MAKING YOUR BIG DAY EXTRA SPECIAL
Church Wedding Ceremony
The song options are sorted below by the different stages of the wedding ceremony. If you have a favourite that is not included then do not hesitate to ask and Catherine will be happy to learn that song.
The processional music starts as soon as the first person in the bridal party enters the church and is played until the priest greets the couple and the Bride and Groom are sitting in their seats and the mass is ready to begin.
The following songs are popular choices for this section of the wedding ceremony:
- In a Country Church Yard
- She moved through the fair
- You raise me up
- The first time ever I saw your face
- To make you feel my love
- At last
- The vow
- The best
- I get to love you
- A thousand years
- All of me
- How long will I love you
- Songbird
- Can't help falling in love with you
The bride(s)/groom(s) each light a candle representing themselves. This generally takes about 20 – 30 seconds so an instrumental piece of music is ideal. Alternatively a verse of a song works also.
The following songs are popular choices for the 'Responsorial Psalm' section of the wedding ceremony:
- Hear I am Lord
- Song of Ruth (wherever you go)
- Only in God
- Set your heart on the higher gifts
- Corinthian song (love is patient)
- Eagles wings
- Mo grathu
- The Lord is my shepherd
- As the deer pants
- Wherever you go
The following songs are popular choices for the 'Offertory' section of the wedding ceremony:
- Take Lord receive
- Amazing grace
- Ag criost an siol
- In bread we bring you Lord
- Take our bread
- Servant song
Sign of Peace:
- Peace perfect peace
- Shalom, my friend
- Just give me your hand, tabhair dom do lámh
- I wish you peace
- Instrumental
- May it be
Ideally at communion you should stick to liturgical music. You will need to pick one possibly two hymns depending on the number of guests receiving holy communion. I always think its best to pick two just to be on the safe side.
The following songs are popular choices for the 'Communion' section of the wedding ceremony:
- Ave Maria
- Lord you have my heart
- One bread, one cup
- The prayer
- Amazing Grace
- Shout to the Lord
- God in the planning
- Oceans (where feet may fail)
- You are mine
- As I kneel before you
- Make me a channel of your peace
- Bind us together Lord
- Christ be beside me
- Morning has broken
- Bless the Lord
- Christ in me arise
- Wherever you go ( i will go)
- Be still for the presence of the Lord
- Golden Rose
- Pie Jesu
- Pains Angelicus
- Be thou my vision
- Only a shadow
This is the stage where the couple sign the legal marriage documents, and as the mass part is over, generally there is more flexibility regarding song choice. Normally for the signing of the civil register you can pick a variety of songs (within reason). You will need to pick two songs, possibly three at this point. However depending on how many pictures the photographer takes inside the church there may only be time to play one song
The following songs are popular choices for the 'Signing of the Civil Register' section of the wedding ceremony:
- The rose
- The voyage
- Somewhere only know
- How long will I love you (Ellie Goulding)
- Heaven (Brian Adams)
- I'll always love you ( not the Whitney song)
- Everything I do (I do it for you)
- That's what friends are for
- Never enough - greatest showman
- All I want is you (U2)
- I won't give up (Jason mraz)
- Tenerife sea (ed sheeran)
- Fallen (from pretty women)
- We've only just begun ( Carpenters)
- To make you feel my love (Bob Dylan, Adele)
- Footprints in the sand (Leona Lewis)
- Songbird (Fleetwoodmac and Eva Cassidy) I can't help falling in love with you
- I get to love you
- The light catches your face
- Chasing cars
- Look after you (The fray)
- When I see you smile
- When you say nothing at all
- From this moment
- Diamond
- Your song (Elton John)
- Fields of gold (Eva Cassidy Version)
- Isn't she lovely
- God only knows
- In my life
- Where ever you will go (the calling)
- What a wonderful world
- You make it real for me
- When I fall in love
- Perfect moment
- Endless love
- I say a little prayer
- Time after time
- Blowers Daughter
- The dance
- Come away with me
- Feels like home
- More than words
- Caledonia
- Falling slowly
- The water is wide
- Still the one (Shania Twain)
- I'm yours
- You do something to me (Paul Weller)
- Circle of life
- Luckiest (Ben Folds)
- Love changes everything
- You belong to me (jason wade)
- Come what may
- You make it real (James Morrison)
- Man & Wife
- Moon river
- Kentish town waltz
- You light up my life
- Here we stand (wedding song)
- All of me (Blake)
- This I promise you (Ronan Keating)
- On top of the world (Carpenters)
- I wont let go (Rascal Flatts)
- Higher love (James Vincent McMorrow version)
- Raglan road Bright blue rose
- Down to the river to pray
- I watch the sunrise
- You raise me up
- Red is the rose
- Clouds of veil
The bridal party exit! I find for the recessional / exit, it is best to stick to an upbeat song. The following songs are popular choices for the 'Recessional' section of the wedding ceremony:
- Oh happy day
- I wanna love you (Bob Marley)
- All works out (riptide movement)
- Wings
- My girl
- Signed sealed delivered
- For once in my life
- Take my Hand (Picture this)
- Higher and higher
- Hold back the river (James Bay)
- Next to me (Emelia Sande)
- This will be an everlasting love
- Shine silently
- Thank you (Dido)
- The Greatest day (Take that)
- I’m yours
- One day like this (Elbow)
- Perfect Day
- Walking on sunshine
- Hey day
- Love is all around us
- Sky full of stars (Coldplay)
- Happy together
- Rather be (Clean Bandit)
- You're my best friend (Queen)
- Everywhere (Fleetwood Mac)
- Lovely Day
- Shotgun
- Dreams (Cranberries)
Christmas is such a lovely time of year to get married, and if you have chosen this time of year to get wed, you might want to add some Christmas hymns and songs to add to the festivity:
- Silent night
- Angels we have heard on high
- Mary did you know
- Oh Holy night
- Away in a manger
- The first Noel
- God rest ye merry gentlemen
- Once in Royal Davids city
- Hark the herald angels sing
- It came upon a midnight clear
- The little drummer boy
- Marys boychild (long time ago in bethlehem)
- Oh come all ye faithful
- Joy to the world.
- A wiseman came travelling (in the tune of Chris de Burg's 'a spaceman came travelling')