Processional songs and hymns are played in almost any ceremony as a form of salute to the celebrants. When people hear certain songs, they know that it is an onset of a specific activity. Aida March and Pomp and Circumstance are played during graduations. Entrance Antiphon and O God Beyond All Praising are used when priests are ordained. The Coronation Anthem is played when the few remaining royal families have formal activities such as coronations and the like. Wedding processional songs are played to herald the coming of the bride and her entourage.
A Guide to Wedding Processional Songs
You have two options when it comes to who’s playing these songs at your wedding.
First, you can opt for live musicians. You can ask a church organist, a string quartet or a live band to play them for you. With live musicians, you can be sure that your wedding gets that special touch as no canned music can ever sound the way live music does. The downside, however, is the cost. Some live musicians, especially the well-known ones, charge huge fees.
Second, you can hire a disc jockey to play your wedding processional songs. This is a more economical option as the DJ can simply set up his equipment to the venue’s sound system.
Done right, wedding processional songs can set the mood for your wedding. A mix of traditional marches and popular love songs are your best options for a church weddings. Beach and garden weddings present you with more choices. But what music do you play when? Below is a guide to help you out.
The Correct Order of Processional Songs
Prelude
Nothing builds up excitement more than prelude music does. It signals the start of a very important event, that something truly special is about to take place. This is the time when your guests will whisper to each other about how you and your soon-to-be-husband met, how you’d look in your wedding updo and gown, etc.
Treat your guests to a spectacular mix of classical and popular music as they are ushered into their seats. This can be played for thirty minutes or less, depending on the circumstances.
Here’s a sample list of prelude songs that you can use for your wedding:
Classical:
Peeters’ “Awake My Heart with Gladness”
Brahms’ “A Rose Is Gently Blooming”
Barnby’s “Perfect Love”
Schubert’s “Serenade”
Popular:
Evergreen
All I Ask of You
The Gift
Truly
Pre-processional
As these songs are being played, relatives and friends who are not included in the bridal entourage are escorted to their respective areas. The wedding party prepares its entrance as soon as the bride’s mother is ushered to her designated area.
The Wedding Song by There Is Love
So This Is Love from “Cinderella”
Minuet in G by Bach
Canon in D by Pachbels
Romanza by Andrea Bocelli
Processional
This is the most celebrated and most dramatic moment of the wedding ceremony. Such accordance is given to this part of the wedding as evidenced by its reenactment in most romantic movies. In fact, this is the scene that most girls visualize themselves in – when she walks down the aisle to meet the man of her dreams.
The processional starts when the wedding entourage marches down the aisle as follows: the groomsmen and best man escort the groom to his designated place in front of the altar; the bridesmaids, maid of honor, ring bearer and flower girls, on the other hand, pave the way for the bride and her father.
If you want your processional song to be uniquely modern and your church allows you to, then you might want to skip the ubiquitous “Here Comes the Bride”. You can play music like:
“A Thousand Years” by Christina Perri
Coldplay’s “Sparks”
“Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop” by Landon Pigg
Phantom of the Opera’s “All I Ask of You”
“Just Breathe” by Pearl Jam
“Unchained Melody” from the movie “Ghost”
You can choose one or play all of them as you march down the aisle. They are all so beautiful and romantic that you and your guest’s can’t help but get goose bumps and teary-eyed from their sweet and wonderful melodies.
Interlude
Some couples assign specific songs for each part of the wedding ceremony. They have a special song as the veil and cord unites them; another song that’s meaningful to them is played as the candles are lit to symbolize the lighting of their paths. They usually prefer an instrumental or vocal solo as they exchange vows and offer their rings to each other.
Here’s a list of our most recommended songs for the wedding interlude:
“A River Flows in You” by Sounds of Blackness
“All My Life” by K-Ci & Jojo
“All That I Am” by Rob Thomas
“All of My Days” by Alexi Murdoch
“Beautiful In My Eyes” by Joshua Kadison
“Because You Loved Me” by Celine Dion
“I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing” by Aerosmith
“Save The Best for Last” by Vanessa Williams
“Stay Here Forever” by Jewel
“This I Promise You” by NSYNC
“When You Say Nothing At All” by Ronan Keating
“You and I” by Michael Buble
Recessional
Recessional songs are played right after the priest or wedding officiant proclaims that your union is legal and binding. You can have your favorite tunes played as you and your groom exit the venue with your entourage and the officiant in tow.
Choose music that’s joyous and exultant. After all, your wedding is one special day that’s worthy of celebration. Take your pick from our list of recessional songs below:
“All You Need is Love” by The Beatles
“How Sweet It Is” by James Taylor
“Love & Marriage” by Frank Sinatra
“Waiting for Tonight” by J Lo
“Celebration” by Kool & the Gang
“Walking on Sunshine” by Katrina & the Waves
“Tequila” by The Champs
“Let’s Get Loud” by J Lo
“Welcome To The Jungle” by Guns n Roses
“Cruisin” by Gwenyth Paltrow/Huey Lewis
“Happy Together” by The Turtles
“Never Gonna Give You Up” by Rick Astley
“With or Without You” by U2
“You Belong To Me” by Jason Wade
“I Do” by 98 Degrees
“Thank You For Loving Me” by Bon Jovi
“I’ll Be There For You” by Bon Jovi
“Love Story” by Taylor Swift
“From This Moment” by Shania Twain
“Some Kind Of Wonderful” by Huey Lewis
“Just Like Heaven” by Cure
“Lovely Day” by Bill Withers
“Secret Garden” by Bruce Springsteen
“Final Countdown” by Europe
“Nothing’s Going to Stop Us Now” by Starship
“I Melt With You” by Modern Romance
“Wonderful Tonight” by Eric Clapton
“Sweet Escape” by Gwen Stefani
“Truly Madly Deeply” by Cascada
“Get This Party Started” by Pink
“Party Like A Rockstar” by Shop Boyz
Postlude
Postlude music is played until all guests leave the church or ceremony area. You can either continue playing the recessional songs or choose from the list below:
“Feelin’ Alright” byJoe Cocker
“Just The Way You Are”by Billy Joel
“Close To You” by The Carpenters
“Love Of A Lifetime” by Firehouse
“I Knew I Loved You”by- Savage Garden
“You Light Up My Life” – Debbie Boone
“Endless Love” by Lionel Richie & Diana Ross
“For You I Will” by Monica
“From This Moment” by Shania Twain & Bryan White
“In My Life” by The Beatles
We hope you find the wedding processional songs that you have been searching for.Tweak the lists and enjoy wedded bliss!
