For those planning their wedding music a good place to start is to know what the traditional pieces are for a wedding ceremony.  There are two pieces that are the most traditional.

• Bride: Bridal Chorus by Wagner
• Recessional:  Wedding March by Mendelssohn

• Mothers/Grandmothers Seating Music: Pachebel’s Canon in D
  Processionals:
• Bridal Party: Jesu,Joy of Man’s Desiring by Bach (also commonly used: Trumpet Voluntary, by Clarke or Trumpet Tune by Purcell)
• Bride: Bridal Chorus by Wagner
• Sand Ceremony or other ceremony with music: Ave Maria, Schubert
• Recessional:  Wedding March by Mendelssohn

Below is a list of pieces that often substituted for the traditional wedding music above. They are very commonly used and considered traditional wedding ceremony music too. When using traditional wedding music, it is customary to save the grandest pieces for the bridal processional and the wedding ceremony recessional. Some choose to have a somewhat grand and upbeat piece for the bridal party also, while others select something more subdued thus highlighting the bridal processional. Traditional music for the Mother’s/Grandmother’s seating and the background music for the sand ceremony and other ceremonies is more traditionally more subdued. Some couples that want to highlight the joy of the occasion and choose upbeat pieces for these also.

Common Alternate Selections for the Bridal Party Processional, Bridal Processional and/or Recessional