If
you are getting married at a register office or an approved
premise in England or Wales, non-religious music is permitted
subject to the approval of the superintendent registrar. Therefore,
when you visit the registrar to discuss your ceremony, you should
discuss your musical requirement and get the registrar's approval
for the pieces you wish to have played.
If you are getting married at a register office, although non-religious
music is permitted, the superintendent registrar has the
final word. It is unlikely that you will be allowed to have live music although you will be allowed to have approved recorded
music to be played on either on your own (or hired) system or
the register office's system.
If
you are getting married at an approved premise, you will be
permitted to have either recorded or live music. If you intend
having live music, you will probably need to adapt your choice
of music to suit the musicians you engage, for example, a soloist
will play a piece of music somewhat differently to say a string
quartet. Therefore, discuss your choice of music with your musicians
and arrange to listen to how your chosen tunes will be played.
Marriages
at approved premises do not have the time constraints of register
office marriages. Therefore, you have much greater freedom in
deciding the number of pieces you wish played. Indeed, you may
wish to replicate the format of a church marriage service and
have a prelude, a processional and a recessional. You can even
have music played at other points during the ceremony itself.
We have listed below many of the popular and traditional classical
music pieces you may wish to consider playing during your service.
The pieces are classified by their suitability for each section
of a service that follows the same format of a church service.
However, at a civil wedding, there are few restrictions on the
type of music allowed (so long as it is non-religious and does
not detract from the solemnity of the occasion). So if you have
favourite contemporary pieces then go ahead and play them -
don't be afraid to be adventurous!
This
is music that is played while guests assemble in the venue's
marriage room until the bride party arrives and can last up
to about 20 minutes. This music sets the mood for the ceremony
to come and should be positive and joyous. Popular classical
music played during the prelude include:
Canon in D by Pachelbel
Sheep
May Safely Graze by Bach
Pavane
by Fauré
Meditation from Thais by Massanet
Chanson De Matin by Elgar
Morning
from Peer Gynt Suite by Grieg
Salut D'amour by Elgar
1st Movement from Eine Kline Nachtmusik
by Mozart
Minuet by Boccherini
Air
from the Water Music by Handel
Air
on the G String by Bach
Berceuse from Dolly Suite by Fauré
This
is music played for the bridal party's procession into the
marriage room. One piece of music is chosen, which should
be stately and regal and last the duration of the walk to
where the ceremony will be conducted. The most popular classical
pieces of music played during the processional are:
Wedding March from Lohengrin by Wagner
Arrival
of the Queen of Sheba by Handel
Grand
March from Aida by Verdi
Wedding March from the Marriage of Figaro
by Mozart
Trumpet
Voluntary (Prince of Denmark's March) by Clarke
Trumpet
Voluntary by Stanley
Trumpet
Tune by Purcell
Air
from the Water Music by Handel
The
Rejoicing from Music for the Royal Fireworks by Handel
Salut D'amour by Elgar
Hornpipe
from the Water Music by Handel
Spring
from the Four Seasons by Vivaldi
Whilst
signing the register, there will be time for one piece of
music to be played - maybe two pieces if you are having photographs
taken during the signing. Suitable classical pieces to choose
from are:
Canon
in D by Pachelbel
Air
from the Water Music by Handel
Pavane
by Fauré
Meditation from Thais by Massanet
Air
on the G String by Bach
Morning
from Peer Gynt Suite by Grieg
Chanson De Matin by Elgar
Salut
D'amour by Elgar
Dome
Epais from Lakme by Delibes
4th
Movement from Eine Kline Nachtmusik by Mozart
Sheep
May Safely Graze by Bach
As
you leave the marriage room, walking arm-in-arm as husband
and wife, you will want a piece of music that is triumphant,
joyful and celebratory. Traditional recessional music includes:
Wedding
March (from a Midsummer Night's Dream)
by Mendelssohn
Radetsky
March by Strauss
Arrival
of the Queen of Sheba by Handel
Trumpet
Voluntary (Prince of Denmark's March) by Clarke
Trumpet
Voluntary by Stanley
Trumpet
Tune by Purcell
Spring
from the Four Seasons by Vivaldi
Brandenburg
Concerto No 3 by Bach
The
Rejoicing from Music for the Royal Fireworks by Handel
Grand
March from Aida by Verdi
Overture
from The Marriage of Figaro by Mozart
Hornpipe
from the Water Music by Handel
3rd Movement from Sonata in D by Purcell
Please
note, you must get the prior approval of the superintendent
registrar that will be officiating at your wedding for all music
you wish to play during your service.
For details of music CDs that are available to help you choose
suitable music for your church service, please visit our recorded
music page in Confetti's online shop. |
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