Ask Abby
Here is an issue that so many brides and grooms struggle with…the music!
Question 4: We are having a non-religious ceremony on the beach with about 125 guests. The attire is formal and for the most part, the ceremony will be pretty traditional. The only thing left to plan is the entrance music for the parents/grandparents, the bridesmaids and for myself….I want something that is beautiful, but not over-the-top wedding (ie. no “here comes the bride”). We are completely stumped and not sure where to begin. Any suggestions of great wedding music that isn’t too wedding-y?
Any tips for this bride-to-be?
Although I'm loathed to spread the word about this as I like its uniqueness at the moment, try the Pathetique sonata (on YouTube). It's a simple piano piece that I'll be walking down the aisle to that just says calm confirmed elegance...xx
My fiance and I decided on All You Need is Love by the Beatles for me to walk down the aisle to. It is being played by a string quartet and a friend that plays the trumpet.
The theme from Gone With the Wind is really beautiful and we had it at the end of our ceremony, but it works for the beginning because it's beautiful and dramatic. I came down the aisle to Highland Cathedral on the organ, but I've heard it on just the piano and it's very pretty. You can mostly only find recordings of it on the bagpipes though. Nessun Dorma is really pretty and I've heard it used as an entrance song.
I saw a beach wedding and they bride walked down to Somewhere over the rainbow it was so beautiful.
I absolutely love the acoustic version of "Everlong" by the Foo Fighters. I plan on walking down the aisle to it at my own wedding, without vocals. It's just so hauntingly beautiful, and the song made me cry the first time I heard it (and still does). Good luck!
How about "Musetta's Waltz" from Puccini's La Boheme?
I absolutely love the ukulele at beach weddings. I agree that Somewhere over the Rainbow is a lovely choice especially live on the ukulele.... there is something very airy and laid back about the instrument... but still very sophisticated. I've also seen classic guitarists play at the ceremony.... which can open up the possibilities in terms of music selection
Another option would be to pick songs meaningful to you and your families, and then have them played on a violin or guitar or other instrument. I'll be walking down the aisle to Rascal Flatt's "Bless the broken road" because it means something to my fiance and I, but it will be played on a violin so it won't incorporate the cheese factor that popular songs can contain.
Oh - and check with your family to make sure they don't have any major requests. My mother almost had a fit when I told her I wasn't including Cannon in D because I thought it was too "weddingy". So when she is escorted it, that will play... for a little bit.
I am getting married in a few weeks and we've chosen Nora Jones "Come away with me" to walk down the aisle to.
I just recently got married, and was struggling with the same thing. I found some music that I absolutely LOVED, and we ended up playing music by this artist for half an hour before the ceremony! I would check out the Vitamin String Quartet on iTunes. I used "In Your Eyes" for the processional, and everyone loved it. Our guests were asking what song it was because they recognized it, but no one could really quite figure it out. It is such a beautiful, contemporary piece, and I am sure you will love it!
A beautiful ceremony, by the sea? How about an instrumental version of the Beatles, Here Comes the Sun? It is recognizable by all and the sentiment is lovely; ideal for a summer wedding!
One of my friends used the theme song from the movie True Romance for her ceremony. It was really perfect and very cool! The song is called You're So Cool and is by Hans Zimmer. It's acoustic -- you can hear a sample on Amazon.com if you don't know which one I mean.
We had an instrumental version of Handel's Ombra Mai Fu for our entrance - because (a) it's beautiful, stately and serious, (b) we both like it - it's about how wonderful it is to be in a garden, (c) it's short so good if there isn't a long aisle to walk down, (d) I've never heard of anyone else using it.
We had an instrumental version of Handel's Ombra Mai Fu for our entrance - because (a) it's beautiful, stately and serious, (b) we both like it - it's about how wonderful it is to be in a garden, (c) it's short so good if there isn't a long aisle to walk down, (d) I've never heard of anyone else using it.
Thanks to Paula for the recommendation on Vitamin String Quartet!! I can totally see myself walking down the aisle to Bittersweet Symphony from VSQ. I don't know what it is about the song but I totally envision the doors opening at the church to this song and my father and I standing there and it gives me goosebumps.
We had an outdoor wedding about the same size as yours, but casual. We had a saxaphonist play "Isn't She Lovely" as I walked down the aisle and "All You Need Is Love" as we walked back. He was a great jazz musician so I told him to just play something fitting for the Moms and bridal party. It was a small wedding party (just the Moms and two bridesmaids) and I didn't want too many song changes. He did a wonderful job. One of the most calming moments of the wedding was listening to the music as my Dad and I made our way down the aisle.
I'd recommend a classical guitarist. The sound would comliment the natural setting of the beach beautifully. Perhaps something along the lines of flamenco guitarist Otmar Libert? Check his music out on youtube.
At our wedding we used Neil Young's "Silver & Gold" for the parents & bridesmaid processional, Paul McCartney's "Calico Skies" for my processional, John Lennon's "Grow Old With Me" for an interlude, and "All You Need Is Love" for our processional.
Normally I sort of cringe at the "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" suggestion, but for a beach wedding this song performed on ukulele would be very fitting. I think "Something" would be very complimentary to this and is beautiful on the ukulele if you go in that direction, along with "I'll Se You In My Dreams".
My suggestion is to look on iTunes for the Vitamin String Quartet. They do covers of famous songs and turn them into pieces of beautiful classical music.
Check it out!
Vitamin String Quartet is a great option - my favorite is their version of U2's "All I Want is you". It's an incredible arrangement that still gives me chills!
Here comes the sun and Over the Rainbow are great choices for a beach wedding as well.
We just hired a guitarist for our wedding & he is going to play two songs that mean something to us. I saw a previous comment about a ukelele & that would be an amzing thing to have on the beach. It is simple yet spiritual & beautiful. I would go on craigslist, find an artist w/ a legite website & call them. We found ours for 300.00 to play for 75 mins which I thought was reasonable.
we are doing a boys (children) choir but haven't decided on the song yet, Any ideas for that ?
Film scores are also a good idea for wedding music, especially if they are unique and not overplayed. For example, the "Love Story" theme is too dour for an event such as a wedding. However, "Storybook Love" from "The Princess Bride" would be a good choice.
I love the song "As" by Stevie Wonder. Most people know the song as " I'll be loving you always"
I love Jack Johnson and I'm going to be walking down the aisle to his instrumental song, the Cove. I think it's such a pretty and simple song. Our wedding will be somewhat beachy too :) I think Somewhere Over the Rainbow by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole would be perfect too.
i'm walking down the aisle to the instrumental version of "The Prayer" by Andrea Bocelli and Celine Dion; Songs from the movie Cinema Pardiso are also good choices1
I'm having my sisters and 2 girlfriends sing "For the Beauty of the Earth" as I walk down the aisle. That song was played in the Little Women movie, and I've always loved acapella. I'm thinking of having the guest sing also, and put the music and words in the programs. Thoughts?
I walked down the aisle to the "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World" eukele song and I loved it.... although it was a pretty close race between that and "The Book of Love" by Peter Gabriel... also a laid back song
OK...so this is going to sound really odd. Right before my youngest daughter graduated from college, I started planning her processional music. She wasn't engaged or anything...I just heard a great arrangement that I thought would be perfect for when she DID get married! Here is the odd part: it was a grand and stately arrangement on a pipe organ of the theme from Jurassic Park! I literally counted out the steps and could invision the whole wedding party preceding her down the aisle. And then when the music was really at it's height...my daughter and her father would appear. Sounds horrible hokey, but I really thought it would be terrific! (Needless to say, she chose a more traditional entrance!)
Just make sure that it's something that means something to you both, and that you love ...
My hubby and I LOVED the movie Amelie, got engaged in Paris and had hoped to get married in France ... that part didn't work out (we got married in Tuscany, Italy instead) but we still used the instrumental song titled, "La valse d'Amelie" (Orchestra version) for when we walked down the aisle (yes, we walked down the aisle together!)
It was the PERFECT song for us ... and still, I get goosebumps every single time I hear it. :)
We are renewing our vows on the beach and I'm walking down the aisle to Little Martha by the Allman Brothers. I'm going to have two guitarists play it, but it's a bit complicated for one, unless of course they are fantastic.It works out great because the song is very pretty, long enough for me to walk down the aisle too, but not too long so he can play the whole thing and it's the Allmans who played a huge part in our courtship.
I agree with the Bittersweet Symphony comment...great song!
Go for one that gives you both goose bumps! That was the best comment from above!
For the person seeking music for boys choir, my favorite piece is Suo Gan from the soundtrack of Empire Of the Sun. you can hear a small sample on Amazon. chills.
wow, thanks for the vitamin string quartet recommendation. my fiance and i had been planning on using a ton of those songs in their original forms -- but now maybe we'll use these instead.
We have found some absolutely beautiful pieces by Mark O'Connor, Yo-Yo Ma, and Edgar Meyer from their album "Appalciahia Waltz."
my family (parent + grandparents) walked down to an acoustic version of "hallelujah" by jeff buckley- it's beautful. my bridesmaids and flower girls walked down to the beatles, "here comes the sun" and i walked down to mazzy star "fade into you". it turned out very cool and un-wedding like! good luck!
Anything by Eva Cassidy would work
For me, we're using Led Zeppelin's "Rain Song"
I did not have a traditional wedding for the second time around. I was married in the beautiful backyard of my in-laws. I walked down the aisle to "Just you and I" by Crystal Gayle and Eddie Rabbit. Brought tears to my eyes. I love that song.
I am walking down the aisle (is just a few weeks!) to Aphex Twin's Avril 14th. It's an incredibly beautiful and interesting piano piece. It's not hard to find online, but unlikely that very many people have heard it.
Good luck!
I'm having steel drum music by Greg & Junko MacDonald
I used "The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba" by Handel. It's baroque so it sounds traditional but it's not somber at all.
Everyone has had some great ideas! And there might be one other option. You could have music composed for you, just to your taste. I am getting married in October and my fiance, (a jazz pianist), composed the song for me for string quartet. I haven't heard of anything like that before, but I'm sure my fiance is up for composing another song!
My brother is playing the keyboard -- the Moonlight Sonata for the wedding party processional, and then his own piano arrangement of the Godfather Love Theme for when my dad and I walk down the aisle!
Ooh, beach wedding songs! Here are some that come to mind:
I Will (Beatles/Alison Krauss)
YES!! to Somewhere Over the Rainbow - the IZ version (this could be processional or recessional)
YES!! to Here Comes the Sun, and All You Need Is Love (especially for recessional)
How about God Only Knows by the Beach Boys?
I Can't Help Falling In Love With You (Elvis) would be swell.
Hmm....Happy Together by the Turtles would be a lovely recessional too.
For some more 'serious' but not necessarily traditional-sounding classical pieces, maybe some impressionistic music would be good. Debussy's Clair de Lune is gorgeous, for example. So is Satie's Gymnopedie no. 1.
I am personally partial Bach's Arioso - totally Baroque, but not used all that often.
For something more romantic, I adore the love theme from Cinema Paradiso. Morricone is a wonderful composer.
If you could get a cellist, you could have the Prelude to Bach's first Cello Suite in G. Awesome.