Wedding Music: Sample Programs

The following two programs are suggestions for how musical selections can be put together to really enhance the mood of a wedding. The first program is very traditional and includes lots of old favorites. The second is a combination of many different albums with a mostly acoustic theme.

TRADITIONAL

• Prelude:
  Toccata from Symphony no. 5 (Widor); Jesu, joy of man's desiring (J.S. Bach); Air ~gavotte (S. Wesley); Canon in D (Pachelbel).
• Seating of mothers:
  Panis angelicus (Franck)
• Processional:
  Trumpet voluntary (J. Clarke)
• Ceremony:
  Ave Maria (Bach-Gounod); Lord's prayer (Malotte)
• Lighting of unity candle:
  Alleluia (Handel)
• Recessional:
  Wedding march (Mendelssohn)

---

ACOUSTIC (mostly)

When my husband Scott and I got married in 1993, in a gazebo by a lake, we chose mostly acoustic, classical and folk music. We researched our choices heavily before we settled on the following and later had comments on our beautiful, recorded music. The selections during the ceremony were sung by Robin Whitacre, a very talented soloist, and "I would walk with you" was signed in American Sign Language by our dear friend Jane Biehl.

• Prelude:
  Bouree/Hornpipe (Handel) (Shelley Phillips); Brandenburg concerto no. 2 (Bach) (Boston Symphony Orchestra); The water is wide (Shelley Phillips); Amber (Mannheim Steamroller); Jesu, joy of man's desiring (Bach) (Stevan Pasero); Canon in D (Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra); Skye boat song (Shelley Phillips); Greensleeves (Stevan Pasero); Claire de lune (James Galway)
• Processional:
  Rondeau (Masterpiece Theatre theme) (Mouret)
• Ceremony:
  I would walk with you (Cynthia McQuillen); All I ask of you (Lloyd-Webber)
• Recessional:
  Ode to joy (Beethoven).