Wedding Topics

Finding songs, hymns, and other music for a Catholic wedding

The best way to start looking for your wedding music is to talk to your parish’s music minister as soon as possible. She will probably direct you to helpful resources, such as a copy of the parish hymnal, liturgical music on CD, and musical possibilities beyond what is contained in the parish hymnal. (She also can help you get any permission you might need to reprint the music in your wedding program.) Besides these resources, you can check the websites of the major Catholic music publishers; some helpful links are provided below. Be sure to read about what makes good Catholic wedding music before making your selections. Keep in mind that music that was not written for liturgical prayer is generally not permitted (for example, "Unforgettable," "Here Comes the Bride," the wedding marches by Wagner and Mendelssohn). You can find out why by reading "Can we use popular, non-religious music in our wedding?"

Be sure to consult with whoever is providing the music for your wedding before making your final choices. You don’t want to find out a week before the wedding that the music you’ve selected is more difficult than the musicians can handle!

Follow this link for a list of some Catholic wedding music, including MP3 samples and links to the major Catholic music publishers.

For more information

Choosing wedding music
In the "Planning Your Catholic Wedding" section of this website.

Catholic wedding music: Striking the right note

Finding and Choosing Cantors and Instrumentalists (Musicians) for Your Catholic Wedding

Can we use recorded music in our wedding?