The History of the Wedding March

The wedding march is a tradition that has been around since the mide 1800s. Even though most people don't know where or how it originated, it is still a highly popular tradition.

History

The wedding march gained acceptance when it was used by Victoria, the Princess Royal, daughter of Queen Victoria, when she married the Crown Prince of Prussia on January 25, 1858.

Types

There are two pieces of music commonly used as wedding marches. One is frequently used as the recessional and was written by Mendelssohn in 1842. The other is the "Bridal Chorus," written by Wagner in 1848.

Significance

"The Bridal Chorus," which many people refer to as "Here Comes the Bride," is one of the most famous songs in the world, according to the Web site The Bridal March.com. 


Famous Ties

The Mendelssohn wedding march that is used for the recessional was originally written for a Shakespeare play, "A Midsummer Night's Dream." 


Fun Fact

An organ on which Mendelssohn gave recitals that included the Wedding March is housed in St. Ann's Church in Tottenham, England.

References

• The Wedding March
• Wedding March turns 150