How to Pick Music for a Catholic Wedding

If you've ever watched "The Sound of Music," you remember the grandiose organ, multi-voice choir and bells that played while Maria walked up the aisle to Georg von Trapp. Catholic weddings in the real world aren't quite so dramatic, but often require more musical planning than most.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Find out if the wedding includes mass. A nuptial mass has more songs than the ceremony alone. Without a mass, you'll need a gathering song and a closing hymn, along with a gospel acclamation and responsorial psalm. With mass, you'll need to add to the list a memorial acclamation and communion song, as well as the Lamb of God, Great Amen and Holy, Holy, Holy.

2. Pick the music yourself or get help. If you have a musical background or just know what you like, feel free to go it alone. Otherwise, enlist the expertise of a parish priest, pastoral associate or music director.

3. Choose sacred songs over secular, because Catholics view marriage as a sacrament. Popular picks include Catholic hymns and classical pieces like Bach's "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring," Schubert's "Ava Maria" and Pachabel's "Canon in D."

4. Attend a practice session with the musicians. You can narrow down your choices and see if you really like the songs by hearing them live at least once before the wedding.

Tips & Warnings

• Pick songs the vocalists and musicians are familiar with or can learn in the time frame you have.
• Live music is better than recordings.
• You can also include prelude, processional and recessional songs in Catholic weddings.
• The celebrant, pastoral associate and/or parish music director must approve your song list ahead of time.
• Ask the celebrant before picking a song for the unity candle, which can't always be included in Catholic weddings.
• Don't use secular romantic songs during the wedding mass or ceremony. These songs are sometimes all right as preludes.

Resources

• Download a free Catholic wedding guide at Utah Catholic Diocese.
• For more songs, visit National Association of Pastoral Musicians.
• Find Catholic mass and wedding music at Oregon Catholic Press.
• Go to Sheet Music Plus to buy classical wedding music.