Congratulations on your engagement! This is a really exciting time in your life. It’s also probably going to be a bit stressful.
During this next year, I want to walk through this process with you. I’ll give you a 12 Month Guide to planning your wedding and explain things along the way. You can start from the beginning here (click). Come back to this blog each week for the next installment.
Week 38 – Ceremony Music
Hope you don’t have too many paper cuts from the stationary and thank you notes! This week we’re leaving the tactile things behind as we look at something completely different – ceremony music. I’m dividing the music up because it will be easier to focus on one category at a time…and sometimes it can be surprisingly difficult to find a final selection of songs to include.
For the ceremony, you should have at least four songs. The Prelude is for what guests are being seated. The Pre-Processional is when family members (grandparents and parents) are being seated. The Processional is when the wedding party walks down the aisle to the alter. The Recessional is when the bridal party walks back up the aisle away from the alter.
It’s a good idea to try and stick with a theme of music so everything is cohesive and fits with the overall wedding. If you’re having an elegant and traditional wedding you will probably want classical music. If you have a church wedding, you may want hymns. If your wedding is anything but traditional, you might include some fun songs that were important to you as a couple.
If you want to have a traditional wedding but are looking for a bit of flair, consider making the recessional music something different. Some brides have even made it a fun surprise for the groom. It’s amazing how much the Trumpet Involuntary can sound like one of the songs from Star Wars. We actually used a really pretty song from How to Train Your Dragon (husband was a graphic design major and LOVES that movie).
You’re also more than welcome to add more songs to the list. Perhaps you want the guests to join you in singing a song. Maybe you want to have a unity candle and want to add music to fill the silence. Do what you need to, but let the music set the tone and reflect the mood you want at that point in time.
Hope you enjoy some great tune. Don’t be afraid to dance a little while you listen. Everybody has such different tastes and it’s always neat to see what people selected. What are you playing during your ceremony?
Next week we’ll plan the reception music!
Katelyn is a certified wedding planner. She is available for consultations.
She will even meet with you on Skype to help you work through part of your wedding planning.
Click here for more information.