Music is a crucial part of catholic weddings and it needs to be pastoral, musical, and liturgical. Whether you have a Mass or just the simple Liturgy of the Word, there are a few things you need to be aware of when choosing catholic wedding music.
You will need to select appropriate prelude and processional music to be played before the liturgy begins, which is often followed by a gathering hymn to assemble the guests. After the initial Old Testament reading, it is traditional to have the Responsorial Psalm, and this can be very beautiful when it is sung.
Pastoral music
The catholic faith says that you must ensure catholic wedding music is accessible to the whole congregation so that they are able to join in. Try to stay away from solos or musical performances during the liturgy itself; it is always possible to include while you are signing the register once the liturgy is complete. Select simple, well known hymns and hand out printed verses with your order of service to be sure your guests can sing along.
Melodic music
The Catholic Church believes that catholic wedding music that is part of the ceremony should be performed well, so if you have any musicians playing at your ceremony they must be competent and talented. A number of catholic churches have their own musicians, and some might not even be flexible about using outside performers.
Liturgical music
Catholic wedding music needs to be appropriate to the liturgy and it should guide the congregation to pray and to say thank you to God for the marriage. Hymns should keep the religious view of marriage as the focal point and not the romantic view. Selecting catholic hymns is usually the safest way to make sure that your music serves this purpose. Avoid pop music and movie soundtracks and play them at your reception instead.
Music is a crucial part of catholic weddings and it needs to be pastoral, melodic, and liturgical. Whether you have a Mass or just the simple Liturgy of the Word, there are a few things you need to be aware of when choosing catholic wedding music.
