A Celebrant's Guide to your wedding music
Here's an up-to-date guide to your choice of wedding music, from the Together Marriage Preparation Course.
This Guide is written for his engaged couples by Fr. Pat Rogers, and is linked to "Wedding Bells" - a set of wedding-music CDs recorded for him by well-known singers and musicians.
Check them out, and to order them use this form , and tell them Damien sent you!
Basics:
Check your music choices with your celebrant, as some parishes are stricter than others in interpreting what music is "suited to the dignity of the occasion."
Trivial or frivolous pop-songs are best left until the reception, although a romantic air may be sung at the Signing of the Register, after the service.
Once you've selected the songs to be sung, you might possibly provide the lyrics in your wedding booklet, so that the congregation may follow, and join in if they wish.
(For lots of relevant wedding lyrics click here
If the Responsorial Psalm is being sung, be sure that the person acting as first Reader knows this, and does not start reading the Psalm before the musicicians are ready to start!
For some practical suggestions about hymns that can be used at particular points go to http://www.together.ie/Music.html