city churches. For example, at the Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba I have always performed exclusively religious music. At Málaga Cathedral, despite the couple assuring me that the priest had approved the repertoire, I arrived to find that no non-religious music was permitted.

Note: This is why it is important to have an experienced professional in charge of the music. If situations like this arise, the repertoire must be adjusted confidently in the final minutes before the ceremony.

Musical Moments of the Ceremony

Once these two questions have been resolved, we can choose the pieces for the ceremony. Over the years I have learned that music must fit perfectly with each moment and, above all, should never unnecessarily prolong the ceremony. These are the moments in which music will make your ceremony even more beautiful and unforgettable:

1. Groom’s Entrance – Groomsmen or Guests’ Arrival

Examples of frequently requested pieces: Time To Say Goodbye (A. Bocelli / F. Sartori), Now We Are Free (Gladiator), Passacaglia by Boccherini (Master & Commander), For the Love of a Princess (Braveheart), Game of Thrones Main Title (ballad version), All of Me (John Legend), Perfect (Ed Sheeran), Aria (J. S. Bach), My Enchanted Heart (Dragon Ball)…

2. Bridal Entrance

This is the most important moment of the ceremony. For me, as a performer, it is the key moment of the wedding – just as it is for the bride. Together with the bride, we clarify the following points, which directly affect the timing of the entrance:

Is the church small, medium, or large?
Will flower girls or/and page boys walk in front of the bride? How many and how old are they?
How many bridesmaides will will walk in front of the bride?
Is the dress particularly voluminous?

The size of the church gives a basic idea of how long the piece should be. If flower girls or/and page boys are walking in front of the bride, the music must be longer – small children may hesitate, get nervous, drop the rings, or stop altogether… we have to plan for every possibility 😊. Also, we need to keep in mind that each bridesmaid will need their own time for the entrance.

The dress is also important: a voluminous gown may slow the bride’s pace, and once she reaches the altar, additional time may be needed to arrange the dress before sitting down.

Once these three aspects are clear, we choose a piece that can be adapted to the exact duration of the walk. Some pieces are very flexible, while others are more rigid and may become too long, in which case I would not recommend them.

Examples: Canon (J. Pachelbel), wedding marches (F. Mendelssohn or R. Wagner), A Thousand Years (Christina Perri), Perfect (Ed Sheeran), Time to Say Goodbye (A. Bocelli / F. Sartori)…

After the piece has been chosen, I send the bride a sample audio via WhatsApp so she can rehearse her entrance during her visit to the church and better calculate timing.

3. Candle Lighting

This moment may take place immediately after the bride arrives at the altar or at another point during the ceremony. The couple approaches the altar to light two individual candles, which will later —after the vows— be joined into a single candle as a symbol of their union.

It is recommended to choose one or two soft, romantic musical pieces to accompany this moment. If the candle lighting follows directly after the bride’s entrance, the same song may continue without a pause.

4. Alleluia

This moment takes place between the readings and the Gospel. To know exactly when to play, I need to know whether there is one reading, a reading and a psalm, or two readings and a psalm. After this, the Alleluia is played while the priest prepares to proclaim the Gospel.

At this point, the piece must be an Alleluia.

Examples: Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen), Taizé Alleluia, Alleluia by J. Sinclair…

This moment is very short, lasting approximately 45-75 seconds.

5. Optional Moment: Background Music During the Vows (also suitable for Candle Lightning)

If the couple wishes, soft background music can be played while rings and vows are exchanged. For this to work, the couple must use microphones so their voices are clearly heard above the music. The music must remain extremely subtle.

Examples: Aria (J. S. Bach), Nuvole Bianche (L. Einaudi), River Flows in You (Yiruma), Cinema Paradiso Love Theme (E. Morricone), Unchained Melody (A. North), I Will Always Love You (D. Parton), Flower Duet (L. Delibes), Adagio (T. Albinoni / R. Giazotto)…

6. Offertory

After the prayers of the faithful, the priest prepares the Eucharist. At this point, a relatively short piece related to the moment can be played. Religious music is recommended.

Examples: Lord, You Have Come to the Seashore (short version, C. Gabaráin), Gabriel’s Oboe (The Mission, E. Morricone), Amazing Grace (John Newton), Lascia ch’io pianga (G. F. Händel), Aria (excerpt, J. S. Bach)…

7. Optional Moment: The Sign of Peace

During the exchange of peace, there is a brief moment that allows for a short musical excerpt, provided it can be easily shortened if necessary.

Examples: Imagine (John Lennon), Flower Duet (L. Delibes), Adagio (T. Albinoni / R. Giazotto)…

8. Communion

This is the main musical moment of the ceremony, as it includes a longer period of silence. Here we can choose a longer piece to cover the entire communion and, if possible, the following moment of reflection.

Examples: Ave Maria (F. Schubert), Lord, You Have Come to the Seashore (long version), Ave Maria (G. Caccini / V. Vavilov), Ave Maria (C. Gounod), Amazing Grace (John Newton), Meditation from Thaïs (J. Massenet), Here I Am, Lord (D. Schutte)…

I always recommend that couples choose a backup piece, as it is impossible to know whether only a few people or everyone will receive communion.

9. End of the Mass – Signing of the Register

After the dismissal (“Go in peace”), the couple and witnesses sign the register. This is a joyful moment that invites a solemn and uplifting piece.

Examples: Life Is Beautiful (N. Piovani), wedding marches, Time to Say Goodbye (A. Bocelli / F. Sartori), All of Me (John Legend), Bitter Sweet Symphony (The Verve), Beauty and the Beast (A. Menken), Photograph (Ed Sheeran), Concerning Hobbits (Howard Shore)…

Family and friends usually take photos near the altar afterwards, so I normally suggest choosing one or two additional pieces to accompany this moment.

10. Exit from the Church – Recessional

For this moment, I position myself near the church entrance and accompany your exit from halfway down the aisle. As this takes place outside the building, I can play something more upbeat and with greater volume to enhance the joyful moment when guests throw rice or confetti.

Examples: Marry You (Bruno Mars), Viva la Vida (Coldplay), A Sky Full of Stars (Coldplay), wedding marches, Wildest Dreams (Bridgerton – T. Swift), Bitter Sweet Symphony (The Verve), Life Is Beautiful (N. Piovani)…

I hope this article serves as a helpful “instruction manual” at any stage of planning your special day.

Short excerpts of all the pieces mentioned above can be found at repertoire.laviolinista.es, using the search function to locate each title individually.

If you have any further questions, I will be happy to assist you via email: info@laviolinista.es

How to choose the repertoire for a religious wedding ceremony

Compartir en: