Music for your Wedding

The Marriage Rite is a Sacrament of the Church, a solemn exchange of vows between a bride and a groom, and an act of worship on the part of all those present to offer thanks and praise to God and to ask for blessings on the couple’s life together. All of the music before, during and after the wedding liturgy, reflects the Christian meanings, reverence and faithfulness of the Marriage Rite, and is therefore sacred in form.

Sacred music is sung prayer. Simply put, it is music which has been created in petition or thanks to God. It is important to present sacred music for your wedding liturgy, while reserving music selections that are secular or popular, for your wedding reception.

To begin planning your wedding music, please contact Lauren McCaul, Cathedral Music Administrator at 714-620-7912 or [email protected]. The Cathedral Music Staff hosts monthly wedding music meetings for couples to attend. In preparation for your meeting, please review the information below. We look forward to assisting you in planning beautiful music for your special day.

 

For your ENTRANCE PROCESSION you can choose one selection from either the Processional Marches or Hymn & Introits listed below

PROCESSIONAL MARCHES

Canon in D Johann Pachelbel
Musique Royale  Richard Delalande
Procession Alegre  Gary Cornell
Rigaudon  André Campra
Te Deum   Marc Charpentier
Trumpet Tune and March Henry Purcell
Trumpet Tune in D Major    David Johnson
Trumpet Voluntary   Henry Purcell

 


HYMNS & INTROITS

HYMN – God of Love and Joy and Laughter (can be sung to Ode to Joy)

Verse 1

God of love and joy and laughter,
Calling us to fruitful days.
May we be the echoes after
Church and people sing your praise.
Your love calls our love to being,
Grows, surrounds, up-builds and holds,
Clears our eyes for keenly seeing
All the world your love enfolds.

Verse 2

When we join in celebration,
Grateful for abundant gifts,
Send again that revelation
Of your grace that heals all rifts.
Grant us love that’s deeper, stronger,
As the days turn into years,
Wisdom fuller, patience longer
Faith and hope through joy and tears.

Verse 3

Now we ask your benediction—
Blessing, challenge, all in one.
Calm our stress, but use its friction
That, through us, your will be done.
Keep our hope as fresh as morning.
Keep our zeal warm as the sun.
Keep our joy, as spring aborning
Cheers the hearts of everyone.
Text:  87 87 D; Jane Parker Huber from A Singing Faith ©1987
The Westminster Press, Philadelphia, PA

HYMN – God, Who Created Hearts to Love (can be sung to Lasst Uns Erfreuen)

Verse 1

God, who created hearts to love,
Show’ring all blessings from above,
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Give these who come to you with praise,
Peace, love and laughter all their days.
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Verse 2

Jesus at Cana gave a sign,
Turning the water into wine:
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Sign that continues as he said
Love, living, risen from the dead.
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Verse 3

Spirit of God, be at their side:
Wisdom and comfort, guardian, guide.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Make of their hearts a resting place;
In ev’ry trial, gentle grace.
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Verse 4

Sing, friends and fam’ly gathered here,
Voices in witness ringing clear;
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Here is the mystery begun:
Woman and man becoming one.
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Text: LM with alleluias; M.D. Ridge, © 1992, M.D. Ridge. Published by OCP. All rights reserved.
Music: Auserlesene Catholische Geistliche Kirchengesänge, Cologne, 1623


INTROIT – Option #1  from the Graduale Romanum

God is in his holy dwelling place; the God who causes us to dwell together, one at heart, in his house; he himself will give power and strength to his people. (Ps 68 (67): 6, 7, 36)

INTROIT – Option #2 from the Roman Missal              Cf. Ps 19: 3, 5

God is in his holy dwelling place; the God who causes us to dwell together, one at heart, in his house; he himself will give power and strength to his people. (Ps 68 (67): 6, 7, 36)

INTROIT – Option #3 from the Roman Missal              Cf. Ps 89: 14, 17

God is in his holy dwelling place; the God who causes us to dwell together, one at heart, in his house; he himself will give power and strength to his people. (Ps 68 (67): 6, 7, 36)

INTROIT – Option #24 from the Roman Missal            Cf. Ps 144: 2, 9

I will bless you day after day, O Lord, and praise your name forever and ever, for you are kind to all, and compassionate to all your creatures (E.T. alleluia).


At a Wedding Mass the Penitential Act is omitted & the Gloria in excelsis Deo (Glory to God in the highest) is sung.

The Responsorial Psalm & Acclamation Before the Gospel will be sung during the Liturgy of the Word.

After the Exchange of Consent, a short acclamation will be sung before the Exchange of Rings. 

For those who are having a RITE I Wedding (a full Mass), the Mass continues with the Liturgy of Eucharist. You will want to choose a song for the PREPARATION OF THE GIFTS and a song for the COMMUNION PROCESSION .  You can choose songs from the Options in English, Latin or Spanish (some of these selections are better suited for the Communion Procession.  Those specific selections are marked with an asterisk *) or from the Hymns which are listed above. For the Communion Procession, you can also choose from the Communion Antiphons.


OPTIONS IN ENGLISH

*Eat This Bread   Jacques Berthier
*Gift of Finest Wheat   Robert Kreutz (can be bilingual ENG/SP)
I Have Loved You   J. Michael Joncas
Let the Bright Seraphim   George F. Handel
*Love One Another    James Chepponis
May Love Be Ours Michael Joncas (Not for Tongues of Heaven’s Angels)
May the Grace of Christ our Savior    Johann S. Bach (Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring)
Servant Song    Richard Gillard
*Taste and See    James Moore
The Call    Ralph Vaughan Williams (Come My Way, My Truth, My Love)
The Call    Randall Stroope
The Gift of Love   arr. Hal Hopson
Thy Perfect Love    John Rutter
Where There is Love    Johann S. Bach
Whither Thou Goest    Flor Peeters (The Wedding Song)


OPTIONS IN LATIN

Ave Maria   Bach-Gounod
Ave Maria   Franz Schubert
Ave Maria   Philip Stopford
Laudate Dominum   Wolfgang Mozart
*Panis Angelicus    Cesar Franck

OPTIONS IN SPANISH

Amar   TRADICIONAL
Dios te Salve María   Pablo Sosa
Donde Hay Amor y Caridad   Pedro Rubalcava (can be bilingual ENG/SP)
El Amor Nunca Pasará   Eleazar Cortés
Juntos Para Toda la Vida   Estela Garcia-López & Rodolfo López
Si Yo No Tengo Amor   TRADICIONAL
Te Seguiré   Estela Garcia-López & Rodolfo López
*Pan de Vida   Bob Hurd (can be bilingual ENG/SP)
Ubi Caritas   Bob Hurd (can be bilingual ENG/SP)

COMMUNION ANTIPHONS (SUNG IN ENGLISH)

COMMUNION ANTIPHON – Option #1  from the Graduale Romanum

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God; blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God; blessed are those who suffer persecution for the sake of justice, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Mt 5: 8, 9, 10)

COMMUNION ANTIPHON – Option #2 from the Graduale Romanum

Seek first the kingdom of God, and all the rest will be given to you in addition, says the Lord. (Mt 6: 33)

COMMUNION ANTIPHON – Option #3 from the Roman Missal              Cf. Eph 5: 25, 27

Christ loved the Church and handed himself over for her, to present her as a holy and spotless bride for
himself (E.T. alleluia).

COMMUNION ANTIPHON – Option #4 from the Roman Missal              Jn 13: 34

I give you a new commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you, says the Lord (E.T. alleluia).

COMMUNION ANTIPHON – Option #5 from the Roman Missal              Ps 33: 2, 9

I will bless the Lord at all times, praise of him is always in my mouth. Taste and see that the Lord is good;
blessed the man who seeks refuge in him (E.T. alleluia).


As the Wedding Liturgy concludes, a RECESSIONAL march will be played. Please choose one selection from the options below.

RECESSIONAL

Hornpipe  George Handel
Ode to Joy   Ludwig van Beethoven
Psalm 19  Benedetto Marcello
Rondeau   Jean-Joseph Mouret
Toccata   (from Symphony V) Charles Widor
Trumpet Tune  Henry Purcell
Trumpet Tune   John Stanley

DOWNLOADS

Wedding Planning Sheet for Couples

The Order of Celebrating Matrimony Within Mass  Rite I

The Order of Celebrating Matrimony Without Mass  Rite II

The Order of Celebrating Matrimony Between a Catholic and A Catechumen or a Non-Christian   Rite III

Frequently Asked Wedding Questions