What songs would you love to hear at your wedding ceremony???

smileysurfer

My friend has asked me to do the music for her wedding mass in December.
Im trying to compile a list and then il go back to them and make sure they approve. They are the nicest couple you could meet so I want to make it really special, Il be singing and will have a mixture of instruments.

What I want to know from Ladies here is, what songs have you heard that you would love to hear at your wedding? I should mention aswel that the priest is a relative of the groom so he wont be strict on using church hyms one. How many songs would you need for a full wedding mass also?
I was going to post in the music forum but thought Id get a better response here so any suggestions would be welcome!

g'em

moved from tLL - you should be able to find loads of posters full of inspiration from their own experiences here smileysurfer

Das Kitty

Hi Smiley!

It's nearly 2 years ago now but for walking down the aisle we asked our String Quartet to play an arrangement of Into My Arms by Nick Cave. Our first dance was In My Life by the Beatles and they also played a small bit of this at the candle lighting bit in the church.

Pherekydes

We had a Registry office wedding and my wife left me to pick and organise everything to do with the ceremony. I had to select the music, readings and poems.

In the end, I decided to suit myself, as I knew she'd like anything picked, so I picked Un Bel Di to open the ceremony and Va, Pensiero to close it. They're both operatic, but I got lots of compliments about the music, especially from the solemniser and, ahem, the lady herself.

Un Bel Di is One Beautiful Day in English (Or one fine day) and Va, Pensiero is the slaves' chorus from Nabucco (Slaves to each other ).

tatli_lokma

I think music that has a meaning to you as a couple is always lovely, especially if the sentiment is understood by those at the wedding.
We had a few classical pieces, but also two pieces we had were chosen because of their relevance to us as a couple were:
Somewhere from westside story - because we are both from different countries, cultures and yet found each other and found a way to make it work, so we felt that was an appropriate song. It was instumental only, but as most of the guests would have known the words/chorus they got what it was about.
The other was Christy Moore, the Voyage - himself was originally a sailor and the song is about a 2 people starting life together, and making the analogy to a sailor and first mate, weathering storms, etc.

Even if no one in the congregation had known what they were about we did and when we heard them they made us all emotional etc, and even now when we hear them they mean SO much to us.

So if I were you I would sit with your friend and her H2B and chat (together or seperately) about things they like, what they like about each other etc, and then try to think of songs that will reflect them as a couple. Even unusual songs can be lovely, if the sentiment is appropriate.

smileysurfer

Thanks everyone for the replies and suggestions.
If anyone has anymore id love to hear also

Menas

We had this song (album version) at the start of our registry office wedding (as the bride entered).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmvef-I0nyY

smileysurfer

Thanks for all the suggestions, If anyone has any more please let me know!

smileysurfer

Hi Sinead,
Thanks for that, Il be doing the singing and music myself but need ideas for what kind of songs. Il take a look at that website now, thanks a mill

galah

we had 'Alta Trinita Beata' sung at our ceremony, a-capella. Beautiful.

They sang a second song also, but that was in German (Lobet den Gott in der Hoehe, I think it was).

As the entrance piece, we had 'Greensleeves' on the organ (I absolutely love the tune), and the exit song was one of the famous bridal marches whose name now escapes me.

(but I must add that we didnt have a religous ceremony as such - it was a 'free' ceremony based on a catholic mass, but not done by a priest, so we were very much free to choose whatever we wanted...)

How Strange

Das Kitty wrote: »

Hi Smiley!

It's nearly 2 years ago now but for walking down the aisle we asked our String Quartet to play an arrangement of Into My Arms by Nick Cave. Our first dance was In My Life by the Beatles and they also played a small bit of this at the candle lighting bit in the church.

I love that song but honestly, if it was played as I walked into church/service I would bawl like a baby which I don't think is a good look for a bride!

I did a eh 'dry run' by watching it on you tube one day at home when I first got engaged and was thinking about music and I was near hysterical. :rolleyes:

Fink Goddie

A bit of slipknot and static x-he's a loser, or destroyer??

galah

"Highway to Hell" was hubby's suggestion.
Classic...

Das Kitty

How Strange wrote: »

I love that song but honestly, if it was played as I walked into church/service I would bawl like a baby which I don't think is a good look for a bride!

I did a eh 'dry run' by watching it on you tube one day at home when I first got engaged and was thinking about music and I was near hysterical. :rolleyes:

Yep, it was all I could do to make it to the altar without dissolving! I pretty much knew I was going to be tearful for the ceremony anyway.

billybunty

smileysurfer wrote: »

My friend has asked me to do the music for her wedding mass in December.
Im trying to compile a list and then il go back to them and make sure they approve. They are the nicest couple you could meet so I want to make it really special, Il be singing and will have a mixture of instruments.

What I want to know from Ladies here is, what songs have you heard that you would love to hear at your wedding? I should mention aswel that the priest is a relative of the groom so he wont be strict on using church hyms one. How many songs would you need for a full wedding mass also?
I was going to post in the music forum but thought Id get a better response here so any suggestions would be welcome!

Hi - I've a few suggestions - Nella Fantasia (lighting first candles)
On eagles wings - responsorial psalm
ag criost an siol - offertery
All I ask of you - lighting candles - together
Let there be peace - Sign of Peace
Panis angelicus & Somewhere (from westside Story) for Communion

Come what may & THe Voyage for Signing the register
Bride and Groom Leaving the church - Jackie Wilsons "your love lifts me higher" !
We have a young cool priest who is cool with our choices. We are getting married in Sept.
Hope this helps.

Featherl

Songbird or The Voyage or Halleluha from X Factor.. or My Valentine

snuggles09

I'm having Butterfly Kisses while walking up the aisle, The Voyage as first dance followed directly by Jack Johnson, Better Together (hoping it'll get people up as it's not a slush fest song as much as the first)

edited : oops just saw the ceremony bit in the title, i've only Butterfly Kisses picked so far

Heineken Helen

I want here comes the sun played as I walk up the aisle but it might be a bit vain

DaraMcG

these are mostly instrumental but if you're also playing some i thought they might be helpful:

O'Carolan's Concerto
Tabhair Dom Do lamh (Irish Air)
The Last Rose of Summer (Flotow)
Annie Laurie (Lady Scott)
Barcarolle - Tales of Hoffman (Offenbach)
I Dreamt that I dwelt in Marble Halls (Balfe)
Intermezzo Sinfonico (Mascagni)
La Donna e Mobile (Verdi)
La Paloma - The Dove (Yradier)
The Swan (Saint-Saens)
Minuet in G (Beethoven
Nocturne, Op. 9, No. 2 (Chopin)
Salut d'amour (Elgar)
Serenade (Drigo)
Spring Song (Mendelssohn)
Poem (Zdenko Fibich)
Air from Suite in D Major (Bach)
Prelude No 1 (Bach)
Prelude Op 28 No 7 in A major - Andantino (Chopin)

red herring

Non Je ne regrette rien - edith piaf. its a song about looking back on your life when you're old and having no regrets, but it could easily be incorporated into a young couples union, in that you hope one day they will look back on their life together and have no regrets.

La vie en rose is so romantic. one of the lines is ''when you kiss me heaven sighs...' it sounds really beautiful.

The soundtrack from braveheart also has a beautiful song, ''the secret wedding'' I think its called. It has a very gaeilc sound and is instrumental.

A few verses of poetry could be read to music, in old Irish style, it can sound really good if done properly.

Hope you find something!

looey2010

Hey all!

we just chose our music a few days ago and the girl singing suggested 'you're the one' by Shane Mcgowan for coming up the aisle, I absolutely love it, we are having Nella Fantasia, In a country churchyard, Ave Maria and they Prayer too. Can't remember the rest off hand.

Here is the web address of the girl we got www.sineadnicgabhann.net you might get some inspiration from the list she has, there are some fab choices on it, and it made it hard to choose, but we got there in the end.