Music for your wedding

Having performed at over 300 weddings in the past 10 years, we have a good idea of which pieces of music work well in church and civil ceremonies.

Not every piece is suitable to walk down the aisle to, not every piece is appropriate for a wedding and most importantly, not every piece can be used in a civil ceremony because of its ‘religious connotations’.

Traditionally, music is played for the Entrance of the Bride, the Signing of the Register and the Exit of the Bride & Groom. Hopefully, the next few examples will provide some guidance for choosing great music for your wedding day. The following are all suitable for String Quartet and String Trio.

Walking Down the Aisle (Procession)

It’s important to choose a piece that works well in a shortened format. To walk down the aisle usually takes between 20-60 seconds depending on the size of the venue or church and most pieces last longer than that. Music from the Baroque period lends itself to ceremony and can usually be successfully made into the right length of time for your procession.

• Arrival of the Queen of Sheba - Handel
• La Rejouissance (Fireworks Music) - Handel
• Prince of Denmark’s March - J. Clarke
• Allegro Maestoso (Water Music) - Handel
• Canon (shortened version) - Pachelbel

Signing the Register

Longer pieces of between 5-10 minutes are normal at this point whilst you and your witnesses sign the register and, in the case of a civil ceremony, the photographer and possibly some guests take pictures.

• Canon - Pachelbel
• ‘Largo ma non Tanto’ (II Movt) from Concerto for Two Violins in D Minor - Bach
• Pavane - Faure
• Air (Water Music) - Handel
• Salut d’Amour - Elgar

Exit of the Bride & Groom (Recession)

We always like to suggest an uplifting piece that is bright and cheerful. The length does not matter greatly as we will keep playing as the guests follow you out of the venue.

• ‘Allegro’ (III Movt) from Spring - The Four Seasons - Vivaldi
• Divertimento in F Major K138 (I Movt) - Mozart
• Eine Kleine Nachtmusik (I Movt) - Mozart
• The Marriage of Figaro Overture – Mozart

This is just a guide to music you could have for your wedding day. We will play virtually anything, from pop songs to TV theme tunes, if that’s what you want. Music is an important part of the wedding ceremony and I will make every effort to ensure the music you have is perfect for your big day.

All of the music listed above is suitable for a Civil Ceremony, although it’s always worth double-checking with your registrar.