Wedding Processional Music

We were interviewed for this article about wedding processions that's been appearing online and in newspapers across the country. Take a look:


Pick Your Procession Wisely

By Bev Bennett

“Here Comes the Bride” is a classic, but why not add some truly classical class to your grand entrance?

Anticipation begins with the first notes, and increases with each chord. That’s the purpose of processional music: to get guests to their seats, eager for the first glimpse of the bride walking down the aisle.

And although “Here Comes the Bride” is popular, you have many more options to set the mood, say musicians.

“Processional music doesn’t have to be the old lady on the organ,” says Tim O’Neill, who with his brother Ryan, is a musician with a best-selling CD of wedding music, and has a Web site, www.pianobrothers.com.

Selecting processional music you love and that fits the venue for your wedding will make the day more meaningful, according to O’Neill.

“The processional is about anticipation and suspense – particularly in situations where the bride hasn’t been seen by anyone before her walk down the aisle.

“The joyful accompanying music is the backdrop of the pride and joy of the parents as well as the ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ from guests,” says O’Neill, who lives in New Prague, Minn.

Some couples choose one processional piece that’s played while the members of the wedding enter. Often the musicians will pause momentarily or increase the volume to announce the bride. Other couples select multiple pieces – one for the couples’ mothers; different music for the groom and still another tune that ushers in both the bridesmaids and the bride (or one selection for the bridesmaids and another for the bride), according to O’Neill.

When selecting processional music, first check to make sure your choice is appropriate. Having your wedding in a place of worship may limit your selection more than an outdoor wedding. Many churches and synagogues require that the musical choices reflect the solemnity of the sanctuary and the occasion. Ask the church’s music director for some guidance.
Evaluate the space and available musical equipment.

For example, if you’re being married in an old church with a pipe organ, your best choice of processional music may be Bach’s “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring.” A newer church may have an electric piano, which gives you more choices but isn’t as dramatic as the organ, according to O’Neill.

You can also hire musicians for the processional music. Add a string quartet to supplement a piano. Guitars, harps or a string quartet work well in an outdoor setting.

“A string quartet playing ‘Spring’ from Vivaldi’s ‘Four Seasons’ at a beautiful May or June wedding when flowers are in full bloom can be quite breathtaking,” O’Neill says.

Name That Tune
If you’re not sure what music you’d like, tune into a Web site for a snippet: www.pianobrothers.com offers samples.

Top Hits:
Prelude music (while guests are being seated)
J.S. Bach’s “Air on a G String”

Processional
Pachebel’s “Canon in D”
“Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring”

Recessional
“Spring” (from the “Four Seasons”)
Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy”