Romantic Wedding in Connecticut

Music

Your wedding music sets the tone for your most romantic day.

About the photo: Divina Strings’ repertoire is vast
and includes a wide range of classical and pop music:
String Trios, String Quartets, to unique wedding bands!
DivinaStrings.Com (photo kindly provided by Divina Strings)

Typical elements that use music to enhance your wedding ceremony:

Prelude: Background music for your guests to be seated. Honored guests, such as grandparents and parents, are seated last. The music should be quiet enough for guests to politely greet each other.
Processional, Bridesmaids: An obvious change from the preceding background music. Loud enough to discourage conversation.
Processional, Bride: The bride almost always walks down the aisle to music different from any other ceremony music. (You may rest assured that I will invite your guests to stand in honor of the bride! And will remember to ask them to sit down again.)
Unity ceremony music: If your unity ceremony will have more than a few seconds of silence, low background music would be suitable. Music should fade out when your officiant resumes speaking.
Recessional: You two and your wedding party. This music is usually sparkling and upbeat.
Postlude: Background music for your guests to head for your reception. Soft enough for guests to have unobtrusive conversations.

"Where words fail, music speaks." — Hans Christian Andersen

Specific wedding music suggestions by genre:

Classical / Traditional wedding music

Prelude: “Clair de Lune”, Claude Debussy; “Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun”, Claude Debussy; “Gymnopedie” (1 through 3), Erik Satie; “Gnossienne” (1 through 5), Erik Satie; “Air on the G String”, Johann Sebastian Bach; “The Swan” from “Carnival of the Animals”, Camille Saint-Saëns
Processional — Bridesmaids: “Liebestraum” (“Love's Dream”), Franz Liszt; “Hungarian Rhapsody Number 2”, Franz Liszt; “Arioso”, Johann Sebastian Bach; “Aida – Grand March”, Giuseppe Verdi
Processional — Bride: “Bridal Chorus” from “Lohengrin” (known as “Here Comes the Bride”), Richard Wagner; “Canon in D Major”, Johann Pachelbel; “Wedding March” from “The Sound of Music”, Rogers and Hammerstein; “Adagio in g minor”, Tomaso Giovanni Albinoni; “Air on the G String”, Johann Sebastian Bach; “Serenade”, Franz Schubert
Unity ceremony music: “Allemande” from Suite IX in e minor, Johann Pachelbel; “Waltz in A-Flat Major”, Johannes Brahms
Recessional — You and your wedding party: “Wedding March” in C Major, Felix Mendelssohn; “Liebeslied” (“Love's Song”), Fritz Kreisler; “Allegro” from “Organ Fantasie in f minor” (Köchel 594), Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart; “Crown Imperial March”, Sir William Turner Walton; “Marche Militaire”, Franz Schubert
Postlude: “Moonlight Sonata”, Ludwig van Beethoven; “The Blue Danube Waltz”, Johann Strauss II; “Waltz of the Flowers”, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky; “Swan Lake Waltz”, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky; “Air” from Water Music Suite number 1 in F Major, George Frideric Handel; “Menuet” from Water Music Suite number 1 in F Major, George Frideric Handel; “Waltz of the Snowflakes”, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

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Golden / Timeless

Prelude: “Rhapsody in Blue”, George Gershwin; “Just in Time”, Jule Styne; “Romeo and Juliet” (love theme), Nino Rota (rearrangement by Henry Mancini); “At Last”, Harry Warren; “We’ve Only Just Begun”, Roger Nichols; “What a Wonderful World”, George David Weiss and Bob Thiele
Processional — Bridesmaids: “All You Need Is Love”, John Lennon and Paul McCartney; “Morning Has Broken”, Eleanor Farjeon; “La vie en rose”, Édith Piaf
Processional — Bride: “Here Comes the Sun”, George Harrison; “Moon River”, Henry Mancini; “You Raise Me Up”, Rolf Løvland; “Tale as Old as Time” from “Beauty and the Beast”, Howard Ashman
Unity ceremony music: “In My Life”, John Lennon and Paul McCartney; “All of Me”, Gerald Marks and Seymour Simons
Recessional — You and your wedding party: “When I'm Sixty-Four”, John Lennon and Paul McCartney; “Everlasting Love”, Buzz Cason and Mac Gayden; “(I've Had) The Time of My Life”, Franke Previte, John DeNicola, and Donald Markowitz
Postlude: “Time to Say Goodbye”, Francesco Sartori; “Lullaby (Goodnight, My Angel)”, Billy Joel; “Wedding Song (There Is Love)”, Noel “Paul” Stookey; “You’ll Never Walk Alone”, Rogers and Hammerstein

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Modern / Contemporary

Prelude: “Over the Rainbow”, Harold Arlen (vocal version by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole); “I Do”, Colbie Caillat; “Lucky”, Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat; “She Will Be Loved”, Adam Levine and James Valentine; “Beautiful Day”, U2
Processional — Bridesmaids: “Brighter Than the Sun”, Colbie Caillat and Ryan Tedder; “Dog Days Are Over”, Florence and the Machine
Processional — Bride: “Marry You”, Bruno Mars; “A Whole New World”, Alan Menken; “Marry Me”, Pat Monahan (of Train); “All I Want is You”, Judah Lee Akers, Brian Victor Macdonald, Nathan Edward Zuercher, Spencer Morgan Cross (Judah & the Lion); “I'm Yours”, Jason Mraz
Unity ceremony music: “Luna”, William Patrick Corgan; “Make You Feel My Love”, Bob Dylan
Recessional — You and your wedding party: “This Will Be (an Everlasting Love)”, Natalie Cole; “Grow Old with Me”, John Lennon; “Love You Madly”, John McCrea; “This Will Be Our Year”, Chris White
Postlude: “Not Fade Away”, Buddy Holly (you may prefer the Grateful Dead version); “Can you feel the love tonight”, Elton John; “My Heart Will Go On”, James Horner; “Into the Mystic”, Van Morrison

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Hints for making your wedding ceremony music the best it can be:

The most important tip: Trust your wedding professionals.

The person or people who will be providing your wedding music want everything to sound good, and to flow smoothly. Your music providers may have suggestions for songs that will fit nicely with your other choices. Be sure to tell your music professionals what songs are “Must play” and what are “Must not play”.

You may want specific songs to start playing somewhere other than the very beginning. Work with your music professionals to be sure that they know exactly where to start.

Your DJ or the person leading your musicians should be able to see the whole aisle. That is the only way your music can be started correctly and faded out properly.

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