There are so many choices when choosing the music for your wedding ceremony. Traditional or contemporary? Classical musicians or recorded music from a deejay? Your venue and the budget may be a guideline for these decisions.

Most wedding ceremonies will typically have 30 minutes of prelude music (music as your guests are arriving), one song for the processional of the grandparents and parents, one song for the processional of the bridesmaids, and one song for the processional of the bride. If you have a small bridal party, you could all come in to the same piece of music. Talk with your officiant as to whether or not any music would be required within your ceremony. Choose one more song for the recessional of the bride, groom, and wedding party.

Here is a list of popular wedding ceremony music:

Seating of the mothers:

Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring (Bach)

The Wedding Song (Peter, Paul and Mary)

Solemn Processional from Water Music (Handel)

Bathe then in your Love (Wise)

Gabriel’s Oboe (Morricone)

Panis Angelicus (Franck)

Bridesmaids Processional:

Canon in ‘D (Pachelbel)

Hallelujah (Cohen)

Sheep May Safely Graze (Bach)

Grazioso from Heldenmusik (Teleman)

Simple Gifts (Copland)

Air from Water Music (Handel)

Spring from the Four Seasons (Vivaldi)

Bride’s Processional:

Trumpet Voluntary (Clarke)

Bridal Chorus (Handel) 

Ave Maria (Schubert)

Canon in D (Pachelbel)

Recessional:

Ode to Joy (Beethoven)

Allegro from Water Music (Handel)

Trumpet Tune (Purchell)

Finale from Symphony # 5 (Widor)

Wedding March (Mendelssohn) 

Rondeau (Mouret)

Te Deum (Charpentier) 

Arrival of the Queen of Sheba (Handel)

Toccato (Widor)

Traditional Music for Jewish Wedding Ceremonies

Processional:

Erev Shel Shoshanim

Dodi Li

Sunrise, Sunset

Y’did Nefesh

Hine Ma Tov

Vimale

Recessional:

Siman Tov, Mazel Tov

Im Eshkachech

Hoshi’A Et Amecha

Bei Mir Bistu Shein

To Life

Od Yishama II

Hevenu Shalom

Contemporary Music for Wedding Ceremonies

Processional:

I Do

A Thousand Years

Marry Me

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

Make You Feel My Love

God Only Knows

The Luckiest

Recessional:

Signed, Sealed, Delivered

Your Make My Dreams

Crazy Little Thing Called Love

You Are the Best Thing

All You Need is Love

Happy Together

Beautiful Day

All My Loving

Wouldn’t It Be Nice