The Best Catholic Wedding Ceremony Songs

What are the best Catholic wedding ceremony songs?

The most important thing to do when planning music for a Catholic wedding ceremony is to consult with your local diocese. They will be able to give you guidelines as to what music is acceptable. Since the Catholic church allows some decisions about music played during Catholic ceremonies, it is better to ask first rather than assume and be sorry later. We have listed a few questions you will want to ask.

Can we use secular music?

According to Music in Catholic Worship, "Liturgical music should always express the Paschal Mystery theme (MCW #23). Secular songs are not appropriate at any time during the sacramental rites. The function of liturgical music is ministerial; it must serve and never dominate. Music should assist the assembled believers to express and share the gift of faith that is within them and to nourish and strengthen their interior commitment of faith (MCW #82)."

For that reason, most Catholic churches will not allow secular music during the wedding ceremony. Some will accept it as part of the prelude, others will not. Then again, a few churches have begun to allow some secular music during weddings. This dictate will not affect the type of music played at the reception.

Can we use recorded music?

Again, this answer will vary from church to church. According to Liturgical Music Today, "the liturgy is a complexus of signs expressed by living human beings." As such, voices and instruments of the gathered assembly should not be replaced by recorded music. However, some churches will allow recorded music during the prelude and postlude. Again, this dictate will not affect the type of music played at the reception.

Can we use Wagner's "Bridal Chorus" or Mendelsshon's "Wedding March?

These two songs have caused such a debate and so controversial that it is now up to the local Ordinary (head of the diocese) whether or not they can be used. In the 1930s, these pieces were placed on the black list by the Society of Saint Gregory. We have seen every possible excuse as to why they are forbidden including:

1. This instrumental piece originated from theatrical, operatic repertoire and are connected to stories of fantasy, murder, sex, and other pagan elements.
2. This secular opera portrays marriage in a way that differs from the Church's understanding.
3. The impression created by this piece is that the focus is on the bride alone.

What hymns are recommended?

The Catholic church strong believe that weddings should encourage participation of the guests. Therefore, the majority of music should be sung by all attending, not by a soloist.

Can we include the Unity Candle as part of our ceremony?

This is another item that varies from church to church. Some dioceses believe that this ritual is a "commercial product that is not a part of the Church's rite of marriage" and it "detracts from the flow of the rich symbolism in the marriage rite." Of course, other churches allow it.

Can we hire our own musician or organist for the ceremony?

Many parishes have contractual arrangements with an organist and/or parish musicians. It is best to consult with the priest before making any arrangements.

Once you have gotten these issues out of the way, you can begin planning the music for the ceremony. There are several segments during a Catholic wedding that you will need to choose music for including:

• Prelude: The period when guests are being seated before the ceremony begins.
• Processional: The processional is defined as the period when family members, the bridal party, and the bride enter the church and take their places. This may be split into processional of the bridesmaids and processional of the bride.
• Gathering with Congregation: An optional segment that occurs after the wedding party is in place. After the entrance procession, couples may choose to sing a gathering song to unite the assembly in prayer.
• Responsorial Psalm: The Psalm follows the first (Old Testament) reading, and is led by the cantor. The cantor intones the refrain, the assembly repeats it, and the cantor sings the verses. It is important that the text be a psalm; a solo or other sacred song may not be used.
• Preparation of Gifts: If your ceremony is taking place during Mass, then you may want to select a piece to be sung by the assembly or a soloist when the bread and wine are brought forward and placed on the altar. This may also be when monetary offerings are collected for a local food pantry or charity, which is optional. Bear in mind that without a collection, the time is short, so select a piece that can be ended easily.
• Offertory: The offertory, also known as the presentation of gifts, is the rite by which the bread and wine are presented (offered) to God before they are consecrated and the prayers that accompany it.
• Communion Song: The Communion Song begins as the bishop or priest receives communion and continues throughout the communion procession. When the last person in the procession receives communion, the song should begin to wind down.
• Communion Mediation: After communion there should be an appropriate period of silence, after which the entire assembly may sing a hymn of praise or a psalm. It is appropriate for instrumental music to be played during this moment of silence.
• Presentation of Gifts to Mary or the Holy Family: In some Catholic ceremonies, the bride places flowers on the shrine of the Blessed Virgin Mary and offers a prayer. This tradition has expanded to offering a gift to both Mary and Joseph. This is usually done after communion before the final blessing; however, it can also be done before or after the ceremony.
• Recessional: The recessional is defined as the time when the bride and groom, followed by the bridal party and family members, leave the church after the ceremony.
• Postlude: The postlude is the time during which the rest of the guests leave the church.

We have listed some of the best songs for each of these sections below. Please note, we have not included any secular songs in our list for two reasons: because they are not usually allowed at Catholic ceremonies and because they can be found on our wedding song pages.

For your convenience, we have included links to the sheet music on Sheetmusicplus.com as well as the CD on Amazon.com whenever available. If you are looking to purchase the mp3 or would like to listen to a sample, then click on either the Amazon, Rhapsody, or iTunes links.

Rhapsody provides both music subscriptions as well as individual mp3s for sale in WMA format and iTunes only provides MPEG-4 audio files for sale. However, Amazon does offer mp3s that are compatible with both Windows Media Player and iTunes. For more information about where to purchase music online, we provide it on our Music Downloads page or our Music Subscriptions page.

Best Prelude and Postlude Songs

1. "Air" from Water Music by Georg Friedrich Handel
   Traditional, classical piece that can be used for the prelude or the bridal party's processional
    Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
2. "Arioso" by Johann Sebastian Bach
    Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
3. "Bist du bei mir" (You are with me or Be Thou with Me) from Anna Magdalena Notenbuch by Johann Sebastian Bach
    Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
4. "Canon in D" by Johann Pachelbel
    Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
5. "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" by Johann Sebastian Bach
    Find an instrumental version on:        Sheetmusicplus
    Find a vocal version on:     
6. Vesperae solennes de confessore in C, K.339, "Laudate Dominum" by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
    Find it on:     
7. "Rondeau" by Jean-Joseph Mouret
    Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
8. "The Gift of Love" (Water Is Wide) by Hopson
    Find it on:        Rhapsody

Best Processional Songs

1. "Air" from Water Music by George Friedrich Handel
   Traditional, classical piece that can be used for the prelude or the bridal party's processional
    Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
2. "Allegro Maestoso" from Water Music by George Friedrich Handel
    Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
3. "Canon in D" by Johann Pachelbel
   Especially good for bridesmaids.
    Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
4. "Eine Klein Nachtmusik," Serenade No. 13 in G major by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
    Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
5. "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" by Johann Sebastian Bach
    Find an instrumental version on:        Sheetmusicplus
    Find a vocal version on:     
6. "Overture from Music for the Royal Fireworks HWV 351 by George Frideric Handel
   Lengthy song good for processional or the recesssional.
    Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
7. "Prelude To Te Deum" by Marc-Antoine Charpentier
    Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
8. "Prince of Denmark's March" (Trumpet Voluntary in D major) by Jeremiah Clarke
    Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
9. "Rondeau" by Jean-Joseph Mouret
    Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
10. "Sheep May Safely Graze" ("Was mir behagt"), Cantata No. 208, by Johann Sebastian Bach
     Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
11. "Trumpet Tune in D" by Henry Purcell
     Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
12. "Trumpet Tune" by John Stanley
     Find it on:        Rhapsody

Best Gathering With Congregation Songs

1. "Here I Am Lord" performed by John Michael Talbot
    Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
2. "Hear Us Now, Our God and Father" by Roland Prichard Hyfrydol

Best Responsorial Psalm Songs

1. "Lord of all Hopefulness"
    Find it on:        Sheetmusicplus
2. "The Lord is Kind and Merciful"
    Find it on:        Sheetmusicplus
3. "The Lord is My Shepherd"
    Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
4. "This is the Day"
    Find it on:      Sheetmusicplus
5. "You are Mine"
    Find it on:        Sheetmusicplus

Best Preparation of Gifts and Offeratory Songs

1. "The Gift of Love" (Water Is Wide) by Hopson
    Find it on:        Rhapsody
2. "How Great Thou Art" performed by Martina McBride, Alan Jackson, Elvis Presley, and others
    Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
3. "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" by Johann Sebastian Bach
    Find an instrumental version on:        Sheetmusicplus
    Find a vocal version on:     
4. "Let There Be Peace on Earth" performed by Vince & Jenny Gill
    Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
5. "Panis Angelicus" (O God Of Life) performed by Josh Groben
    Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus

Best Communion and Communion Meditation Songs

1. "Bist du bei mir" (You are with me or Be Thou with Me) from Anna Magdalena Notenbuch by Johann Sebastian Bach
    Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
2. "A Gaelic Blessing" by John Rutter
    Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
3. "Gift of Finest Wheat" by Kreutz
    Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
4. "Here I Am Lord" by Schutte
    Find it on:        Sheetmusicplus
5. "How Great Thou Art" performed by Carrie Underwood
    Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
6. "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" by Johann Sebastian Bach
    Find an instrumental version on:        Sheetmusicplus
    Find a vocal version on:     
7. "Let There Be Peace on Earth" performed by Vince & Jenny Gill
    Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
8. "On Eagles Wings" performed by Michael Crawford
    Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
9. "One Bread, One Body"
    Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
10. "Panis Angelicus" (O God Of Life) performed by Josh Groben
     Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
11. "Prayer Of St. Francis" performed by Sarah McLachlan
     Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
12. "Taste and See" by Joel Martinson or Moore
     Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
13. "The Gift of Love" (Water Is Wide) by Hopson
     Find it on:        Rhapsody
14. Vesperae solennes de confessore in C, K.339, "Laudate Dominum" by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
     Find it on:     

Best Presentation of Gifts Songs

1. "Ave Maria" by Charles Gounod or Johann Sebastian Bach
    Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
2. "Ave Maria" by Franz Schubert
    Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
3. "The Gift of Love" (Water Is Wide) by Hopson
    Find it on:        Rhapsody

Best Recessional Songs

1. "Allegro Maestoso" from Water Music by George Friedrich Handel
    Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
2. "Hornpipe" from Water Music Suite by Georg Friedrich Handel
   Also known as Concerto Grosso, Op. 6, No. 7; it is a very nice choice for the bride's processional or the recessional.
    Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
3. "Joyful, Joyful, We Adore You" by Ludwig van Beethoven
    Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
4. "La Rejouissance" from Royal Fireworks Music by George Frideric Handel
   A nice piece that is too short to use except for the bride's processional or the recessional.
    Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
5. "Ode To Joy" (from The Ninth Symphony) by Ludwig van Beethoven
    Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
6. "Prince of Denmark's March" (Trumpet Voluntary in D major) by Jeremiah Clarke
    Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
7. "Rondeau" by Jean-Joseph Mouret
    Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
8. The Four Seasons by Antonio Vivaldi
   Consider using "Spring" from this piece.
    Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
9. "Toccata from Organ Symphony No. 5" performed by Charles-Marie Widor
    Find it on:        Rhapsody
10. "Trumpet Tune in D Major" performed by Jeremiah Clarke
     Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus
11. "Tuba Tune" by Craig Sellar Lang
    Despite the name, this lively song is actually played on an organ.
     Find it on:        Rhapsody   Sheetmusicplus

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