Wedding ceremony music

[amc80]

Time to start picking out music. What are you guys using for your ceremony? It seems there are six "parts" to a wedding:

1) Prelude
2) Processional
3) Bride Entrance
4) During the ceremony music
5) Recessional
6) Postlude

The way our venue is set up is everyone will be on one side of the property enjoying hors d'oeuvres, bloody marys, and mimosas, with music provided by a steel drum band. The ceremony itself is on the other side of the property. So, at the appropriate time, someone will usher people to the ceremony area. After the ceremony, it's back to the other side for the reception. These are my thoughts so far (as you can see I don't need all of the parts):

1) Prelude - Rhythm of Love (Plain White Tees)
2) Processional - Bless the Broken Road (Rascal Flatts)
3) Bride Entrance - Not sure. If I stay traditional it will be a steel drum version of the normal walking down the aisle song. But I'm not sure I want to stay traditional. Maybe "Going to the Chapel" or "Today I Met the Boy I'm Gonna Marry" or "In My Life" (possibly the Johnny Cash version)
4) Recessional - Lots of choices:
-Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours (Stevie Wonder)
-When I'm 64 (Beatles)
-'Til There Was You (Beatles)
-I Got you Babe (Sonny and Cher)
-I Only Want to Be With You (Me First and the Gimme Gimmies version)
-This Will Be (An Everlasting Love) (Natalie Cole)
-You're the One That I Want (Grease)
-I'm a Believer (Smashmouth version)
-All You Need is Love (Beatles)
-Happy Together (The Turtles)
5) Postlude - Rhythm of Love (Plain White Tees)

Question- What are your thoughts on having the same song for the prelude and postlude? This is basically people going to and from the ceremony spot...I thought maybe it would be a nice way to define the beginning and end? Or will people just wonder why the same song is playing twice?

 

[amc80]

I totally forgot that I need to add Jason Mraz "I'm Yours" somehow. Maybe I'll walk down the aisle to it. It's the song that can get me out of a bad mood every time. I love In My Life but maybe it seems more like a funeral song than a wedding song?

 

[sillyberry]

You know, I have zero idea what our DJ played before and after the ceremony (I guess the prelude and postlude)! I think I just told him to play something nice. Absolutely zero clue. I'm not sure if anyone else noticed, either. I think maybe before the ceremony was instrumental music, and then after straight into cocktail hour music? Huh.

Here's what we did:

Processional: Vitamin String Quartet "Somebody to Love"
Bride: Vitamin String Quartet "Can't Help Falling In Love"
Recessional: Vitamin String Quartet "Don't Stop Believing" (the White Sox Rally Anthem)

I liked doing instrumental versions of songs I love - in my mind, it was more wedding-y, but still not the traditional wedding music.

As for the same before and after - if it was a readily identifiable song clearly playing with intent, honestly, I might think the DJ made a mistake and accidentally repeated the song. But, again, I don't know if I would notice!

 

[purselover]

I love the idea of the steel drum band, that is going to be so amazing!! The only thing I remember is that I walked down the aisle to Here Comes the Sun and then the recessional was All You Need is Love, they were both played by our string quartet. Obviously I'm more than a bit biased so I love all your options especially All You Need is Love.

 

[blacksand]

I love In My Life but maybe it seems more like a funeral song than a wedding song?

I think it's a great wedding song, and I really want to use it for our first dance, but for some reason everyone seems to use it as a Father/Daughter dance song. I don't really understand that. I think it's perfectly wedding-y, though. It's all about honoring one's past (family and friends gathered to celebrate with you!) while focusing on the present and future with the one you love. To me, it's totally appropriate to starting a new life together with your new husband. And I think it's beautiful.

I love all your whimsical song choices. I actually think I'd really like a steel drum version of the traditional wedding processional, especially coupled with all your modern choices. Something sort of serious and familiar to get people in the mood for a wedding. Get out the Kleenex. But then a fun recessional, like Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours would be so much fun and get everyone in the mood for a great party!

 

[rosetta]

I had a string quartet.

I walked down to pachelbel canon D (it's very popular, but it had great impact, I walked right near the end when the music is soaring)

Signed the register to Bach

Recessional to queen of sheeba

 

[amc80]

I love all of your comments and suggestions. One thing to keep in mind- we aren't having dancing at the reception. It's a brunch and we will have the steel drum band playing as background music, but no actual dancing.

I love In My Life but maybe it seems more like a funeral song than a wedding song?

I think it's a great wedding song, and I really want to use it for our first dance, but for some reason everyone seems to use it as a Father/Daughter dance song. I don't really understand that. I think it's perfectly wedding-y, though. It's all about honoring one's past (family and friends gathered to celebrate with you!) while focusing on the present and future with the one you love. To me, it's totally appropriate to starting a new life together with your new husband. And I think it's beautiful.

Have you heard the Johnny Cash version? It's awesome...but slightly more depressing than the Beatles version.

 

[mrscushion]

I think having the same song for the pre- and post-lude is a great idea. It gives a nice sense of closure to the ceremony.

We had "When I'm 64" played on acoustic guitar as our recessional, so I'm biased towards that song. I think it also sounds great on Steel Drums.

We also played the Plain White T's in our prelude, "Hey There Delilah". I walked down to Pachelbel's played on the guitar...and then I can't remember the rest, shame on me! Will have to ask DH.

 

[amc80]

Okay, I talked to the fiance last night and I *think* we decided on music:

1) Prelude - Rhythm of Love (Plain White Tees)
2) Processional - Bless the Broken Road (Rascal Flatts)
3) Me walking down the aisle - Today I Met the Boy I'm Gonna Marry (Darlene Love)
4) Recessional - I'm Yours (Jason Mraz)

We will just keep I'm Yours playing as everyone walks over to the reception. My fiance was really cute, I'd play a song for him to consider and he would close is eyes and try to imagine the scene.

 

[diamondringlover]

I really like the song Lost In The Moment by Big & Rich, beautiful wedding song....you should listen to it

 

[Gypsy]

I swore I wouldn't do Canon in D, but found a version of it I liked and used that for the Bridal March. Recessional was Ode to Joy.

 

[jstarfireb]

I totally forgot that I need to add Jason Mraz "I'm Yours" somehow.

We played it during the cake cutting. Feel free to "borrow" that idea if you want!